Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

QUEEN

Queen

Prog Related


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Queen Queen album cover
3.67 | 638 ratings | 43 reviews | 17% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
rock music collection

Write a review

Buy QUEEN Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 1973

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Keep Yourself Alive (3:47)
2. Doing All Right (4:09)
3. Great King Rat (5:43)
4. My Fairy King (4:08)
5. Liar (6:25)
6. The Night Comes Down (4:23)
7. Modern Times Rock & Roll (1:48)
8. Son & Daughter (3:20)
9. Jesus (3:44)
10. Seven Seas of Rhye (1:15)

Total Time 38:42

Bonus tracks on 1991 remaster:
11. Mad the Swine (previously unreleased) (3:20)
12. Keep Yourself Alive (long lost re-take) (4:04)
13. Liar (1991 remix by John Luongo and Gary Hellman) (6:25)

Line-up / Musicians

- Freddie Mercury / lead & backing vocals, piano (4), Hammond (5)
- Brian May / electric & acoustic guitars, piano (2), backing vocals
- John Deacon / bass
- Roger Taylor / drums, percussion, lead (7) & backing vocals

With:
- John Anthony / backing vocals (7), co-producer
- "... and nobody played synthesizer ..."

Releases information

Artwork: Douglas Puddifoot (photo)

LP EMI ‎- EMC 3006 (1973, UK)
LP Parlophone ‎- QUEENLP 1 (2009, Europe) Remastered

CD EMI ‎- CDP 7 46204 2 (1986, UK)
CD Hollywood Records ‎- HR-61064-2 (1991, US) Remastered by Eddy Schreyer with 3 bonus tracks
CD Parlophone ‎- CDPCSD 139 (1994, Europe) Remastered
CD Island Records ‎- 276 387 6 (2011, Europe) New 2011 Bob Ludwig remaster

Thanks to tuxon for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy QUEEN Queen Music



QUEEN Queen ratings distribution


3.67
(638 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(17%)
17%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(48%)
48%
Good, but non-essential (28%)
28%
Collectors/fans only (5%)
5%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

QUEEN Queen reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by King of Loss
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars This is Queen's first album and for once, we are released into Queen's world of Artistic Glam Rock. This for me is a relatively good offering from Freddie Mercury and crew and signified the greatness to come. From here to the next couple of albums, we can see how much Freddie and Queen has evolved. Not highly recommended, but nevertheless you should think about purchasing this album just for fun and for what people first heard from the amazing voice of Freddie Mercury!
Review by Trotsky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars No band had a greater effect on my life as a music fan/musician than Queen. Back in 1986 I was a 13-year-old synth-pop fan who rated Ultravox and Orchestral Manouevres In The Dark as the best bands on the planet. However a chance encounter with the B-sides of Queen's Friends Will Be Friends and Who Wants To Live Forever singles (Seven Seas Of Rhye and Killer Queen respectively) convinced me that Queen's early work was worth listening to. When I spotted Queen and Queen II for sale at half-price, I snapped 'em up, and (after some teething problems) fell head over heels in love with Queen's brand of progressive rock.

Now I happen to believe that while Queen was a highly eclectic band that went through many phases, only 3 of the band's 15 albums qualify as genuine prog-rock albums. Thankfully all three of them (Queen, Queen II and A Night At The Opera) are real corkers. This first album came out in 1973 and sees a tearaway Brian May rocking out like there was no tomorrow. Coupled with Freddie Mercury's outstanding vocals and a solid bass/drum pairing of John Deacon and Roger Taylor, Queen's debut was a passionate affair that rode on the considerable songwriting skills of Mercury and May.

The light/heavy contrasts of Doing All Right, the semi-Arabic hints of Jesus (which explodes at one point in a raucous jam, the heavy blues-rock of Son And Daughter and Liar, the heart-breaking When The Night Comes Down, the glorious Great King Rat (surely one of May's greatest ever guitar performances) and the bona-fide multi dimensional fantasy epic My Fairy King (which has some lovely piano work from Mr. Mercury) are all songs that rank among Queen's most creative.

Even though there are a couple of throwaways in Modern Times Rock'N'Roll (written and sung by Taylor (then going by Roger Meddows-Taylor) and an instrumental version of Seven Seas Of Rhye (which would be revisited in spectacular fashion on the next album), this record is still stunningly alive, and is a wonderful slab of progressive hard rock. ... 77% on the MPV scale

Review by Certif1ed
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Kings of all Rock genres

What a debut - I mean, what a debut!!

Considering that Queen only got studio "downtime" in which to record this album, and the production is not the most amazing ever (loads of little glitches creep through after repeated listens), the end results more than justify Queen's place among the prog greats - ignoring, for the time being, the rest of their output.

Storming straight in with "Keep Yourself Alive", a killer of a rocker, replete with modulations and that famous layered guitar intro, a series of unexpected chord changes drives forwards in overdrive. The second verse changes the pattern, progressing the song onwards, Mercury varying the melody subtly, and Taylor squeezing in a drum solo before May's guitar orchestra kicks in and drives it to the bridge. The third verse modulates crazily - all this dense clustering of progressive elements in the 3:47 of a hit single! I've heard less prog elements in some 20-minute epics. I'd guess it's only the familiarity and surface rock song sound that prevents most people from hearing the blur of progressive ideas as they steam past at full tilt.

After such a devastating opening, there's only one way to go to preserve a symphonic dramatic structure - most symphonies go to the slow movement next. Queen uphold this tradition, and mellow things out with "Doing All Right". Mercury provides a beautiful piano introduction that he varies dynamically, before May begins to weave his guitar lines around the vocal melody. The sumptuous Queen harmonies provide a layer wash on what might be seen as a chorus - but then Queen do something entirely unexpected, and change the time signature, riff, key and overall feel of the piece. Some wierd chord progressions and a fabulous build up follows, but when the monster riff kicks in we are still unprepared and Mays solo takes us on a flight of ecstasy into more of the magical Queen choir. The song drops back into the main verse melody plus guitar variations, and BAM! The monster solo riff returns in fine fettle... to finish full circle with a gentle piano outro.

Having set the stage, the time is right for "Great King Rat". Feedback paves the way for some distorted guitar mayhem, then Mercury dives into the tale, using some very inventive vocal layering. All the while May layers up the guitar licks, and Taylor adds vocal highlights and driving drums. Check out the wah-wah layered solo - crazy! Another massive time change follows to pre-empt the lyrics "Now listen all you people...". Queen maintain the tension for another round, before another time change into an acoustic guitar section, which changes again, and again... an extended guitar solo section flits through several driving styles before the chorus finshes the piece.

