Some people may characterise songs like 'Lily of the Valley', 'Nevermore' and 'Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon' as fillers, but to me they are part of the great diversity that Queen brings to each studio album. They are short, but sweet and Freddy's vocals are just exquisite. As for 'Tenement Funster', that is one of Roger's finest in terms of song writing and vocals. You should check out 'Drowse' - another Roger classic. Love that song always...
Lily of the Valley also references Seven Seas of Rye which was inspired by fairy stories Fred made up with his sister as a boy. So it ties in with the more fantasy inspired elements of Queen I and II.
Roger wrote and sang Tenement Funster. Most people thought Flick of the Wrist was about their manager who ripped them off, so for the next album Freddie wrote one that really was about him, Death on Two Legs, a song so vicious Queen ended up paying substantial damages to him even though it was all true. Like a lot of people Sheer Heart Attack is my favourite Queen album.
It's easy to forget how good these albums are, it's great that you're doing this album in depth. Queen's hits are so well known that the majority of people don't bother with the good stuff, you've done good work here.
This was the first Queen album I bought with my own babysitting money. My older brother had Queen 1 which I “borrowed” and I still have it. Queen 2 is my favorite album. Saw them tour in 76 with seats in the orchestra pit. Shook Brian May’s hand and Freddie gave me a rose. My best friend got Roger’s drumsticks. ✌️♥️🎶
Fantastic. Queen is the first hard rock band (to my ears) where the word elegance comes to my mind. Also mega lead vocal performance by Roger Taylor on Tenement Funster.
Thanks Justin. Really glad you're discovering Queen. These early albums were when they were at their best. Borderline progressive on some albums. That first song was Roger Taylor on vocals. He's got that raspy rock voice that reminds me of Rod Stewart. Roger can definitely reach th he high notes though. Lily of the Valley could easily sit pretty on Queen 2 . The next song Now I'm Here is ballsy Rock song that would have been a timeless classic if it were done by any other band but because it's Queen it's in the mix with dozens of others. See you soon. Can't wait for Kate Bush's Breathing :)
A good run of songs. Roger Taylor songs have always been hit and miss for me, but this is a good one. It reminds me of Pink Floyd for some reason. Flick of the Wrist is one of my favourite Queen songs, a precursor to Death on Two Legs on the following album. Then, I've always liked Freddie's early piano pieces that allow him to use all the subtlety of which his voice was capable, so Lily of the Valley is a pleasure to my ears. The songs are not narratively connected. The flick of the wrist is putting your signature on a contract.
I had goosebumps, during the piano lead in to "Flick...", in anticipation of your reaction to the song. There are so many great moments in there, and I love watching others latch on to them.
Btw; It's Roger on vocals on Tenement Funster, Freddie on lead on the rest. You're spot on with John, he appears to fulfill the cliche about bassists. Flick of the Wrist is my favourite of these, so sinister. 😈 Exited for the rest, love In the Lap of the Gods.
This is an excellent album. Flick of the Wrist was to their manager Norman Sheffield..it slipped by. Then Freddie wrote Death on Two Legs.. He sued them for deformation of character. They settled out of court. You gotta hear that song it's nasty. Freddie was pissed.
"defamation" - although I actually like your term of "deformation" lol -- I think the lesson was "don't piss off Freddie" -- I never heard much about a settlement - I suppose at that point, they didn't want to drag it out... the one suit that I do recall was "Ice Ice Baby" - that was a total rip-off of "under pressure" -- and was settled in favor of Queen - no $$ mentioned... lol
Realy love this 3 Songs Journey - One of the moments, in the 90s when I discovered music like this,when you were sooo happy to have a burning program that does not have these automatic 2 seconed breaks between the songs when you put it on a self burned CD😂 Playing this a lot in my dads car back than....
My first LP EVER!!! Side A was a masterpiece, until I finally played the second side! I love that they now include In The Lap Of The Gods in there current setlist!. Have a great day all! PS - JP, I know your lovin' that bass in Flick Of The Wrist!
Flick of the Wrist is Freddie just getting started. Death on Two Legs, the first song on Night at the Opera, is where Freddie really unloads on their former manager. Finish this and go on to Night at the Opera.
I'll always think of Queen as my transition band between The Beatles and prog rock. Very creative hard rock for the 70s, but then they started to leave a bad taste when they were the first artist to raise the LP list price by a dollar, I believe that was News of the World. Like many others, I didn't pay them much thought after their collaboration with Bowie, Under Pressure
First album I ever bought, age 10. Almost 50 years later I still recall reading the lyrics on the bus ride home and after virtually wearing out the vinyl, I can still remember every word. Don’t ask what I had for breakfast yesterday though. Whole album is brilliant.
THIS album is Queen's masterpiece. Everyone talks about "A Night At The Opera"... or other albums, but to me, there's NOTHING that betters this brilliant album. You still have some great stuff to go, including three absolutely KILLER tracks: "Now I'm Here," "Stone Cold Crazy," and "She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)." You're in for an AMAAAAAZING Treat, Justin!
