CLASSIC ALBUM SERIES DVD:
Queen - Night at the Opers
Eagle Vision 2006
www.queenonline.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
Get the skinny on the making of Queen’s landmark album from Brian May, Roger Taylor, producer Ray Thomas Baker, and others.

Genre
Documentary / hard rock / melodic / pop-rock

The Good
This DVD release focuses on the stories and behind-the-scenes events that surrounded this Queen masterpiece. Although some music is featured, it’s all about the stories. “Death on Two Legs” was written by Mercury about his former managers and how he felt they bled him dry. Roger Taylor gives you a drummers perspective of his song “I’m in Love With My Car.” It’s no surprise that John Decon penned “You’re my Best Friend,” but it’s apparent within the dialoge here that there is some tension between him and the other surviving band members. Decon refused to be interviewed.

Brian May expresses his regret that “’39” was not releases as a single. He thought that it was unique in that most folk songs were about sailors setting out to sea, whereas this folk song was about setting off into space. Taylor goes into all of the crazy objects they used to produce the sounds on “Seaside Rendevous.” May reveales he learned how to play guitar from his father who used to play a ukalale/banjo. Brian even shows you what it looks like. Brian breaks down his jazz band-like solo on the mixing board to show you all of the layers he used on only the guitar to create that sound. They don’t really go much into “Bohemian Rhapsody,” beyond what people know already.

I’ve seen a few of these Classic Album Series releases, and this is the only one that had bonus material. Basically it’s just footage they cut out of the documentary (I’m sure for time restrictions). Brian May performs “’39” in its entirety on his guitar in the studio, and returns to do it again with “Love of My Life.” Except on Love they split it with a live performance of a Mercury performance. A live performance of “Sweet Lady Luck” is included. It is taken from a historic Queen concert at Hyde Park. Discussions of “Bohemian Rhaposdy” are a little more in-depth in the bonus section. There are a few more bonuses, but I don’t want to give them all away.

The Bad
What was Brian thinking when he picked out that shirt. Also, when did Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) become Queen experts?

The Verdict
There’s no doubt in my mind that A Night at the Opera was one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and this DVD only renewed my appreciation of it.

Did You Know?
The album title was taken from a Marx Brothers movie.

Rating: out of 5

Related Reviews:
Queen - Flashback Reviews
Queen + Paul Rogers - Return of the Champions

--George Dionne