Queen in Review: A Day at the Races

Unbelievably, this is the first Queen album to begin with the sound of a gong. Why did it take them so long? One can only guess but after the over the top everything of A Night at the Opera, it may have been the only trick left that they had yet to try.

A companion in both name and sound to the previous album, A Day at the Races, plays like the comedown from Opera' outrageous high. As opposed to the general sunniness of Opera, Races is a darker, more serious affair. It's understated and restrained where its predecessor was flamboyant and over exaggerated. Of course, understated for Queen is a comparative term and by no means is this a subtle collection of songs. "The Millionaire Waltz" for example still features the multi-tracked mayhem we've come to expect from Freddie and the boys but it just doesn't seem as aggressive or outlandish as their previous efforts but maybe it's just because the varied genres, operatic breakdowns and absurd lyrics are nothing new at this point.

What I love about Queen is their ability to garner gigantic hit singles with the craziest of songs. In what cultural climate was "Bohemian Rhapsody" able to be a monster single? After the success of that masterpiece on Opera, Queen released gospel-tinged "Somebody to Love" as the first single from A Day at the Races to great success. Were people more open to this kind of silliness in the 70s or was Queen somewhat responsible for altering the culture? Which came first, Queen or a public ready to accept such an insane band?

Weirdest song - "The Millionaire Waltz"

The Millionaire Waltz - Queen