I’ve been looking forward to this reaction for a while and I was not disappointed! Thanks, JP! IMO, Freddy is one of the greatest musicians of all time. It’s rare for a musician to be so well-versed in so many areas, from his songwriting, to his piano playing, to his solo singing, to his harmonization and incredible sense of intonation. He’s the complete package!
Good to see you enjoying yourself, JP, reward for your searches. It's the first time I have sat through three Queen songs; tuneful, imaginative arrangements well played and produced.
Justin, even if you had not enjoyed these great Queen tracks you would have gotten a big thumbs up from me just for taking the chance to react to this great trio of songs!! Sheer Heart Attack is a great LP, and I can hardly wait to enjoy your reaction to "In The Lap Of The Gods" and "She Makes Me"!! Very few people, if any, have ever reacted to these beauties! But no matter what else you do, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure that one day you react to all of Queen II, especially side Black - a simply amazing side of music, that most modern day Queen fans have absolutely no idea about!! Keep up the great work, JP!!
Justin, with Queen it's always a good idea to check who wrote the song, as all four of them were good songwriters. And also who played what. Here the first song is Roger's, he's singing the leads and as far as I remember plays guitar introduction. Well, on their News Of The World album there's a song Fight From The Inside, where he plays all the instruments - it's a hidden gem you would certainly love :) And with his songs you may always expect some sort of social commentary too.
My favorite song of his is Drowse. A remarkable song about middle-age regret by someone still in his 20s. It sounds strangely unlike Queen, in much the same way that Brian's She Makes Me (another fave of mine) from this album does. And yes, Fight From The Inside is a good one too. And I love Radio Gaga. On the flip-side, I think Roger's Rock It, from the album The Game, is utter bullshit. There's nothing more tedious to me than rock musicians singing about how great rock and roll is. It's right up there with rappers rapping about the fact that they're rapping. Still, he's a great musician.
Roger Taylor wrote "Tenement Funster" about youth and rebellion and sang lead vocals, while John Deacon played the song's prominent acoustic guitar parts in May's absence. The song segues into Mercury's "Flick of the Wrist" (which was a double A side along with Killer Queen), and then into a softer, piano-based Mercury song, "Lily of the Valley", making the three songs a medley.[31]
Queen struggled financially early their career. Their manager ripped them off so it's hard to believe Flick of the Wrist is not about him. I believe they were still earning only 50 pounds a week even as they were recording Bohemian Rhapsody, even though they had already had a few top 10 hits.
So glad to see you moving towards early Queen, I am old enough I bought the first Queen album and continued through New of the World. After this they changed and did not have that special rock or progressive char to their music. Glad to see you appreciate this era of 70s music. I can’t specify rock as progressive has so much to put in this mix. By the way I got to see Queen at Madison Square Garden when they were on their News of The World tour. It was awesome. There are so many acts from the 70s I could recommend but it would never burden you with such a list.
Afternoon Justin. Dave from London, still getting used to the clocks going back yesterday (Does Anyone Really Know What Time it Is?). Three great tracks from a phenomenally talented band. As you say, Freddie's singing shines through; and Brian's guitar is unmistakable - a unique sound in tone and playing style, a bit like a cello at times. Not so impressed with Roger's contribution - I'm In Love With My Car from the next album is similar but better. One small gripe - why are these quite disparate songs presented as a medley and not developed separately? Looking forward to Now I'm Here - one of the best rock songs of the 70s.
That is freaking awesome thank you so much for doing this All completely new to me and I enjoyed it a lot thank you again. Update - I had to listen to it for a second time It was excellent. Thanks
Great analysis and reaction! Tenement Funster is one of Roger's best songs, he had a pretty good rock voice, he sounds a lot like Rod Steward. Flick Of The Wrist is about Queen's manger at the time, personally I would say there is some clues in Flick Of The Wrist that can help to make you understand Bohemian Rhapsody better. That was Freddie on the low harmonies, he usually did the low harmonies, he was the best at singing low notes in the group. I disagree with Brian May's explanation of Lily Of The Valley, generally Brian had the most opposite ideas to Freddie out of everyone in the group. The song forms part of Freddie's medieval fantasy series, Freddie wrote a few songs that forms part of a fantasy story, Lily Of The Valley was the last one. That is why the song has horses and speaks about losing the kingdom of Rhye, all of the other songs in this series is all about war. Freddie and his family fled from Zanzibar because a war broke out, so he had some personal experience in this direction. A big part of what made Freddie a great singer, was the the expression he had, he could convey any emotion with his voice.
All Queen albums were created to be listened to from start to end, this was the age of vinyl (no shuffle mode or skipping tracks), indeed most queen albums often don't even have gaps between tracks, therefore they are musically connected track to next track, whether they share a theme is up to the individual listener to decide. Tenement Funster comes from the mind of Roger Taylor and is therefore likely to be close to truthful and about the problems of being a young Rock and Roll fan/star stuck in a small apartment, at the time of the release of this album the band members were poor, hence the message in: Flick of the Wrist which is all about the dangers of listening to a smooth talking businessman, and then signing a contract without fully understanding the consequences (this album was released under the management of that self same businessman) to understand how Freddie at least really felt about it 'Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To...)' released on the next album (under new management) should say it all (and more). Lily of the valley is one of Freddie's (if you want a definitive explanation of the meaning, you can just keep wanting) songs, with hints of the same childhood fantasy world that spawned several of the Queen I and II tracks.
