Welcome to the LOUDEST DOT COM ON THE PLANET!
KNAC.COM News Reviews and More Watch The Latest Videos Buy KNAC T-shirts and More


Queen To Re-issue First Five Albums

By Long Paul, Program Director
Friday, January 28, 2011 @ 10:15 PM


Bonus Tracks To Be Included

- advertisement -

- advertisement -
Press Release:

QUEEN: FIRST FIVE ALBUMS RE-ISSUED ON ISLAND RECORDS – MARCH 14th 2011

“We aimed for the top slot and we were not going to be satisfied with anything less.” Freddie Mercury

March 2011 sees the re-release of Queen's first five albums - one of the most exciting and influential back catalogues of all time. Recorded in the maelstrom of the early 1970s London music scene Queen created a groundbreaking and unique soundtrack that remains globally influential today. Theatrical, imaginative, diverse, melodic and unpredictable they had a sound and a look all of their own. Sitting alongside their contemporaries like Led Zep and David Bowie, Queen set the standard for British rock in the 1970s and became one of the most thrilling, glamorous and downright rock 'n' roll bands of all time, directly influencing a contemporary roll call of artists from Foo Fighters and Axl Rose to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

“Queen”, “Queen II”, “Sheer Heart Attack”, “A Night At The Opera” and “A Day At The Races” have been specially re-mastered and each will be released as a standard CD as well as a deluxe 2 disc set which will feature new bonus content. Each deluxe album will be released on iTunes featuring bonus tracks plus additional sleeve notes, unseen pictures and videos. The albums also set the scene for their band's forthcoming Stormtroopers In Stilettos Global exhibition that launches in London on 25th February.

From the pure raw rock of “Queen” through to the majestic anthems on “A Day At The Races”, the first five albums highlight the diverse talent, musical ambition and already global success of a band made up of some of the best songwriters, musicians and performers of all time.

"Queen", recently nominated by Dave Grohl as his favourite album of all time, was recorded in the same studio that David Bowie was recording Ziggy Stardust. Because they didn’t have any money, the album was recorded on Bowie's downtime, so Queen were literally recording at 3AM after Bowie had gone to bed. "Queen" is their heaviest album, influenced by The Who, Hendrix and Led Zep and contains some of their hardest rocking songs, and also some of their most imaginative. Like all subsequent Queen albums, no two songs sound the same and there are mixtures of light and shade, the band teasing one minute with a lullaby, then blowing your head off.

"Queen II" is the real beginning of Queen as we know it. It’s the first time we hear the multi layered overdubs, the harmonies, the varied musical styles (ballads, folk, blues, thrash metal, pop and rock, it’s all there). It also includes their first hit single ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’, which led to the first of many iconic performances on Top of the Pops. The band recorded "Queen II" in just over a month in 1973 ahead of its release in 1974. The album cover was shot by legendary photographer Mick Rock and inspired by a Marlene Dietrich portrait. The image was later brought to life in the revolutionary 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video.

"Sheer Heart Attack", Roger Taylor’s favourite Queen album, was released in 1974 and reached Number 2 in the UK. Prior to this Queen were mostly considered a heavy rock band, but this album experimented with a variety of musical genres, including music hall, heavy metal, ballads and ragtime. At this point Queen started to move away from the progressive tendencies of their first two releases into a more radio-friendly, song-orientated style, illustrated by ‘Killer Queen’, which was their biggest hit at that point reaching No 2 in the UK. It also went to No 12 in the US Billboard Charts, the first of many hits there. A song about a high-class call girl, it contains the guitar solo that Brian May is most proud of and won Freddie his first Ivor Novello Award.

"A Night at The Opera", named after the Marx Bros film, is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Exceptional on every level, musically, lyrically and artistically, Queen took the strongest elements of their previous two albums to make the ultimate winning combination. The most expensive album ever recorded at that time, it delivered rock, opera, heavy metal, romance, ballads, pop, sci-fi folk, music hall, ‘trad jazz’ and even the National Anthem. The album contains perhaps the most famous rock song of all time, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ which went on to spend fourteen weeks at number one, be voted Song of the Millennium, become the only song in history to reach Xmas No 1 twice and sell a million copies on two separate occasions. Queen also recorded the first official pop promo for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as they were on tour and could not appear on Top of The Pops and this video paved the way for MTV and VH1.