"My Fairy King" - now there's a prog title if ever I saw one - begins unpredictably and races through several devices within the first minute with some incredible vocal harmonies - this piece swirls around before the now familiar Queen swoop drives the piece through key change, time change, style change - everything change, man, this piece is crazy! Download and listen ;0) A moment's respite and some back-tracked guitar layering provide an eerie texture and a sublime build-up to the reprise.

On the vinyl LP, that is the end of side 1 - and what a trip! Only 18 minutes, but with more ideas, inventiveness, key and time changes than the average Yes triple album - just condensed into mini tornados of sound. They don't make music like this anymore... Sadly, neither did Queen on this album. Side 2 starts well, but is not as consistently progressive as side 1.

"Liar" opens side 2. We might expect to find more of the same in here, and Queen do not disappoint with the intro. A pounding drum ricochets into powerful, rocking, swirling riffola from May, with accented prog-like drumming from Taylor, feeding into a song awash with time changes, drama and dynamic extremes - is this the first prog metal song? The piece develops the thematic material right through the solo, picking up ideas, removing textures and revealing depths to the music, whilst maintaining the surface of a "pure" rock song. Utter genius!

Next, "The Night Comes Down" begins with bass and guitar with cymbal washes, which feed into a drum pattern I'm sure I've heard the Ozric Tentacles using. Wonderful, progressive textures, that feed into the May guitar orchestra taking a whirlwind tour of wierd chord progressions, before Mercury picks up the song - a slightly hard to follow piece, with some very odd chord changes. The chorus brings a shade of accessibility at last - with a strangely soft rock feel. But this is nothing like your standard soft rock - although maybe some Beatles influence is detectable. That's no bad thing, though, and the May guitar orchestra again brings about a swirling climax of sound that changes abruptly into "Modern Times Rock'n'Roll".

Probably the second weakest track on the album, progressively, it's still a stomper, with full Queen choir - and pure "Modern Times Rock'nRoll".

This segues into "Son and Daughter", driven by a Led-Zep style riff, with possibly the wierdest chorus construction ever, and an inspired coda sequence, with lyrics about a man attempting to be both son and daughter... don't miss this!

"Jesus" is possibly the weakest track on the entire album, May putting in a surprisingly lacklustre performance, despite the crunching riffs that kick off the solo, and the multiplicity of layers only make the whole thing sound a bit of an unco-ordinated mess.

"Seven Seas Of Rhye" is just a taster of what's to come on later albums, prog-pickers - and it's a goodie!

In conclusion, if I was considering side 1 alone, this would be a bona fide masterpiece of prog rock alright - a stupendous effort.

Side 2 lets the whole thing down a bit, but still, this remains an excellent addition to any prog rock collection based on side 1 alone. If you've only got a CD player, then set "Jesus" to skip, and repeat "My Fairy King" instead :0)

This is an album that will add the ROCK to your prog rock collection. Play LOUD!!!

Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
4 stars I'll give all Queen albums a true rating without concerning myself whether they are prog or not (not IMHO). Actually this is one of the last Queen album I bought (had everything until Jazz) , and I was very surprised to see how many tracks I knew (almost everyone of them - whether I consciously knew they were Queen tracks or not) at the first time I lay the vinyl on my turntable!

All first five tracks are absolute classics showing how great a scope of songs Queen could encompass , displaying superb pop songwriting abilities, excellent musicianship , good production means. The second side pales a bit in comparison but remains of a tremendous and imaginative songwriting level. Liar is simply the track i enjoy most , but not one weak track! Regardless of the proressiveness or not , what a fabulous rock album.

Review by chessman
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars I was a Queen fan right from when "Seven Seas Of Rhye" was released. I bought that long before it was a hit, and thought it exceptionally different, what with the superb harmonies, mingled with the heavy rock style. However, the first Queen album I bought was "Night At The Opera". Then I worked my way backwards. This, their debut, is a more than decent effort and almost worth 4 stars. Most of the tracks are excellent. The opener is, in fact, nothing special, and is only melodically adequate, but the superb May trademark guitarwork rescues it. The highlights for me are from tracks 2 - 6 inclusive. All well crafted with wonderful guitar running through them, ethereal vocals from Freddie, and tight playing from Roger and John. The songs had an innocence that was gradually lost on later albums. It is almost an asexual album, as indeed it was probably intended to be, Freddie sounding like a mixture of genders at times. Weakest track without a doubt is "Son And Daughter", a surprisingly tuneless heavier piece, that plods, and sounds like any other heavy rock band in general. Then comes "Jesus" which, although I am an atheist, is enjoyable, followed by the instrumental version of "Seven Seas Of Rhye", which is a good way to end, Freddie showing here that he really can play piano properly. (My mother, who had had piano lessons herself, thought he was quite gifted as a player, praise indeed from her,as the only other keyboard player she liked was Rick Wakeman!) This is not essential, but is a good slice of history, showing, as it does, how Queen started out, before popularity took its toll. 3.5 stars really.
Review by Easy Livin
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars Regal

The career of Queen has certainly seen them progress over the years, from the raw, earthy rock which dominates this album through many different styles and sounds. Comparing this album with say "Hot space", it is hard to believe they are by the same band.

For most people who were around at the time, Queen began in the mid 70's with either "Queen 2" or "Sheer heart attack". This, the first Queen album, was therefore a retrospective purchase. It sold in far greater quantities on the back of the albums which succeeded it, being all but ignored when first released. Indeed, at the time of its release "Queen" so sold poorly, it can be seen as their equivalent of Genesis "Trespass" album.

Part of the reason it initially failed was because it does not have an obvious hit single on it. The music is generally rather harsh and devoid of the more refined sound they quickly developed. Indeed, there are parallels between the way Queen's music rapidly evolved after this album, to the similar transition in Yes' sound from their eponymous debut through to "The Yes album". That said, there are some real gems here.

The album opens with its most commercial song, "Keep yourself alive". While this is a solid piece of pop rock, there was little then (or indeed now) to distinguish it from the wealth of similarly crafted pop songs of the period. Tracks such as "Great king rat" and "My fairy king" give better indications of the prog glam rock which was to follow, while also featuring Freddie Mercury's camp trademark.

"Liar" has a passing resemblance to Russ Ballard's Argent track of the same name especially in the confrontational use of the title word. The diversity of styles which features on many of the band's album is already present here, ranging from the heads down rock and roll of the Status Quo like "Modern times rock and roll" to the seductive "The night comes down".

It's fair to say that the tracks here are generally straightforward pop rock songs, with only occasional development. They are however performed with a proficiency which was to serve the band increasingly well over future albums. An excellent debut.