I have a near-Pavlovian reaction to Lily of the Valley; my mother used to play the track to me by holding headphones up to her stomach whilst heavily pregnant, and once I was born would sing it to me as a lullaby. Even now, more than thirty years later, it is a track I always listen to when I need to reach a calm, centred place at stressful times.
You know when you're a kid and you're just hearing music, then one day you hear something that just grabs you and says, "Hey! Listen to me," and suddenly you're obsessed with your first album. This is that album for me, aged 13 or so. Holy crap - suddenly, my life was changed forever. And yes, I had purple platform shoes shortly afterwards. I *love* this album. And it all started with Brighton Rock all the way through to In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited.
The Babys, Everytime I Think of You The Babys, Isn't it Time A couple good radio songs from the 70's, about the same energy as a good Toto song with a bit less production. Early Tom Waite vocals.
Fun triple threat. Fall back sheer heart attack. One less hour, this helps. Lots to do. My Queen experience is radio hits and Night At The Opera plus Day At The Races, and that pert much it. Great to hear the befores , afters and in betweens. Saturday made a pot of pinto beans similar to my mom’s, Sunday made Spanish rice with chicken similar to my mom’s… she raised the bar (been called worse) and I’m forever trying to reach it. Love you Mom. Peace and may flowers Music
As i stare out on a bleak, dark day. All black clouds, gales and torrential rain, you hit us with a prile of queen tunes. Wow, talk about kicking a man when he's down.....
@@Katehowe3010 Our definitions of 'remarkable' obviously differ wildly. Seven Seas of Rhye, only one of theirs I ever really liked. Re rhapsody, quite impressed on first hearing, but boy it got old fast. Still, each to their own eh.
I love Queen so much, especially pre-1980s stuff like this album. This is a great little medley and there's tons more Queen to discover that aren't just the big singles. Sheer Heart Attack especially is full of variety you'd never hear on the radio (like Bring Back That Leroy Brown...). All the members wrote big hits too and experimented in different genres, sometimes a single Queen song has more harmonic variety and chords than a whole album by other rock bands. They were definite professionals and knew what they were doing compositionally. Lily of the Valley is a bit of a special song, Freddie would write some fantasy songs about "Rhye" (his childhood imaginary world) in the first three albums that reveal some personal turmoil (just like BohRap), it might be interesting to try and piece the story he wrote together :) And while I never thought this medley had anything to do with each other, you actually made me realize there is definitely something to them. Tenement is about having fun, Flick is about being taken advantage of, and Lily can be about dealing with that trauma.
This album was wallpaper to my late teen shenanigans!I would love to see you react to the song "sheer heart attack" off of the news of the world album. It was queens answer to punk, and may be my favorite Queen song .Thanx!
First album I bought with my own money the week it came out. It developed a jump half way through Flick of the Wrist, I still expect it to jump listening to it one here.
(Richard III, not Lear...) We are of like minds here. I suppose that makes us great. I'm very interested to see your reaction to She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilletos). Probably the last Brian May song anyone would claim as their favorite of his but it just might be mine. I don’t know what it is about the song that makes me love it so, but I do and there ain't no denying it. Thanks as always, JP!
Hi Justin. Glad you liked it. A great string of songs on a perfect album. Can't wait for you to hear Now I'm Here, my favourite song from that album. Great 🤘
I enjoyed this so much and because I had never heard it before I figured I should grab it and then send it on to DS9 to hopefully motivate him to explore.... so I went to my local music shop and it's on order Thanks again for the introduction.
After you're done with Sheer Heart Attack, you gotta go back and do Queen II (maybe Queen I first but honestly Queen II is much progressive, experimental, and heavy). Many fans consider this to be their most underrated album, and personally, I believe it is their greatest album!
Hey, Justin! Great video, as always. I'd like to suggest you to listen to Achilles' Last Stand, by Led Zeppelin, and if you have already, I'd still be interested in watching your breakdown, since you're so good at them. I personally think that this song is Zepp's magnum opus, so I'd be thrilled if you did it.
A wee while since I've listened to these tracks which I would have labelled three of the less interesting on Sheer Heart Attack BUT...they're really, really good - a short prog suite, not a million miles from the Abbey Road medley. They illustrate many of the strengths of the band with the differing writers/singers (Taylor and Mercury in this case) The archetypal May guitar and the dense production both suit the tracks well. I was wrong. There are no uninteresting tracks on Sheer Heart Attack.
Such a good set of tracks! I always dig the tracks that Roger Taylor sings ( in this case, Tenement Funster ). I love the dark background vocals on Flick Of The Wrist. They're a great juxtaposition to Freddie's vocals.
