I love your channel.despite my misgivings about Dylan, Keef/Pallenberg (who was addicted to heroin during her pregnancy, which Keef referenced in his autobio "Anita had a troubled pregnancy"), and Lou Reed's arrogance before the world caught up with him and turned him from Van Gogh to Picasso. You were probably right about who bought the Velvets first album, except you left out those of us who bought it at 10 from a Kmart 99¢ bin because their 15 year old cousins convinced them the Monkees had put a banana on their latest album cover. Wish youd she'll out the probably big bux for an original Exile On Main Street,postcads and all. Also I think my original Loaded had a die cut cover with a 3-d ish smoke from the subway thing going on. And White Light/White Heat had the black light ss kull mhbp. And #3, which I missed and paid 30$ for in 1976 at a Manhattan used record store when I was there for the Bicentennial. Pissed me off. But #3 had Lou holding up a literary magazine. Shear Heart.Attack is something I bought on 8.track. Ioved Killer Queen. Sharp melody. Great lyrics. But nothing else sounded good. I wanted to like it, too. It just didn't take with me. I was too 1960's. But you, you find a reason to like everything. I admire that.
The thing about Queen is that their best songs are actually not their overplayed hits that everybody knows, but their deep cuts that unfortunately get completely overshadowed by their well known hits.
The thing about Queen to me is rather that they were so versatile that everyody will like different songs by them best, and even those non-fans who dislike their "lowest common denominator" mega-hits were most likely to find at least one song they'd adore if they just had the patience to dig deep through their entire back catalogue. 😅
Like most OG Queen fans, my first introduction to Queen was with the 'Killer Queen', which led me to buy the 'Sheer Heart Attack' album in 1974 at the age of 12 years old. The album actually took me a couple of weeks of listening to it before it sank into me that this was a mind blowing album. 'Sheer Heart Attack' also prompted me to go back into the Queen catalog and buy their first two albums. While to this day I still put 'Queen II' a little low on the list of my favorite Queen albums, but the self titled 'Queen' album is still to this day my favorite Queen album. The self titled 'Queen' album is so raw and rough around the edges, it's hard to believe that it's the same Queen from the rest of their entire catalog afterwards. 'Great King Rat', and 'Liar' are two of the greatest Queen songs they ever recorded, yet I never hear them played or even talked about. It sounds like you don't care for Queen that much, and I don't fault you for that, but if you ever decide to go another Queen album, please do the self titled 'Queen' album. Great video, keep them coming.
it's funny you say that - if i were to dip back into queen it'd be queen II! there's some hidden gems on that one imo. and That Song aside...a night at the opera is a great album too. "death on two legs" is the other best queen song after all ;)
yeh sheer we listened to. middle school saw reissue local.indie new so.high price niceprint looks likei have an original.copy cassette at the beeb still.plsys saw cd version but was really high price guess lower now local indies last visit had sheer opera races etc.prominently displayed but not first two
@@abigaildevoe With Queen II the band got polished so quickly it's pretty remarkable. My favorites from Queen II are 'Fariry Feller's Master-Stroke',. 'Ogre Battle', ' and 'March of the Black Queen'. I do also agree with you about 'Death On Two Legs' being an awesome song. The first time I heard it was in 1975 when I was 14 years old, and it literally gave me goosebumps and chills down my spine. It also made me want to go out and break something ha ha. 'Death On Two Legs' in my humble opinion, is the best opening track not just on a Queen album, but on any album ever.
Yep - SIR Doctor Brian May.. been in love with him since I was 15.. unfortunately, that didn't work out.. but unrequited love is still love.. and I still love geriatric Brian... lol
So insightful your comment about music critics misunderstanding this band and their humor. Never considered it from that perspective but you nailed it! Queen was always a phenomenal live band but some of their albums were absolute gems
My introduction to Queen was seeing them support Mott the Hoople back in 1973…jeez,50 years ago!! Being the follow up to the imperious Queen II this album saw the band deciding to scale back a lot of their complex proggi-ness that dominated their first 2 records, and go for a more direct approach which saw them move into the ‘big league’. The bands first 6 albums are (for me) nigh on perfection, after that….not so much. Saw them on every tour back in the 70’s and were a quite incredible live experience. Thanks for covering this…even if you’re not a Queen fan.
