QUEEN: A Night At The Opera (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

1975 was the year of all the hits. Aerosmith's 'Toys In The Attic', Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' and even Black Sabbath's 'Sabotage' were among them. Queen's "A Night At The Opera" closes the year on a near perfect note.

The opera opens on a cynical note with 'Death On Two Legs', dedicated to Queen's former manager who had lined his pockets on the previous three albums. The scene continues with 'Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon', a typical Freddie Mercury song that sounds awfully old.

This is followed by three personal compositions with 'I'm In Love With My Car', 'You're My Best Friend' and '39' by Taylor (drummer), Deacon (bassist) and May (guitarist) respectively. The first one tells the story of a young man in love with racing with his nice car. Knowing the drummer's automotive inclinations, it would not be surprising if he had written these few verses to declare his love for his four-wheeled machine. The second is the first composition of the discreet bass player. One expressed all his love for his car, the other declares his friendship to ... his wife. Is it a bad taste? In any case, it was a masterstroke, as it became a single. Finally, '39 romanticizes Einstein's theory of relativity. A physicist and astronomer by training, it is not surprising that this song was written by Brian May. It tells the story of a small group of people who set off on a journey into space and return to earth 100 years later.

Speaking of UFOs, 'The Prophet's Song' is a famous one. The band has been dabbling in everything since its inception and here they embark on an 8 minute long track with progressive aspects. Radical change of style on the romantic 'Love Of My Life' in which Freddie Mercury plays the piano and sings, supported on the harp by Brian May.

Finally, the nirvana of the album is reached with 'Bohemian Rhapsody', a song entirely written by the genius that was Freddie Mercury. Powerful, moving, effective, there are no words to describe this song that everyone must have heard at some point.

The curtain falls. The artists return backstage. The audience is won over. The success of this play is immediate. It ensures a bright and promising future for Queen, who will continue to produce albums at a steady pace. - Official website

QUEEN

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

EMI

ROCK