Queen I reissue<\/a> as well as several other past releases from the band, with Brian May and Roger Taylor acting as executive producers.<\/p>\nQueen\u2019s self-titled 1973 debut album had established the band as one of the boldest and most unique new voices in music. Even a troubled recording process, which resulted in a sound the band was unhappy with (subsequently rectified on the 2024 reissue), couldn\u2019t mask the brilliance of the songs, nor the ambition of the band behind them.<\/p>\n
For the follow-up, recorded once again at Soho\u2019s Trident Studios with Queen I co-producer Roy Thomas Baker, Queen seized control of their own destiny. They were already incredibly well-drilled before they began, with \u201cFather To Son\u201d and \u201cOgre Battle\u201d having featured in the live shows as far back as September 1973. The result was an album that didn\u2019t so much tear up the blueprint as redraw it on a grand scale.<\/p>\n
Originally released in the UK on March 8, 1974, Queen II still sounds extraordinary today. Bold, brave and madly ambitious, it\u2019s the work of a band whose self-belief, vision and ability were unmatched. Its songs range from the intricate and complex to the raw and heavy, with vocals stacked to near-operatic levels and Brian May\u2019s fabled \u201cguitar orchestra\u201d giving the band a sound like no other.<\/p>\n
Like the iconic Mick Rock photo that stares out from the cover \u2013 revisited by the band themselves nearly two years later in the groundbreaking promo video for \u201cBohemian Rhapsody,\u201d Queen II is an album of shadow and light.<\/p>\n
Rather than the traditional sides one and two, in characteristically flamboyant Queen fashion, the album is divided into Side White and Side Black. The former is dominated by Brian May\u2019s songs, including soaring rocker \u201cFather To Son\u201d and the ethereal, celestial \u201cWhite Queen (As It Began),\u201d with Roger Taylor\u2019s raucous but bittersweet \u201cThe Loser In The End\u201d capping off the white side.<\/p>\n
Side Black is given over to Mercury\u2019s complex musical excursions, from the roaring \u201cOgre Battle\u201d and the filigreed finery of \u201cThe Fairy Feller\u2019s Masterstroke\u201d (inspired by a 19th century painting by maverick artist Richard Dadd) to the quasi-mythical fanfare of \u201cSeven Seas Of Rhye,\u201d which gave the band their very first UK hit single. The centrepiece of Side Black was \u201cThe March Of The Black Queen,\u201d a multi-part mini-epic that, like much of Queen II, pointed towards Queen\u2019s glorious future.<\/p>\n
Even beyond the new 2026 mix, the Queen II Collector\u2019s Edition reframes the album on a much bigger canvas.<\/p>\n
The second CD features Queen II \u2013 Sessions, a treasure trove for Queen fans, presenting a completely different and 100 percent previously unreleased version of every song from the album in the form of outtakes from the original Trident sessions, complete with false starts, guide vocals, the odd mistake, and some fabulous studio banter between the four band members.<\/p>\n
Individually and taken together, the Sessions CD presents an alternative tracklisting that shows how this most grandiose of albums took shape. Some songs, such as \u201cFather To Son\u201d and \u201cSome Day One Day,\u201d feature guide vocals and musical sections that are subtly different from the finished tracks, while others, such as \u201cThe Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke\u201d and \u201cThe March Of The Black Queen,\u201d find the foursome striving to perfect the music they\u2018d written.<\/p>\n
Most intriguingly, the Sessions CD also includes early versions of two songs: a solo Brian May version of \u201cAs It Began,\u201d aka \u201cWhite Queen,\u201d dating from 1969, plus two solo demo versions of Roger Taylor\u2019s \u201cLoser In The End,\u201d which show the song\u2019s evolution towards its final incarnation.<\/p>\n
Not only do these revelatory tracks lift the lid on the band\u2019s creative process at the time, but the snippets of conversation and studio banter at the beginning and end of these tracks adds a fascinating new dimension not just to Queen II but to the band themselves.<\/p>\n
The Sessions also features the lilting, evocative \u201cNot For Sale (Polar Bear),\u201d a song the band worked on during the Queen II sessions but never completed.<\/p>\n
CD three features Queen II \u2013 Backing Tracks that complement both the album itself and the Sessions by offering mixes of the songs from the album without lead vocals, highlighting the stellar musical performances of the band members.<\/p>\n
CD four is Queen II \u2013 At The BBC, bringing together tracks from three separate sessions the band did for BBC Radio 1 DJs and early Queen supporters John Peel and Bob Harris in late 1973 and early 1974.<\/p>\n
Two tracks, future B-side \u201cSee What A Fool I\u2019ve Been\u201d and a tantalising version of \u201cOgre Battle,\u201d were recorded for Harris\u2019 Sounds Of The Seventies program and John Peel\u2019s show respectively in September and December 1973, predating the release of Queen II by several months and showcasing the huge leap forward they\u2019d made from their debut. Two more tracks, \u201cNevermore\u201d and \u201cWhite Queen (As It Began),\u201d were recorded for Harris in April 1974 and capture Queen in full flight for the BBC tapes.<\/p>\n