It was so cool back in the 70s......when a friend got a new album...they would call you up on the LL and invite you over to listen to the new album they just got....what a time it was.⏺
Queen as individual musicians are very under-rated. Brian May has been a tragically under-rated guitarist for decades, Roger Taylor still hasn't gotten his due as a drummer, and John Deacon was a solid bass player, he and Roger locked in together so well. A magic band, and Freddie was a singular talent, there can only be one.
He well deservedly was ranked best guitarist. One of his key differences to many if not most other guitarists is his ability for his solos to sound like a voice that you can actually sing to. His mastery of the feedback electrical fields on stage really com-lament his emotional way of playing
I like the first few Queen albums where they were doing sort of a hybrid of Glam Rock and Prog Rock, after '77 I'm good with just a singles based comp.
but in what way? I've had this conversation before with people, Queen weren't glam rock at all. look at Bowie, Bolan, early Elton, G*rry Gl*tter or heck even Kiss. Queen was just Freddie wearing moderately flamboyant coats or whatever.
I wouldn’t call Queen a glam band, but they were in the conversation back in ‘74. Killer Queen was as glamorous as anything Sweet, Sparks, and Bowie were doing at the time.
I do like Brian's voice on stormtrooper. That said. My fav lead vocals by him are 39, All Dead All Dead, Too much Love Will Kill You, Good Company, & Sleeping On The Sidewalk. Fred is a powerhouse, & Brian is content to lend backing vocals, & play guitar live. Still. I wish he had more confidence in his voice. Some songs just fit Brian Better. Stylistically, & in tone. Regardless of the fact that Fred is a vocal beast. As is Rog. Brian lacks big range, but has a soft, warm, pleasing tone.
I feel the need to remind myself that you only recently became acquainted with Sheer Heart Attack and not been in love with this album since the late 70's.. When first hearing it I also thought that Leroy Brown was a bit goofy.. not now. It's a fucking genius track that really showcases just how freaking incredible their musicianship was. The ENTIRE album is so GD good. 😊. Doctor May's use of the echo unit in Brighton Rock is masterful.. Freddie hears that, tells Brian to 'hold his beer', then later tries to up Brian with the brilliant vocal interlude using similar echo looping in The Prophet Song. Well played Freddie.. well played. PS. I also find Death on Two Legs to be particularly delicious. Great video!! You are a legend.. and we are all here for that 😎
This is the best review of SHA that I've seen. Personally, I think She Makes Me would be the perfect closer track. It represents the experience Brian May had when he was very sick and thought he would die (that's why you hear an ambulance on the background at the end). It's Queen's most underrated song with a beautiful psychedelic atmosphere; we can feel Brian losing his senses on it. In The Lap Revisited is much better live, idk the studio version just doesn't sound right. Like, the chorus is repeated too many times and it never quite builds in volume or anything... Just repeats itself. Anyway, your channel is gold!
thank you so much! i didn't consider stormtrooper as a potential closer, your comment might just make me go back and re-evaluate. and i imagine LOTG revisited would sound better live, needs a whole stadium of people for the dynamics
Sheer Heart Attack is a very heavy album, a lot of songs are borderline METAL, love this album - one of my favorite Queen records for sure, great album.
I had fun doing a deep dive with Donovan's albums last week. I look forward to finally listening to the deep cuts on Sheer Heart Attack later today. Brighton Rock is a killer tune.
Lovely lady, you are spot on with the flaws in this record (similar to the previous Queen II). I personally prefer their debut eponymous disc, but the seem to get it about right with A Night At The Opera. Thanks for another great piece of critique.
