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Queen were straining at the boundaries of hard rock and heavy metal on Sheer Heart Attack, but they broke down all the barricades on A Night at the Opera, a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece. Using the multi-layered guitars of its predecessor as a foundation, A Night at the Opera encompasses metal ("Death on Two Legs," "Sweet Lady"), pop (the lovely, shimmering "You're My Best Friend"), campy British music hall ("Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous"), and mystical prog rock ("'39," "The Prophet's Song"), eventually bringing it all together on the pseudo-operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody." In short, it's a lot like Queen's own version of Led Zeppelin IV, but where Zep find dark menace in bombast, Queen celebrate their own pomposity. No one in the band takes anything too seriously, otherwise the arrangements wouldn't be as ludicrously exaggerated as they are. But the appeal -- and the influence -- of A Night at the Opera is in its detailed, meticulous productions. It's prog rock with a sense of humor as well as dynamics, and Queen never bettered their approach anywhere else.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer - Queen, Producer, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, Piano, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Joshua J. MacRae, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Deacon, Double Bass, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Koto, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Harp, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua J. MacRae, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Vocals, Ukulele, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer - Queen, Producer, MainArtist - Freddie Mercury, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Taylor, Drums, Percussion, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - John Deacon, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Mike Stone, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Justin Shirley-Smith, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Lyons, Engineer, Unknown, Other, StudioPersonnel - Roy Thomas Baker, Producer, Unknown, Other - Queen, Producer, Unknown, Other, MainArtist - Roger Taylor, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Brian May, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Kris Fredriksson, Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2011 Hollywood Records, Inc.
Album review
Queen were straining at the boundaries of hard rock and heavy metal on Sheer Heart Attack, but they broke down all the barricades on A Night at the Opera, a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece. Using the multi-layered guitars of its predecessor as a foundation, A Night at the Opera encompasses metal ("Death on Two Legs," "Sweet Lady"), pop (the lovely, shimmering "You're My Best Friend"), campy British music hall ("Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," "Seaside Rendezvous"), and mystical prog rock ("'39," "The Prophet's Song"), eventually bringing it all together on the pseudo-operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody." In short, it's a lot like Queen's own version of Led Zeppelin IV, but where Zep find dark menace in bombast, Queen celebrate their own pomposity. No one in the band takes anything too seriously, otherwise the arrangements wouldn't be as ludicrously exaggerated as they are. But the appeal -- and the influence -- of A Night at the Opera is in its detailed, meticulous productions. It's prog rock with a sense of humor as well as dynamics, and Queen never bettered their approach anywhere else.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:08
- Main artists: Queen
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hollywood Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 2014 Hollywood Records, Inc. ℗ 2014 Hollywood Records, Inc.
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