Review Summary: Okay, here's a dare. Plug your headphones into your iPod, turn it up to full volume and then put on In The Lap Of The Gods. Comment below if you did!
Queen were taking their first licks of success with the big hit “Seven Seas Of Rhye” but Sheer Heart Attack was the album where they began to become a household name, and it’s easy to see why.
The album opens up with BRIGHTON ROCK. You hear sounds that can only mean we’re down at the seaside. And there’s something approaching… it’s the electric guitar! After the main song is sung (it’s all about two lovers meeting at the seaside) we move into one of Brian May’s legendary guitar solos that dominates the rest of the song. It’s even better live, as one of his fiery solos could last up to fifteen minutes! Wow!
KILLER QUEEN arrives next, and it’s Queen’s first real pop hit, discussing about a real bitch of a woman, with great piano work from Freddie and a cool Brian May solo.
Roger Taylor takes over vocals for TENEMENT FUNSTER, an acoustic tale about a cool kid on the block, with his new purple shoes and 45’s. Probably the most underrated song on the album. It leads straight into FLICK OF THE WRIST, an odd mystical tale with a lot of piano and guitars. It reminds me of something of Queen II, and the chorus is amazing. This then goes straight into LILY OF THE VALLEY, a small piano ballad. Very sweet this song.
Single number 2 comes in the form of NOW I’M HERE, and it’s another cool rocker, written by Brian when he was in hospital. It is well noted for the amazing hard riff and vocal harmonies. The song recalls touring with Mott the Hoople. On vinyl, this closes Side 1. And that’s where the fun really begins…
On Tenement Funster, Roger sang the song in a normal voice. But did you know he can also produce an ear-shattering wail? The yell can be produced at the start of IN THE LAP OF THE GODS which will scare the crap out of you or your money back. The song is another mystical fantasy, displaying the ranges of Freddie’s voice and his crazy encounters with the gods. This song kicks arse.
And STONE COLD CRAZY continues the party, with two minutes of awesome loaded guitars. The song is about gangsters, specifically Al Capone.
DEAR FRIENDS is my least favourite song on the album, as it is simply too short. The song is over before it starts. MISFIRE makes up for that though, with fun and funky Caribbean themes. This is also the first song done by John Deacon (nice one!) and he plays all the guitars in this song. Then BRING BACK THAT LEROY BROWN gives you some more fun, this time with banjos. Awesome!
SHE MAKES ME is also not a favourite of mine, as the guitars are just a bit too ploddy for me. Brian’s voice on this is sweet though, and the song has an excellent finale, with “the nightmares of New York” type sounds. And IN THE LAP OF THE GODS… REVISITED is simply a monster, with its sing-along chorus, it seems like a forerunner to We Are The Champions. It is also like the Queen version of Hey Jude, but did Hey Jude finish of with an amazing explosion? I didn’t think so.
So, just to recap:
BRIGHTON ROCK – 5/5
KILLER QUEEN – 5/5
TENEMENT FUNSTER – 5/5
FLICK OF THE WRIST – 5/5
LILY OF THE VALLEY – 4.5/5
NOW I’M HERE – 5/5
IN THE LAP OF THE GODS – 5/5
STONE COLD CRAZY – 5/5
DEAR FRIENDS – 3/5
MISFIRE – 4.5/5
BRING BACK THAT LEROY BROWN – 4.5/5
SHE MAKES ME – 4/5
IN THE LAP OF THE GODS… REVISITED – 5/5
AVERAGE SCORE – 4.65
