Post by wingsj0 on Apr 30, 2006 10:29:27 GMT
30th anniversary combined CD/DVD Special Collectors Edition.
Three decades ago Queen released their classic album ‘A Night at the Opera’ which went to No. 1 in many countries around the world, and on Monday, November 21, 1975, the first single from the album went to No. 1 in the UK charts, a position it was to hold for 9 weeks.
Queen commemorate the 30th anniversary of this historic occasion – on Monday, November 21st 2005 – with a new combined CD/DVD Special Collectors Edition release of the album.
‘A Night At The Opera’ is now regarded by many to be the definitive ‘70’s-era Queen release. Originally recorded in no less than six different studios between August and November 1975, it was reckoned at the time to be the most expensive album ever recorded, although, at around £45,000, it now looks remarkably cheap at the price.
Their fourth album ‘A Night At The Opera’ encapsulated everything about Queen’s music that made it so unique. Combining outstanding showmanship with remarkable versatility, more than any rock band before or since, Queen cold literally do it all- and here, on one album, was the ultimate proof. There would be many more masterful albums to come from Queen over the next 20 years, but here, perhaps, was the band at its 1970s musical apotheosis.
Before they started recording Freddie Mercury was telling everyone about his eagerness to “experiment” and “go to greater extremes”. In fact, the whole band was fired up, having just escaped from a management deal which had led to disenchantment – vigorously expressed in Mercury’s song ‘Death On Two Legs.’ Released after some lawyerly discussion regarding libel law, the album showed Queen relishing their new freedom.
“We had time to write and I think we had something special.” Said Brian May. “We said, this can be our ‘Sgt Pepper.’ They had it all, indeed, from the all out raunch of ‘Death On Two Legs.’ And ‘I’m In Love With My Car,’ to the sophisticated balladry of ‘39’ and ‘Love Of My Life,’ the playful, breezy pop of ‘You’re My Best Friend’ (a Top 10 hit which helped make the album a huge hit all over the world, ) and ‘Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon,’ and perhaps most remarkable of all, the heavy choral/operatic spectaculars of ‘The Prophet’s Song’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Recalling when Freddie sat at the piano and first played ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to him and the band, producer Roy Thomas Baker says, “Freddie set out three impressive verses then stopped and said, “Now dear, this is where the opera section comes in.” That was then Baker started smiling and, by his own recent recollections, he hardly stopped smiling for the rest of the session – arduous thought it was in pre-digital days to stack up the 180-voice ‘chorus’ (all Mercury/May/Taylor) vocals over seven 12-hour days. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was totally insane he said. “We never stopped laughing. It was basically a joke, but a successful joke.”
Notoriously, the process nearly had the old technology beaten. “We ran the tape through so many times it kept wearing out. Said May. “ Once we held it up to the light and could see straight through it, the music had practically vanished. We transferred it in a hurray. Strange – business – holding on to this elusive sound signal which gradually disappeared as we created it. Every time we decided to add a few more harmony parts we lost something too.”
But it was worth it. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ spent nine consecutive weeks at No/1 and became the only single to sell more a million copies on two separate occasions, and was named recently in the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as the top song of the last 50 years.
Thanks to Queen's publicity for sending us the information.
TBGOAO review coming soon.
‘A Nigh At The Opera’ is available to purchase from all good records stores throughout the world, including HMV.
Official Site: www.queenonline.com
Three decades ago Queen released their classic album ‘A Night at the Opera’ which went to No. 1 in many countries around the world, and on Monday, November 21, 1975, the first single from the album went to No. 1 in the UK charts, a position it was to hold for 9 weeks.
Queen commemorate the 30th anniversary of this historic occasion – on Monday, November 21st 2005 – with a new combined CD/DVD Special Collectors Edition release of the album.
‘A Night At The Opera’ is now regarded by many to be the definitive ‘70’s-era Queen release. Originally recorded in no less than six different studios between August and November 1975, it was reckoned at the time to be the most expensive album ever recorded, although, at around £45,000, it now looks remarkably cheap at the price.
Their fourth album ‘A Night At The Opera’ encapsulated everything about Queen’s music that made it so unique. Combining outstanding showmanship with remarkable versatility, more than any rock band before or since, Queen cold literally do it all- and here, on one album, was the ultimate proof. There would be many more masterful albums to come from Queen over the next 20 years, but here, perhaps, was the band at its 1970s musical apotheosis.
Before they started recording Freddie Mercury was telling everyone about his eagerness to “experiment” and “go to greater extremes”. In fact, the whole band was fired up, having just escaped from a management deal which had led to disenchantment – vigorously expressed in Mercury’s song ‘Death On Two Legs.’ Released after some lawyerly discussion regarding libel law, the album showed Queen relishing their new freedom.
“We had time to write and I think we had something special.” Said Brian May. “We said, this can be our ‘Sgt Pepper.’ They had it all, indeed, from the all out raunch of ‘Death On Two Legs.’ And ‘I’m In Love With My Car,’ to the sophisticated balladry of ‘39’ and ‘Love Of My Life,’ the playful, breezy pop of ‘You’re My Best Friend’ (a Top 10 hit which helped make the album a huge hit all over the world, ) and ‘Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon,’ and perhaps most remarkable of all, the heavy choral/operatic spectaculars of ‘The Prophet’s Song’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Recalling when Freddie sat at the piano and first played ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to him and the band, producer Roy Thomas Baker says, “Freddie set out three impressive verses then stopped and said, “Now dear, this is where the opera section comes in.” That was then Baker started smiling and, by his own recent recollections, he hardly stopped smiling for the rest of the session – arduous thought it was in pre-digital days to stack up the 180-voice ‘chorus’ (all Mercury/May/Taylor) vocals over seven 12-hour days. “Bohemian Rhapsody” was totally insane he said. “We never stopped laughing. It was basically a joke, but a successful joke.”
Notoriously, the process nearly had the old technology beaten. “We ran the tape through so many times it kept wearing out. Said May. “ Once we held it up to the light and could see straight through it, the music had practically vanished. We transferred it in a hurray. Strange – business – holding on to this elusive sound signal which gradually disappeared as we created it. Every time we decided to add a few more harmony parts we lost something too.”
But it was worth it. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ spent nine consecutive weeks at No/1 and became the only single to sell more a million copies on two separate occasions, and was named recently in the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as the top song of the last 50 years.
Thanks to Queen's publicity for sending us the information.
TBGOAO review coming soon.
‘A Nigh At The Opera’ is available to purchase from all good records stores throughout the world, including HMV.
Official Site: www.queenonline.com