Review by James Lee
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Now I'm no 'rock historian', and in 1973 I probably wasn't really listening consciously to music (any more than any other one year old), but it seems to me that this debut album must have impressed the pants off of anyone who listened. Sure, the Mighty Zeppelin and many other bands had scouted the heavy rock fringes, and prog and proto-prog bands had been weaving classical inspirations into their compositions, but Queen had a unique sound and style, even at this early date. Heavier than most, surely, and with a flexibility of expression that many "true prog" bands failed to articulate.

Much, possibly too much, has been said already about Freddie's vocal prodigy and compositional sophistication, and May's tone and approach is the stuff guitar fetishists adore. Neither of these had been fully developed on the first record, though the seeds had already started to sprout, if not bloom. The tight, rapid-fire transitions between musical passages and styles is nothing new to progressive rock, though few if any heavier bands displayed such variety; in contrast, Zeppelin could seem rather plodding and Rush lacking in cohesive flow (in the early years, that is).

One major thing that separates this first album from later works is the youthful anger and darkness that fills the lyrics and colors the tones. Every song on "Queen I" demonstrates a facet of rage or despair; in songs such as the exorcismal "Liar" and "Great King Rat", Freddie is wringing his soul for authentic portrayals of intense personal exile and discordance. Revolutions and confrontations fill songs such as "My Fairy King" and "Son and Daughter" Even the relatively placid "Doing All Right" implicitly acknowledges a (temporary?) escape from despair and the helplessness of floating in fate's wake- thus bookended perfectly by "The NIght Comes Down", which belays soothing-seeming verses with lyrical and musical descents. Coping is a matter of adopting a protectively practical tone such as the determined worldy realism of "Keep Yourself Alive" or the cyncical view of rockstardom in "Modern Times" (and how naive must they have thought even this condemnation in later years?).

For better or worse, Queen would seldom be this 'serious' (for lack of a better word) again; a greater amount of whimsy and emotional diversity creeps in with every successive release- almost as if Freddie & company had touched upon a too-powerful nerve and protectively, intentionally backed off from such direct contact.

Review by clarke2001
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars

A shape of Queen to come.

A nice debut, but nothing special; from prog point of view or Queen-fan point of view neither. On this album, band's style and sound were still buried under raw hard-rock mannerism and it's obvious that the band members themselves weren't so sure what musical direction to take. There are spices of music that will became known as prog; a good measure of hard-rock, traces of blues, undefined teaspoon of bands pompousness and uniqueness. And some proto-metal elements too. And soul. And ballad rock.

Okay, this is leading nowhere. Well, basically, all the tunes are good hard-rock songs (this album rocks, really), and some sort of dark mood is present all over the record; it's very nocturnal.

The most progressive elements here are evident in "My Fairy King", a strange mixture of ballad, glam rock and hard-rock with fantasy atmosphere. "Doing All Right"is also worth mentioning, a proggy, lovely piano-driven ballad with a good guitar part in the middle. The intro is identical to PINK FLOYD's "Stay" from the "Obscured By Clouds" album released on year before Queen's debut...a coincidence or plagiarism? I know the some of the songs from "Queen" had been taken from the band SMILE, Queen's predecessor, so maybe a plagiarism is not an issue.

"Great King Rat" is finest Brian's wah-wah moment, and "The Night Comes Down" is perfect interplay between John's bass and Roger's rolling drums. They're both somewhat similar to BLACK SABBATH style, with slightly more accented progressive tendencies.

This debut is well worth giving a try if your prog likings are leaning towards hard-rock tendencies, or if you like QUEEN in general. Otherwise, don't bother.

Review by Gatot
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars It's a good debut album even though most of the music produced are still raw but it demonstrates the band's original approach in music making. Overall it's a straight hard rock album. It stats off with an energetic tune "Keep Yourself Alive" (3:47) with Brian May's unique guitar rhythm and solo. It flows nicely to second track "Doing All Right" (4:09) which showcases the roots of Queen sounds. "Great King Rat" (5:43) is kicking with its powerful vocal and raw guitar solo and rhythm. The song is very energetic and it has fast tempo and many breaks / changes. "My Fairy King" (4:08) demonstrates Freddie's high register vocal notes, excellent choirs and nice piano work. Brian May's guitar effects provide good textures for the music. "Liar" (6:25) was my favorite when I first listened to this album because I liked the way the song flew from opening to end. It's really an excellent rock track, I would say. "The Night Comes Down" (4:23) is another excellent track with blues touch and wonderful guitar work. Again, Freddie's voice is high.

From this debut album one can see how the band sounded like at their beginning career. The band really took-off when "A Night At The Opera" album was released.

Review by Flucktrot
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I can understand people being a little down on this album because of its rawness...but a raw edge can cut two ways: it can give the music an energy that really accentuates the songs, or it can detract from the songs by obscuring cool melodies and countermelodies that you really want to hear. I think that Queen's first try has the good kind of rawness, and I love having this album as a counter to their highly produced later work.

Queen delivers a number of relatively straightforward rockers in this album, and by and large they work very well. Keep Yourself Alive is a great introduction to early Queen: Hard rock with trademark Queen multi-layer harmonies, numerous guitar overdubs, and enough other unique features that help it to stand out from other standard rock tunes (for example, the cool vocal call and response toward the end). The same positives apply to Liar and Great King Rat. Of course there's plenty of creative work from May, but Taylor also puts in some energetic work on drums that shouldn't go unnoticed. Modern Times Rock'n'Roll is a short, hard-rocker that works, and Son & Daughter is a heavy, almost bluesy number that really sounds good with Freddie's distorted vocals.

Of course, there are plenty of prog moments as well. The best is My Fairly King. Even though Freddie has jaw-dropping versatility, here we see that Taylor has even higher range. The other proggy tunes (Doing All Right, The Night Comes Down, Jesus, Seven Seas of Rhye) all make good use of dynamics, vocal harmonies and guitar overdubs as well to create some very interesting and memorable melodies.

This is one of my favorite debuts. I'd rather hear Queen singing about fairies and rock than their body language, but that could be a personal preference. I also like to just hear Freddie sing, without trying to be crystal clear or always in near perfect pitch. I think the studio progressively took out the raw awesomeness of his voice in later work. A prime example that when Queen set out to rock, they could do it with the best, while still generating a unique sound.

Review by ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Brian and Roger had already some musical experience before Queen. Their previous band (Smile) was supporting act for such famous bands as Yes, Floyd, and Hendrix. Not a bad start.But Freddie and John were not yet involved.

"Smile" singer introduced Freddie to the band and while he left in 1970, Freddie joined and suggested the name of "Queen". One of the most successful band in rock history was born.

I discovered Queen in '74 with "Sheer Heart Attack" and then bought their (small) back catalogue (by then of course).

I must say that this first LP is a damned good (hard) rock one. Brian May's typical guitar sound is there, Freddy' s voice already brilliant and the rhythmic section as good as it ever will.