I was living through these albums at the time. "Shear Heart Attack' was a step down (though it had its moments) from the previous album 'Queen II'. To me 'Queen II' was the best they ever produced. Prog and Baroque, intermingled with High Camp - it was their most cohesive and captivating. Hey...but that's just what I think. You should give it a try - one side at a time.
Yeah I don't think it's a step down at all.. it's masterful... Freddie seemed to get into another gear pianowise... I think SHA is where it all came together... I do love Queen II (Ogre Battle, Nevermore and Fairy Feller) but SHA is my fav Queen LP, followed by Day At The Races..
As ever, it's thrilling watching you react to these songs I grew up with. This was the favourite album if my friend who died in January. I love it too but these days it's sort of an emotional listen. I didn't like what Queen turned into so much, but I love these first few albums.
Love this album; thanks for doing it! One nitpick with "internet-sanctioned" lyrics, though. In Tenement Funster it's "SELFSAME situation". Literacy is in such sad decline. Also: don't you get a kick out of how Roger's wacky singing on the last "Young and you're CRA-ZY!" helps to emphasize the point?
Tenement Funster: Simple song about a young Rocker in the early 1970s Flick Of The Wrist: The first of two songs written by Freddie Mercury against the band's manager at the time, Norman Sheffield, whom had reportedly stole large portions of the band's income. He was getting richer as the band got more popular, and yet they didn't make any money. Lily Of The Valley: Conclusion to the story of Rhye from the latter half of the previous album, Queen II. It’s about looking at his girlfriend and realising that his body needed to be somewhere else, says Brian May.
All Saints Day, and you know Freddie is up there. Making God and angels stare, as he sings a song into Heavenly air. Leaving us all his genius & talent to forever share. Your majesty the Queen, May I visit a Taylor before I see the Deacon to say my Peace.
Great reaction 🙂Flick of Wrist is about their bad management. I feel Lily of the valley is about Freddie's struggle with his sexuality, at the time he was with Mary, in Christianity Lilly of the Valley stands for Mary the mother of Jesus. The serpent of the nile in history was Cleopatra she was called a temptress, so temptation was capturing Freddie and he laid at night with open eyes with worries about hurting Mary. Only my opinion
My top 2 favorite albums are Sheer Heart Attack and Queen II.. Night of the Opera is great, but so many hits and some of the songs are too soft/poppy for me, and always overplayed.... BUT these are just brilliant.
Some people may characterise songs like 'Lily of the Valley', 'Nevermore' and 'Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon' as fillers, but to me they are part of the great diversity that Queen brings to each studio album. They are short, but sweet and Freddy's vocals are just exquisite. As for 'Tenement Funster', that is one of Roger's finest in terms of song writing and vocals. You should check out 'Drowse' - another Roger classic. Love that song always...
Lily of the Valley also references Seven Seas of Rye which was inspired by fairy stories Fred made up with his sister as a boy. So it ties in with the more fantasy inspired elements of Queen I and II.
Yes in Drowse there is a very good groove by the bass guitar
Roger wrote and sang Tenement Funster. Most people thought Flick of the Wrist was about their manager who ripped them off, so for the next album Freddie wrote one that really was about him, Death on Two Legs, a song so vicious Queen ended up paying substantial damages to him even though it was all true.
Like a lot of people Sheer Heart Attack is my favourite Queen album.
It's easy to forget how good these albums are, it's great that you're doing this album in depth. Queen's hits are so well known that the majority of people don't bother with the good stuff, you've done good work here.
The hidden gems are better than the hits.
This was the first Queen album I bought with my own babysitting money. My older brother had Queen 1 which I “borrowed” and I still have it. Queen 2 is my favorite album. Saw them tour in 76 with seats in the orchestra pit. Shook Brian May’s hand and Freddie gave me a rose. My best friend got Roger’s drumsticks. ✌️♥️🎶
good God I'm jealous 😫
I hope you guys still have that rose and drum sticks 😭
Fantastic. Queen is the first hard rock band (to my ears) where the word elegance comes to my mind. Also mega lead vocal performance by Roger Taylor on Tenement Funster.
My absolute favourite album of queen is sheer heart attack
Likewise. :)
Mine too!
The “pre anthem” Queen. Not taking anything away from the next album(s), but this is the gritty, rocking Queen on this album. Gritty and beautiful.
I mean, they had a couple early anthems in this era - they tend to get lost in the shuffle of their later arena rock period.
Literally this where they started to get anthems. In the lap of gods?
Thanks Justin. Really glad you're discovering Queen. These early albums were when they were at their best. Borderline progressive on some albums. That first song was Roger Taylor on vocals. He's got that raspy rock voice that reminds me of Rod Stewart. Roger can definitely reach th he high notes though. Lily of the Valley could easily sit pretty on Queen 2 . The next song Now I'm Here is ballsy Rock song that would have been a timeless classic if it were done by any other band but because it's Queen it's in the mix with dozens of others. See you soon. Can't wait for Kate Bush's Breathing :)
Sheer Heart Attack is an all round superb album... no filler... Every Queen album up to and including The Game are really great.
