Long before they became a household name and the embodiment of over the top stadium rock, Queen was a solid band that mixed heavy metal with glam rock that was so prevalent back when Nixon was President of the US. In the same league as Mott the Hoople and Aerosmith, Queen was set apart by the incredible vocal chops of Freddie Mercury and the irresistible hooks on songs such as “Killer Queen” and “Keep Yourself Alive.” This cd/dvd set features them just before they went over the top with albums like Night at the Opera, so they were still trying to sell themselves, and sell they do!
Serious fans all agree that Queen’s first three albums were their best, and that’s what you get here. From the head banging opening of “Now I’m Here” to the joyful close of “Jailhouse Rock,” you get a blue collar workout, with some of the nastiest guitar solos by Brian May you’d ever hope for. His work on “Son and Daughter” as well as “Stone Cold Crazy” is as frenetic on the frets as you’d dare to beg for. The vocal work on “Ogre Battle” and “Liar” is simply death defying, and as for camp, well, that’s taken for granted on pieces like ‘Bring Back That Leroy Brown.” Outrageous? Absolutely, but not yet a parody of itself. They had something to prove at this stage, and you get it in full regalia.
Eagle Vision dvd