I was bored. So I chose to review Sheer Heart Attack. Why, might you ask? Well, it was simply what was blaring through my headphones at the time. So there you have it.
A friend of mine gave me her opinion of it: “it’s a respectable album, but it leaves me wanting more.” I agree with that statement. Especially due to the fact that it ends with a reprise of a song it didn’t start with (I believe that if you end an album with a song that was already on the album, it ought to be the one that began it). However, I’ve finally decided that I’ve gotten myself to the point where I can listen to it without feeling unsatisfied.
Brighton Rock: This is a good opener for this album. The sounds at the beginning are funny (as well as somebody whistling the end of Seven Seas of Rhye, which ended the last album). For some reason, I think it reminds me a little bit of Seaside Rondevous, from A Night at the Opera (their next album), but I think it’s way better. It’s more hard-rocking, definitely, and a really super opener for this album. Though, on this song, I can easily tell that Brian May is playing the guitar with a penny (I heard he plays guitar with a penny instead of a pick, and I know what it sounds like when you use a penny).
Killer Queen: This, I think, is the album’s only big hit. It’s not my favorite Queen song, but it’s very entertaining. I think this was an example of a thing Queen was doing at the time (trying different kinds of styles), and I must say that on this one, it has great effect. I love putting this song on with a bunch of friends and singing it with them.
Tenement Funster: For some reason it’s funny to hear Roger Taylor singing this song. (Then again, it’s always funny to hear him singing.) It’s a good enough song.
Flick of the Wrist: This song is really cool. It’s really dark, but still cool. It seems similar to Death on Two Legs to me, and who knows, they could have been leading up to that with this one. It’s got a pretty cool tune, and it’s fun to sing along to.
Lily of the Valley: This song is sad. Do you want to know why? It was Freddie Mercury’s last fantasy song. I loved their fantasy period. Darn it, why did you have to go and change it? Darn you, Queen! (Sorry. I guess I’m just mad at them because they went disco in the 80’s. Dang it.) Anyway, I feel nostalgic when I listen to it. I’m not sure why, as I was never listening to this during a nostalgic period of my life, and it doesn’t have any particularly nostalgic meaning to me. But that’s just how it feels to me.
Now I’m Here: I wasn’t too sure about this song at first, but when I listened to it, I thought it was very cool. It sounds just like “classic rock” should sound to me. The lyrics are nothing amazing, but the tune makes it work. Once, I was telling my mum about this song, and she said that she was watching Sesame Street (don’t ask) and they were discussing the same topic. I said: “Queen could have appeared on Sesame Street then!” (Actually...no, that would not be a good idea. At all.) Actually, if you think about it, it’s almost a little like Bohemian Rhapsody with more repetition (in the fact that it changes a lot in the song). I find the line “go, go, go little queenie” to be funny, because a “queenie” is what we Queen fans call girls who like the band just because they think the members are “hot”.
In The Lap of the Gods: Whenever I listen to this song, my first thought is, “What the heck?” I can’t figure this one out. It makes absolutely no sense to me, and I’m not sure I want to know how or why they wrote it. It’s alright…I suppose…just weirds me out a lot.
Stone Cold Crazy: This is one of the album’s funnier songs. It’s basically about a guy who thinks he wants to be a gangster but does a bad job of pretending to be one (no gangster shoots people with a water gun). For some reason, it reminds me of the manic state of bipolar disorder (I don’t know why).
Dear Friends: It’s short and sweet, and I’m not totally sure what it’s about (although I think someone dies in it). I like it.
Misfire: This is one of the songs from the album that I don’t like as much. It’s just not that great compared to the others. I can’t say exactly what it is. Fortunately, it doesn’t last too long.
Bring Back that Leroy Brown: I have no idea why they wrote this. On one hand, it seems like filler (which, who knows, probably it is). On the other hand, it seems to go with the album’s “theme”, that is, songs from lots of different genres. It’s not a boring listen or anything. They refer to another song (“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”) in it. It’s…it’s okay.
She Makes Me (Stormtroopers in Stilettos): This one blows my mind. Not because of amazing lyrics or anything. The lyrics are not really amazing or anything. Though, I get this peaceful feeling when I listen to it. I can’t say that I understand the subtitle or the weird sounds at the end.
In The Lap of the Gods…revisited: Okay, Queen – if you’re reading this, mark my words: never end an album with a song that appeared earlier in the album if it didn’t start the album, too. This song is only a little less weird than its first version. But I must admit, it’s a good enough ending for a good enough album.
Best Tracks: Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Lily of the Valley, and Now I'm Here.
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