At The BBC is rounded out by the band\u2019s set at the Golders Green Hippodrome on September 13, 1973, a full six months before Queen II was released. Once again, its eight tracks present a band who are ready to seize the future.<\/p>\n
The new edition is completed by a fifth CD entitled Queen II Live, a showcase of the album\u2019s songs from concerts at North London\u2019s fabled Rainbow Theatre on March 31, 1974, and Hammersmith Odeon the following December. Highlights include a blistering \u201cFather To Son,\u201d the furiously fantastical \u201cThe Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke,\u201d and the epic yin-yang of \u201cWhite Queen (As It Began)\u201d and \u201cThe March Of The Black Queen,\u201d which show off every facet of the band\u2019s distinctive personality.<\/p>\n
The incredible story of Queen II is further fleshed out by the 112-page book, which is included in the Collector\u2019s Edition. Shining a new light on both the album and the band that made it, it includes a host of previously unseen photographs of the band, including outtakes from Mick Rock\u2019s legendary photo session for the Queen II cover. Queen devotees will be amazed to see Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor\u2019s handwritten lyrics and musical notation for the songs on the album, as well as journal entries, letters to friends and supporters, and a trove of memorabilia, including images of vintage adverts and gig posters, turning the Queen II Collector\u2019s Edition into a multi-dimensional experience.<\/p>\n
CD 1: Queen II \u2013 2026 Mix<\/p>\n
1. Procession
2. Father To Son
3. White Queen (As It Began)
4. Some Day One Day
5. The Loser in the End
6. Ogre Battle
7. The Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke
8. Nevermore
9. The March of the Black Queen
10. Funny How Love Is
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye<\/p>\n
CD 2: Queen II \u2013 Sessions<\/p>\n
1. Procession (Stage Intro Tape \u2013 April 1973)
2. Father To Son (Takes 4 & 9 \u2013 with Guide Vocal)
3. As It Began (Brian\u2019s Studio Demo \u2013 October 1969)
4. Some Day One Day (Take 1 \u2013 with Guide Vocals)
5. The Loser In The End (Roger\u2019s First Demo)
6. The Loser In The End (Roger\u2019s Second Demo)
7. Ogre Battle (Takes 2 & 6 \u2013 with Guide Vocal)
8. The Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke (Takes 4 & 9)
9. Nevermore (Take 6)
10. The March Of The Black Queen (First Section Takes 3 & 5)
11. The March Of The Black Queen (Second Section Take 1)
12. Funny How Love Is (Take 4)
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye (Takes 4, 5 & 6)
14. I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside (Take 4)
15. See What A Fool I\u2019ve Been (B-side Version 2026 Mix)
16. Not For Sale (Polar Bear)<\/p>\n
CD 3: Queen II \u2013 Backing Tracks<\/p>\n
1. Procession
2. Father To Son
3. White Queen (As It Began)
4. Some Day One Day
5. The Loser in the End
6. Ogre Battle
7. The Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke
8. Nevermore
9. The March of the Black Queen
10. Funny How Love Is
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye<\/p>\n
CD 4: Queen II \u2013 At The BBC<\/p>\n
1. See What a Fool I\u2019ve Been (BBC Session 2, July 1973 \u2013 2011 Mix)
2. Ogre Battle (BBC Session 3, December 1973)
3. Nevermore (BBC Session 4, April 1974)
4. White Queen (As It Began) (BBC Session 4, April 1974)
5. Procession \u2013 Intro Tape (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
6. Father To Son (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
7. Son And Daughter (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
8. Guitar Solo (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
9. Son And Daughter \u2013 Reprise (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
10. Ogre Battle (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
11. Liar (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)
12. Jailhouse Rock (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, 13th September 1973)<\/p>\n
CD 5: Queen II \u2013 Live<\/p>\n
1. Procession \u2013 Intro Tape (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
2. Father To Son (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
3. Ogre Battle (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
4. White Queen (As It Began) (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
5. The March Of The Black Queen (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
6. The Fairy Feller\u2019s Master-Stroke (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
7. Seven Seas Of Rhye (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)
8. See What A Fool I\u2019ve Been (Live at the Rainbow, March 1974)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The band\u2019s second album receives the lavish treatment Over half a century after it set them on the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138895,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,666,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-138894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queen","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}