{"id":246324,"date":"2026-05-28T13:32:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/246324\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:32:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:32:37","slug":"michael-christophers-rock-music-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/246324\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Christopher’s Rock Music Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over half a century after it set them on the path to superstardom, Queen\u2019s regal second album, \u201cQueen II,\u201d remains the first great of many great pinnacles of the band\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

Arguably the heaviest Queen effort, it was originally released in the spring of 1974 and widely heralded as their first true masterpiece.<\/p>\n

Now, to give it the recognition it so rightfully deserves, and with band co-founders Brian May and Roger Taylor serving as executive producers, the album has been remixed, remastered, and expanded for a lavish new box set by the team of Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae and Kris Fredriksson.<\/p>\n

The five CD and two LP \u201cQueen II Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d box set features a 2026 mix of the album, plus intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the recording studio, previously unheard outtakes and demos, live tracks, and radio sessions.<\/p>\n

It also comes with a 112-page book featuring previously unseen photographs, handwritten lyrics, diary entries, and special memorabilia, as well as memories of writing and recording the album from the band members.<\/p>\n

\""Queen\u201cQueen II Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d (COURTESY OF ELEKTRA RECORDS)<\/p>\n

\u201cQueen II was the single biggest leap we ever made,\u201d says May. \u201cThat\u2019s when we really started making music the way we wanted to, rather than the way we were being pushed into recording it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Queen II, I couldn\u2019t believe how much work we put into it,\u201d adds Taylor. \u201cI think we felt we were evolving our own sound. We were pioneering this sort of multitracking thing. It gave you a tremendous palette, massive choral effects with just three of us singing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queen\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 \u2014 subsequently rectified on the 2024 reissue \u2014 couldn\u2019t dull the brilliance of the songs, nor the ambition behind them.<\/p>\n

For the follow-up, recorded once again at Soho\u2019s Trident Studios with \u201cQueen I\u201d co-producer Roy Thomas Baker, Queen seized control of their own destiny.<\/p>\n

They were already incredibly well-rehearsed beforehand, with \u201cFather to Son\u201d and \u201cOgre Battle\u201d appearing in live shows as far back as September 1973.<\/p>\n

The result was an album that didn\u2019t so much tear up the blueprint as redraw it on a grand scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to give it everything, to be self-indulgent,\u201d said frontman Freddie Mercury at the time. \u201cBut the whole band in particular, we don\u2019t go in for half-measures, and I\u2019m pretty hard with myself. There are no compromises.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally released in the U.K. on March 8, 1974, and stateside on April 9, 1974, \u201cQueen II\u201d still sounds fresh.<\/p>\n

Bold, brave, and madly ambitious, it\u2019s the work of a band whose self-belief and vision were unmatched. Its songs range from the intricate and complex to the raw and heavy, with vocals stacked to near-operatic levels and May\u2019s fabled \u201cguitar orchestra\u201d providing a sound like no other of the era.<\/p>\n

Rather than the traditional sides one and two, in characteristically flamboyant Queen fashion, the album is divided into \u201cSide White\u201d and \u201cSide Black.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former is dominated by May\u2019s songs, including soaring \u201cFather to Son\u201d and the ethereal \u201cWhite Queen (As It Began),\u201d with 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 complexities, from the roaring \u201cOgre Battle\u201d and \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 U.K. hit single.<\/p>\n

The centerpiece of the second side was \u201cThe March of the Black Queen,\u201d a multi-part mini epic that, like much of \u201cQueen II,\u201dpointed towards the band\u2019s sprawling future.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The March of the Black Queen\u2019 was definitely a forerunner of \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody,\u2019 \u201d May says. \u201cFreddie\u2019s mind was just working on a different level, even at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even beyond the 2026 mix, the \u201cQueen II Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d reframes the album on a much bigger canvas. The second disc, \u201cQueen II \u2013 Sessions,\u201d is a treasure-trove for Queen fans, presenting a completely different and 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 among the four band members.<\/p>\n

Most intriguingly, the \u201cSessions\u201d disc also includes early versions of two songs in a solo May take on \u201cAs It Began,\u201d aka \u201cWhite Queen,\u201d dating from 1969, plus two solo demo versions of Taylor\u2019s \u201cLoser in the End,\u201d which show the song\u2019s evolution.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the lilting, evocative \u201cNot for Sale (Polar Bear),\u201d a song the band worked on during the \u201cQueen II\u201d sessions but never completed.<\/p>\n

The third disc, \u201cBacking Tracks,\u201d complements both the album itself and the \u201cSessions\u201d CD by offering mixes of the songs from the album without lead vocals, highlighting the individual musical performances of the band members.<\/p>\n

