Elly Roberts reviews
Queen: A Night At The Opera
(30th Anniversary Collectors Edition CD & DVD)
Distributed by
Parlophone (EMI)
- 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' in
the studio by producer and 'fifth member' Roy Thomas Baker.
A Night At The Opera was the album that effectively made Queen the legends
they 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. Taking
the 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 were
spent in the studio perfecting the songs - and as they proudly confessed
there were 'no synths' used at any stage.
It opened up a new era for the highly educated quartet, as they progressed
from a guitar-based hard rock band that famously pushed their musical
boundaries to the limit, by introducing opera and theatre into their
flourishing repertoire. It was their fourth chart album in less than two
years, and their first number one. Crucially, it signalled a new found
freedom in terms of musical expression.
Recorded over three weeks, starting
on August 24 1975 at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth south Wales, the single
and centre piece - Bohemian Rhapsody - containing a pseudo-operatic
midsection written by Freddie Mercury, lasted a monumental 5 minutes 55
seconds. Released on 31 October '75, it was a ground breaking and record
breaking 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, you
could 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 key
elements of dynamics, rare in popular music, particular singles. There's no
chorus; there's an a capella and heavy metal section all rolled into one
masterpiece, 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 of
time. A daring seaside jaunt Lazing On is sandwiched between two thumping
rockers. They also had the audacity to do a country take with a harmony
fuelled '39. At 8-mins-plus The Prophet's Song had no competition at the
time, with its lengthy close and counter harmonies, juxtaposed by rock
riffs, genteel harp and piano.
Overall, Queen challenged the public's senses and sensibilities. It was
profound, fun, pompous, and outrageous - most of all, it changed the face of
popular rock music in the '70s. Apart from some amazing music, they all
embarked on some mind-boggling vocal gymnastics.
Thirty years on, A Night At The Opera still shines as one of the greatest
albums of all time, simply because of its timelessness. They collectively
set-out to make it their Sgt.Peppers - and achieved it - as Good Company
gives a healthy nod to The Beatles.
The DVD features original singles videos plus 10 new ones, all with archive
audio commentary by Queen.
A must for everyone.
The full list of tracks on both the CD and DVD are :
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