Game was the last one for me... I felt the rot was sinking in to be honest. They made nice music from then on but they were "great" in the 70s.
A good run of songs. Roger Taylor songs have always been hit and miss for me, but this is a good one. It reminds me of Pink Floyd for some reason. Flick of the Wrist is one of my favourite Queen songs, a precursor to Death on Two Legs on the following album. Then, I've always liked Freddie's early piano pieces that allow him to use all the subtlety of which his voice was capable, so Lily of the Valley is a pleasure to my ears. The songs are not narratively connected. The flick of the wrist is putting your signature on a contract.
Roger Taylor sang and wrote Tenement Funster. Listen to Roger Taylor singing "I'm in love with my car" on Night at the Opera
I took Flick of the Wrist to be about the music business. Fits nicely with Death On Two Legs from the Night At The Opera LP
I had goosebumps, during the piano lead in to "Flick...", in anticipation of your reaction to the song. There are so many great moments in there, and I love watching others latch on to them.
Roger sang on "Tenement Funster", and he wrote it.
Btw; It's Roger on vocals on Tenement Funster, Freddie on lead on the rest. You're spot on with John, he appears to fulfill the cliche about bassists. Flick of the Wrist is my favourite of these, so sinister. 😈 Exited for the rest, love In the Lap of the Gods.
This is an excellent album. Flick of the Wrist was to their manager Norman Sheffield..it slipped by. Then Freddie wrote Death on Two Legs.. He sued them for deformation of character. They settled out of court. You gotta hear that song it's nasty. Freddie was pissed.
Lesson… Don’t piss Freddie off 🔥
@@dianecourtney2724 Exactly
"defamation" - although I actually like your term of "deformation" lol -- I think the lesson was "don't piss off Freddie" -- I never heard much about a settlement - I suppose at that point, they didn't want to drag it out... the one suit that I do recall was "Ice Ice Baby" - that was a total rip-off of "under pressure" -- and was settled in favor of Queen - no $$ mentioned... lol
Queen at the top of their game!! From 1973-1980 Queen were perfection!
Realy love this 3 Songs Journey - One of the moments, in the 90s when I discovered music like this,when you were sooo happy to have a burning program that does not have these automatic 2 seconed breaks between the songs when you put it on a self burned CD😂 Playing this a lot in my dads car back than....
Toast.
I could never play these tracks individually, this is an under praised album.
My first LP EVER!!! Side A was a masterpiece, until I finally played the second side! I love that they now include In The Lap Of The Gods in there current setlist!. Have a great day all! PS - JP, I know your lovin' that bass in Flick Of The Wrist!
good pick +
Flick of the Wrist is Freddie just getting started. Death on Two Legs, the first song on Night at the Opera, is where Freddie really unloads on their former manager. Finish this and go on to Night at the Opera.
oh, yeah, a night at the opera, gotta go there
Brian almost died with hepatitis shortly before filling in with his songs and guitar parts on this excellent album.
I'll always think of Queen as my transition band between The Beatles and prog rock. Very creative hard rock for the 70s, but then they started to leave a bad taste when they were the first artist to raise the LP list price by a dollar, I believe that was News of the World. Like many others, I didn't pay them much thought after their collaboration with Bowie, Under Pressure
First album I ever bought, age 10. Almost 50 years later I still recall reading the lyrics on the bus ride home and after virtually wearing out the vinyl, I can still remember every word. Don’t ask what I had for breakfast yesterday though. Whole album is brilliant.
THIS album is Queen's masterpiece. Everyone talks about "A Night At The Opera"... or other albums, but to me, there's NOTHING that betters this brilliant album. You still have some great stuff to go, including three absolutely KILLER tracks: "Now I'm Here," "Stone Cold Crazy," and "She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)."
You're in for an AMAAAAAZING Treat, Justin!
A "flick of the wrist" is signing a signature on a contract.
I’ve been looking forward to this reaction for a while and I was not disappointed! Thanks, JP! IMO, Freddy is one of the greatest musicians of all time. It’s rare for a musician to be so well-versed in so many areas, from his songwriting, to his piano playing, to his solo singing, to his harmonization and incredible sense of intonation. He’s the complete package!
@@Katehowe3010 Thanks, CA! You’re too kind! :)
Good to see you enjoying yourself, JP, reward for your searches.
It's the first time I have sat through three Queen songs; tuneful, imaginative arrangements well played and produced.
Justin, even if you had not enjoyed these great Queen tracks you would have gotten a big thumbs up from me just for taking the chance to react to this great trio of songs!! Sheer Heart Attack is a great LP, and I can hardly wait to enjoy your reaction to "In The Lap Of The Gods" and "She Makes Me"!! Very few people, if any, have ever reacted to these beauties! But no matter what else you do, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure that one day you react to all of Queen II, especially side Black - a simply amazing side of music, that most modern day Queen fans have absolutely no idea about!! Keep up the great work, JP!!
