Queen II
Two sides, two temperaments — one bright, one gothic — locked into a single record.
Queen II, the second studio album by the British rock band Queen, was released on 8 March 1974 by EMI Records in the UK and on 9 April 1974 by Elektra Records in the US. Recorded at Trident Studios and Langham 1 Studios, London, in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Geoffrey Cable, it is the first album to contain many elements of the band's signature sound: multi-layered overdubs, vocal harmonies, and varied musical styles. Described as "arguably the heaviest Queen album", it marked the end of the first phase of the band's career.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Queen
- Released
- 8 March 1974
- Recorded
- 5 August 1973 – 20 February 1974
- Studio
- Trident, London
- Genre
- Art rock
- hard rock
- glam rock
- heavy metal
- progressive rock
- Length
- 40:42
- Label
- EMI, Elektra
- Producer
- Roy Thomas Baker
- Queen
- Robin Geoffrey Cable
Lore & Background
The album's two sides were labelled "Side White" and "Side Black" instead of the conventional sides A and B, with corresponding photos of the band dressed in black on the front cover and white on the inner gatefold. 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 cover photograph was frequently re-used by the band throughout its career, including the music videos for "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) and "One Vision" (1985). Queen II is not a concept album but a collection of songs with a loose theme running throughout. The band included the comment "and nobody played synthesiser... again" on the album sleeve, as some listeners had mistaken their elaborate multi-tracking and effects as synthesisers.
Reader's Guide
Recorded at Trident Studios and Langham 1 Studios, London, in August 1973, Queen II was co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Geoffrey Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone. The band approached David Bowie to produce, but he declined because he was then recording Pin Ups and working on songs for Diamond Dogs. Robin Geoffrey Cable, with whom Mercury had worked during the "I Can Hear Music" session, was asked to produce "Nevermore" and "Funny How Love Is", and collaborate with Roy Thomas Baker on "March of the Black Queen". The album combines a heavy rock sound with art rock and progressive rock elements, and has been called "a pillar of grandiose, assaultive hard rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Released to an initially mixed critical reception, Queen II remains one of the band's lesser-known albums, but has retained a cult following since its release.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Procession | 1:12 |
| 2 | Father to Son | 6:14 |
| 3 | White Queen (As It Began) | 4:34 |
| 4 | Some Day One Day | 4:23 |
| 5 | The Loser in the End | 4:02 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ogre Battle | 4:10 |
| 2 | The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke | 2:40 |
| 3 | Nevermore | 1:17 |
| 4 | The March of the Black Queen (vocals by Mercury with Taylor) | 6:33 |
| 5 | Funny How Love Is | 2:50 |
| 6 | Seven Seas of Rhye | 2:50 |
| Total length | 40:42 | |
Did You Know?
- The album's working title was "Over The Top" in reference to the extensive overdubbing.
- Brian May contracted gangrene from a tainted inoculation needle in mid-December and couldn't attend some sessions.
More in Discography & Albums
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