Dear Abby Your hair style brings back the 70s and early 80s Southern California with a vengeance. I have never been a big Queen fan either. Seems like you have to be really into this band or not. I’ve never bought a Queen album and this is the first time I’ve ever listened to one of their albums all the way through because I had a suspicion that- with singles that bloody good - the experience would be something like listening to any Badfinger album all the way through. There’s Pete Ham’s perfectly majestic songs, and then there’s the stuff written by other band members, which is largely pedestrian in my opinion. So, as much as I like Badfinger and grieve the tragedy of their story, they’ll probably always be a greatest hits band plus Pete Ham deep cuts. Well, ‘Sheer Heart Attack” isn’t that kind of experience. It’s rather some kind of crazy intersection, like a traffic circle with a dozen roads peeling off from it. I hear glam. I hear prog that reminds me of Van Der Graaf Generator (the only prog band John Lyon had any respect for), which can be immensely fun because of all the unexpected movements, the camp element and the over-eagerness of vocalist Peter Hammill. There’s that, but there’s also Thin Lizzy/Deep Purple sub-Zep hard rock riffage, and then you have a Diamond-sharp dazzler in ‘Killer Queen.” You’re right, as per usual: their singles are almost too good, in the sense that they’ve all been played to death. I was incredibly moved by “Bohemian Rhapsody” the first couple dozen times I heard it. Same goes for “We Are the Champions.” But I kind of never want to hear those songs again. For my money, this is Brian May’s album all the way. He is just phenomenally sharp and inventive here. He does just about everything that’s possible to do with rock guitar sounds and textures on this album. Explorative and precise, like you said, and furiously creative. I love Brian May and wondered for a long time how he got his unique tone. Then I found out it comes from his playing with a sixpence coin (he seems to use it on “Killer Queen” but not as much throughout). This is a solid and yet diverse album that reminds me mostly of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” - this wall of dense, cerebral, exploratory guitar rock plus THAT ONE STANDOUT SONG. I also think “In the Lap of the Gods” is tremendous fun. I think I would need to listen to this thing a lot to really appreciate it, but then again I tried to do that with “The Man Who Sold the World” and eventually gave up. Easy to admire, hard to love. Too easy to see as precursor and foreshadowing when listened to within the context of a body of work. Thanks again, Abby. Looking forward to this Monday!
Another Monday and Abigail is conducting another class. Getting to absolutely love these..informative and yet fun and humorous to boot. And that’s something most old school critics could never do. Love it, Abby. And yes…KEEP THE BANGS! ❤️
I think you nailed it Abby. I will now dress appropriately before listening to each album. Great idea. One of the many reasons I like your presentations. Your aesthetics are lovely.
Love the album. My oldest brother bought the album and played it many times. I remember buying the "Killer Queen" single. Faves include Killer Queen, Brighton Rock, Now , I'm Here and Flick of The Wrist. Great video 👍🙂.
Great video I'm a huge queen fan I own all of their albums on vinyl and sheer heart attack is one of my favorites I had the same reaction with Leroy Brown and Sir Dr Brian May's guitar solo on Brighton rock still blows me away I first heard it live before I heard the studio version still blows my mind as a guitarist great video
I first heard Stone Cold Crazy on a VH1 count down of the 100 greatest Hard Rock Songs, and then I had to find out what album it came off of and get it. Abby, as always you are a wealth of knowledge.
🥳 Queen at last.....and you only missed my favourite album by 1 😉😬 Never mind I love this too! Back in the ‘actual’ day Flick of the Wrist was my favourite, and I used to lift the needle when Tenement Funster came on🙄 now it’s one of my favourites on the album🤷♂️ What I always loved about Queen was how eclectic their music was😁👍.....I mean you just never knew what was coming next🤔 Kept it fresh....and interesting! Now do some early Genesis😉😬👍
Wow! You nailed it!! I was a huge Queen fan back then and bought this album when it came out - your ability, after all these years, to understand what made so great is amazing! Great job, fun presentation. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hi Abby, This isn't my favorite Queen album,but.....I love you're take on all the albums you review ! I'd have to give this album a re listen,since none of the songs sound familiar to me. As always a great story behind the making of this album. I never knew that Brian May was so sick from a vaccination ! Brian's guitar playing is one of the most recognized sound in Rock,very distinguishable. I still love Jimmy Pages "sloppy" guitar work even on his worst "drug induced" day ! Hey...he's Jimmy Page ! Thanks for another fun, informative review ! Happiness, Cindy
That's Sir Brian May now! My dad was a big Queen fan. He had a few 8 tracks in his Cortina, so I was exposed to a fair amount as a kid in the 70s. I am a non Queen fan, possibly because of over exposure ( though he was a big Thin Lizzy fan and I love them unconditionally). I like 70s Queen well enough, but never considered myself a fan. Probably it's more how 70s icons like Elton John, Rod Stewart and even David Bowie had 80s that perhaps turned off kids from getting into them. My 14 yr old rocker daughter absolutely loves them, so it seems to go in waves! Guess I am Team Sloppy (Neil Young just about my favourite artist) and my daughter is Team Precise.