"Keep Yourself Alive" is a great rock opening : hard & violent. But the magical Freddy's voice combined with the so Queen-ish background vocals adds another dimension to this straight-forward rocker. A Killer Queen opener. "Doing All Right" starts as a mellow ballad with a tranquil piano and sweet vocals, then speeds up and enters into a furious guitar break (this structure can be compared to "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" or "What Is and What Should Never Be" from Led Zep of course). Excellent song indeed. Vocal harmonies / arrangements announce some great things to come.

"Great King Rat" is another fabulous hard-rock moment : nice melody, solid drumming by Taylor and some fabulous guitars (acoustic & electric) from Brian. Another highlight of this album. It kicks your arse brilliantly and Bryan is absolutely fabulous. An extremely powerful song. The wildest here. I like it sooooo much.

The next track "My Fairy King" is a rock opera on its own. Starts almost like "Highway Star" (the crying voice), and then evolves with fantastic vocals. It is incredible to have so many variations featured in such a short time (only four minutes). They could have developed this idea for twenty or more minutes (that would have been great)! It closes a wonderful first side in a brilliant manner.

B-side opens with "Liar", which again is a great hard rock track. Boy, this must be heaven (don't even need a stairway to reach it while listening to this one)! If this album would have stopped here, I would have rated with five stars without any problem.

Unfortunately, the remaining songs do not reach this level.

"The Night Comes Down" is a sweet little ballad in the "Beatles" style. After a strange intro, Freddie's voice makes miracles again. It is of course not a highlight, but a peaceful and pleasant break after twenty-five minutes of the most interesting, creative and original music. But this doesn't mean prog of course.

"Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" is the rockiest song here (quite short though, less than two minutes). If they would have written this one in 77 it could have been adopted as a punk fave (and I really mean it !).

"Son & Daughter" is the heaviest track of the album (in the vain of "Bloodsucker" or "Into The Fire" from Purple again). Vocal intro is also reminiscent of the Heep and "Queen" must have listened to "Come Together" from the Fab four while writing this one . Not a great song though. From then on, the album weakens seriously.

"Jesus" and "Seven Seas of Rhye" are the weakest tracks and close the album. Although the former features a great and wild guitar break. But the Jesus stuff is not very much of my likings.

Four stars for this great debut work.

This album is often regarded as one of the most underrated hard rock debuts of all time. So, don't expect any prog in here. Maybe for their next album?

Review by russellk
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars The embryonic QUEEN debut here with an album that manages to sound interesting and unfinished at the same time.

QUEEN embraced the excess of progressive rock, albeit in shorter song forms, for only a few years, and this first album is less progressive in nature than the brilliant 'Queen II' released a year later. Two years in the making, the major problem with this album is the unevenness of the material. 'Keep Yourself Alive' is a promising beginning, a song made for the charts but managing to sound interesting despite itself. Other songs have Jekyll and Hyde personalities: for example 'Doing All Right' is half soft ballad, half proto-metal rocker, and suffers thereby. Of the offerings on this album perhaps the strongest is 'Great King Rat', the first hint of the greatness to come. 'Liar' is also a track worthy of repeated listens. The rest is earnest but unmemorable.

What makes any early QUEEN album interesting are the rich vocal and guitar harmonies, and this is no exception. There is such a depth of sound here: even when the songs are frustratingly loose, the harmonies are tight and their trademark sound makes the heart ache with the beauty of it all.

Worth a listen, but not essential by any means.

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team
4 stars A royal debut

This, Queen's first album, kick starts Queen's long career. And as a big fan of the band, owning all their albums, this first one is very highly regarded. It bears the same kind of relation to Queen II as A Day At The Races does to A Night At The Opera. While Queen II and A Night At The Opera are full blown masterpieces, Queen and A Day At The Races are similar to these albums in style, but not quite up to par with these in quality. Still Queen is a very good album.

It is clear to see already here that Queen would become something big, very soon. But with this album they are not quite there yet. Seven Seas Of Rhye is a case in point. Here it is an instrumental, but it would resurface on Queen II as a full song. Queen is rougher in its sound and the studio technique that would strongly leave its mark on songs like Bohemian Rhapsody is still far away. Queen also rocks a bit harder and has no commercial songs like You're My Best Friend or Killer Queen.

Highly recommended, but only after you hear Queen II and A Night At The Opera.

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars "Queen" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by UK rock/hard rock act Queen. The album was released through EMI (UK) and Elektra Records (US) in July 1973.

One of the things I noticed upon first listen was the contagious energy and great musicianship on the album. The energy level is very well examplified by the opening track "Keep Yourself Alive" but most tracks have a great energy level (just take a listen to the Roger Taylor led "Modern Times Rock & Roll"). Queen are very skilled musicians and itīs apparent already this early in their career. The vocals by Freddie Mercury are strong and distinct. The music is pretty hard rocking but there are more sensitive sections in the songs too. While the basic instrumentation is bass, guitar and drums there are also piano on the album which at times gives the music a grander and more epic sound. A song like "My Fairy King" is an example of that. The music borders progressive rock on several occasions but isnīt really that. Itīs more an epic form of hard rock. The production is powerful and relatively raw.

Queen is a good debut album and if the songs had stood out a bit more I would probably have given a 4 star rating but there are not enough highlight here to warrant that IMO. a 3.5 star (70%) rating is well deserved though and all in all this is a very impressive debut album by a now legendary band.

Review by jampa17
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A great start for a unique band.

Queen is one of those bands that seem to have the magical formula to make music that can be appreciated by many different people with different tastes about music. And maybe is because all their different approach that they gave to each song. Their music is eclectic, innovative, fresh, complex and remains with an original style that can't be emulated for a single band (at least, I have not met a band that can play like that). Now, about this debut album:

Well, I don't have any link with this album because I always heard their greatest hits but never their studio albums so I'm not nostalgic or passionate about this. Finally I've got their studio albums and have the complete picture of each era of them and now I can see how wonderful they were, because their non commercial music is even better than the hits. Well, this is as progressive as you can get. The metric changes, time signatures, styles and everything is so fresh and flows really great through the album. Brian May is one of those wonderful guitarists that really knows their deal and even from their debut album, his style is already defined and sounds great, even when he played the classic guitar or the more rock'n'roll fast solos. He is one of a kind. The complete band sounds like they really match together and besides of the somewhat rough recording, the quality of the songs is really great and the songs shines from itself.

Mercury was already creative and very capable to sing with passion and style. I cannot point at a single song that could bring down the album. Highlights that you should check: KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE, GREAT KING RAT, LIAR and THE NIGHT COMES DOWN, but the entire album worth the listen.

