A Night at the Opera (Queen album)
A Night at the Opera | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 21 November 1975 | |||
Recorded | 24 August–November 1975 27 October 1974 ("God Save the Queen") | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 43:08 | |||
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Producer |
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Queen chronology | ||||
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Singles from A Night at the Opera | ||||
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A Night at the Opera is the fourth
Named after the
Upon release, A Night at the Opera topped the
Contemporary reviews for A Night at the Opera were mixed, with praise for its production and the diverse musical themes, and recognition as the album that established Queen as worldwide superstars. At the
Background
"We had made hit records but we hadn't had any of the money back and if A Night at the Opera hadn't been a huge success I think we would have just disappeared under the ocean someplace. So we were making this album knowing it was live or die."
Queen's previous album,
In December 1974, the band hired Jim Beach as their lawyer and began negotiating their way out of Trident.[14][nb 1] While Beach studied the group's contracts, the group continued touring. They began their first tour of Japan in April 1975, where thousands of fans met them at Haneda Airport and they played two sold out shows at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo.[15] After a nine-month dispute, Queen were finally free of Trident and signed directly with EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in North America. They regained control of their back catalogue, while their former publishing company, Feldman, was taken over by EMI.[8] Because Trident had invested over £200,000 in promoting Queen, the group were required to pay half that to buy out their contracts, and they had to give Trident 1% royalties from their next six albums.[8][16] Additionally, a tour of America scheduled for September 1975 had to be cancelled as it had been organised by Jack Nelson, who was associated with Trident, despite the already booked venues and sold tickets. This tour was necessary for regaining funds, and its cancellation was a major setback.[14][17][nb 2]
With funds running low, Queen immediately began searching for new management. Three names were shortlisted: Peter Rudge, Peter Grant, who was then Led Zeppelin's manager, and John Reid, who was Elton John's manager at the time. Rudge was on tour with the Rolling Stones and could not be reached, so they contacted Grant.[14] Grant, who was eager to manage Queen, had intended the band would sign with Swan Song, Led Zeppelin's label, and suggested Queen go on tour while he sorted out their finances.[14] The group feared Grant would prioritise Led Zeppelin over them, and were reluctant to sign with Swan Song, so they contacted Reid.[18] Reid was initially doubtful about managing another band; however, he accepted after learning it was Queen, and advised the group to "go into the studio and make the best record you can".[14][19]
Recording and production
"I do enjoy the studio, yes. It's the most strenuous part of my career. It's so exhausting, mentally and physically. It drains you dry. I sometimes ask myself why I do it. After Sheer Heart Attack we were insane and said never again. And then look what happens!"
Queen worked with producer Roy Thomas Baker, who had also split from Trident, and engineer Mike Stone. It was the last time they would work with Baker until 1978's Jazz.[21][22] Gary Langan, then 19 years old and who had been a tape operator on two of Sheer Heart Attack's songs, was promoted to an assistant engineer on the album.[22][23] It was reportedly the most expensive album ever made at the time, with the estimated cost being £40,000 (equivalent to £357,000 in 2024).[24][25][26]
The album was recorded at seven different studios over a period of four months. Queen spent a month during the summer of 1975 rehearsing in a barn at what would become
The group required
Aside from their usual equipment, the group used various instruments on the album. Mercury used a
Songs
Overview
The album has been affiliated with progressive rock,[35][36] pop,[36] heavy metal,[36] hard rock[35] and avant-pop.[37] It contains a diverse range of influences including folk, skiffle, British camp and music hall, jazz and opera.[35][38] Each member wrote at least one song: Mercury wrote five of the songs, May wrote four, and Taylor and Deacon wrote one song each.[39] The closing track was an instrumental cover of "God Save the Queen", the British national anthem, for which May was credited as the arranger.
For their first two albums, much of Queen's songwriting combined contemporary progressive rock and heavy metal, which led to a "Led Zeppelin meets Yes" description of the band.[40][41] Starting with Sheer Heart Attack, Queen began drawing inspiration from their everyday lives, and embraced more mainstream musical styles,[42] a trend which A Night at the Opera would continue. Lyrical themes ranged from science fiction and fantasy to heartbreak and romance,[43] often with a tongue in cheek sense of humour.[35][43] The Winnipeg Free Press noted that the group blended "clever, often poignant lyrics with attractively-arranged melodies".[44]
Side one
"Death on Two Legs"
"
"Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon"
"Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" is another song by Mercury. He played piano and performed all of the vocals. The lead vocal was sung in the studio and reproduced through headphones in a tin bucket elsewhere in the studio. A microphone picked up the sound from the bucket, which gives it a hollow "megaphone" sound. The guitar solo is also reported to have been recorded on the vocal track, as there were no more tracks to record on, as explained by producer Roy Thomas Baker during the Classic Albums documentary.
