July 22, 2011 Playlist

"Queen" by Queen (1973)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Queen  "Queen"  1973 (UK)
Brian May (guitar) and Roger Taylor (drums) of Queen are both having birthdays this week, so this week's classic album is the debut by one of Britain's most unique and influential bands.  Queen was born in the post-sixties era of heavy metal, prog rock and glam, and managed to combine all those threads into one amazing sound on their early records.  The band's visionaries include lead guitarist May, who pioneered all sorts of "shredding" techniques and paved the way for later metal gods like Eddie Van Halen -- and of course the late Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest vocalists and "front men" the rock world has ever seen.  It all started in 1973 with this eponymous album (recently reissued with bonus material, along with four other Queen classics).
Queen were pioneers when it came to making "music videos", beginning way back with their first album -- here's their first single "Keep Yourself Alive", and this album's hard rock centerpiece "Liar".  Next, here's a genuine concert performance of "Doing All Right", the poppiest song on their debut album.  By the middle of the 1970's, Queen had become one of Britain's most globally popular groups, rivaling the successes of even The Beatles and Led Zeppelin:  "Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the biggest hits any band had during the entire decade and propelled Queen to iconic status.  Though the hits kept coming, the group changed its sound with the times as the years progressed -- for example, who could forget their mildly psychedelic disco smash "Another One Bites The Dust"?
(N) = New Release
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
The Isley Brothers Summer Breeze (Seals & Crofts) 3 + 3 1973 USA
Blue Öyster Cult This Ain't The Summer Of Love Agents Of Fortune 1976 USA
Yes Arriving UFO Tormato 1978 UK
Gun It Won't Be Long (Heartbeat) Gun 1968 UK
 
  
Sonic Youth Teenage Riot Daydream Nation 1988 USA
Sonic Youth Society Is A Hole
   / I Love Her All The Time		 Bad Moon Rising 1985 USA
Sonic Youth Master-Dik A-side 12" single 1988 USA
Thurston Moore Shoot It Up
   / Snow Sex In Oslo
   / Pornstar In The Morning		 Built For Lovin' 2008 USA
 
  
Les Rallizes Denudes Blind Baby Has Its Mother's Eyes Blind Baby Has Its Mother's Eyes rec. 1986? Japan
White Hills Paradise H-p1 (N) 2011 (Thrill Jockey) USA
 
  
Miles Davis On The Corner
   / New York City Girl
   / Thinkin' One Thing And Doin' Another		 On The Corner 1972 USA
Sonny & Linda Sharrock Soon Monkey-Pockie-Boo 1970 USA
 
  
Queen Liar Queen
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1973 UK
Queen Keep Yourself Alive Queen
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1973 UK
Queen Doing All Right Queen
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1973 UK
Funkadelic Back In Our Minds Maggot Brain 1971 USA
Funkadelic I Want To Know If It's Good To You Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow 1970 USA
Parliament Chocolate City Chocolate City 1975 USA
 
  
Hot Tuna Easy Now Revisited Steady As She Goes (N) 2011 (Red House) USA
Cheer-Accident Empty Province
   / Provincial Din		 No Ifs, Ands Or Dogs (N) 2011 (Cuneiform) USA
Six Organs Of Admittance
 Dawn, Running Home Asleep On The Floodplain (N) 2011 (Drag City) USA
The Cynics Spinning Wheel Motel Spinning Wheel Motel (N) 2011 (Get Hip) USA
Beady Eye The Morning Son Different Gear, Still Speeding (N) 2011 (Dangerbird) UK
                 
Back to playlists         Back to main