Deep Tracks: Queen
It’s a safe bet that pretty much anyone can name at least one Queen song. From “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “We Will Rock You”, “Another One Bites the Dust” to “I Want To Break Free,” they have amassed a seemingly endless list of hit singles, and their Greatest Hits compilations have sold millions of copies. They are all the more remarkable in that all four band members were songwriters, and they each contributed to that long list of hits. Yet, while they’ve often been referred to as “a great singles band,” it’s worth remembering that they released some fantastic albums (particularly in the ‘70s — A Night at the Opera being a case in point), and there are many great songs in their back catalog that don’t get the same level of recognition. As with any list, this one is very subjective. There are many more tracks I could have chosen, but here are 10 of my favorites that the casual Queen fan may be unfamiliar with.
1) “In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited,” Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
A few years before “We Are The Champions” became Queen’s signature anthem, this gem from Sheer Heart Attack used to close their live shows. Its piano-led verses build up into a rousing singalong chorus that you can imagine hearing in a football stadium. The band revived it on their final tour in 1986, though “We Are The Champions” remained as the closing song in the setlist. On the album, it’s a follow-up to “In the Lap of the Gods” (hence the “Revisited” part of the title), though the two songs sound completely different.
2) “The Prophet’s Song,” A Night at the Opera (1975)
A Night at the Opera was Queen’s fourth album and the one that catapulted them to stardom. Much of the credit for this goes to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which is rightly regarded as one of the greatest songs ever recorded. The album, however, has an equally epic track in “The Prophet’s Song,” written by Brian May. The lyrics were inspired by a dream May had about the Great Flood and contain several Biblical references. Overall the song has a heavy prog rock sound, with plenty of May’s distinctive guitar overdubs and a vocal canon in the middle from Freddie Mercury. It is Queen’s longest song, at 8 minutes and 20 seconds, and the general opinion seems to be that if it weren’t on the same album as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” it would have been more highly regarded.
3) “Spread Your Wings,” News of the World (1977)
John Deacon is probably the most underrated member of Queen; not only was he a great bass player, he also wrote some of the band’s best songs. This one is a shining example of Deacon’s skill as a lyricist. It tells the story of Sammy, a young man working in a bar with aspirations to “leave his dead life behind.” His boss thinks he won’t amount to anything and tells him to abandon his “crazy notions,” but the song contains a hopeful message, encouraging him to follow his dreams.
4) “My Melancholy Blues,” News of the World (1977)
Written by Freddie Mercury, this is the closing track on News of the World, and it’s quite low-key by Queen’s standards. A slow, jazzy song, Mercury gives a haunting vocal performance and accompanies himself on piano. The only other instrumental accompaniment is a bassline from John Deacon. I defy anyone to listen to it and not get chills down their spine. You can cite pretty much any Queen song as an example of Mercury’s incredible voice, but this is one of the first that I would point to.
5) “Dragon Attack,” The Game (1980)
Queen kicked off the ‘80s with a great album in the form of The Game, which was their only album to reach #1 in the United States. The second track, “Dragon Attack,” tends to be overshadowed by the likes of hit singles “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” but it’s arguably the best song on the record. Driven by a catchy guitar and bass groove, it showcases the musical brilliance of each band member, as they all get their own solo.
6) “Life is Real (Song For Lennon),” Hot Space (1982)
The release of 1982’s Hot Space marked a shift into new territory for Queen as they experimented with disco, something that didn’t go down well with many diehard fans. One particular song from that album which was well-received, however, was “Life is Real (Song for Lennon),” probably partly because it doesn’t follow the same disco formula as the rest of the album. As its title suggests, it was written by Freddie Mercury as a tribute to John Lennon, who had died two years before. He is name-checked directly in the line “Lennon is a genius.” The song is a piano-based ballad and sounds quite Lennon-influenced.
7) “Machines (Or ‘Back To Humans’),” The Works (1984)
A songwriting collaboration between Roger Taylor and Brian May, “Machines” appeared on 1984’s The Works. It made heavy use of ’80s studio technology, such as the Fairlight CMI synthesizer, which was used by producer Reinhold Mack. Taylor also used a Vocoder on his vocals. These electronic elements are combined with the more traditional rock sound of May’s guitar riffs to create a sense of the ‘battle’ between robots and humans described in the lyrics of the song. It’s one of many examples of the relentless experimentation which occurred throughout Queen’s career.
8) “Keep Passing the Open Windows,” The Works (1984)
Another song from The Works, Freddie Mercury wrote it for the film The Hotel New Hampshire, based on the novel of the same name by John Irving. The title comes from a phrase that recurs throughout the book and film, and the lyrics are based around this, offering encouragement when things seem hopeless. Musically, the song is also upbeat, with a fast bass riff, synth and piano passages. The band had initially planned to record an entire soundtrack for the film, but were too busy making the Works album. This song is all that remains from that particular project.
9) “Scandal,” The Miracle (1989)
One of Queen’s less talked-about singles, “Scandal” was released in 1989 and reached #25 in the charts. It was written by Brian May about the experiences the band had of being hounded by the British press and the personal repercussions. At the time, May himself was going through a difficult divorce from his first wife and receiving unwanted press attention on the subject of his relationship with actress Anita Dobson. Freddie Mercury also had to deal with media speculation about whether or not he was suffering from AIDS (his illness wasn’t made public until the day before his death in 1991). You won’t tend to find it on Greatest Hits compilations, despite the fact that it reached the Top 20, but it’s one of the most powerful songs in Queen’s catalogue.
10) “A Winter’s Tale,” Made in Heaven (1995)
There is much debate about whether the final Queen album is Innuendo (1991) or Made in Heaven, which was released four years after Freddie Mercury’s death. It was put together by Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor using vocals that Mercury had previously recorded. “A Winter’s Tale” is an emotional song, written about the beauty of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, where Mercury spent time towards the end of his life. The vocals were recorded in one take, as he felt he didn’t have enough time left to spend working on it. It’s incredibly poignant to hear the words of a man reflecting on the beauty of life, which he knew was coming to a close. Determined to keep making music right to the very end, he left us with a final beautiful song.
What are your favorite lesser known Queen tracks? Let us know in the comments!