So, 4 stars but almost a 5, it's just that better things were left to come. Queen is a most listen to anyone who appreciates Prog. I'm pleased to have their studio work. Don't let this pass you by OK? There's a big chance to end up addicted to this music.

Review by progpositivity
PROG REVIEWER
1 stars Similar to Rush, Queen wears their Led Zep influence plainly on their sleeves on their debut album. This is basically a hard rock album with artistic touches painted throughout. Already we can hear shades of the trademark vocal harmonies that would soon define the band for decades to come.

The openers for both "sides" are catchy rockers "Keep Yourself Alive" and "Liar". Seven Seas of Rhye provides just a hint toward the art-rock greatness that was soon to come on their follow up album.

If you are a Queen fan or collector, you will certainly get around to adding this album to your collection. As a hard rock album, it contains important markers to point toward the band's further development. As a rock album of its era, this is a "4". But from a Prog perspective, this is more for Queen collectors and completists than it is for general Progressive Rock fans in my estimation, which is in alignment with the PA rating system at a score of "1".

Review by Evolver
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
4 stars Queen's first album ranks among their best, mainly because after "A Night At The Opera" the quality of their records took a nosedive. But for a debut album, this is damned good. The album is highly creative, and extremely energetic, fueled mostly by by Brian May's unique guitar playing.

Sure, there is a hefty helping of Led Zeppelin influence, but that can be forgiven, as there is also enough prog in here, and their own sound (the massive overdubs is here already, just not as heavily used as it will be on later albums) is original enough to make this a joy to listen to. Hard hitting heavy rock tunes like Keep Yourself Alive and Liar should please the hard rock fans, while Great King Rat and My Fairy King give the band solid prog creds from the start.

A great album, but they get better - for a short time.

3.5 stars - rounded up.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Queen's debut album is a rip-roaring glam-tinged prototype for progressive metal. Naturally, the show-stealing stars of the album are Brian May, who justifies his reputation as a guitar legend with this album alone, and ridiculously charismatic frontman Freddy Mercury. With material ranging from the energetic rocker Keep Yourself Alive - which adds a certain music hall theatricality to what is otherwise a fairly straightforward song - to the progressive metal outbursts that turn Jesus from a simple hymn into something much more complex. All the material on this album would end up overshadowed in the popular imagination by catchier numbers from later in the Queen catalogue, but as a whole the album is strong and consistent enough to be worth a listen to anyone who likes a bit of pomp in their proto-metal.
Review by GruvanDahlman
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I really would like to waive the flag for the first album of Queen. It's kind of funny I most regularily return to this album, since it showcases more of the hard rock-Queen rather than the flamboyant later opuses. Well, that's pushing it a bit, don't you think? After all, the trademarks of the future Queen to be are all very evident here, from the progressive hard rock to the amazing harmonies and the very special sound of a band totally confident in themselves and the music they make.

Apart from the rather dull "Modern times rock'n'roll" there's actually not a bad track on here. There are dreamy tracks (My fairy king), hard rock (Keep yourself alive), prog folk (Jesus), ballads (Doing all right) and pure prog (Night comes down). In my opinion not many Queen albums have been this consistent and focused. Funny enough, as I wrote, because later albums are all more cherished by most people and definately more famous. I truly recommend this album, maybe not if you are looking for the more classic stuff but certainly if you're interested in their (not so) humble beginnings.

Review by siLLy puPPy
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
4 stars QUEEN entered the scene in 1973 and fell into a grey area not covered by other bands of the era. While clearly based on Led Zeppelin based hard rock riffing, the band was all about a more progressive take on the harder edged sound of music in the wake of King Crimson and other progressive acts in effect creating some of the first blueprints of what progressive metal would become. With folklore inspired subjects and progressive time signatures, song structures and bizarre added segments, QUEEN created a sound unlike any other of the day. Freddie Mercury added a hint of glam rock with his flamboyant personality contrasted by the metallic prowess of Brian May's rhythmic and energetic guitar leads topped off with Roger Taylor's unique drumming contributions and John Deacon's well diversified style of bass playing. This perfect chemistry may not have resulted in an instant success on this debut album but their sound was unique and caught the world's attention. After a string of catchy albums with all their qualities fine-tuned with more pop sensibilities, they would go on to become one of the biggest bands of all time.

The QUEEN debut unfairly gets shunned in my opinion. It is true that it isn't quite as memorable as pretty much the rest of their 70s discography at first but beginning with the strong opener "Keep Yourself Alive" the album really doesn't disappoint with even one track. This is admittedly an album that has grown on me after years of listening as opposed to being the one that blew me away upon first listen, but it was certainly one that has nestled deep into my musical psyche for like many a debut album by multi-musical dimensional bands, it has its own distinct personality that captures a unique phase in an ever-changing career. With a diverse palette of tracks ranging from "Great King Rat," "Liar," "Modern Times Rock n Roll" and "Jesus" i found myself really starting to get into this album after the later albums had run their course and the burnout factor set in. This album, while having pop characteristics is a little more rough around the edges which gives it a more unique position in their discography and one that has a distinct charm that the other's don't have.

Review by Necrotica
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Colaborator
4 stars Believe it or not, Queen wasn't ALWAYS an earth-shattering, stadium-filling arena act; in fact, their debut suggests something absolutely different, despite laying the groundwork for future successes. However, there's one thing that can't be denied... this album is a SUPERB start to the band's career.

The music present here is more akin to the progressive rock style seen in the early 70's, mixed with the usual latter-day Queen glam and flair. The lyrics are quite interesting here as well, using more of a medieval and fantasy-based style that would be all but dropped later. The result is an excellent prog-rock record that would fit neatly between the shelves of King Crimson and Genesis.

Of course, you might not see it that way when you listen to the first track, "Keep Yourself Alive." It has more of the powerful, amplified sound from Queen's mid-to-late career, with a driving rock riff from Brian May and even a rare drum solo from Roger Taylor. Freddie Mercury's vocals are just as powerful, and already show the man's incredible dynamic range. Either way you slice it, this song is different from the majority of the album, and it's surprising that it didn't go up the charts when it was released as a single.

Most of the other songs take a softer, more acoustic turn, punctuated by heavier areas and songs. "Doing All Right" is heavily reminiscent of King Crimson's "Cadence and Cascade," and is much calmer than the first song. The vocals are beautifully harmonized, and the electric guitar has a bit of a new-age feel to it. Soon, the song speeds up for a head-banging climax before concluding slowly and sweetly. Another slower selection is "The Night Comes Down." Kicking things off with a fast acoustic intro, the song builds up into a harmonized guitar section, leading into the sweetly calm verse. The chorus is a highlight of the song, again utilizing vocal harmonies for a beautifully captivating effect.

