Thursday, January 27, 2011

Queen Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Re-issue

"March 2011 sees the re-release of Queen’s first five albums – one of the most exciting and influential back catalogues of all time. Recorded in the maelstrom of the early 1970’s London music scene Queen created a groundbreaking and unique soundtrack that remains globally influential today. Theatrical, imaginative, diverse, melodic and unpredictable they had a sound and a look all of their own. Sitting alongside their contemporaries like Led Zep and David Bowie, Queen set the standard for British rock in the 1970’s and became one of the most thrilling, glamorous and downright rock n roll bands of all time, directly influencing a contemporary roll call of artists from Foo Fighters & Axl Rose to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races have been specially re-mastered and each will be released as a standard CD as well as a deluxe 2 disc set which will feature new bonus content. Each
deluxe album will be released on iTunes featuring bonus tracks plus additional sleeve notes, unseen pictures and videos. The albums also set the scene for their bands forthcoming Stormtroopers In Stilettos Global exhibition that launches in London on 25th February."

Freddie Mercury's love of opera went beyond album titles. Here he
performs with friend and opera legend Montserrat Caballé.


"A Night at The Opera, named after the Marx Bros film, is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Exceptional on every level, musically, lyrically and artistically, Queen took the strongest elements of their previous two albums to make the ultimate winning combination. The most expensive album ever recorded at that time, it delivered rock, opera, heavy metal, romance, ballads, pop, sci-fi folk, music hall, ‘trad jazz’ and even the National Anthem. The album contains perhaps the most famous rock song of all time, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ which went on to spend fourteen weeks and number one, be voted Song of the Millennium, become the only song in history to reach Xmas No 1 twice and sell a million copies on two separate occasions. Queen also recorded the first official pop promo for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as they were on tour and could not appear on Top of The Pops and this video paved the way for MTV and VH1." [Source]

A Night At The Opera
1. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…)
2. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
3. I’m In Love With My Car
4. You’re My Best Friend
5. ’39
6. Sweet Lady
7. Seaside Rendezvous
8. The Prophet’s Song
9. Love Of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save The Queen


Bonus Tracks
1. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 1975)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A cappella Mix 2011)
3. You’re My Best Friend (Backing Track Mix 2011)
4. I’m In Love With My car (Guitar & Vocal Mix 2011)
5. ’39 (Live at Earl’s Court, June 1977)
6. Love Of My Life (South American Live Single, June 1979)