Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

Sheer Heart Attack: released November 1974

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...art_Attack.png

Personnel:
Freddie Mercury - vocals, piano, jangle piano
Brian May - guitars, vocals, piano, ukulele, banjo, lead vocal on "She Makes Me"
Roger Taylor - drums, percussion, vocals, lead vocal on "Tenement Funster", screams on "In the Lap of the Gods"
John Deacon - bass guitars, acoustic guitars, rhythm guitar, electric guitar, all guitars on "Misfire", double-bass on "Bring Back That Leroy Brown"

Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen
Invaluable engineering by Mike Stone

No synthesizers

Track listing:
Brighton Rock (May) 5:08
Killer Queen (Mercury) 3:01
Tenement Funster (Taylor) 2:48
Flick of the Wrist (Mercury) 3:19
Lily of the Valley (Mercury) 1:43
Now I'm Here (May) 4:10
In the Lap of the Gods (Mercury) 3:20
Stone Cold Crazy (Mercury, May, Taylor, Deacon) 2:12
Dear Friends (May) 1:07
Misfire (Deacon) 1:50
Bring Back That Leroy Brown (Mercury) 2:13
She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos) (May) 4:08
In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited (Mercury) 3:42

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Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

this is the album where they really found themselves (although I like their first 2 nearly as much) My favorite album by them :) lots of classics

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

This is the turning point for Queen. Their distinctive sound was fully introduced with this album - from their harmonies, catchy tunes and slow ballads along with better production values. Sheer Heart Attack is what propelled them into what's generally considered their best album "A Night At The Opera". In my opinion, this is the album that really started it all.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

NOW we're talking! This album has it all. Pomp, circumstance, Mercury at his funniest, May at his hardest rocking, Roger Taylor's best vocal, everything. The album is a whirlwind, jumping from style to style like the band has ants in their pants. Every song is great, even the ones that could be considered novelty songs (like "Bring Back That Leroy Brown") and the band's musical vision really becomes clear here. My personal favorite album of theirs, although not their best known.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

:thumbsup:

Great responses. My favorite Queen album. In fact my favorite rock record of all time. Flawless from beginning to end. Nothing in this day and age can come close to the combination of quality song writing, vocals, instrumentation and production/engineering displayed on this disc.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

Not sure if we should be discussing this here or three threads from now, but ... what's the story of why the "title track" from this album is on News of the World?

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

Sheer Heart Attack is a great album. Queen really hit their stride with this one. Just about everything works with this album.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

"Sheer Heart Attack" was half-finished at the time of the eponymous album. Roger Taylor sang lead on the demo but for the definitive version the band decided Mercury should sing lead vocals, with Roger singing the chorus (probably based on the fact that May had already sung two songs and Taylor one). Guitars and bass were played by Taylor, apart from some guitar "screams" by May during the instrumental section.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_of_the_World_(album)

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

FanTAStic album. Great stomping guitar riff by May on "Now I'm Here". Mercury at his most vitriolic on "Flick of the Wrist" The first of many great tracks by the woefully underrated Deacon, whose growth as a song writer paralleled Queen's success. Ditto that for Meadows-Taylor's vox on "Tenement Funster" and "Lap of the Gods". Queen never succeeds the way they did without the contributions from Deacon and Meadows-Taylor.

Gonna go out on a limb here and possibly ruffle a few feathers, but for me Queen never reached this level again FOR A WHOLE ALBUM until News of the World.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

This album has one of the greatest one-two opening track punches in rock history. Who but Queen could rock your proverbial socks off with a 5+ minute guitar-lyric-fest like Brighton Rock, and then satisfy us just as equally with what can best be described (and not even as negatively as you might think) as a jaunty ditty! Brighton Rock very, very nearly succumbs to the production value of the previous two albums, but then Killer Queen starts up with a few finger snaps, and launches into crystal clarity, finally showing us everything Queen has been trying to achieve for the last couple years, and everything they would be matched up to for years to come. It's no wonder this was their first international hit. Every hit afterward would contain something that reminded us of something in this song, whether it be guitar or vocal arrangements, lyrics...it all comes back to the track that finally showed the world that Queen is a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, the next track reminds us, as with the previous two albums, "Oh yeah...we let Roger write a song, too." Fortunately, it's a short song that allows Freddie to take over and segue seamlessly into "Flick of the Wrist", which I've always considered a predecessor to "Death On Two Legs" on the very next album. Another segue leads us into more Mercury fun, the more-lovely "Lily of the Valley".