"I'm in Love with My Car"
"I'm in Love with My Car" was written and sung by Taylor.[46] The song was initially taken as a joke by May, who thought that Taylor was not serious when he heard a demo recording. Taylor played the guitars in the original demo, but they were later re-recorded by May on his Red Special. The lead vocals were performed by Taylor on the studio version, and all released live versions.[47] The revving sounds at the conclusion of the song were recorded by Taylor's then current car, an Alfa Romeo.[46] The lyrics were inspired by one of the band's roadies, Johnathan Harris, whose Triumph TR4 was evidently the "love of his life". The song is dedicated to him, with the album saying: "Dedicated to Johnathan Harris, boy racer to the end".[46] When it came down to releasing the album's first single, Taylor was so fond of his song that he urged Mercury, the writer of the first single, "Bohemian Rhapsody", to allow it to be the B-side.[48] This decision would later become the cause of much internal friction in the band, in that while it was only the B-side, it generated an equal amount of publishing royalties for Taylor as the A-side did for Mercury.[46] The song was often played live during the 1977–1981 period. Taylor sang it from the drums while Mercury played piano and provided backing vocals. It was played in the Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour in 2005 and the Rock the Cosmos Tour in 2008. Taylor would again play the song for his concerts with the Cross and solo tours, where instead of drums he played rhythm guitar.
"You're My Best Friend"
"
"'39"
"
"Sweet Lady"
"Sweet Lady" is a fast rocker written by May.[46] The song is an unusual rock style in 3
4 meter (which gives way to 4
4 at the bridge).
"Seaside Rendezvous"
"Seaside Rendezvous", written by Mercury, has a mock-instrumental bridge section which begins at around 0:51 into the song. The section is performed entirely by Mercury and Taylor using their voices alone. Mercury imitates woodwind instruments including a
Side two
"The Prophet's Song"
"
"Love of My Life"
"Love of My Life" is one of Queen's most covered songs (there have been versions by many acts like Extreme featuring May, Scorpions and Elaine Paige). Mercury played piano (including a classical solo) and sang all vocals, including multi-tracked harmonies. May played harp (doing it chord by chord and pasting the takes to form the entire part), Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar (which he had bought in Japan) and his Red Special. May eventually arranged the song so it could be played on an acoustic 12 string for live performances. "Love of My Life" was such a concert favourite that Mercury frequently stopped singing and allowed the audience to take over. It was especially well received during concerts in South America, and the band released the song as a single there. When Queen and Paul Rodgers performed the song (specifically Brian solo) he sang almost none of the words and let the audience sing it all, continuing the tradition. When Queen and Adam Lambert performed it, Brian would play along to a projection of Freddie singing. When they performed with Paul Rodgers during 2004–2008, Mercury was also projected during the show, but not in a round display as they use with Adam Lambert.
"Good Company"
"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was written by Mercury with the first guitar solo composed by May. All piano, bass and drum parts, as well as the vocal arrangements, were thought up by Mercury on a daily basis and written down "in blocks" (using note names instead of sheets) on a phonebook. During the recording, the song became affectionately known as "Fred's Thing" to the band, and the title only emerged during the final sessions. The other members recorded their respective instruments with no concept of how their tracks would be utilised in the final mix.
The operatic section was originally intended to be only a short interlude of "Galileos" that connected the ballad and hard rock portions of the song. The interlude is full of "obscure classical characters: Scaramouche, a clown from the Commedia dell'arte; astronomer Galileo; Figaro, the principal character in Beaumarchais' The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro; and Beelzebub, identified in the Christian New Testament as Satan, Prince of Demons, but in Arabic as "Lord of the Flies". Also in Arabic the word Bismillah', which is a noun from a phrase in the Qur'an; "Bismi-llahi r-rahmani r-rahiim", meaning "In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful".[59]
Despite being twice as long as the average single in 1975 and garnering mixed critical reviews initially, the song became immensely popular, topping charts worldwide (where it remained for a then unprecedented nine weeks in the UK) and is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in music history.[60] The song was rereleased as a double A-side to "These Are the Days of Our Lives" on 5 September 1991, Mercury's 45th birthday, in the US and on 9 December 1991, after Mercury's death, in the UK.
