Tater Thoughts

Brian is once again folk-inspired in this lovely magical and melancholy number, " Long Away ". Seldom commented on, this beautiful song doesn't get the attention it deserves. It's simple, with minimal use of chords, but its arrangement includes offbeat instruments and voices, and John's bassline is incredibly melodic. In a way, this sticks more than Brian's earlier (and more well known) "'39" does...

When Freddie goes all in with his passion and obsession, there's almost nothing better. " You Take My Breath Away " does just that; with a sparse piano instrumental arrangement that leaves Freddie all the room in the world to provide multiple perfectly-performed vocal harmonies. His voice here is something else entirely... and live , it was just as stunning.

The same elegant and thoughtful Brian May who brought us reflective pieces like "Some Day One Day" and "Good Company" gives us this raucous celebration, " Tie Your Mother Down ". It's almost universally loved as one of Queen's hardest rockers, and was a mainstay on setlists . As the opening number for A Day at the Races, this song includes an intriguing intro of moody gong, a taste of guitar from...

There's no hiding my love for this album, Queen's gorgeous and beautiful A Day at the Races . For the first time, the guys sound really comfortable and even more indulgent. We have the diversity of Sheer Heart Attack , the richness of Queen II , and the melodic and operatic tendencies of A Night at the Opera ...all packed into the guys' fabulous fifth album. It's quite playful, but there are surpr...

It took me far too long to talk about the great musical dopamine addiction. Discover the secrets of the power of music with me. I researched several intriguing studies that detail music's effect on the brain, and how it influences us physically and emotionally. I also go through several songs that give me this amazing rush .

I nearly forgot to (fully) announce my Queen band member pick for this album. When it comes to 'Opera , Brian impresses me most. I know, you don't even have to say it..."BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY". Freddie Mercury and his miraculous rhapsody. But, I have my reasons for naming Brian my top pick for this album! And they are many .

Brian closes out A Night at the Opera in glorious fashion with " God Save the Queen ", a stunning arrangement with countless guitars creating an orchestral wall of sound. This contemporary spin on the classical and traditional de facto UK National Anthem is extremely important in Queen's career; beginning in '74, even before the band released 'Opera . And it remained an important piece through the...

Freddie's magnum opus; and still his biggest mystery. This is his baby, " Bohemian Rhapsody ". A composition years in the making. 180 vocal overdubs that took a week of 12-hour days to record, with plenty of amusing outtakes . Over a billion YouTube views. The Song of the Millennium. A once-in-a-lifetime composition. One of Brian May's most-loved guitar solos ever. A complexity that rivals any oth...

In a playful and perfectly executed dixieland jazz arrangement (!) Brian gives us nostalgia and a longing for connection in " Good Company ". You'd be forgiven for not even knowing this was Queen: After all, Freddie is absent, Brian sings lead and yes, the guitars certainly don't sound like guitars. But what they do sound like, is amazing and impressive.

Freddie's most iconic ballad, and a special connection between band and fans, " Love of My Life " is classically inspired, with harmony vocals all provided by the writer in an immaculate performance. Brian creates complimentary arrangements on his guitar, echoing the tenderness of Freddie's vocals, and with gentle support from John and Roger, this song becomes a magical moment and a touching roman...

Brian's prog rock masterpiece, " The Prophet's Song " is certainly on par with more popular Queen tracks. Employing a great use of delay, distortion, key changes, drop-d tuning (!) and so much more; including an immaculate vocal performance from Freddie (as well as vocal contributions from Brian and Roger) during the surprising and perfectly executed canon is simply stunning. Live, this went throu...

I've been dealing with a thing and it's permeated every aspect of my life the last couple of weeks. If you're struggling with something too, let's get through it together.

Freddie is back with another brilliantly vaudeville-inspired composition, " Seaside Rendezvous ". This is easily the most jovial number on A Night at the Opera, and perhaps Queen's silliest song ever with Freddie and Roger doing ridiculously lovable vocal tricks. They prove their versatility with amazing prowess, stepping right out of a time machine from the '30s.

