MINT SHRINK 1974 Orig QUEEN ? II ? HARD PROG + INSERT "OGRE BATTLE" "SEVEN SEAS"

$

243

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                     ~ Queen ~

      
                     Queen  II

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                              USA -  ELEKTRA -  EKS 75082

 

BEST COPY AROUND - ANYWHERE !!!

STILL IN ORIGINAL FACTORY CELLOPHANE

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Original 1974 first pressing in gatefold sleeve ... clearly NOT the hit-making Queen here. The first couple of albums delivered the band as a terrific hard progressive-rock band soaring to epic creative proportions. Queen II is arguably their best...


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Includes the rare custom printed (double sided) LYRICS inner sleeve to the pressing

The QUEEN musicianship is HIGHLY unique, inventive, clever, elegant, sophisticated, sexy and compelling, and the amounts of complexity found within the album is on the border of unfathomable. The Queen Attack is suprisingly "HEAVY" as well as within the flick of a switch becomes "peaceful" ...in other-words, it's astounding in how the album frequently contrasts dark & light, elegant & naughty, and brash & soft moments, added with the hyper-complexity in arrangements which still leave room for ethereal, angelic melodies and vocal harmonies, all in Queen's unique, classicism-drenched style. Queen made all of this work so well, and all of this is what makes it the tantalizing and spellbinding wonder that it is, and after many years of listening to this album, you'll still be discovering subtleties buried underneath it's mysterious surface. When you listen to some of Brian May's guitar arpeggios and riffing, Freddie Mercury's powerful voice, and the overall dark atmosphere of the album, you can easily pick up on bits that can be heard in the music of important progressive rock bands who were influenced by the early QUEEN sound... The album opens with "Procession," Brian May's grandiose guitar orchestration which also features a clever guitar/amplifier effect - get ready for this -- mimicking a heartbeat mimicking a drum pattern. This then segues into the fiery balladry of "Father To Son," which features a section of dizzying vocal polyphony and poly-rhythms, which are later followed by the big crash of Brian's guitar crunch, which then gives way to one of the most violently explosive instrumental sections to be heard in all of classic rock. Freddie's vocals on here are astounding as well.

"Ogre Battle" is a blistering progressive metal rocker with some hot-oiled riffing from Brian, which then segues into the beautifully outrageous (more appropriately; arty) and elegant Bach-meets-manic whimsy of "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke." "Nevermore" is a brief, but haunting, ethereal ballad featuring some of the most beautiful and precious vocal harmonies, some of them just happen to be operatic. "The March of The Black Queen" seems to bring bits of everything before this into full circle. This track seems to twist and morph into a different mode every few seconds or so, which makes it sound like a dozen different songs rolled into one. It showcases a dizzying mix of opera, metal, ballad, Broadway, glam and more. "Funny How Love Is" is an enchanting ballad featuring exquisite vocal harmonies, and "Seven Seas of Rhye" is the only hit on the album. Needs no explanation.

Queen entered into territory that still hasn't been charted. "Queen II" is one of the finest examples of this, if not the finest. Please enjoy:


Procession 1:12

Father to Son 6:12

White Queen (As It Began) 4:33

Some Day One Day 4:21

The Loser in the End 4:01

Ogre Battle 4:08

The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke 2:39

Nevermore 1:17

The March of the Black Queen 6:33

Funny How Love Is 2:50

Seven Seas of Rhye 2:48






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CONDITION: The cover: rated: is solid all over, MINT in shrink wrapper with original store price code on outer cellophane. Do you realize how difficult it is to find this black cover without wear after 45 years??!! This =original= survivor LOOKS FANTASTIC ... Not with the usual shelf wear (the black cover did not wear well and almost all copies have shelf wear)  There are no split seams, no bends, no delete marks and no writing

The vinyl: Rated: MINT top clean...still full of shine playing with very enjoyable MINT CLEAN audio  ... both Elektra labels are clean

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people..

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record