The band, however, isn't afraid in the slightest to get the distortion running for the heavier songs. There are some serious precursors to the true heavy metal style that would shine in the 80's, like "Great King Rat" or "Liar." Both are very powerful, convoluted songs much lyrical cleverness and style in each. You can always count on Brian May to lay down some intense solos, or on Roger Taylor for some complicated proggy fills and solos of his own. John Deacon provides a great backbone, and adds to the heaviness and brutality. Freddie Mercury powers his way through, combining raw energy and occasional soft emotion.

So, the flaws? The biggest one here is inconsistency, which is quite common in first albums. In some sections, the band have trouble in terms of knowing when enough is enough, especially in terms of soloing and jamming. Also, there are some throwaways present here, like Roger Taylor's short, random "Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" and what is essentially a short demo-version of "Seven Seas of Rhye."

What's really clear, though, is that Queen gave their all into this, and crafted a splendid debut album that would pave the way for their records to come. Good job, guys!

Review by The Crow
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Debut from one of the most beloved bands of all time!

Produced by John Anthony and Roy Thomas Baker, the album shows the early influences of the band before they developed their true personal sound with their much better second effort.

Nevertheless, is great to hear that some of the band's trademarks were here yet like the shining Freddie Mercury's vocals, the talented and multi-layered Brian May guitars, the solid Deacon's bass lines and powerful Roger Taylor drums, who also showed some compositive capabilities along with the much more songwriting-oriented May and Mercury.

And of course, the typical polyphonic choirs of the band made their first appearance here, along with some fantasy oriented lyrics typical of the band's early years.

Best Tracks: Keep Yourself Alive and Liar are two early classics of the band. But I also really enjoy the Black Sabbath influenced Son and Daughter (which can be considered a primordial stoner rock song) and the preliminary instrumental part of Seven Seas of Rhye.

Conclusion: heavily influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, Queen showed tons of potential thanks to the diverse and very talented Mercury's vocals, some symphonic-pop capabilities and a very solid musicianship from every member of the band.

My rating: ****

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Queen stormed out of the blocks with this killer debut and everybody had to sit up and take notice. It is a grand entrance onto the music stage with some of the best rocking Queen tracks in their huge catalogue. The prog influences were there from the get go and the band were certainly headed for stardom with their innovative approach to music and their sheer boldness and audacity at exploring the experimental side of music. Freddie Mercury was the ace card with his powerhouse vocals, but the guitar work of Brian May cannot be underrated, nor can the rhythm section of Taylor and Deacon. It bursts through the gates with the proto metal guitar driven "Keep Yourself Alive". Brian May's guitar rhythms are thunderous with chops and crunches that must have inspired budding metal guitarists. "Doing All Right" is another rocker and is followed by the progressive off the wall "Great King Rat". It has many time changes and odd lyrics that place it towards the top of the proggiest on the album. The frenetic pace and energy of the band is evident and the band is exciting when they are in full flight like this. Queen unleashed are a thing of beauty and they were not taking any prisoners on this album.

"My Fairy King" showcase Mercury's high register vocals, and the harmonies that became a trademark for Queen. "Liar" is drenched in guitars and powerful harmonies and is a fan favourite. "The Night Comes Down" explores some blues tones with May outstanding on guitar.

"The Night Comes Down" is rhythmic and catchy with progressive nuances. The chord changes on this are very strange, angular guitar and choir effects add to the weird atmospheres. "Modern Times Rock'n'Roll" is a bit of a throwaway but still streets ahead of anything you will hear on the Hot Space album. This segues into "Son and Daughter" and feels a lot like Led Zeppelin but a very odd structure permeates it. "Jesus" is not my favourite, in fact it is mediocre at best, but has a fine solo section. It closes with the masterful art rock of "Seven Seas Of Rhye" which is very short but of course later explored at length on subsequent albums. Overall this debut is a grandiose entrance for Queen; the shape of things to come foreshadowing when they became a legendary supergroup.

Review by Hector Enrique
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars The first Queen album was rudimentary and blunt: it didn't have many repercussions when it was released, and even nowadays (with all the fame Queen has) it is not a very much appreciated production. Only Keep Yourself Alive and the instrumental Seven Seas of Rhye (whose lyrics were later incorporated, in Queen II) achieved a certain degree of notoriety. And probably that style so contrasted with their later works, much more produced and full of textures and sound layers pushed to the limit of the technical capabilities of recording studios, is what gives Queen I that little identification with the rest of their discography.

Nevertheless, it is without a doubt an excellent album. Queen I is deeply related to the heavy rock genre that dominated the early 70's musical trend. Its songs, with their powerful guitar riffs, deliver a mass of energy just like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. The aforementioned Keep yourself alive and the eagers Great King Rat, My Fairy King, Liar, Modern Times of Rock and Roll, and Father and Son, are a proof of it.

On the other hand they also give us glimpses of his sensitivity and versatility that is to come, with the beautiful and changing Doing All Right, or the intense and interesting reference to the biblical Jesus, in the song that bears his name.

Queen I is an album that in my opinion deserves to be accommodated within the rest of the group's legacy, which at that time was in search of its own sound and place in the world of rock.

Review by Dapper~Blueberries
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I think it is rather silly of me to try and introduce this band, cause most if not all people know them. Queen is one of the biggest bands in rock history, next to the likes of Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Nirvana, AC/DC, and Guns N' Roses. They've released countless songs and made booming sales charts for each year they had released a new album. However, I sadly have barely heard any of their albums. Songs are a different story, I know Bohemian Rhapsody like the back of my hand, same with Another One Bites The Dust and We Will Rock You, but I never sat down and fully listened to any of their releases, the only one I have heard fully was Queen II. So with some consideration I decided to check out their debut album to see if I really REALLY wanna get deeper into their work, also because some requested me to.

The album starts with Keep Yourself Alive. It's a really cool rock track and a fine starting track for a debut album. I love the starting riff and how it's distorted a bit for it to sound like the guitar is being played under water. It gives the album sound a charming aura to it that envelops it through and through. My one consensus however is that, at this time, it definitely felt like the band was just starting things out, and trying to find a right spot. The instruments aren't as smooth as butter yet, and Freddie's singing, while still being very good, still has some rough spots, and this is more or less the main and only problem I have with this album. I guess I am used to how Queen sounds later in their career, so hearing something like this feels a bit jarring, but that is about it for problems, cause all the songs on this album are pretty great.

Next song, Doing Alright, is a beautiful song that goes from a calm piano and acoustic ballad to a hard rocking song that pulls no punches. It's super unexpected but really well done and a joy to sit through, and it gives you a sense of energy that the band seems to excel at.