A stark contrast to Brian's folksy number before it, " Sweet Lady " is all hard rock but it's delivered in a surprising meter of 3/4. Roger has said this is one of the hardest songs he ever recorded on drums, all because of Brian's unique waltz-like arrangement and complex riffs. Live , it's one of the few Queen numbers that somehow feels less innate for the boys, despite its loud and raw energy....

Who would have thought that a song written in 30 minutes would go on to be #1 in 37 countries, and become the most-recognizable pop song of the last few decades? I fell in love with the Spice Girls the moment I heard " Wannabe ". And my enthusiasm for it continues to this day, 25 years later. The girls would always have a riot with it live , and the celebration of this number simply never stops .

Brian's ode to astronomy, space travel, relativity, and nostalgia is a rich soundscape of acoustic guitars, and more acoustic guitars. In a surprising twist, "' 39 " features muted and softened electric guitars, minimal percussion, and a double bass (courtesy of John and his persistence). But this folk number is still distinctly Queen, with intricate vocal harmonies. It's one of my favorite live n...

John brings it with his second contribution to a Queen album, " You're My Best Friend ". This instantly recognizable song (thanks in large part to John's inclusion of electric piano) became a big hit for the boys, and is one of their most enduring numbers. It's been included in countless shows and films. Live , it was a peppy and poppy break from the harder rock and roll, and it's easily one of th...

I wasn't planning this little episode, but as I got home from a great day and began unwinding, I simply had to talk about that wonderful feeling of coming home and sinking in.

Roger's sole contribution to Queen's A Night at the Opera is one of their most enduring numbers, and easily Roger's greatest lead vocal moment. " I'm in Love with My Car " is an ode to ones automobile and celebrates hard rock with lots of cymbals, cheeky lyrics and a gritty and loud performance. Live, Roger impressively performs drums and vocals , taking full advantage of the rare opportunity to b...

As an additional facet of my Queen obsession, I thought it would be fun to pick a member of Queen who steals my attention the most on every album. Yes, there are breathtaking moments of skill and expression from all the guys, on every song, on every album. But as I listen to each album in its entirety, there are inevitably moments I notice John more, or Freddie, etc. I started this when I recently...

Bouncy, bubbly, totally vaudevillian happy..." Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon " feels nothing like the vicious number before it, which was also Freddie's composition. But this wasn't just a silly joke of a song. In its brevity, we find impressive piano from Freddie, a glorious guitar solo from Brian, and John and Roger prove they're capable of playing just about anything with ease. Queen only played...

What do you do when you're finally (sort of) free from a constricting contract? You write a song about it. Freddie didn't hold back on this one. " Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) " is vicious and terrifying, and it perfectly kicks off Queen's A Night at the Opera . It's a classically inspired number with harmonic minor tension that is overwhelmingly infused with rock energy. If a terrifyingly...

This is one of the best albums ever. That's all I really need to write about this episode. But there's so much more. A Night at the Opera has been recognized, praised, and celebrated as a massive inspiration for decades, and it was a game changer for Queen. Its success came at a critical moment for the band and the album not only kept them in the game, it catapulted them to superstardom.

Yep, it's all coffee talk (literally) today. I'm procrastinating kicking off my next set of Queen Deep Dives (A Night at the Opera, I'm freaking out!) so I decided to talk about a light and happy thing that seems unimportant and silly but is such a joyous (if brief) part of my day. Coffee lovers unite.

Cheez Whiz. Sitar. A shuffling beat. Termites. Doesn't make sense, does it? That's the brilliance of " Loser ". When this song came out, there was nothing else like it. And who would have thought a song thrown together (in a kitchen?) within a matter of hours would hit the big time? Multi-instrumentalist Beck certainly didn't. But this is the song that kicked off his long and impressive career. He...