Justin, with Queen it's always a good idea to check who wrote the song, as all four of them were good songwriters. And also who played what. Here the first song is Roger's, he's singing the leads and as far as I remember plays guitar introduction. Well, on their News Of The World album there's a song Fight From The Inside, where he plays all the instruments - it's a hidden gem you would certainly love :) And with his songs you may always expect some sort of social commentary too.
Fight from the Inside has got 3 grooves in one song . Fantastic.
My favorite song of his is Drowse. A remarkable song about middle-age regret by someone still in his 20s. It sounds strangely unlike Queen, in much the same way that Brian's She Makes Me (another fave of mine) from this album does. And yes, Fight From The Inside is a good one too. And I love Radio Gaga. On the flip-side, I think Roger's Rock It, from the album The Game, is utter bullshit. There's nothing more tedious to me than rock musicians singing about how great rock and roll is. It's right up there with rappers rapping about the fact that they're rapping. Still, he's a great musician.
Roger Taylor wrote "Tenement Funster" about youth and rebellion and sang lead vocals, while John Deacon played the song's prominent acoustic guitar parts in May's absence. The song segues into Mercury's "Flick of the Wrist" (which was a double A side along with Killer Queen), and then into a softer, piano-based Mercury song, "Lily of the Valley", making the three songs a medley.[31]
When Queen were a great band....superb album..nice one JP
Wait till you get to Stone Cold Crazy. Where Queen invented speed metal.
Queen struggled financially early their career. Their manager ripped them off so it's hard to believe Flick of the Wrist is not about him. I believe they were still earning only 50 pounds a week even as they were recording Bohemian Rhapsody, even though they had already had a few top 10 hits.
Queen, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack are their best era in my view. Add Bohemian Rhapsody and you have everything you need of excellence
So glad to see you moving towards early Queen, I am old enough I bought the first Queen album and continued through New of the World. After this they changed and did not have that special rock or progressive char to their music. Glad to see you appreciate this era of 70s music. I can’t specify rock as progressive has so much to put in this mix. By the way I got to see Queen at Madison Square Garden when they were on their News of The World tour. It was awesome. There are so many acts from the 70s I could recommend but it would never burden you with such a list.
Afternoon Justin. Dave from London, still getting used to the clocks going back yesterday (Does Anyone Really Know What Time it Is?). Three great tracks from a phenomenally talented band. As you say, Freddie's singing shines through; and Brian's guitar is unmistakable - a unique sound in tone and playing style, a bit like a cello at times. Not so impressed with Roger's contribution - I'm In Love With My Car from the next album is similar but better. One small gripe - why are these quite disparate songs presented as a medley and not developed separately? Looking forward to Now I'm Here - one of the best rock songs of the 70s.
That is freaking awesome thank you so much for doing this All completely new to me and I enjoyed it a lot thank you again.
Update - I had to listen to it for a second time It was excellent. Thanks
Queen!
Great analysis and reaction! Tenement Funster is one of Roger's best songs, he had a pretty good rock voice, he sounds a lot like Rod Steward. Flick Of The Wrist is about Queen's manger at the time, personally I would say there is some clues in Flick Of The Wrist that can help to make you understand Bohemian Rhapsody better. That was Freddie on the low harmonies, he usually did the low harmonies, he was the best at singing low notes in the group. I disagree with Brian May's explanation of Lily Of The Valley, generally Brian had the most opposite ideas to Freddie out of everyone in the group. The song forms part of Freddie's medieval fantasy series, Freddie wrote a few songs that forms part of a fantasy story, Lily Of The Valley was the last one. That is why the song has horses and speaks about losing the kingdom of Rhye, all of the other songs in this series is all about war. Freddie and his family fled from Zanzibar because a war broke out, so he had some personal experience in this direction.
A big part of what made Freddie a great singer, was the the expression he had, he could convey any emotion with his voice.
These 3 songs also were covered by Dream Theater!
All Queen albums were created to be listened to from start to end, this was the age of vinyl (no shuffle mode or skipping tracks), indeed most queen albums often don't even have gaps between tracks, therefore they are musically connected track to next track, whether they share a theme is up to the individual listener to decide.
Tenement Funster comes from the mind of Roger Taylor and is therefore likely to be close to truthful and about the problems of being a young Rock and Roll fan/star stuck in a small apartment, at the time of the release of this album the band members were poor, hence the message in:
Flick of the Wrist which is all about the dangers of listening to a smooth talking businessman, and then signing a contract without fully understanding the consequences (this album was released under the management of that self same businessman) to understand how Freddie at least really felt about it 'Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To...)' released on the next album (under new management) should say it all (and more).
Lily of the valley is one of Freddie's (if you want a definitive explanation of the meaning, you can just keep wanting) songs, with hints of the same childhood fantasy world that spawned several of the Queen I and II tracks.
I loved ALL of it. A great reaction. Thank you Sir.
Glad you enjoyed it
I love this album. Just an excellent choice for so many reasons. ❤️
I like the way the guitar keeps risking going off out the door into some other song, but then finds yet another clever way back to the track.
Hmm... and yes, this might be another Death on Two Legs.