Think we're done rocking? How about a concert favorite for years to come, "Now I'm Here". The roller-coaster ride is at its peak here, with Brian May's guitars at full-scream and turned up to 11, and the vocals lifting you up and showing you, here in the middle of this third effort, that you now have a favorite band, whether you like it or not...and they know you like it.

Now that Queen has you in their grip, they take you on a small ride for the rest of the album with several satisfying tracks, including "Stone Cold Crazy" (later covered by no less than metal gods Metallica) and "Bring Back That Leroy Brown", the band's first completely fun, silly, leg-slapping sing-along. I consider this the track that showed the world they could not only blow up your head AND soothe your soul at the same time, but just lay back and have a good time with a song, leaving you with a smile on your face...and probably sore legs from all the slapping.

Brian May helps close out the album with a rather strange track, "She Makes Me". I was never quite sure what to think of this for the longest time. It's uncharacteristically repetitious, repeating two chords over and over, on top of another uncharacteristically plodding Roger Taylor drum beat. Fortunately, we get some chord changes and high vocal layering later in the song, and it ends being, at the very least, one of Brian's more interesting songs he's written.

What can you say about the closing number, "In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited"? It's a great end to a great album, as Queen would do with the next two consecutive albums, as well. The ending chorus seems to just get louder and louder with each round, and you really can imagine Wembley Stadium filled to the brim with fans, singing right along with Freddie, as the album comes to a close, and we're left anxious to see how they can possibly top this extraordinary collection of work.

We'll find out next week...and we won't be let down. :)

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

Freddie's vocals are incredible on this album.

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissent. Though I think there's real genius at work here, this album mostly leaves me cold, and I've rarely listened to it over the years. Brighton Rock, Tenement Funster and Stone Cold Crazy kick all kinds of ass, but the rest aren't really compelling to me. Maybe it's the plethora of short songs. I wish I could be more articulate in my criticism.

It is good to see Deacon getting into the songwriting, and I agree that Queen hit their stride with this. The production is great and they found their voice.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

This has always been my favorite Queen album. I love every track, with In The Lap of the Gods Revisited being a highlight for me. It's one of their most diverse recordings, and for Queen, that's saying a lot.

Dream Theater did a great cover of Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley on the bonus disc of their last album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

Not my first Queen album, but it's been my favorite for a long time, and the one I still even listened to when I was taking a break from them. I like every song--clicking on the links above made me agree Tenement Funster is probably the weak point but because there's no breaks between it and the two songs after, even when I ripped it to my ipod I connected them into one, so even if I'm on random those 3 play together, and together they are a really great song.

Re: Queen: Album by Album Discussion, Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
 

This album is almost perfect. It has everything and shows exactly why I feel in love with Queen in the first place. Tons of different styles here and all done just right.

The only bump in the road is "She Makes Me" which is a complete misstep. SMM is just too dull & plodding on an otherwise perfect album. "Now I'm Here" has some poor lyrics when first getting started but when the song kicks in, it's on par with all the other rockers Queen has done.

The slow songs are great, the fast songs are rockin' and the pomp of Queen shows up in both of the "Lap Of The Gods" songs as well as "Killer Queen." "Misfire" is a fun jaunt and "Bring Back Leroy Brown" always makes me smile. I always liked the album cover as well for some reason. May and Taylor look like they have had a heart attack and Deacon and Mercury look like they are in their own little world.

Something that was mentioned that I honestly have never thought about was that "Flick of the Wrist" was the precursor to "Death on Two Legs" which for whatever reason I never connected...but it is the perfect connection.

Highly recommended! My rating: ****1/2 out of *****