Review Summary: Surely now the band will be less Zeppelin and try to adapt some of their own harmonies and structure that were the main strengths of their debut right?
Nearly a year had gone since Queen released their debut and ok maybe we could understand some of the flaws in that album after all they needed three years to make it and we all know that most bands need at least two albums just to feel themselves out. So Queen II should repare all the creeks shouldn’t it? I mean surely now the band will be less Zeppelin and try to adapt some of their own harmonies and structure that were the main strengths of their debut right?
Well yes and no.
Yes in building more on harmonies and creating that soon familiar Queen sound into songs such as White Queen (As it Began), Ogre Battle and especially on their first major hit Seven seas of Rhye. No for trying to make Queen II into a poor mans Darkside of the Moon.
The album begins with the short intro track Procession which (If you remember my and please pardon my Darkside of the Moon pun from earlier) starts of exactly like the beginning of Darkside of the Moon. The album finally begins with the underrated Father to Son although it still continues the Zeppelin habits of number one but it’s more like Liar… as in it’s a damn good tune. The middle bah bah bah harmony section gives it that unique Queen feel too… great. Oh wait unnecessary ultra long play the same riff aimlessly for too long a time Brian May guitar solo that wants to be Jimmy Page but ain’t as good, well old habits die hard, in this album anyway.
White Queen (As it began) is a gem though; this is one of Mercury and Queen’s finest hours and one of the albums too. This would start a signature slow moving song that would move into a rapturous moment of rock brilliance… ok ok that’s kinda Zeppelin too but here with the near perfect harmonies and the for once unforced heaviness it works a gem.
Someday one day is average filler. Don’t misunderstand I like May’s vocals but here he just seems to go through the motions. Well at least there’s no Zeppelinesque solo… song reaches 3 minutes 6 seconds… darn!
The loser in the end is terrible, one of the worst in the album. It certainly didn’t look good early days for Roger Taylor did it? First Modern Times Rock & Roll and now this. Well he would eventually sing a decent song, really… I promise you.
Ogre Battle is a gem, a rare gem at that. The best way to describe this song is that it starts with a heavy thud of everything rocking backwards before Queen melodies roar it forwards and May’s Zeppelinesque solo (gotta stop those Zeppelin comparisons) rocks it sideways.
The Fairy Fellers Master Stroke and Nevermore are average filler but in their credit it looks like Queen are finally getting themselves out of their Zeppelin shell although Nevermore is a minute and a half medley that results to nothing.
The March of The Black Queen is sadly trying too hard to be epic and less to be a song it starts well with Freddie blurting out ‘Do you mean it?’ ‘Do you mean it?’ but because its lack of direction it sadly becomes more an exercise in experimenting with vocal harmonies and musical components than a song. Yes great when jamming with your musical buddies not so great when you’re the guy who has to listen to it. Second from last track Funny how Love is sums up a typical Queen filler, slow, meaningless, pointless, dull and boring.
The album ends as the first did with Seven Seas of Rhye but this time with lyrics and harmonies and guys who like to be beside the seaside and all that. This is what Queen is about 2 minutes 47 seconds of lightning piano intro, ka-zzing guitars and peerless Mercury vocals and by far at the time the most concentrated and fully working Queen song that could compete with Keep yourself alive for actual greatness.
So here’s a quick recap of the songs.
PROCESSION
Is really a Darkside of the Moon ripoff and actually lends nothing to the album other than an attempt to make it feel important but instead feels fake. 1/5
FATHER TO SON
This is where the album start, would be a five if it wasn’t for the unnecessary May heavy metal wannabe solo. 3.5/5
WHITE QUEEN (As it Began)
A hidden Queen gem. If you don’t know this tune I suggest you give it a listen 4.5/5
SOME DAY, ONE DAY
Brian May tries a soft medley that turns boring. 2/5
THE LOSER IN THE END
Make that Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll part II minus the rock. 1/5
OGRE BATTLE
Fun little song where for once the experimentations do work. 4/5
THE FAIRY FELLAS MASTER STROKE
Kinda Ogre battle II but minus the class 2/5
NEVERMORE
Decent short number, but only decent. 2/5
THE MARCH OF THE BLACK QUEEN
Starts promising but ends up portentous and tries a bit too hard to be epic without ever being so 2.5/5
FUNNY HOW LOVE IS
Boring, dull, pointless, skip at all costs 1/5
SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE
Classic track & one of Queen’s best. It’s also on their Greatest Hits compilation and fits miles better on that than it does here. 5/5
That gives Queen II a total average of 2.59 which is 0.11 less than their debut.
TO CONCLUDE
This isn’t worser or better than their debut but it suffers from the same problems. Queen were trying to be important without actually having a reason to be so. Queen II didn’t know if it was a concept album or not, indeed at times you hardly care as barely most of the songs strike a real cord and are there for jamming not musical reasons. They still make poor Zeppelin imitations although to be positive the vocal harmonies are starting to come through more now. But Queen II doesn’t feel like a Queen album indeed it doesn’t feel like an album at all but more a band trying to be like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath and not be themselves.
It seemed as if the band were still yet to have a true identity.
