DU Album of the Day: Queen - "Night at the Opera"

[LynneSin]

Probably the best of the legendary band Queen is "Night at the Opera". I still remember hearing "Bohemian Rhapsody" for the first time on the radio - I was so blown away. I was getting out of my Shaun Cassidy Teeny Bopper tween stage and moving into rock & roll (with a push from my brother) and was amazed that a song could be longer than 5 minute on the radio and could be so fricking diverse. I remember this english class I had in 8th grade - we were to find the lyrics of our favorite song and recite them in class (so we could see how diverse poetry was). Everyone picked some current bad disco hit of the late 80s or some country crooner - I picked Bohemian Rhapsody and YES I did recite the middle operatic section (had some fun with it too)

[center]I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico

But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come easy go - will you let me go
Bismillah! No - we will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let me go
Will not let you go - let me go (never)
Never let you go - let me go
Never let me go - ooo
No, no, no, no, no, no, no -
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
for me
for me

[/center]

My biggest regret is never seeing Queen in concert. I was such a fan of Freddie Mercury (I had a bit of a crush on him, kinda reminded of one of my first musical crushes - Engelbert Humperdinck) and I wanted to see them in concert like forever but I was too young to go. Finally when I got old enough to see concerts, it was after "Jazz" when I thought the quality of Queen songs was going downhill. I think "The Game" was the first time "No Synthesizers were used to create this music" was not on the album. Queen had jumped the shark. I loved "Jazz" (some thing Queen started the jump at "Jazz&quot and even "The Game" was good but after that I didn't buy anything from Queen. They had gone way too commericial.

But in the mid-80s who knew that Freddie Mercury would only have so many years left. When he died I was devestated because Queen was always the #2 band for me (Behind Led Zeppelin but ahead of Pink Floyd & Yes).

It was good that the rest of the band stuck together but at times I wish it was just the remaining members that would tour. One thing about "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Freddie Mercury was NOT the only lead singer. Two other of my favorites songs on that album was "I'm in Love with my Car" which was sung by drummer Roger Taylor and "'39" which was my very favorite song and song by Brian May. I would love to see just Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon do a tour and let them sing - they all have very talented voices. Not Freddie Mercury style voices but great voices. I forgave them for touring with Paul Rogers but I swear if they tour with Adam Lambert I'm dropping Queen out of my top 5 of favorite bands. That's just sacriledge!

My other favorites from "Night at the Opera"

'39

I'm in Love with My Car.

BTW did you notice that "Night at the Opera" was a white album cover whereas "Day at the Races" (the prior album) was a black album cover.

[Beer Snob-50]

1. Before the super bowl the other night

my buddy played a queen concert he had recorded on the palladium channel on tv from the early 80's.....i did see them in a 6k seat civic center in my hometown.....great concert

[LynneSin]

2. The best concert video I ever saw of Queen was at Live Aid in 1985

Wembley Stadium must have had 150k people at that concert and Freddie's charisma reached out to every single one of those people in attendance and even those of us who watched in on TV

[Beer Snob-50]

3. yes, i saw that one also!

watching the concert the other day reminded me that they were awesome musicians.

[HappyMe]

4. One of the best albums ever.

[Tikki]

5. Like Johnny Cash, QUEEN's music is truly intergenerational....

When my boys were young they plopped Night at the Opera and News of the World on the turntable all the time.

My grandson watches music videos with me sometimes.
When he was around 5 years old he asked me if Freddy Mercury was a super hero(I think because he wore tights and all on stage).
I told him YES!...Freddy was the singing super hero.



Tikki