“Queen II” is the second studio album by the British rock
band Queen. It was released on 8 March 1974 by EMI Records at midnight in the
UK and by Elektra Records in the US. It was recorded at Trident Studios and
Langham 1 Studios, London from February to August 1973 with co-producers Roy
Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone. The album is
notable for its combination of a heavy rock sound with an art rock sensibility.
It has been called "a pillar of grandiose, assaultive hard rock" by
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Queen II is not a concept album but a collection of songs with a loose theme running throughout. The two sides of the original LP were labelled "Side White" and "Side Black" (instead of the conventional sides "A" and "B"), with corresponding photos of the band dressed in white or in black on either side of the record's label face. The white side has songs with a more emotional theme and the black side is almost entirely about fantasy, often with quite dark themes. Mick Rock's album cover photograph was frequently re-used by the band throughout its career, including the music videos for the songs "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975), and "One Vision" (1985).
Released to an initially mixed critical reception, Queen II remains one of the band's lesser-known albums. Nonetheless, the album has retained a cult following since its release, has garnered praise from other musicians such as Axl Rose, Steve Vai and Billy Corgan, and is significant in being the first album to contain elements of the band's signature sound of multi-layered overdubs, vocal harmonies, and varied musical styles.
Queen II is not a concept album but a collection of songs with a loose theme running throughout. The two sides of the original LP were labelled "Side White" and "Side Black" (instead of the conventional sides "A" and "B"), with corresponding photos of the band dressed in white or in black on either side of the record's label face. The white side has songs with a more emotional theme and the black side is almost entirely about fantasy, often with quite dark themes. Mick Rock's album cover photograph was frequently re-used by the band throughout its career, including the music videos for the songs "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975), and "One Vision" (1985).
Released to an initially mixed critical reception, Queen II remains one of the band's lesser-known albums. Nonetheless, the album has retained a cult following since its release, has garnered praise from other musicians such as Axl Rose, Steve Vai and Billy Corgan, and is significant in being the first album to contain elements of the band's signature sound of multi-layered overdubs, vocal harmonies, and varied musical styles.
“Queen II” este al doilea album de studio al trupei
britanice de rock Queen. A fost lansat pe 8 martie 1974 de catre EMI Records,
la miezul noptii in Marea Britanie, si de catre Elektra Records in Statele
Unite. A fost inregistrat la Trident Studios si Langham 1 Studios, Londra, din
februarie pana in august 1973 impreuna cu coproducatorii Roy Thomas Baker si
Robin Cable, ingineria fiind asigurata de Mike Stone. Albumul este notabil
pentru combinatiile sale de sunet de heavy rock si sensibilitate de art rock. A
fost numit “un stalp al asaltului grandios al hard rock-ului” de catre Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame.
“Queen II” nu este un album de conceptie, dar o colectie de cantece cu o tema libera alergand de la inceput pana la sfarsit. Cele dpua parti ale LP-ului original au fost marcate “Partea alba” si “Partea neagra” (in locul conventionalelor parti A si B), cu fotografii corespunzand trupei imbracate in alb si negru pe fiecare fata a albumului. Partea alba are cantece cu teme mai emotionale si partea neagra este aproape in intregime despre fantezie, deseori cu teme chiar intunecate.
Fotografia de coperta realizata de Mick Rock a fost deseori refolosita de trupa de-a lungul carierei, inclusive la videoclipurile pentru “Bohemian Rhapsody”(1975) si “One Vision”(1985).
Lansat initial intr-o receptive critica amestecata, “Queen II” ramane unul dintre cele mai putin cunoscute albume ale trupei. Cu toate acestea albumul a pastrat un cult dupa lansare, castigand laude de la alti muzicieni ca Axl Rose, Steve Vai si Billy Corgan si este semnificativ ca fiind primul album ce contine ca semnatura elementele trupei: supraimprimarile in straturi, armoniile vocale si stilurile variate de muzica.
“Queen II” nu este un album de conceptie, dar o colectie de cantece cu o tema libera alergand de la inceput pana la sfarsit. Cele dpua parti ale LP-ului original au fost marcate “Partea alba” si “Partea neagra” (in locul conventionalelor parti A si B), cu fotografii corespunzand trupei imbracate in alb si negru pe fiecare fata a albumului. Partea alba are cantece cu teme mai emotionale si partea neagra este aproape in intregime despre fantezie, deseori cu teme chiar intunecate.
Fotografia de coperta realizata de Mick Rock a fost deseori refolosita de trupa de-a lungul carierei, inclusive la videoclipurile pentru “Bohemian Rhapsody”(1975) si “One Vision”(1985).
Lansat initial intr-o receptive critica amestecata, “Queen II” ramane unul dintre cele mai putin cunoscute albume ale trupei. Cu toate acestea albumul a pastrat un cult dupa lansare, castigand laude de la alti muzicieni ca Axl Rose, Steve Vai si Billy Corgan si este semnificativ ca fiind primul album ce contine ca semnatura elementele trupei: supraimprimarile in straturi, armoniile vocale si stilurile variate de muzica.
White Side (Side one)
No. Title Writer(s) Lead
vocals Length
1. "Procession" Brian May instrumental 1:12
2. "Father
to Son" May 6:14
3. "White
Queen (As It Began)" May 4:34
4. "Some
Day One Day" May Brian May 4:23
5. "The
Loser in the End" Roger Taylor Roger Taylor 4:02
Black Side (Side two)
No. Title Writer(s) Lead
vocals Length
1. "Ogre
Battle" Freddie Mercury 4:10
2. "The
Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" Mercury 2:40
3. "Nevermore" Mercury 1:15
4. "The
March of the Black Queen" Mercury Mercury with Taylor 6:33
5. "Funny
How Love Is" Mercury 2:50
6. "Seven
Seas of Rhye" Mercury 2:50
Personnel
Queen
Freddie Mercury – lead vocals (2, 3, 6-11), backing
vocals (2-4, 6-11), piano (2, 7-11), harpsichord (7)
Brian May – electric guitar (all but 8), backing vocals
(2, 4, 6-11), acoustic guitar (2-5, 10), lead vocals (4), bells (9), piano (2)
Roger Taylor (credited as Roger Meddows-Taylor) – drums
(all but 8), backing vocals (2, 4-11), lead vocals (5), additional vocals (9),
gong (6), marimba (5), percussion
John Deacon – bass (all but 1), acoustic guitar
Additional personnel
Roy Thomas Baker – production, castanets (7), stylophone
(11).
Robin Cable - production
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