Queen - Queen II (2011 Deluxe Remaster FLAC) 88

Queen
Queen II (1974)
2011 Deluxe Remaster
FLAC LOSSLESS 16Bit-44kHz



allmusic.com...

In one regard, Queen II does indeed provide more of the same thing as on the band's debut. Certainly, of all the other albums in Queen's catalog it bears the closest resemblance to its immediate predecessor, particularly in its lean, hard attack and in how it has only one song that is well-known to listeners outside of their hardcore cult: in this case, it's "Seven Seas of Rhye," which is itself more elliptical than "Keep Yourself Alive," the big song from the debut. But these similarities are superficial and Queen II is a very different beast than its predecessor, an album that is richer, darker, and weirder, an album that finds Queen growing as a band by leaps and bounds. There is still a surplus of ideas, but their energies are better focused this time around, channeled into a over-inflated, pompous rock that could be called prog if it wasn't so heavy. Even with all the queens and ogres that populate Queen II, this never feels as fantastical as Genesis or Uriah Heep, and that's because Queen hits hard as a rock band here, where even the blasts of vocal harmonies feel like power chords, no matter how florid they are. Besides, these grandiose harmonies, along with the handful of wistful ballads here, are overshadowed by the onslaught of guitars and pummeling rhythms that give Queen II majesty and menace. Queen is coiled, tense, and vicious here, delivering on their inherent sense of drama, and that gives Queen II real power as music, as well as a true cohesion. The one thing that is missing is any semblance of a pop sensibility, even when they flirt with a mock Phil Spector production on "Funny How Love Is." This hits like heavy metal but has an art-rock sensibility through and through, which also means that it has no true hook in for those who don't want to succumb to Queen's world. But that kind of insular drama is quite alluring in its own right, which is why Queen II is one of the favorites of their hardcore fans. At the very least, it illustrates that Queen is starting to pull all their ambitions and influences into a signature sound, and it's quite powerful in that regard.

CD1

01 - Procession
02 - Father To Son
03 - White Queen (As It Began)
04 - Some Day One Day
05 - The Loser In The End
06 - Ogre Battle
07 - The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
08 - Nevermore
09 - The March Of The Black Queen
10 - Funny How Love Is
11 - Seven Seas Of Rhye

CD2

01 - See What A Fool I've Been (BBC Session, July 1973 - Remix 2011)
02 - White Queen (As It Began) (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
03 - Seven Seas Of Rhye (Instrumental Mix 2011)
04 - Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974)
05 - See What A Fool I've Been (B-Side Version, February 1974)


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