"God Save the Queen"
May recorded a version of "
Release
The album title was inspired by the Marx Brothers film of the same name, which the band had watched during recording sessions.[64][65] Subsequently, they became good friends with the film's star Groucho Marx, to the point where Marx sent the band a letter praising their 1976 album A Day at the Races.[66] Marx also invited Queen to visit him at his Los Angeles home in March 1977 (five months before he died). The band thanked him, and performed "'39" a cappella.[67] The cover artwork features the band's logo, which was designed by Mercury, on a white background. The band's next album, A Day at the Races, featured a similar design but on a black background.[65][68]
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was released as the lead single on 31 October 1975, with "I'm in Love with My Car" as its B-side. Their management initially refused to release it; however, Kenny Everett played a copy of the song on his show 14 times, at which point audience demand for the song intensified and the band's label EMI was forced to release it.[22][69] It subsequently topped the UK charts for nine weeks[70] and peaked at number nine in the US.[71] A second single, "You're My Best Friend" was released on 18 June 1976, with "'39" as its B-side. It reached number sixteen in the US[72] and number seven in the UK.[73]
The album was completed a week before the group were to embark on their
Re-releases
The album was first re-released in the U.S. by Hollywood Records on 3 September 1991 with two bonus remixes, as part of a complete re-release of all Queen albums.
On 30 April 2002, the album was again re-released on
On 21 November 2005, it was once more re-released by Hollywood Records Catalogue Number 2061-62572-2 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album and its first single, "Bohemian Rhapsody". This release is accompanied by a DVD-Video disc with the same track listing featuring the original videos, old and new concert footage (including "'39" from the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour and Brian May on the roof of Buckingham Palace playing "God Save the Queen") and audio commentary by all four band members.
On 8 November 2010, record company
Reception
Contemporary critical reaction
A Night at the Opera was not reviewed by the majority of the UK music magazines when it came out because the band were remixing the album until the last moment, and consequently no preview discs were sent out to the media before the album was officially released. In Record Mirror & Disc, Ray Fox-Cumming attempted to review the album based on a single listening at the playback party held for the press, which he admitted "isn't really enough" to form a proper critical opinion. However, he described his first impressions of "an amazing rush of music with one track running helter-skelter into the next ... The orchestral effects, all done by voices, are dazzling but come and go too quickly to appreciate on a solo listening." Fox-Cumming stated that the album had three highlights – "Death on Two Legs", "The Prophet's Song" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" – and only one bad track, "Sweet Lady". He concluded that "as a whole, A Night at the Opera is faster, flashier and more complex than Sheer Heart Attack, but they haven't gone over the top".[77] Phil Sutcliffe of Sounds reviewed the album from a cassette copy, and gave it a five-star review: "You can feel the colossal effort that went into every second of this long album – and yet there's a hardly a moment when I would criticise it for being contrived or overproduced." He singled out "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Prophet's Song" as the two tracks that "make a good album extraordinary", despite stating that the latter song's lyrics were "not appealing", and overall highlighting the album's "musical range power and consistently incisive lyrics".[78]
On its release in the US four months later, Kris Nicholson of Rolling Stone said that although they share other heavy metal groups' penchant for "manipulating dynamics", Queen are an elite act in the genre and set themselves apart by incorporating "unlikely effects: acoustic piano, harp, a capella vocals, no synthesisers. Coupled with good songs."[79] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, felt that the album "doesn't actually botch any of a half-dozen arty-to-heavy 'eclectic' modes ... and achieves a parodic tone often enough to suggest more than meets the ear. Maybe if they come up with a coherent masterwork I'll figure out what that more is."[80] The Winnipeg Free Press wrote: "The group's potential is practically limitless, indicating that Queen is destined to finally take its place among the small handful of truly major acts working in rock today."[44]
Grooves noted that "Sharp operatic interludes, abrupt rhythmic changes, A Night at the Opera defies convention and places Queen in that rarefied circle of genuine superstars."[81] Tony Stewart of NME opined that "More than anything else, A Night at the Opera is a consolidation of the previous album's success, skillfully balancing artistry and effectology. Throughout the album, they display their individual songwriting abilities and musicianship to devastating effect...If it's the most expensive album ever made in a British studio, it's also arguably the best. God save 'em."[81]
Legacy
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [84] |
MusicHound Rock | 4.5/5[85] |
Pitchfork | 8.9/10[86] |
PopMatters | 9/10[41] |
Q | [87] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [88] |
Uncut | [89] |
