Throwback Thursday: Sheer Heart Attack, by Queen

In 1974 barely anyone had heard of a band called Queen. Nobody really knew who Freddie Mercury was. However, that was about to change drastically when that year the band put out their big commercial breakthrough album Sheer Heart Attack. When this album came out, not only did the band's popularity begin to take off but it was also a driving force in the way future bands would be influenced in their sound and look from there on out.

Sheer Heart Attack is sort of a transitionary record, where you still hear a lot of the heavy rock/metal of Queen's first two albums but at the same time start to hear a lot of the pop hooks and other elements of commercial music that most of us associate them with. Plus, having major hits like Killer Queen on it was a major boost to their rising career at that point in time. It's eclectic in some ways, but at the same time all the songs manage to gel together in a way that makes it a cohesive record.

Now I'm Here has in recent years has become one of my absolute favorite Queen songs. It so seamlessly and flawlessly blends together Queen's older rock style and the pop music sensibilities they possessed. The way the intro comes with a steady chugging of chords from Brian May and Freddie doing all kinds of astounding feats with his voice while it gets echoed the way it does just blows my mind. When the main riff comes in with the rest of the band I was absolutely sold on this tune.

Killer Queen. Holy crap. This in my eyes is the exact moment when Queen became the band we all know and love. It is primarily piano driven, but somehow it shares that lead with beautifully harmonized and melodic lead guitar at the same time. Plus, you get to really hear how fabulous Freddie could be when given the right opportunity. The guitar solo is also pretty iconic. It's almost like it's its own song even without the rest of the tune before and after it. With all the glitz, glamour, and flash it's hard not to fall in love with such a beauty of a song.

If you're interested in where Queen became the band you're familiar with, then Sheer Heart Attack is definitely the album to go to. I would still recommend starting with the first two albums and working your way up if you want a real comprehensive history of Queen, but if you're just wanting to have a fun time listening to early classics then you've come to the right place. It's upbeat, rocking, and all around a jolly good time.

Sheer Heart Attack, by Queen receives 4 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Brighton Rock
2. Killer Queen
3. Tenement Funster
4. Flick of the Wrist
5. Lily of the Valley
6. Now I'm Here
7. In the Lap of the Gods
8. Stone Cold Crazy
9. Dear Friends
10. Misfire
11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
12. She Makes Me (Stormtroopers in Stilettos)
13. In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Sheer-Heart-Attack-Remastered-Deluxe/dp/B004UUKD6W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467965122&sr=8-2&keywords=Queen+Sheer+Heart+Attack