Now onto my personal favorite song on the album, Great King Rat. I just adore this song, how it feels like a spaghetti western with how the drum beats and how the guitars are played, it just feels so cheesy and good that I am surprised this song is not talked about more today on how good it actually is. It's just super fun to me and needs more appreciation.

Likewise, My Fairy King also deserves a lot of love. It feels like a folk ballad converted into a strong rock song that gives you the same sense of wonder and mystical energy, but also gives you a feeling of power and might. I honestly love when Queen explores more fantasy-like songs and elements in their songs, it makes me super joyful each and every time.

The next song is Liar. This song, despite having a joyous sound, has some dark elements with the lyrics that tell of a sinner's tale and the consequences of yelling misguided lies. I gotta say, this might be one of the darker songs the band has released, but it isn't their first, though still, it gives you a very thought provoking glimpse into Queen's more darker and provoking lyrics.

The next song is The Night Coming Down. While it still has hard rock elements, it has a more relaxed and acoustic feel. It's a good song to chill too, and just relax. Makes sense because I think this song is about weed, and you know how weed makes you feel. Just a relaxing song throughout, and definitely one of the stand out tracks from the album with how it sounds and how it feels so good to listen too.

Next track is the shortest track on the album, Modern Times Rock 'N Roll. This is basically a fun little jam session with lyrics talking about how the old rock days are over and it is time to really change and knock those doors down. It reminds me a lot of the sounds found on some punk rock bands like The Clash or Ramones. It shows Queen being sorta ahead of their time in that aspect, which is always a cool thing to see a band do.

The next track is Son and Daughter. Similar stuff as on the album, lots of awesome and rocking songs, though I feel like I should point to the lyrics. Now some may think this is Brian May's stance on feminism or Freddie Mercury's sexuality, but I'd point to this song being the stigma against trans people, specifically trans men, and how society expects someone born into a certain sex should always be a specific gender, male or female, and have those expectations thrown off to the way side of society's standards gets people riled up. This song is basically of a man telling their son to be who they were before, a lady, but of course their son wishes to be a guy and get into construction. That's at least my thoughts on what the song is supposed to be about. I feel like this is a great song in that aspect as it is very progressive for its time, and doesn't feel a day too old, which kudos to them cause this song is just great.

The second to last song, Jesus. Well count me surprised, an actually good Christian rock song. I am kidding obviously, this song is pretty great. It's super rocking and super awesome, and gives the song a grand feel. Perfect for the almost last song on this LP, plus that guitar solo is basically a giant French kiss on this whole album.

Now lastly we have Seven Seas Of Rhye. An instrumental piano and guitar ballad that's fairly quick and straight to the point, though it feels like a demo for the same song by the same name on Queen II. Nonetheless, it is a perfectly fine closure on this album that delivers out a fine dish of great songs.

I really enjoyed this album, though it was definitely a little rough around the edges. You get that a lot with starter albums though, so I cannot be too hard on it. I think it definitely delivers well and is a great album from one of the most successful bands of the 20th and 21st centuries. Definitely check it out for some good rock songs.

Review by VianaProghead
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Review Nš 601

"Queen" is the eponymous debut studio album of Queen and was released in 1973. The album was influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal styles. The band included the comment "no synthesizers" on the album sleeve, because some listeners had mistaken their elaborate multi tracking and some effects processed by guitar and vocal sounds as synthesizers. Queen's debut album is one of their finest and rawest works with a fantastic style of varied rock/hard rock music and artistic works. This album certainly has elements of what was to come in the future.

"Queen" has ten tracks. The first track "Keep Yourself Alive" written by Brian May is the opening track and was released as Queen's first single along with "Son And Daughter" as the B side. It's an energetic rock piece that shows Brian May's distinct and typical guitar sound. We are in presence of a straight forward rock song with different and unexpected changes in tempo, with great guitar and nice vocal work. The second track "Doing All Right" was written by Brian May and Tim Staffell was released as the B side of their second single, from this album, "Liar". Tim Staffell was a member of Smile, the band that included Brian May and Roger Taylor too. After Tim Staffell departure, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon joined Smile and form Queen. The name of Tim Staffell appears on the song, because it was originally recorded as a Smile song. It's a song with great changing of rhythm and superb musicianship, and where the ballad and the hard rock lives together in perfect harmony. The third track "Great King Rat" written by Freddie Mercury is a great piece that seems a truly progressive rock song, with multi-parts and constant changes all over the song. It's a fantastic and extravagant song, with an incredible hard rock rhythm, great guitar work and a brilliant and complex drum beat. This is, in my opinion, a truly progressive song that represents, for me, my favourite song on the album with "My Fairy King". The fourth track "My Fairy King" written by Freddie Mercury is another incredible song on the album. We are in presence of another song full of constant changes. It's also a song with incredible vocal harmonies and it has also some lovely piano work performed by Freddie Mercury. This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best, most creative and most progressive songs created by the band. The fifth track "Liar" written by Freddie Mercury was a song originally titled "Lover". An edited version of the song was released as the second single taken from this album, with "Doing All Wright" as the B side. "Liar" is with "Great King Rat" the two heaviest songs on the album and both songs represent for me, with "My Fairy King", the three highlights on the album. This is another powerful rock song with accented progressive lines. It's the lengthiest song on the album and is divided into several parts that change constantly. The sixth track "The Night Comes Down" written by Brian May is another good song written in the style of a ballad with some psychedelic influences. It's a very calm and sweet song with some interesting guitar appointments by Brian May. The seventh track "Modern Times Rock'N'Roll" written by Roger Taylor is one of the two smallest songs on the album and is also, the worst song on it. Musically, is very difficult to define. It's an aggressive song that can be considered hard rock, heavy metal or punk rock. Personally, I don't like particularly of this song and I sincerely think that it brings nothing new or positive to the album. The eighth track "Son And Daughter" written by Brian May represents another good song on the album. It's a great hard rock song that reminds me the music of Led Zeppelin. This song proves that Queen could make hard rock with great quality but with some progressive lines. It has great vocal performance by Freddie Mercury and also great guitar work by Brian May. The ninth track "Jesus" written by Freddie Mercury is another good song on the album. The lyrics of the song are often criticized to being too much literal. However, in my opinion, we are in presence of a beautiful song with an excellent instrumental part, in the middle. The song has also great vocal harmonies and the end of the song is very good. The tenth track "Seven Seas Of Rhye" written by Freddie Mercury is the second smallest song on the album. It's the only instrumental track on the album and it showed up on their next studio album, with lyrics. This is a beautiful song that represents a nice and enjoyable way to close this great album.

