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What’s the 4-1-1?
Queen II starts where the band's eponymous debut, released one year prior
leaves off. The band in this era was not the pop-rock group fans would
come to know and love in the years to follow, but rather more of a straightforward,
gloomy hard rock band. The band in this era was nothing short of amazing,
and it's only a shame their material from this day and age tends to go
overlooked by most. Like the debut, it's a diverse musical effort. You've
got plenty of rockers (Ogre Battle), slow, melodic, acoustic stuff (Some
Day One Day), and a number of tracks that are the happy medium (Father
To Son.) The album also features the minor hit, Seven Seas Of Rhye, which
serves as a premonition to the band's pop-rock successes that were right
around the corner. Even in these early days, the band knew how to rock
with the best of 'em.
My complaints with this album are minimal, but there definitely are a few
issues. First and foremost, some of the songs are short in length and underdeveloped.
The pieces that precede and follow The March Of The Black Queen, which
are Nevermore and Funny How Love Is, both come to mind. Why couldn't they
just incorporate these two songs into the masterpiece they surround? It
would have made that track more fulfilling, and left less tracks that could
be considered fillers by some. Likewise, this early Queen sound is very
different from the band's later material. Metal fans are bound to get a
kick out of the band's earlier, heavier sound, but someone looking for
the pop-rock the band is best known for is bound to be disappointed.
The Verdict
In the end, I remain confident that this is an excellent album. Sure,
it's neglected by most and unfairly and unjustly ridiculed by some
as a weak album - but that's just because so many music fans out
there are narrow-minded. I strongly recommend adding this album to
your collection if you're a Queen fan - but this one takes an open
mind to enjoy. It should probably be one of the last albums of theirs
you buy.
Did You Know?
Freddie Mercury wrote every track on the B-Side of the album.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Queen - Flashback Reviews
Queen + Paul Rogers - Return of the Champions
-- Darth Kommissar
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QUEEN 