I have a near-Pavlovian reaction to Lily of the Valley; my mother used to play the track to me by holding headphones up to her stomach whilst heavily pregnant, and once I was born would sing it to me as a lullaby. Even now, more than thirty years later, it is a track I always listen to when I need to reach a calm, centred place at stressful times.
Aaah takes me back...!
I remember back in the 70s miming to Tenement Funster in my bedroom...in the dark!!!😁
Enjoyed revisiting these classic Queen cuts with you! Also, I had a blueberry muffin for breakfast yesterday.
You know when you're a kid and you're just hearing music, then one day you hear something that just grabs you and says, "Hey! Listen to me," and suddenly you're obsessed with your first album. This is that album for me, aged 13 or so. Holy crap - suddenly, my life was changed forever. And yes, I had purple platform shoes shortly afterwards. I *love* this album. And it all started with Brighton Rock all the way through to In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited.
Tenement funster is Roger. The rest is Fred w backing vocals by Taylor & May.
The Babys, Everytime I Think of You
The Babys, Isn't it Time
A couple good radio songs from the 70's, about the same energy as a good Toto song with a bit less production. Early Tom Waite vocals.
"A dig in the ribs,
" and then a kick in the head!"
So vicious.😁
Fun triple threat. Fall back sheer heart attack. One less hour, this helps. Lots to do.
My Queen experience is radio hits and Night At The Opera plus Day At The Races, and that pert much it.
Great to hear the befores , afters and in betweens.
Saturday made a pot of pinto beans similar to my mom’s, Sunday made Spanish rice with chicken similar to my mom’s… she raised the bar (been called worse) and I’m forever trying to reach it. Love you Mom.
Peace and may flowers Music
As i stare out on a bleak, dark day. All black clouds, gales and torrential rain, you hit us with a prile of queen tunes. Wow, talk about kicking a man when he's down.....
You folding?
@@-davidolivares threw that hand in long ago...
@@Katehowe3010 Our definitions of 'remarkable' obviously differ wildly. Seven Seas of Rhye, only one of theirs I ever really liked. Re rhapsody, quite impressed on first hearing, but boy it got old fast. Still, each to their own eh.
I love Queen so much, especially pre-1980s stuff like this album. This is a great little medley and there's tons more Queen to discover that aren't just the big singles. Sheer Heart Attack especially is full of variety you'd never hear on the radio (like Bring Back That Leroy Brown...). All the members wrote big hits too and experimented in different genres, sometimes a single Queen song has more harmonic variety and chords than a whole album by other rock bands. They were definite professionals and knew what they were doing compositionally.
Lily of the Valley is a bit of a special song, Freddie would write some fantasy songs about "Rhye" (his childhood imaginary world) in the first three albums that reveal some personal turmoil (just like BohRap), it might be interesting to try and piece the story he wrote together :)
And while I never thought this medley had anything to do with each other, you actually made me realize there is definitely something to them. Tenement is about having fun, Flick is about being taken advantage of, and Lily can be about dealing with that trauma.
This album was wallpaper to my late teen shenanigans!I would love to see you react to the song "sheer heart attack" off of the news of the world album. It was queens answer to punk, and may be my favorite Queen song .Thanx!
First album I bought with my own money the week it came out.
It developed a jump half way through Flick of the Wrist, I still expect it to jump listening to it one here.
(Richard III, not Lear...)
We are of like minds here. I suppose that makes us great. I'm very interested to see your reaction to She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilletos). Probably the last Brian May song anyone would claim as their favorite of his but it just might be mine. I don’t know what it is about the song that makes me love it so, but I do and there ain't no denying it.
Thanks as always, JP!
Favourite of mine too... simple idea but so effective and the harmonies are beautiful...
Great reaction and analysis again! 👑😉🥂
Hi Justin. Glad you liked it. A great string of songs on a perfect album. Can't wait for you to hear Now I'm Here, my favourite song from that album. Great 🤘
I enjoyed this so much and because I had never heard it before I figured I should grab it and then send it on to DS9 to hopefully motivate him to explore.... so I went to my local music shop and it's on order Thanks again for the introduction.
This album is Queen at their absolute best for my tastes. 👍👍
Got to hit Queen 2. Father to Son, March of the Black Queen, Seven Seas of Rhye.
White Queen! Masterpiece
After you're done with Sheer Heart Attack, you gotta go back and do Queen II (maybe Queen I first but honestly Queen II is much progressive, experimental, and heavy). Many fans consider this to be their most underrated album, and personally, I believe it is their greatest album!
Yes, wonderful and brilliant!!! Theatrical, majestic... This is for me their best album, Queen had no roof at this time, talent at its finest...
Hey, Justin! Great video, as always. I'd like to suggest you to listen to Achilles' Last Stand, by Led Zeppelin, and if you have already, I'd still be interested in watching your breakdown, since you're so good at them. I personally think that this song is Zepp's magnum opus, so I'd be thrilled if you did it.