Dear Abigail, I came for your brilliant "Odessey and Oracle" video, stayed for your more than entertaining "Almost Famous" video and this "Sheer Heart Attack" video where I agree on most of your favourite tracks, and I will haunt your channel for many more. Love your insights, critical enthusiasm, and presentation style. If I am allowed to propose requests, I would love to hear your opinions on "Here's Little Richard" by Little Richard, "Hope" by Klaatu, and "One More Knife" by Zodiac Mindwarp.
Now I'm Here is a killer track and used it for the opening song to there concerts until Tie your Mother down came along but in 2013 I think when I saw Queen with Adam Lambert they opened with Now I'm Here and played most of the songs from that album.
I love this album but "Innuendo" in my opinion is their strongest album with the exception of one song that is not for everyone. I'm sure you'll find Innuendo amazing if you haven't already.
I should give that record a relisten. I remember listening to it a few years ago and loving killer queen and brighten rock, but overall I wasn't fussed about it and went back to listening to albums like jazz and news of the world. As I listen to more and more music over the years of getting into music I started hearing people say 'they really love this record' and that stone cold crazy is considered one of the first thrash metal songs along with symptom of the universe by black sabbath. If this video has done anything, it's making me wanna relisten to sheer heart attack and see how I feel about that album now. Also I'm really love these videos so fair, keep up the good work and I will tune in next monday:D
"Sheer Heart Attack" - my favourite Queen's album, together with "A Night at the Opera". When I 1st saw the album art, I had immediately thought not of castaways, but of astronauts in microgravity. Four guys on space station in orbit. And 1st song I liked was "Now I'm Here". By the way, this song made it to "Greatest Hits" (1st released 1981), (where I got to know it from), so it probably had to be a hit before it was in the soundtrack of a XXI century film. Rocky song with catchy riff and inytriguing self-call-and-self-response, and fast guitar - I've heard "Greatest Hits" for the first time when I was scarcely teenager, so what was I supposed to like first? :) When I think of "Sheer Heart Attack" album, simultaneously I think of Beatles' "Abbey Road". The same eclectism, together with tendency to combining very different songs into diptychs of triptychs. And a lot of fun. Yeah, partly glam, but also partly progresive, partly hard-rocky, even jazzy - Queen never let one pigeonhole them. Just like Beatles. And while I think of "Dear Friends" as no more than interlude, I really love "She Makes Me", it has a mood of mystery, and trance, and kinda meditation, it's like a litany or mantra. And, yes, again sense of humor, everywhere sense of humor, accurate observation! "Now I'm here... ...Now I'm there". I love "Brighton Rock", of course. Great guitar work and pastiche lyrics, and intro which could be a hint to The Who's "Quadrophenia". And the triptych "Tenement Funster etc.", and "Killer Queen", and "Now I'm Here" certainly, and "Stone Cold Crazy", and "Misfire", and both parts of "In a Lap of the Gods"... And... Is there something on this album I don't like? I even like that there's no title track. I wouldn't mind if it wasn't on "News of the World" either, sorry... Oh, mercy! I've e.g. some problems with eysight, someone is fat, and someone has weak heart which one day etc., and then we learn a dubious revelation "hey hey hey, it's a DNA" and... so what? Is it intended to be comforting or something? Oh, come on. On top of that, a feedback or a whistle that breaks the ears. No please. (But musically ain't bad at all, not outstanding either, just a standard rock and roll.) Queen were great from beginning to the end. But Queen I like the most is that rocking Queen from 1st half of 1970s, that Queen which returned in 1991 with "Innuendo".