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album "a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece" and "prog rock with a sense of humour as well as dynamics". Erlewine felt that Queen "never bettered their approach anywhere else".[35] Progressive rock historian Stephen Lambe has disputed that the album itself is progressive rock in his book Citizens of Hope and Glory: The Story of Progressive Rock. He wrote: "While far from progressive rock, it was the band's most grandiose and ambitious album yet, full of great songwriting and prog influences." He said the album was "a neat symbol of the furthest reach of the progressive rock movement".[90]
Writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1992, Greg Kot gave the album a very positive rating, stating how he believed that alongside A Day at the Races, A Night at the Opera was when "the band hit its artistic peak, with sterling contributions from all four band members".[91]
In 1992, Mojo called the album "an imperial extravaganza, a cornucopia", and Queen "a band of hungrily competitive individualists on a big roll of friendship and delight".[92] In 2004, Jason Warburg of the Daily Vault stated that the album "absolutely blew me away" and that "A Night at the Opera was the disc that would catapult Queen from British hitmakers to global superstars. As with many such landmark albums it became part milestone and part millstone, with every album that followed compared in some way or another to the musical and commercial success they achieved here. Be that as it may, the music is what counts – and it is simply amazing."[93]
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 230 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list,[94] number 231 on its 2012 list,[95] and number 128 on its 2020 list.[96]
In a 2006 review, Paul Rees of Q observed that although A Night at the Opera was "released the same year as both Bowie's arch soul pastiche Young Americans and the sleek art rock of Roxy's Siren, it has rarely been heralded as either. Yet it was, and is, every bit as brash, bold and full of the joys of its own possibilities." Feeling that Queen "never came close to bettering their fourth album", Rees concluded that "later albums would expose the lack of soul at the heart of Queen's music; they were all surface, no feeling. They elected themselves the great entertainers, and this heady rush of experimentation was not to be repeated. But A Night at the Opera remains glorious, monumental. It is British rock's greatest extravagance."[87] In 2007, Chris Jones of BBC Music noted the diverse range of musical styles on the album, saying, "Sheer Heart Attack had hinted at a working knowledge of 19th century parlour balladry, 20s ragtime and Jimi Hendrix. A Night at the Opera was to add opera, trad jazz, heavy metal and more to the mix." He concluded that the album "remains their finest hour".[38]
In 2011, digitally remastered versions of the earlier Queen albums were released, prompting another batch of reviews. Uncut said that the album "proved there was no limit to their capabilities" and concluded, "Containing not one but two monumental epics ('Bohemian Rhapsody', 'The Prophet's Song'), and gorging on grandiose gestures galore, A Night at the Opera secured itself instant classic status".[89] Pitchfork's Dominique Leone stated, "No punches pulled, no expense spared: A Night at the Opera was Queen at the top of the mountain".[86] AJ Ramirez of PopMatters wrote, "Kicking off with the downright ominous high-drama of 'Death on Two Legs' (a retort against the group's recently deposed management where Mercury spits out venomous invectives at the targets of his ire), the album gives way to a kaleidoscope of styles, from 1920 jazz to space-folk narratives to top-of-the-line contemporary pop-rock. Amazingly, while the transitions between genres would conceivably throw listeners for a loop, none are jarring. Instead, Queen succeeds because it pulls from all the best tricks in the library of showbiz history to deliver laughs, heartache, grandeur, and spectacle to its audience at precisely the right moments." He observed that "it is the realization of such a unique sonic vision that pushes [the album] into the realm of true excellence ... A Night at the Opera stands as a breathtaking, involving creation, and unequivocally Queen's finest album."[41]
Accolades
In 1977, "Bohemian Rhapsody" received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus and Best Arrangement for Voices.[97]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die | US | 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die[98] | 2005 | * |
ABC | AUS | Poll: Top 100 Albums[99] | 2007 | 28 |
BBC | UK | Poll: Top 100 Albums[100] | 2006 | 9 |
Channel 4 | UK | Poll: Greatest 100 Albums[101] | 2005 | 13 |
Classic Rock | UK | The 100 Greatest Rock Albums Ever[102] | 2001 | 25 |
The 100 Greatest British Rock Albums Ever[103] | 2006 | 17 | ||
The 200 Greatest Albums of the 70's (20 greatest of 1975)[104] | 2006 | * | ||
The 50 Best Rock Albums Ever[105] | 2018 | 6 | ||
Kerrang! | UK | Poll: The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever[106] | 2005 | 19 |
NME/British Hit Singles & Albums | UK | Readers poll: 100 Greatest Albums of All Time[107] | 2006 | 19 |
Q | UK | The 50 Best British Albums Ever[108] | 2004 | 17 |
Rolling Stone | MX | Poll: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time[109] | 2004 | 11 |
US | Poll: Readers' Top 100 Albums[110] | 2002 | 82 | |
US | 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[96] | 2020 | 128 | |
Virgin | UK | Poll: All Time Top 1000 Albums[111] | 1998 | 87 |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Band comments
"I did discipline myself... Take vocals, because they're my forté [sic] – especially harmonies and those kind of things. On Queen II we've gone berserk. But on this album I consciously restricted myself. That's brought the songwriting side of it across, and I think those are some of the strongest songs we've ever written."