Conclusion: "Queen" is a great debut album and represents, without any doubt, the beginning of a great musical career of one of the most known and well successful rock bands that ever existed. "Queen" is a very impressive debut album really, with hard parts, heavy metal guitars, progressive musical changes, sublime vocal performances, fantastic chorus lines and great musical orchestration. The album has trademarks of the early 70's rock, however Queen's musical talents turns that rock music into the "Hard Rock Queen Style". So, "Queen" is the beginning of many other good things that would appear very briefly, and is, without any doubt, highly recommended, not only for fans of Queen, but also for all progressive rock fans, especially for those who prefer the heavier side of the progressive rock music.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Latest members reviews

4 stars QUEEN or the beginning of an era, it goes through the trilogy for the birth of a great group. 1. Keep Yourself Alive the recognizable intro riff, the drum kit kicking in, let's go for the 3 inseparable ones, the 3ers QUEEN; raw sound, it looks like THE WHO for the mixing, Brian shows his fingertips ... (read more)

Report this review (#2312231) | Posted by alainPP | Sunday, February 2, 2020 | Review Permanlink

5 stars "Unique progressive hardrock!" The year 1973 delivered a cascade of legendary rock albums, from SEBTP by Genesis, Brain Salad Surgery by ELP and DSOTM by Pink Floyd to A Passion Play by Jethro Tull, Quadrophenia by Th ... (read more)

Report this review (#2151817) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Monday, March 4, 2019 | Review Permanlink

3 stars A year before their breakthrough Queen II was released, this legendary classic rock band released their first album. Recorded mostly in 1971-72, Queen's unique opera-rock characterisics of the 70's can already be heard. And it was pretty progressive. There is no doubt about it if you consider ju ... (read more)

Report this review (#800573) | Posted by Frankie Flowers | Sunday, August 5, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars A great start for a great band. Still has all the power and freshness after 40 years. WHile not quite as good as QUEEN II, it is still miles above NEWS OF THE WORLD or HOT SPACE. Favorite songs here include "Keep Yourself ALive", "Great King Rat", "Jesus", and "Liar". All classic Queen. Soaring voca ... (read more)

Report this review (#733632) | Posted by mohaveman | Friday, April 20, 2012 | Review Permanlink

5 stars 9/10 Hey, you. You know that Queen only by We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Bohemian Rhapsody, Under Pressure, etc.. I must say - you hear great songs, but if you only know the band for these songs mentioned above, I feel obliged to introduce you to a new world for you. A world that ... (read more)

Report this review (#668388) | Posted by voliveira | Monday, March 19, 2012 | Review Permanlink

3 stars Listening diary 3rd February 2021: Queen - Queen (hard rock, 1973) I think I've always preferred the style that Queen have on this album (and other early works) to their more popular albums, but the substance just isn't quite there on this one. It's not too different from Queen II, but is so clea ... (read more)

Report this review (#573859) | Posted by Gallifrey | Wednesday, November 23, 2011 | Review Permanlink

2 stars Does Freddie Mercury sound like Dio? I think so. I also think this is a decent album. Well, the melodies are good, and even great, they rocking they do is pretty lame. Lame. Queen is lame, you heard me. They rock like Styx does. Big difference in overall quality, though. First off, no one i ... (read more)

Report this review (#213009) | Posted by Alitare | Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | Review Permanlink

5 stars After reading a review on one of my other favourite progsite as a listing on general 70's rock, I decided to give this a listen. Luckily, my local record shop had a campaign that allowed me to buy the first five Queen albums for the price of three... sceptical, after all the cheesy stadium rock ... (read more)

Report this review (#71694) | Posted by | Saturday, March 11, 2006 | Review Permanlink

4 stars "Keep Yourself Alive" is the opening track of Queen. Queen's first album track (and first ever single) was immediately a killer shot. Although the single flopped, the song contains one of Mays classic riffs. Freddie's vocals are amazing on this song. In fact this song is kind of a blueprint f ... (read more)

Report this review (#62888) | Posted by thefalafelking | Monday, January 2, 2006 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Queen's first is a strange album. "Keep Yourself Alive" was their first single and is a great song. "Great King Rat" is also good as well as "Modern Times Rock'n'Roll" and "Son and Daughter". "The Night Comes Down" has great vocals by Freddie and "Liar" sounds like early versions of "March of ... (read more)

Report this review (#50665) | Posted by | Friday, October 7, 2005 | Review Permanlink

4 stars The first eponym album of the band was more a hardrock style piece very inspired of Led Zep but there were some great prog moments on it. The jewel "My Fairy King" is the perfect example of this with its epic narration with beautiful guitar arrangements. What is sure is that this first album c ... (read more)

Report this review (#43413) | Posted by | Friday, August 19, 2005 | Review Permanlink

5 stars this is my favourite queen album. the work of brian may on the guitar is just amazing, he creates an incredible sound superposing layers and layers of guitars obtaining an orchestral sound. the another remarkable aspect of this album and really of all queen's works, are the incredible choral a ... (read more)

Report this review (#41757) | Posted by frippertronik | Friday, August 5, 2005 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Between 1971 and 1972 Queen's gitarist brian May worked at the 'De Lane Lea' studio, testing the then new eqcuipement, in the down-time Queen where allowed the use of the studio facilities to record demo's, with these demo's they managed to get a record contract with trident, and they recorded ... (read more)

Report this review (#41192) | Posted by tuxon | Monday, August 1, 2005 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Great debut album for one of the greatest bands of all time, "Queen" is the perfect example that Queen were great since the beginning. Yes, the production of the record is not good, some parts are more rowdy and some chorus are quite out of time. But you can find those imperfections analizing ... (read more)

Report this review (#41167) | Posted by dodaro | Monday, August 1, 2005 | Review Permanlink

3 stars It's very hard to rate these CD's in the context of being essential prog rock discs, etc. Queen is and will always be my favorite band...as a matter of fact I already have my tickets for Queen's show in NJ in October. This album would get a 4 as a rock record, but as a prog record the rules ... (read more)

Report this review (#40915) | Posted by silversaw | Saturday, July 30, 2005 | Review Permanlink

3 stars I reckon that this is a very good album, that tends to go under the radar of music listeners. It probably has two tracks that I would personally say were progressive, those being "Liar" and "My Fairy King", which are very good peices of music, while both innovative and original. The rest of th ... (read more)

Report this review (#40913) | Posted by | Saturday, July 30, 2005 | Review Permanlink

2 stars Well, maybe they make art rock or put little drops of prog in some songs, but is just a simple pop band. The first Queen LP is just another album inffluenced by Bowie, full of bored songs with poor arrangements. AMybe just "Great King Rat" and "The Night Comes Down" have some attractive but I ... (read more)

Report this review (#40846) | Posted by progadicto | Friday, July 29, 2005 | Review Permanlink

Post a review of QUEEN "Queen"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.