Disc four is titled \u201cAt the BBC,\u201d and brings 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 version of \u201cOgre Battle,\u201d were recorded for Harris\u2019 \u201cSounds of the Seventies\u201d program and John Peel\u2019s show, respectively, in September and December 1973, predating the release of \u201cQueen II\u201d by several months and showcasing the huge leap forward they\u2019d made from their debut.<\/p>\n

The CD is rounded out by the band\u2019s set at the Golders Green Hippodrome on Sept. 13, 1973, a full six months before Queen II was released.<\/p>\n

The box set is completed by the fifth disc, \u201cQueen II Live,\u201d a showcase of the album\u2019s songs from concerts at North London\u2019s fabled Rainbow Theatre on March 31, 1974, and Hammersmith Odeon in December 1975.<\/p>\n

The story of \u201cQueen II\u201d is further fleshed out by the 112-page book, which shines a new light on both the album and the band, including a host of previously unseen photographs, including outtakes from Mick Rock\u2019s legendary photo session for the album cover.<\/p>\n

Handwritten lyrics and musical notation for the songs on the album, as well as journal entries, letters to friends and supporters, and a bounty of memorabilia, including images of vintage adverts and gig posters, turn \u201cQueen II Collector\u2019s Edition\u201d into a multi-dimensional experience.<\/p>\n

Vinyl of the Week<\/p>\n

Keep an eye on this spot as each week we\u2019ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from a legendary act.<\/p>\n

This week, it\u2019s the 20 th anniversary of an alt-rock LP that served as a breakthrough for Blue October.<\/p>\n

\""Blue\u201cBlue October: \u201cFoiled [20th Anniversary Edition]\u201d (COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL)\u2022 Blue October: \u201cFoiled [20th Anniversary Edition]\u201d<\/p>\n

Twenty years after the album that launched them into the global spotlight, Blue October celebrates the anniversary of their platinum-selling record \u201cFoiled\u201d with three special vinyl releases, arriving on shelves on\u00a0Friday.<\/p>\n

The anniversary set comes in three distinct versions: a newly remastered \u201cFoiled\u201d two-LP on 180-gram black vinyl, featuring a gatefold jacket and fold-out lyric insert, a deluxe two-LP edition pressed on smoky translucent vinyl, and a two-LP set limited to the band\u2019s webstore and on tour dates, pressed on silver marble vinyl.<\/p>\n

The deluxe edition serves as the crown jewel of the collection, featuring exclusive bonus tracks not available on any other version, including an acoustic recording of the Platinum-certified \u201cHate Me\u201d and two rare remixes of \u201cX Amount of Words.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the deeply personal songwriting and emotionally resonant sound on \u201cFoiled\u201d that cemented the Houston-bred Blue October as one of rock\u2019s most distinctive voices.<\/p>\n

While the record marked a breakthrough moment for the band, it was only the beginning, as the impact continues to ripple outwardas new listeners discover the album alongside the expansive catalog that followed.<\/p>\n

The connection many felt through its lyrics has only deepened over time, helping grow a devoted global audience.<\/p>\n

Initially, \u201cFoiled\u201d sent frontman Justin Furstenfeld and Blue October\u2019s life into a whirlwind. He wrote the songs during an intensely personal period while living alone in Los Angeles, first capturing them as raw demos that reflected equally exposed vulnerability.<\/p>\n

Produced by Furstenfeld and David Castell, the collection balances deeply confessional lyrics with soaring melodies and emotional honesty that became a hallmark of the group.<\/p>\n

Ultimately cracking the Billboard Rock Chart Top 10, \u201cFoiled\u201d remains a cornerstone of early \u201900s alternative rock, anchored by Billboard-charting hits, including the aforementioned \u201cHate Me,\u201d \u201cInto the Ocean,\u201d and fan favorite \u201cShe\u2019s My Ride Home.\u201d<\/p>\n

This fall, Blue October will further celebrate \u201cFoiled\u201d by performing the record in its entirety on an extensive tour. Regionally, the band will be showcasing the LP at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre on Nov. 14 and the following night in Philly at The Fillmore.<\/p>\n

The 20th anniversary of \u201cFoiled\u201d can be found online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.<\/p>\n

To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over half a century after it set them on the path to superstardom, Queen\u2019s regal second album, \u201cQueen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246325,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[157,4983,9,24,63,96224,122,124,123,904,96225],"class_list":["post-246324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-entertainment","tag-music-and-concerts","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-ontap","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-lan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246324","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=246324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}