By 1976, Queen were back in the studio recording "A Day At The Races", which was written and recorded by Queen at their happiest, riding on the crest of a wave and loving every second. The album is an infectiously jubilant piece of music, full of love, optimism and good old-fashioned rock and roll. Like "A Night at the Opera", it again borrowed the name of a Marx Bros movie, and its cover was similar to that of "A Night at the Opera", a variation on the same Queen Crest. It reached number one on the British charts and features the classics ‘Tie Your Mother Down’, Freddie Mercury’s personal favourite composition ‘Somebody To Love’ and ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’

FULL TRACKLISTINGS FOR EACH ALBUM:

Queen

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right
3. Great King Rat
4. My Fairy King
5. Liar
6. The Night Comes Down
7. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
8. Son And Daughter
9. Jesus
10. Seven Seas Of Rhye

Bonus Tracks

1. Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
2. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
3. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
4. Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
5. Liar (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
6. Mad The Swine (June 1972)

Queen 2

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's Master-Stroke
8. Nevermore
9. The March Of The Black Queen
10. Funny How Love Is
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye

Bonus Tracks

1. See What A Fool I’ve Been (BBC Session, July 1973 - 2011 remix)
2. White Queen (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
3. Seven Seas of Rhye (Instrumental Mix 2011)
4. Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974)
5. See What A Fool I’ve Been (B-side version, February 1974)

Sheer Heart Attack

1. Brighton Rock
2. Killer Queen
3. Tenement Funster
4. Flick Of The Wrist
5. Lily Of The Valley
6. Now I'm Here
7. In The Lap Of The Gods
8. Stone Cold Crazy
9. Dear Friends
10. Misfire
11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
12. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)
13. In The Lap Of The Gods . . . Revisited

Bonus Tracks

1. Now I’m Here (Live at Hammersmith, Dec 75)
2. Flick of the Wrist (BBC Session, Oct 74)
3. Tenement Funster (BBC Session, Oct 74)
4. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (A capella Plus)
5. In The Lap of the Gods..Revisited (Live at Wembley July 86)

Night At The Opera

1. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)
2. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
3. I'm In Love With My Car
4. You're My Best Friend
5. '39
6. Sweet Lady
7. Seaside Rendezvous
8. The Prophet's Song
9. Love Of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save The Queen

Bonus Tracks

1. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 75)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A cappella)
3. I’m In Love With My Car (Guitar & Vocal version)
4. You’re My Best Friend (Backing Track)
5. ’39 (Live at Earls Court, June 77)
6. Love Of My Life (South American Live Single June 79)

A Day At The Races

1. Tie Your Mother Down
2. You Take My Breath Away
3. Long Away
4. The Millionaire Waltz
5. You And I
6. Somebody To Love
7. White Man
8. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
9. Drowse
10. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)

Bonus Tracks

1. Tie Your Mother Down (Backing Track)
2. Somebody To Love (Live at Milton Keynes, June 82)
3. You Take My Breath Away (Live in Hyde Park, Sept 76)
4. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (Top of the Pops July 77)
5. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) (HD Mix)

© brianmay.com


Back to Top

 

 

