QUEEN
Queen II 2 CD Deluxe Edition
2026 Hollywood Records

“I will destroy any man that dares abuse my trust…”

Background:

‘Queen II’ is a landmark album, and the second release by the legendary, influential, groundbreaking band QUEEN, in 1974. It is my favorite album of theirs. And I’m not the only one, as I’ve seen the album cited as a favorite by numerous fans and musical artists. I feel fortunate to have first experienced it many decades ago on vinyl. And to be honest, I think this album is best experienced on vinyl, and not just for the sound. Most casual Queen fans don’t know this album, because there was no real hit song from the album, other than the minor hit “Seven Seas of Rhye”. I think ‘Queen II’ is the most “Queen sounding” album the band ever made, if that make sense.

Following the ‘Queen I’ “2024 Remix”, ‘Queen II’ now gets its own “2026 Remix”. This album was damn near perfect before. Roy Thomas Baker’s production and Mike Stone’s engineering has stood the test of time. I think I read that this is actually the third time the album has been “remixed” (not just remastered). The main purpose of this release is of course, to reintroduce the album to potential fans. (This masterpiece should not go out of print at any point). ‘Queen II’ is best enjoyed on the finest stereo system you can find, but headphones will reveal different layers as well. The clarity and huge backing vocals will have you singing along.

‘Queen II’ is an exercise in black and white, light and shade. It is somewhat of a high concept album – yet at the same time – it isn’t. The band wasn’t afraid to try new things, especially vocally, and their trademark high harmonies are all over this album. Divided into two sides, ‘Side White’ belongs to guitarist Brian May (plus one song by drummer Roger Taylor) and is bright and filled with poignant moments, while ‘Side Black’ belongs to vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury and is brash, heavy and bombastic, and features fantasy elements. The album features several songs that crossflow, (one of Queen’s trademarks in the early days), inspired by artists like PINK FLOYD and THE BEATLES. Of course, the influence of LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and YES are evident as well.

The Songs:

Opener “Procession” works as a funeral march, and a perfect segue as it flows into the majesty of “Father To Son”, (which features John Deacon on acoustic guitar in addition to bass). “White Queen (As It Began)” (based on the Robert Graves book ‘The White Goddess’) is a mostly melancholy song. Brian’s “Some Day One Day” seems quite simple, but is a rather complex arrangement on guitar, and features Brian’s first lead vocals on a QUEEN song. Roger Taylor contributes and sings “The Loser In The End” to close out ‘Side White’. You’ll hear some improvements on these last two songs, in particular the guitar and vocals are cleaner and less “compressed” sounding.

‘Side Black’ is where the remix starts to showoff more. You’ll hear enhanced definition in the metal of “Ogre Battle”, and a better mix on the vocals in “The March of The Black Queen”. “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke” (inspired by Richard Dadd’s painting of the same name) is possibly my favorite song on the album, and has some of the most elaborate vocals ever put to tape. “Nevermore” sounds crystal clear and the bouncing vocals are sublime. The intoxicating swirl of “Funny How Love Is” is accented, while the closing track, “Seven Seas of Rhye” sounds amazing here as well. Overall, the levels sound better on this mix. The booklet is a hard cover digibook style, and there are 24 pages of rare photos and lyrics. Disc One is the album only, as it should be.

Bonus Disc:

Some interesting bonus material can be found on Disc 2. The first track is the stage intro for the band’s tour in 1973. Other goodies include different takes from the recording of ‘Queen II’ songs as well as demo versions. “The Loser In The End” came a long way from Roger’s original demo. The band’s back-and-forth banter during the recording of “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke” is amusing. Unreleased track “Not For Sale (Polar Bear)” was originally recorded for the album sessions, but didn’t make the cut. Originally a song by pre-Queen band SMILE, the song was re-recorded for ‘Queen II’. I can hear why the song was left off, and I think the album is better without it.

Conclusion:

‘Queen II 2026 Remix’ is a successful remix. Was it as necessary as the first album in 2024? No, because in particular the drums didn’t need to be fixed, but the overall sound is fuller and cleaner. The amount of work put into this package is appreciated by this long-time fan. And all QUEEN fans will most likely enjoy this package and sound quality. Kudos to designer Simon Halfon, his work is superb and faithful to the original album. There is also a deluxe edition available that comes with a 180-gram double vinyl with etched sides, 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. There are also two discs of live performances. Once again, this version is a little out of my price range, but fans can go to the official Queen website to order it.

I await… ‘Sheer Heart Attack’.

5.0 Out Of 5.0