Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
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Written By: Moti Kupfer
Album review - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Release date - 8.11.1984
Record company - EMI - Elektra
Genre - Glam rock / Hard rock
What's one year in the life of a band? Well, if we take "Queen" as a case study, the power is certainly impressive. Between July 1973 and July 1974, "Queen" managed to release two studio albums and go on tour supporting the glam rock band "Mott the Hopple".
After an extensive tour of the UK, the two bands decided to tour the US together, "Queen's" first tour of the country. The bands would remain on friendly terms. "Queen's" first US show was on April 16, 1974 in Denver, Colorado.
Freddie Mercury gave his take on being an opening act when he said: "Being support is one of the most traumatic experiences of my life". At the height of the Boston tour, Brian May was diagnosed with hepatitis, and the rest of the tour was cancelled, and "Queen" flew back home, where May was hospitalized.
In June, the band reconvened at "Trident Studios" to begin rehearsing material for the next album, "Sheer Heart Attack", which was released on November 8, 1974.
In early July, Brian May joined the rehearsals, which were held mainly at "Rockfield Studios" in Wales. In early August, work moved to "Wessex Studios" in London ( where "In the Court of the Crimson King" was recorded), but the work there did not last long, as May, starting to feel unwell again. He went to a specialist clinic on August 2 and collapsed in the clinic, as a result of a duodenal ulcer. May rested the next day, but was released from hospital shortly afterwards to recover at home.
The other three members of "Queen" overcame the problems of May's absence during recording by leaving gaps in the songs for his solos. When he felt well enough, May went back and completed the tracks, adding his guitar solo and backing vocals.
For this album, "Queen" changed their playing style from progressive rock to heavy rock songs, combined with classical music, a sound that would become even more associated with the band later on.
The new sound that emerged was multi-layered, dense with harmony, melody and mystery. They carefully blended all the elements together with producer Roy Thomas Baker.
Freddie Mercury knew how important this album was to the band, saying at the time, "The album is very varied, we took it to extreme I suppose, but we are very interested in studio techniques and wanted to use what was available. We learnt a lot about technique while we were making the first two albums. Of course there has been some criticism, and the constructive criticism has been very good for us".
The album opens with "Brighton Rock", named after a low-budget British thriller released in 1947. The film, based on a novel by Graham Greene, stars Richard Attenborough as a ruthless young gangster. The film also features a one-sided affair of sorts, and may have inspired the song, which is about a failed holiday romance. The song features a lengthy solo by Brian May.
The next song is the upbeat hit "Killer Queen", which songwriter Freddie Mercury clarified in an interview was about a high-class call girl. The song became "Queen's" continental hit, reaching number two in the UK and number 12 in the US.
"Tenement Funster" was written and sung by Roger Taylor about youth, and youthful rebellion, while John Deacon played the song's prominent acoustic guitar parts in May's absence.
"Flick of the Wrist" was written by Freddie Mercury about their questionable experiences on the road encountering people who try to take advantage of them or outlaw artists. The song features Freddie Mercury singing octave vocals throughout the verses. When Brian May returned to work after recovering from his hepatitis, he did not hear the song before recording his guitar and backing vocals.
Freddie Mercury, who loved the French language and reading French novels, wrote "Lily of the Valley" based on the 1835 novel "The Lily of the Valley" by French author and playwright Honoré de Balzac.
Another song written by Brian May was "Now I'm Here" about their difficult experiences during their early touring.
"Stone Cold Crazy," a speed metal song written by Freddie Mercury while he was a member of the band "Wreckage", would go on to have a major influence on American rock music, as even "Metallica" covered it as the B-side for their single "Enter Sandman."
Mercury wrote "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" inspired by Jim Croce's song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and dedicated it to the singer who was killed in a plane crash a few months before the album's release.
Freddie described "In The Lap Of The Gods" as a prelude to the unforgettable "Bohemian Rhapsody" that would appear on the next album, "A Night At The Opera". It is a composition in three parts.
Less than a month after the album's release, "Queen's" struggle with their manager Norman Sheffield and "Trident Studios" to free themselves from the draconian contract they were bound by began. The following year would bring with it a new and promising future for this band, even they did not believe it to what extent.
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