Queen's A Night At The Opera is 35

Queen

A Night At The Opera

1975

Rating: ****

By 1975, Queen were still a new rock band trying to make it big. Formed in 1971, the band consisted of singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor. The band had already released three albums: Queen, Queen II, and Sheer Heart Attack. The band did have a few hit singles with "Keep Yourself Alive" and "Killer Queen" but still, the band hadn't really hit it big. That would change in 1975 when the band released A Night At The Opera. Released in 1975, the album was named after the Marx Brothers movie of the same name. The album boosted Queen to rock n roll stardom. Today, critics consider A Night At The Opera to be the band's best album.

The album opens with the bizarrely titled "Death on Two Legs". According to sources, the song was written by Mercury around 1972 out of his hate for Queen's former manager. With a lyric like "But now you can kiss my ass goodbye" sounds like Freddie is mad! "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" and "Seaside Rendezvous" are both wonderfully weird while Roger Taylor's "I'm In Love With My Car" may have an amusing title but the song is really rocking. "You're My Best Friend" is one of Queen's best love songs, which was written by John Deacon. "'39" is a very catchy song while "Sweet Lady" has some great guitar work from Brian May. "The Prophet Song" might go on a bit too long but it's still enjoyable. "Love of My Life" is a wonderful ballad written by Mercury, who wrote it for his girlfriend (Mercury was bisexual) at the time. "Good Company" isn't very memorable but "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the best song off the album. The song, written by Mercury, is a six minute epic that showcases what Queen did best. The song itself isn't really about anything, nor could Mercury say what it was about before he passed away. "Bohemian Rhapsody" isn't only one of Queen's best songs but it's also one of the greatest songs ever made in rock history. From it's ballad-esque beginning to it's rocking finish, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a winner. The album, however, closes with the short and sweet "God Save The Queen".

A Night At The Opera currently sits at #52 of my top 200 favorite albums. I really do like this album and it's also my favorite from Queen. The success of this album and "Bohemian Rhapsody" would help the band go on for over a decade until 1991 when Mercury died from AIDS on November 24, 1991. For the 19th anniversery of Mercury's passing, this is my tribute to probably the greatest singer/front man in rock history.