— Freddie Mercury[20]
"It has a couple of the heaviest things we've ever done and probably some of the lightest things as well. It is probably closer to Sheer Heart Attack than the others in that it does dart around and create lots of different moods, but we worked on it in the same way we worked on Queen II. A lot of it is very intense and very ... layered."
— Brian May[112]
Track listing
Original release
All lead vocals by Freddie Mercury except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | " Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)" | Freddie Mercury | 3:43 | |
2. | "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" | Mercury | 1:08 | |
3. | "I'm in Love with My Car" | Roger Taylor | Roger Taylor | 3:05 |
4. | "You're My Best Friend" | John Deacon | 2:50 | |
5. | "'39" | Brian May | Brian May | 3:30 |
6. | "Sweet Lady" | May | 4:01 | |
7. | "Seaside Rendezvous" | Mercury | 2:13 | |
Total length: | 20:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
8. | "The Prophet's Song" | May | 8:21 | |
9. | "Love of My Life" | Mercury | 3:38 | |
10. | "Good Company" | May | May | 3:26 |
11. | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Mercury | 5:55 | |
12. | "God Save the Queen" (instrumental) | Traditional; arranged by May | 1:11 | |
Total length: | 22:31 43:08 |
- On the cassette, the positions of "Seaside Rendezvous" and "Good Company" were swapped to maintain a similar duration for each side.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "I'm in Love with My Car" (1991 bonus remix) | 3:28 |
14. | "You're My Best Friend" (1991 bonus remix) | 2:54 |
Total length: | 49:40 |
Universal Music reissue (2011)
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Keep Yourself Alive" (long-lost retake, June 1975) | May | 4:05 |
2. | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Operatic Section A Cappella Mix 2011) | Mercury | 1:05 |
3. | "You're My Best Friend" (backing track mix 2011) | Deacon | 2:58 |
4. | "I'm in Love with My Car" (guitar & vocal mix 2011) | Taylor | 3:21 |
5. | "'39" (Live at Earl's Court, 7 June 1977) | May | 3:47 |
6. | "Love Of My Life" (South American live single, June 1979; somewhat misleading credit, as this single from Live Killers, recorded at Festhalle Frankfurt on 2 February 1979, topped the South American charts over a year after Queen played there in 1981) | Mercury | 3:44 |
Total length: | 19:00 |
iTunes deluxe edition (2011)
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (no flames original version) | |
2. | "Seaside Rendezvous" (30th anniversary 2005) | |
3. | "Love of My Life" (live at Milton Keynes '82) |
Personnel
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
Queen
- jangle piano(7)
- Brian May – electric guitar (all but 7), backing vocals (1, 3–6, 8, 10, 11), acoustic guitar (5, 8, 9), lead vocals (5, 10), koto (8), harp (9), ukulele (10)
- Roger Taylor – drums (1–4, 6–11), backing vocals (1, 3–8, 11), percussion (2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12), lead vocals and additional electric guitar (3)
- John Deacon – bass guitar (1–4, 6–11), electric piano (4), double bass (1, 5)
Production
- Roy Thomas Baker – production
- Mike Stone – engineering
- Gary Lyons – engineering
- John Harris – equipment supervision
- David Costa – art direction
- Rick Curtin and Brian Palmer – special thanks
- John Reid – management
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Weekly charts (reissues)
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[113] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Argentina (CAPIF)[148] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
Argentina (CAPIF)[148] Hollywood Records release |
Platinum | 60,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[149] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[150] re-release |
Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[151] | Gold | 20,000[151] |
Germany (BVMI)[152] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[153] sales since 2009 |
Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Japan (RIAJ)[154] | Platinum | 250,000^ |
Poland ( Agora SA album reissue
|
2× Platinum | 40,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[156] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[157] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
- Sheer Heart Attack Tour, Don Arden, manager of Electric Light Orchestra, approached the band and offered to manage them. Although they declined, as they were still negotiating their way out of Trident, Arden approached Sheffield directly and presented him with his offer. Sheffield agreed; however, by the time Queen returned from their tour in May 1975, the deal was scrapped.[14]
- ^ As Taylor had noted in an interview several months prior: "We spent an awful lot of money on the last American tour and now we've been offered a good deal to go back and tour for about a month in August. We really must do it to replenish our funds. We simply can't afford not to, so the album won't be completed until after we get back."[14]
- ^ The house was owned by novelist Tiffany Murray's mother; Murray later recalled the rehearsals in her memoirs Diamond Star Halo.[29]
References
- ^ Jones, Chris. "BBC - Music - Review of Queen - A Night at the Opera". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Grammy Award Nominees 1977 - Grammy Award Winners". www.awardsandshows.com. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ Purvis 2007, p. 44.