What puts me off about early Queen albums is the campy music hall material. I'd call this their transitional album, with "News of the World" they became a serious rock band (although I too am sick of 'We Will Rock You/We Are the Campions'). I got to see the band in '82 with the "Hot Space" album (the crowd booed the disco songs) and they were tight; except when May's guitar came unplugged during a solo. Real Spinal Tap moment. Also on the bill were Joan Jett and Heart but Queen was the headliner. Does it bother you when a band doesn't put the title track on the album it's named for? Is that false advertising?
hahaha i can appreciate a crowd that boos disco. i only playfully give groups a hard time when the title track of one album ends up on another (see houses of the holy)
For me, it took me awhile to let it grew on me because i have no knowledge of this album besides the title and killer queen After a few days of listening to it front to back, i'm starting to realize why people love this album. It has everything from hard rock songs like brighton rock and stone cold crazy, classsics like killer queen and in the lap of the gods, to obscure but fun songs like leroy brown. This album is already in my top 5 queen albums.
Great album! Like most kids in Latin America, my introduction to Queen was “Killer Queen,” played by the d.j. at my older cousin’s 16th birthday party in Caracas (when I was probably no older than four or five, and had also never seen a strobe light before) and years later, when _La Música Que Sacudió el Mundo_ played “Bicycle Race” on channel 5 every weekend, the show also did a brief roundup of Queen’s earlier work, and my 7-year-old self realized “Oh, that’s that awesome band!” and it’s been love ever since.
Love this album! This one and A Night at the Opera are must own. There’s a big gap in album quality after those two, imo. They are more of a singles band.
@@vincenthewlett4329 I've listened to every album multiple times, all except Made in Heaven. So, my opinion is well informed. I have every song and every album scored on a 1-5 star system scale.
@@ArmandoMPR yea and ? What is your point…,so what is the “ big gap “ a true queen fan like me will like them all good or bad don’t matter as it’s queen
NGL when I saw you were doing Queen I was hoping you would recreate one of their incredible stage outfits of the era -- Freddie's leotard, or maybe Brian's long black blouse with the wide sleeves. But you went with what a fan of the band from the era might have worn, and THAT'S OK. 🙂 Queen II and Day at the Races are my favorites, partly due to the oversaturation you mentioned (apart from Somebody to Love, nothing off those two are played anywhere). But Sheer Heart Attack has some great tracks on it -- even if I think the best ones are the ones you don't like! 😀
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say, except for me I'd replace A Day At The Races with Queen 1. The debut, Queen II, and Sheer Heart Attack are the Holy Trinity for me!
@@sugadelicsavagesoul8623 Those Queen outfits are very specialized and would, I imagine, be very time-consuming to replicate, so I'm ok with her decision. 🙂
I love these reviews, and your lovely effort of looking the time on each one!! You're doing an absolutely beautiful job. Great research as well. Keep up the great work, dear Lady! This album rocks. I love the dry chuggy mix, and Brian is doing some very cool proto-thrash riffing on this, using palm-muting and thrashy picking way ahead of the game. You are so right that they should have disposed of the filler songs and had Sheer Heart Attack on this album instead of waiting to release it on "News of the World", but I think it was decided in order to balance out the heaviness of the album a bit with some softer songs. I would have LOVED to have heard Sheer Heart Attack with this mix, because frankly I'm not too happy with the mix on News of the World, especially the guitar tone. ps. I love your forehead! ;-)
Justly to be perusing the Brighton Rock System of these "New York Queens" whom which you speak. I love how in the lyrics plot someone has to "apolojaze". A hair curl quite effective, a forehead exceedingly beholdable
i love Queens deep album cuts more too… I always wonderd if “Bring Back That Leroy Brown” was thier comical tribute to Jim Croce who was killed in a plane crash recently at this time. the opening track “Brighton Rock” was criminally ignored when it first appeared it still deserves radio play now and added to compilation albums. If you ever want to do “Night @ The Opera” the 2 deep cuts you should really pay attention to is Brian May’s “39” the lyrics are about time travel and is a bit heart wrenching at the end… the other one is what i would call “ Bohemian Rhapsody” on steroids… “The Prophet Song”… i probely didn’t describe it right😂 but trust me you’ll love it!
