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- Cat.no: 3384572
- Released: November 2005
- Rating: CD 10/10; DVD 8/10
- Extras: Booklet including colour pictures and song lyrics
- Format: CD (remastered) & DVD PAL (DTS 5.1 & 24 bit stereo)
‘Killer’ Queen release from 1975 gets a dust-down and some 21 century polishing in the studio.
A fitting tribute, to an album that was ‘made’ inthe studio by producer and ‘fifth member’ Roy Thomas Baker.
A Night At The Opera was the album that effectively made Queen the legendsthey are today. It made Queen the hottest commercial rock band of the year,and put them up at the top alongside Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Takingthe title from a Marx Brothers film (as they did with A Day At The Races),at the time, it was the most expensive album ever made. Hours and hours werespent in the studio perfecting the songs – and as they proudly confessedthere were ‘no synths’ used at any stage.
It opened up a new era for the highly educated quartet, as they progressedfrom a guitar-based hard rock band that famously pushed their musicalboundaries to the limit, by introducing opera and theatre into theirflourishing repertoire. It was their fourth chart album in less than twoyears, and their first number one. Crucially, it signalled a new foundfreedom in terms of musical expression.
Recorded over three weeks, startingon August 24 1975 at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth south Wales, the singleand centre piece – Bohemian Rhapsody – containing a pseudo-operaticmidsection written by Freddie Mercury, lasted a monumental 5 minutes 55seconds. Released on 31 October ’75, it was a ground breaking and recordbreaking single which remained in the charts for 17 weeks, nine at number 1.
In places it has 180 vocal overdubs. Apparently, it was so over-dubbed, youcould see through the tape. Producer Roy Thomas Baker did a remarkable job.Of all the pop songs that have made it to number one – it has all the keyelements of dynamics, rare in popular music, particular singles. There’s nochorus; there’s an a capella and heavy metal section all rolled into onemasterpiece, which took 84 hours to complete.
It was also accompanied by a promotional video that set the bench mark,which no doubt helped the sales of the album.
You’re My Best Friend is arguably their best’ pop’ song ever. Torch song,Love Of My Life, is neatly dropped into the opus, again standing the test oftime. A daring seaside jaunt Lazing On is sandwiched between two thumpingrockers. They also had the audacity to do a country take with a harmonyfuelled ’39. At 8-mins-plus The Prophet’s Song had no competition at thetime, with its lengthy close and counter harmonies, juxtaposed by rockriffs, genteel harp and piano.
Overall, Queen challenged the public’s senses and sensibilities. It wasprofound, fun, pompous, and outrageous – most of all, it changed the face ofpopular rock music in the ’70s. Apart from some amazing music, they allembarked on some mind-boggling vocal gymnastics.
Thirty years on, A Night At The Opera still shines as one of the greatestalbums of all time, simply because of its timelessness. They collectivelyset-out to make it their Sgt.Peppers – and achieved it – as Good Companygives a healthy nod to The Beatles.
The DVD features original singles videos plus 10 new ones, all with archiveaudio commentary by Queen.
A must for everyone.
Weblink: Queen Online.com
The full list of tracks on both the CD and DVD are :
1. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to)
2. Lazing On A Sunny Afternoon
3. I’m I Love With My Car
4. You’re My Best Friend
5. ’39
6. Sweet Lady
7. Seaside Rendezvous
8. The Prophet’s Song
9. Love Of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save The Queen
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.