 Recent News
Official, Special, Limited Edition, KNAC Heritage Item On Sale Now!
BREAKING: SKID ROW, ERIK GRONWALL Amicably Part Ways
YES Unveil Talk 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set Edition
SAUL Release "More Of The Same" With New Video
RON KEEL BAND Drops New Single, "Hard On The Outside (Heart On The Inside)"
TROLLFEST Release 20 Years In The Wrong Lane Compilation Album
THE BLACK MOODS Share New Single, Video For "Heaven"
DAUGHTRY Shares New Single "Pieces"
WEEDEATER Announce Spring US Tour
WAGE WAR Unleash "Magnetic" Video
PUSCIFER, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PRIMUS Announce The Sessanta E.P.P.P.
KUARANTINE, Featuring CHRIS JERICHO, Drop New KISS Cover Of "Good Girl Gone Bad"
BILLY MORRISON, STEVE STEVENS, OZZY OSBOURNE Join Forces For New Track, "Crack Cocaine"
VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Ready New Album, Pirates II - Armada
HIGH ON FIRE Announces U.S. Headlining Tour Dates
SIX BY SIX (Featuring IAN CREICHTON, NIGEL GLOCKLER & ROBERT BERRY) Launch New Video For "Obiliex"
Bay Area Legends FORBIDDEN Announce First Annual OmegAfest
THE MELVINS Stream New Track "Allergic To Food"
HATEBREED Announce 30th Anniversary North American Headline Tour
SONIC UNIVERSE, Featuring COREY GLOVER (LIVING COLOUR) + MIKE ORLANDO (ADRENALINE MOB), Release Video For "Higher"
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS Drop "Ghosts In The Mist" Performance Video
KANSAS Extends Their 50th Anniversary Tour By Adding Third Leg
MOB RULES Release Cover Of IRON MAIDEN's "Run To The Hills"
A DAY TO REMEMBER Announce Summer 2024 'The Least Anticipated Album Tour'
MY DYING BRIDE Share "The 2nd of Three Bells" Video
PENTAGRAM Announces Three U.S. Performances
ABORTED Unleash "Condemned To Rot (feat. Francesco Paoli)" Video
THE DEAD DAISIES Announce U.S. Dates, New Drummer
SCOTT STAPP Drops Duet Video With DOROTHY For "If These Walls Could Talk"
NEW HORIZON Unveils New Album Conquerors
LIVING DEAD GIRL Share New Single "Ugly"
DRAGONFORCE Unleash New Video "Burning Heart"
NORTHLANE Announce Summer 2024 North American Headline Tour
JOE SATRIANI, STEVE VAI To Release New Music Together For The First Time
MANIC EDEN Self-Titled Album Set For Re-Release, Available On Vinyl For First Time
COMBUSTION 96 Premieres "On the Line" Video
SEBASTIAN BACH Reveals New Album Child Within The Man
MESSER Drops New Video For "Throw it Away"
DARKTHRONE Ready New Album It Beckons Us All
VENDED Reveal New Single/Video, "The Far Side"
SIX FEET UNDER Return With New Album Killing For Revenge
SLASH Announces S.E.R P.E.N.T. Festival-Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N' Tolerance
THE TREATMENT Unveil New Album Wake Up The Neighbourhood
LEE AARON Reveals First Video From Covers Album For "Tattoo"
EVILDEAD Ready New Album Toxic Grace
MARKO HIETALA, TARJA TURUNEN Join For Duet Single, Video "Left On Mars"
CRYSTAL VIPER Return With New Album The Silver Key
BLUE OYSTER CULT Share New Video For "Don't Come Running To Me"
DARKEST HOUR Unveil 'Perpetual | Terminale' Beer Collaboration With DC Brau
Stadium Rockers KISSIN' DYNAMITE Are Back With A Bang With New Album
VESPERIAN SORROW Share New Song, "They Beheld The Chainbreaker's Crowning Defiance"
Guitar Virtuoso MARTY FRIEDMAN Announces New Album Drama
VEXED Releases Official Video For "It's Not The End"
Rock Supergroup BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION Reveal New Album V
SOIL Announce European Festival, Headline Tour
French Metal Pioneers NIGHTMARE Return With New Album, Encrypted
BARONESS To Take 'Sweet Oblivion Tour' To Europe
SLASH Set For Sixth Solo Album, A Blues-Infused Orgy Of The Damned
TYR Gets "Hammered" In New Music Video, Single
PAIN Reveal New Album I Am
KURT DEIMER Unveils New Video For "Dance"
MOB RULES Set To Release Compilation Album, Celebration Day - 30 Years Of Mob Rules
ROCK THE LOCKS Music Festival Announces 2024 Band Lineup
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Announce Summer Headlining U.S. Tour
STORMBORN Unleashes New Video For "Serpentine"
THE WARNING Ready New Album Keep Me Fed
CKY Announce Spring 2024 Headline Tour
SETYOURSAILS Shares New Video For "Lately"
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE Returns With New Single "Pendulum"
KICKIN VALENTINA Launch New Single For "Ride Or Die"
INTERVALS Set For New Album Memory Palace
THE NATIVE HOWL Release New Single, Video For "Mercy" Featuring LZZY HALE
SEVEN SPIRES Return With New Album, A Fortress Called Home
PRONG Honor RUSH With Cover Of "Working Man"
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES Return With New Studio Album The Cycles Of Trying To Cope
ALPHA WOLF Share New Video For "Whenever You're Ready"
JINJER Announces First Official Live DVD/Blu-Ray, Live In Los Angeles
KK'S PRIEST Unleash "Keeper Of The Graves" Video