A wee while since I've listened to these tracks which I would have labelled three of the less interesting on Sheer Heart Attack BUT...they're really, really good - a short prog suite, not a million miles from the Abbey Road medley. They illustrate many of the strengths of the band with the differing writers/singers (Taylor and Mercury in this case) The archetypal May guitar and the dense production both suit the tracks well. I was wrong. There are no uninteresting tracks on Sheer Heart Attack.
btw: King Richard the Third, not King Lear. See me after class.
@@kenl2091
Oooh somebody’s in trouble.
Such a good set of tracks! I always dig the tracks that Roger Taylor sings ( in this case, Tenement Funster ). I love the dark background vocals on Flick Of The Wrist. They're a great juxtaposition to Freddie's vocals.
My favorite Queen album. Everything you said. 👍👑
I was living through these albums at the time. "Shear Heart Attack' was a step down (though it had its moments) from the previous album 'Queen II'. To me 'Queen II' was the best they ever produced. Prog and Baroque, intermingled with High Camp - it was their most cohesive and captivating. Hey...but that's just what I think. You should give it a try - one side at a time.
I've always thought this album was a trough between two peaks. Not a bad album, and the two either side weren't perfect either.
Yeah I don't think it's a step down at all.. it's masterful... Freddie seemed to get into another gear pianowise... I think SHA is where it all came together... I do love Queen II (Ogre Battle, Nevermore and Fairy Feller) but SHA is my fav Queen LP, followed by Day At The Races..
The entire album is great. Their best. In my top 10 all time favorites.
Early Queen is the best.
I played this album , Kimono my House by Sparks and The Psychomodo by Cockney Rebel on heavy rotation at the time
Wow. Yeah, three great albums of my schooldays. SHA is the only one I replaced my vinyl with CD.
My recommendation would be White Punks on Dope by The Tubes
I love this album SO much! Rocks out hard.
You are a great reactor ! TY for Queen ♥️
Ty!
Queens best album for me ❤
Yeeeeeeeah you finally did it! Glad you liked it
Oh by the way, Roger Taylor is singing Tenement Funster
Queen's first 3 albums are superb in my opinion! But - don't forget - the really high notes are usually sung by Roger Taylor?
All three show how diverse Queen was. Another great trio is Ogre Battle/ Fairy feller's master-stroke/ Nevermore.
Sorry, but isn't Roger singing lead on Tenement Funster ?
As ever, it's thrilling watching you react to these songs I grew up with.
This was the favourite album if my friend who died in January. I love it too but these days it's sort of an emotional listen.
I didn't like what Queen turned into so much, but I love these first few albums.
Can't wait 'til you get to Stone Cold Crazy ;-)
@@Katehowe3010 I've seen some comment that it was the first speed metal...
Love this album; thanks for doing it! One nitpick with "internet-sanctioned" lyrics, though. In Tenement Funster it's "SELFSAME situation". Literacy is in such sad decline.
Also: don't you get a kick out of how Roger's wacky singing on the last "Young and you're CRA-ZY!" helps to emphasize the point?
Tenement Funster: Simple song about a young Rocker in the early 1970s
Flick Of The Wrist: The first of two songs written by Freddie Mercury against the band's manager at the time, Norman Sheffield, whom had reportedly stole large portions of the band's income. He was getting richer as the band got more popular, and yet they didn't make any money.
Lily Of The Valley: Conclusion to the story of Rhye from the latter half of the previous album, Queen II. It’s about looking at his girlfriend and realising that his body needed to be somewhere else, says Brian May.
And of course you already looked it up at the end of the reaction and I typed this out before watching the end.
I heard Dream Theater’s cover of this suite before I heard the original. Both are great fun.
I made it to November. Everyone else is in December. Never really spent time with early Queen, this is quite interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it Dell! Hope you're doing well :D
Sublime
This is Queen's 2nd best JAM. The first being Dragon Attack.
I bought it in 1975, so I quite llked it.
Add me to the Sheer Heart Attack camp. This is Queen at their best.
Covered by Dream Theater on Black Clouds and Silver Linings Special Edition. Should be freely available..
All Saints Day, and you know Freddie is up there. Making God and angels stare, as he sings a song into Heavenly air. Leaving us all his genius & talent to forever share. Your majesty the Queen, May I visit a Taylor before I see the Deacon to say my Peace.
You are so mercurial.
@@-davidolivares Just a Jumpin' Jack Flash in the pan sir.
Great reaction 🙂Flick of Wrist is about their bad management. I feel Lily of the valley is about Freddie's struggle with his sexuality, at the time he was with Mary, in Christianity Lilly of the Valley stands for Mary the mother of Jesus. The serpent of the nile in history was Cleopatra she was called a temptress, so temptation was capturing Freddie and he laid at night with open eyes with worries about hurting Mary. Only my opinion
The perfect trilogy by Queen…also try Side White of Queen ll…
FWIW, "My kingdom for a horse" is from Richard III, not King Lear.
Roger sings on Tenement Funster!
Good music and review.
My top 2 favorite albums are Sheer Heart Attack and Queen II.. Night of the Opera is great, but so many hits and some of the songs are too soft/poppy for me, and always overplayed.... BUT these are just brilliant.