- ^ Dean 1986, p. 23.
- ^ Blake 2010, pp. 161, 165.
- ^ Blake 2010, pp. 118, 160.
- ^ a b c d Purvis 2007, p. 37.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 164.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 160.
- ^ Jones 2011, p. 129.
- ^ Hodkinson 2004, p. 239.
- ^ Dean 1986, p. 25.
- ^ a b c d e f g Purvis 2007, p. 38.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 163.
- ^ Blake 2010, pp. 165–166.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 168.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 166.
- ^ Hodkinson 2004, p. 166.
- ^ a b Ingham, Jonh (31 January 1976). "Mercury rising: The Queen interview". Sounds. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ Blake 2010, pp. 168, 221.
- ^ a b c d Cunningham, Mark (October 1995). "An Invitation to the Opera". Sound on Sound. pp. 38–46. Archived from the original on 11 April 2004. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
- ^ Mach, Neil (3 September 2018). "Engineer GARY LANGAN to discuss how Bohemian Rhapsody was created at The Music and Audio Show in London September 2018". Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ The 10 Most Expensive Rock Albums Ever Made Loudersound. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2018
- ^ A Night At The Opera Archived 20 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine This Day in Music.com. Retrieved 7 November 2018
- ^ Salter, Jessica (26 February 2011). "Roger Taylor remembers rehearsing with Queen in 1975". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 67.
- ^ Blake 2010, p. 167.
- ^ a b albumlinernotes.com/A_Night_At_The_Opera.html
- ^ a b c "Album Analysis :: A Night At The Opera". Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "Queen: 20 Things You Probably Never Knew About 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". NME. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d Blake 2010, p. 178.
- ^ Blake, Mark (2 December 2016). "Every song on Queen's A Night At The Opera, ranked from worst to best". Loudersound. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Queen – A Night at the Opera". AllMusic.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-313-37906-2.
the album includes integrations of progressive rock, pop, and heavy metal
- ^ Paul Grimstad (4 September 2007). "What is Avant-Pop?". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ a b Jones, Chris (2007). "Review: Queen – A Night at the Opera". BBC Music. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (21 November 2015). "Revisiting Queen's Masterpiece, 'A Night at the Opera'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Queen – Queen II". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Ramirez, AJ (8 June 2011). "In the Lap of the Gods: The First Five Queen Albums". PopMatters. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
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Bibliography
- Blake, Mark (2010). Is This The Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen. Arum Press. ISBN 978-1-84513-713-7.
- Chapman, Phil (2017). The Dead Straight Guide to Queen. This Day In Music Books. ISBN 978-1-787-59050-2.
- Dean, Ken (1986). Queen : A Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-0857-4.
- Hodkinson, Mark (2004). Queen : The Early Years. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-012-2.
- Purvis, George (2007). Queen: Complete Works. London: Titan Group Publishing. ISBN 978-0-857-68551-3.
- Jones, Lesley-Ann (2011). Freddie Mercury. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-44473-368-6.
External links
- Queen official website: Discography: A Night at the Opera: includes lyrics of all non-bonus tracks.
- A Night at the Opera at Discogs (list of releases)