CROWNSHIFT Drop New Video For "A World Beyond Reach"
THE GEMS Share New Video For "Queens"
DARK TRANQUILLITY Unveil New Album Endtime Signals
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Return To Europe For First Time Since 2019
DANKO JONES Shares Previously Unreleased Electric Sounds Bonus Track, "Waiting For You" Titled "Waiting For You"
BLIND CHANNEL Drop New Album Exit Emotions
BARONESS, RED FANG Unite For First-Ever Joint U.S. Tour Dates
ANGELS OF BABYLON Release 3rd Album Aquarius
ECLIPSE Unleashes New Video For "Apocalypse Blues"
BLACKTOP MOJO Return New Single "As The Light Fades"
AXEL RUDI PELL Unveils New Album Risen Symbol
I PREVAIL, HALESTORM Join For 2024 Summer Co-Headline Tour
BURNING WITCHES Honor OZZY Osbourne With Video For Cover Of "Shot In The Dark"
RAGE Share New Single "Cold Desire"
RHAPSODY OF FIRE Ready New Album Challenge The Wind
MILWAUKEE METAL FEST 2024 Adds DORO, ROSS THE BOSS And ATHEIST To Lineup
ATTILA Unleash New Single For "Timebomb"
CAPULET FEST Reveal Intital Bands For 2024 Edition
JUDAS PRIEST Set For Global Album Listening Parties For Invincible Shield
ARCHSPIRE Announce 2024 North American 'The Everything's F#*!@D Tour'
LORDS OF SALEM Release New Single "Eternal Love"
SEBASTIAN BACH Announces 2024 "What Do I Got To Lose Tour"
WHOM GODS DESTROY Launch New Single, Video For "Crawl"
2024 ROCK FOR RONNIE Benefit Concert Announced
SOIL Announce 2024 UK Headline Tour
ACCEPT Share New Album Title Track Video For "Humanoid"
DEF LEPPARD Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of Pyromania With Deluxe Expanded Edition
ABBATH Announces First North American Tour In Five Years
WHITECROSS Return With New Album Fear No Evil
SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL Unleash Brutal New Video For "Conflict"
AS I LAY DYING Announce U.S. Summer 2024 Tour
FROM ASHES TO NEW Announce U.S. Headline "The Blackout Tour Pt. 2"
DEATH DEALER UNION Drops "Beyond Heaven" Video
ULI JON ROTH Returns To North America This Spring For Tour
HELL'S HEROES FESTIVAL Announces Daily Schedules, Set Times For 2024
P.O.D. Announce 2024 Headline "I Got That" Tour
APOCALYPTICA Announce New METALLICA Tribute Album, Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2
THE ARSON CHOIR Drop "Ravenous" New Video
FREEDOM CALL Unveil New Album Silver Romance
NONPOINT Announces 'The Million Watts Tour 2024'
DIRTY HONEY Releases New Video For "Coming Home (Ballad Of The Shire)"
IMMINENCE Reveal New Album The Black
AFTERSHOCK Festival Reveals 2024 Band Lineups
AMARANTHE Release New Album Title Track Video For "The Catalyst"
KILLINGTON PIT Share JUDAS PRIEST Cover Video For "Riding On The Wind"
AUGUST BURNS RED Announce 2024 'Spring Fling' Tour
Former NIGHTWISH Vocalist ANETTE OLZON Announces Third Solo Album Rapture
JUDAS PRIEST Stream New Track "The Serpent And The King"
PRAYING MANTIS Return With New Album Defiance
DEICIDE Announced As A Headliner For Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest
SHIPROCKED Sets Dates For 2025 Cruise
EXHUMED Guitarist MATT HARVEY Releases New Solo EP Toward The Cold Light
ACE FREHLEY Drops New Video For "Cherry Medicine"
VANDEN PLAS Unveil New Album Details For The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
GATECREEPER Launch Video For "Caught In The Treads"
HIGH ON FIRE Ready New Album Cometh The Storm
ROTTING CHRIST Release "Like Father, Like Son" Video
IAN HUNTER Returns With Defiance Part 2: Fiction Album
VENREZ Drop New Video For "Sip The Cup"
TESLA Set To Release Real To Reel Vol I Album As Double LP For Record Store Day
BOUNDARIES Announce U.S. Headline Tour Dates
Symphonic Metal Diva LEAH Releases New Album The Glory And The Fallen
SAUL Announce Spring 2024 Headline Tour Dates
THE ELECTRIC HIGHWAY FESTIVAL Announces 2024 Lineup
APOGEAN Launches Music Video For "Bluelight Sonata"
MAD WITH POWER VII Festival Reveals Final 2024 Band Lineup
1349 Announce North American Tour
BLOODBOUND Announce Anniversary Live Album, Blu-Ray, The Tales of Nosferatu - Two Decades of Blood (2004 - 2024)
ABORTED Unleash "Dreadbringer (Feat. Ben Duerr)" Visualizer Video
Guitarist STEVE CONTE (NEW YORK DOLLS, MICHAEL MONROE) Readies New Album The Concrete Jangle
SUICIDAL ANGELS Stream New Single "Virtues Of Destruction"
PIG DESTROYER Announce April East Coast Headline Run
BLAZE BAYLEY Releases "Mind Reader" Video
SUPAFLY, Featuring RAY WEST Of SPREAD EAGLE, Announce Record Release Party
CLASSLESS ACT Release "Toxic" BRITNEY SPEARS Cover Video
KAMELOT Continues The 'Awaken The World Tour' 2024 In Europe This October
DRAGONFORCE Share TAYLOR SWIFT Cover Video Of "Wildest Dreams"
LOUDER THAN LIFE Festival Celebrates 10 Years With The Return Of SLAYER!



HOME | MAGAZINE | VIDS | STORE | HELP/POLICIES

©2024 KNAC.COM. All Rights Reserved.    Link to us    Advertise with us    Privacy policy
 Latest News