A Day At The Races.....Failed attempt at ANATO or Part 2 of greatness?

The Real Wizard wrote:

I wouldn't say it was an attempt to recreate, but the methodology certainly was similar.

There was less diversity of genres, but it was no less creative or impactful. The Millionaire Waltz is one of the finest pieces in the canon.

But - put a gun to my head and ANATO wins every time. Everything anyone needs to know about Queen is on side 2 of that album. It is perfect.

Sums it up for me......I do rate ANATO slightly higher than ADATR, but I Think Races is almost on the same level. Millionaire Watlz is one of the best songs Freddie composed. Not Bo RHap, but still amazing. Wish it got more attention. So I side with sister albums and brilliance part 2. Rating Queen albums is not easy. Every album is different, how do you compare SHA Queen 1 and Races? 3 different sounding albums. Depends on the mood. I guess my list would be Opera, Queen2 are locks for the first 2 favorites, then it gets harder. Say, Queen 1 (love the songs on this one) SHA at 4 Then ADATR and NOTW. That's my top 6. 2nd level albums are The Game, Innuendo and Jazz.

Amazing. It took me this long to realize your name isn’t actually mike hunt. lol

Or if it is, it’s awesome ;-)

Mike G.....Hunt is short for Hunter, my nephew, so no hunt is not part of my name. I tried changing the hunt part a few times since he's an adult now, lol. I guess I'm stuck with it.

not sure if we're referring to the same thing. look up your queenzone moniker in the urban dictionary.

Queenzone moniker.....Ok I'll look that up

I'm afraid too look.....don't see that Queenzone moniker....thank god

Ok i'll bite ...

Jimmy Dean is referring to scene from the movie Porkies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWiKmyzDJx8

It was more like Part 5 of Greatness in my book: other than the titles, it's not *that* similar to its predecessor - in fact, I'd say both 'Opera' and 'Races' are more similar to 'Sheer Heart Attack' than they are to each other. In fact, out of their first six records (before becoming millionaires, before leaving Britain, before John cut his hair and before Mike Stone parted with them), 'Heart Attack' is the most similar to 'Queen', the most similar to 'Queen II', the most similar to 'Opera', the most similar to 'Races' and the most similar to 'News.' It might also be the most similar to 'Jazz' as well... but anyway that's way off-topic.

Queen had a formula, and it worked: whatever they did, be it skiffle or blues or vaudeville or even an effing waltz, they did it with their unique craftsmanship and using their extraordinary abilities to make it dynamic. The song came first, and if the song demanded a layered arrangement that's the way it would be, but if the song demanded something sparser that's they way it's be as well.

I also think they were sort of getting to know themselves better. 'You Take My Breath Away' is IMO the most Frederick-esque song out of everything he wrote. Not necessarily his best song or his most complicated song but probably the one which is most uniquely him. 'Drowse' is certainly a highlight in Roger's underrated output, as is 'You and I'.

Personally, I think Brian was absolutely phenomenal on this album, both playing and singing, and of course writing and arranging. Four tracks, all quite different from each other, all quite detailed and poignant.

Sure, I still prefer 'Opera' but it doesn't make this one a bad album, not at all.

For me A Day At The Races is the better album. Some fantastic musicianship on both albums though.

I find ADATR less "delicate" than ANATO. Might be the self-production thing.

Apart from the obvious connections in title I've never seen them as partners. The recent NOTW review narrative as has tried to paint them as such but I don't see it. I like them both on their own merit and see no more reason to directly compare than I do say Jazz and The Game.

Sheer Heart Attack is my favourite album.

Nah, I do think they're connected like twins. From the artwork to the Album title and song structure. I like both as well, but they were smart enough to change direction with the more straight foward News Of The World.

Martin Packer wrote:

What is interesting, but unsurprising, is that we all rate each of the songs differently. It's bloody typical of us. :-)

I notice that with Queen fans more than other bands I like. I think It's because they wrote so many different styles of songs. I'm, lucky enough too have an open mind. So I love almost everything they did until 1980. But everyone has their limits, and they lost me with Hot Space. The Works was ok but this is when they became a singles band.

mike hunt wrote:

Nah, I do think they're connected like twins. From the artwork to the Album title and song structure.

But that, again, was more of a common denominator for their 'British Era' (and even later on), so to speak. Their albums tended to have:

- At least one strong rock number, usually (but not always) written by Brian, with relatively straightforward harmony and form and which sounded quite powerful live: 'Keep Yourself Alive', 'Ogre Battle' / 'Seven Seas of Rhye', 'Now I'm Here', 'Sweet Lady', 'Tie Your Mother Down', 'We Will Rock You', 'Fat Bottomed Girls', 'Dragon Attack' (sort of), 'The Hero', 'Put Out the Fire', 'Hammer to Fall' / 'Tear It Up', 'One Vision' (sort of), 'I Want It All', 'Headlong'. MIH was a comp so it doesn't really count here.

- At least a piano ballad, usually (but not always) penned by Frederick: the slow sections on 'My Fairy King' and 'Black Queen', 'Nevermore', 'Lily of the Valley', 'Love of My Life', 'You Take My Breath Away', 'My Melancholy Blues', 'Jealousy', 'Play the Game', 'Life Is Real', 'It's a Hard Life', 'Friends Will Be Friends' (sort of). That tradition ended in the late 80's, which strongly contributed to the later albums feeling so different. It also skipped the Flash OST, but then again that was a one-off and, to his credit, 'The Kiss' was originally demoed as a piano-driven track.

- A prog/rock epic, usually guitar-driven, quite powerful and with clever form and harmony: 'Liar' / 'Great King Rat', 'Father to Son', 'Brighton Rock', 'Prophet's Song', 'White Man' (sort of), 'It's Late' (quite simple harmony though). That one seemed to have ended when they left the UK.

- A classical-influenced (or baroque-influenced, or Victorian-influenced) piece, usually (but not always) by Frederick, usually keyboard driven: 'My Fairy King', 'Black Queen' and 'Master-Stroke', 'Lap of the Gods' (the 'other' one), 'Bo Rhap', 'Waltz'. That one ended there although it could be, to some extent, be argued that 'Was It All Worth It' had shades of that.

- At least a piece by Roger and at least a piece (with some exceptions such as 'Innuendo' and the first two albums) by John. In that sense, it's not too shocking that 'You and I' resembled 'Best Friend' (though I'd say it was closer to 'Spread Your Wings') and 'Drowse' shared some traits with 'Car' (though they were both IMO far closer to 'Tenement Funster' than to each other).

- And so on...

^ In what, if any, of those categories would you put Innuendo (the song)? Seems to fit squarely into the third one to me.