Love the Queen albums up to Day at the Races, after that they got too poppy for me . Roger Taylor was a great vocalist in his own right and would have made a great frontman in an alternate universe where Freddie didn’t exist. Great and informative vid as usual .Mondays are great again .
Solid review. I remember a time when Killer Queen would come on the radio and I would be happy. Lol Classic Rock AOR radio has killed so many classics for me. Brighton Rock is one of my favorite Queen songs of all time. I lose interest in them the closer they get to the 80s. I saw a video of Zeppelin from 1979 or 80 and Page played especially sloppy at the beginning of the show but as he settled in he sounded like his normal sloppy self. That’s what makes him great. Anyways great video and .. uh nice forehead???
I was never much of queen fan however "Killer Queen " is great, I like this song much, it falls in my top songs ever list. Brian May has his moments for sure. Not saying Queer is a bad band , never has been my cup of tea. Not a fan of there top pop hits , I will revisit there early songs/albums. I am new to your channel and enjoy your take very much. I grew up in this era . It is refreshing to see someone from your generation that can cover and articulate this era as you do. Thanks and keep up the great coverage.
We used to get high after my parents went to bed then put Brighton Rock in the turntable while we watched Johnny Carson. We’d wait for the house band to play or a violinist and then turn the sound down while Brighton Rock played. Of course, it would all sync up perfectly!!!!
In The Lap Of The Gods starts out GOOFY?!? What?! You can't be serious. Heresy, I say! That's one of the most epic, goosebump, spine tingling intros of any Queen song! And one of the better songs off the whole album! However, I do gotta agree Brighton Rock's use in Baby Driver was the best part of the movie and used perfectly!
Another classic video. These shows should become cult classics; fit for the Rock Archives. Like The Big Labowsky movie. Like Bob Dylan say's; " Let me forget about today until tomorrow". One good use of time is: Watch the movie Ghandie; a few times. Get out in the forest; campout, and do some macro photography. Then; watch some Abigail Devoe show's; when you get back to civilization. You will relax. Thx.
It's so funny that you didn't like Stormtrooper because it's my favorite song on the album. It sounds like Big Star on mushrooms. Maybe it's a bit out of place on SHA but good lord, it will hit hard when you're in the right place for it. Great review!
Umm...yeah. I love ya, curly top, but I must beg to differ on Now I'm Here. That song lights a fire in me. From Freddie's turn at the echoplex to the last joyous shout out to Chuck Berry this song rocks. Brian B. Goode gets me playing the air guitar every time! i don't get the Sweet comparison, but when I was growing up I mostly thought they had Sweet F.A. (pun intended}. Cheers
Being a flash uke player I must intervene. Ukulele (flea hopping in Hawaiian) is pronounced ooh-koo-lay-lay. "Flea hopping" describes the movement of the fingers on the tiny fingerboard. Mini-guitars were introduced to islanders by Portuguese sailors a long time ago.
She makes me stormtrooper in stilettos is great because it is like nothing else they’ve ever done - a bit of Velvet Underground style. Now I’m here you should try live - it’s a love letter to America and Chuck Berry. Lap of the gods 2 is the forerunner of we are the champions and is real stadium song hall fodder
Pagey played exactly as he wanted to. His chords and arpeggios were spot-on in a r'n'r way so he gave himself total freedom on the solos. Pagey's call. With John Paul and Bonzo one could not miss the downbeat.
Kudos to uou for not starting introduction to Queen on they’re more accessible albums this&aday atthe races are more challenging to you to find listening through ,and o on the run is no match for now I’m here if you’ve experience d the concert where the guitar plays sonic delay magic
I've watched this because it's Vinyl Monday's back pages not because it's Queen's back pages. They were always a bit theatrical for me but with some ok singles and as a frontman he had a lot of front. The video is generous though and there's a lesson - let's just enjoy a ride sometimes not get entrenched in our tastes. On the way here got lost and had to ask where's Abby, 'that's the girl with the forehead' I was told. Sure enough it was :)
