A NIGHT AT THE OPERA by Queen

[Syn Gates]

:syngates:Yo Family! This months #AOTM is A Night At The Opera by the legendary Queen. This was a record my dad had at our house but funny enough I didn’t get into it until Wayne’s World dropped and the Bohemian Rhapsody skit came on. I was immediately hooked. It took one listen to solidify this song as my favorite of all time.

I had never heard anything like it and I loved every part of it. Freddie Mercury’s voice was my favorite, Brian May’s guitar work was my favorite, Roger Taylor’s playing and voice was my favorite(he does all the super high shit, incredible), John Deacon’s bass playing was my favorite. The arrangement and style blew my mind. What a fucking song!

I quickly referred to my dad for every piece of music made by this incredible super group as well as all the information he could provide about this band and the genius that poured from their pen.

A Night At The Opera was the first record he introduced me to. I fell in love with the entire thing immediately. The opener, Death On Two Legs, was brilliant. The intro into the super heavy smash still blows my mind. Such an amazing choice of instrumentation and sounds.

Love Of My Life could very well be my favorite ballad of all time. Brian May’s cello-esque guitar lines make me cry.

The Prophet Song was the only track that took a sec to get into and it’s one of my favs on the record.

The record shows just how talented each member is at songwriting. ‘39 by Brian May, You’re My Best Friend by John Deacon, I’m In Love With My Car by Roger Taylor, all bangers.

If you take nothing from this record save one thing, let it be this; every member contributed well beyond just playing their instrument. They wrote, arranged, sang, and produced. Some army shit, “be all you can be”.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

All my love,
SYN
:syngates:

Apple Music
Spotify
YouTube

 

[Iris]

I've never been a big fan of Queen but I admittedly haven't heard a ton of their stuff. But I'm always open to learning. Can't wait to give it a listen. Thanks Syn.

 

[Jamie London]

Gonna have to come back tomorrow with my thoughts on this majestic musical beast haha. This is gonna be a fun one fo sho!

AOTM playlist has been updated:

 

[Alicia Willis]

Ahh fuck yes !!! You had me at Wayne’s World !!! Obviously we ALL love Bohemian Rhapsody (one of the greatest songs of all time) but That fucking movie, one of my FAVORITES!
I’d honestly love to see that soundtrack as an AOTM. Yes, I’m going off topic lol.

There is a VHS tape somewhere in my mom’s secret collection of little Alicia singing Foxey Lady and emulating Dana Carvey’s dance moves
I digress though. Fucking amazing album but I’m honestly more excited you mentioned Wayne’s World because I know some of the younger folks here probably haven’t seen it.

Go fucking watching it.

This is the scene Syn is referencing.

 

[Iris]

Ahh fuck yes !!! You had me at Wayne’s World !!! Obviously we ALL love Bohemian Rhapsody (one of the greatest songs of all time) but That fucking movie, one of my FAVORITES!
I’d honestly love to see that soundtrack as an AOTM. Yes, I’m going off topic lol.

See? I think I'm in the minority. I really can't stand Bohemian Rhapsody. Maybe it's because it's been overplayed, but I remember the first time I heard it I wasn't very impressed. Then again, I haven't heard it since I started this school and started learning to listen to ALL parts of a song. Not just the vocals and lyrics.

 

[redlipsofdeceit]

Fuck yeah, finally a band I grew up listening to!
I am so excited for this, I can't even express how much! Hahahaha
Gonna go do a deep dive and come back later with my thoughts.
Thank you for this. I was expecting Queen some time and it finally happened.

 

[Anna.VG]

:syngates:Yo Family! This months #AOTM is A Night At The Opera by the legendary Queen. This was a record my dad had at our house but funny enough I didn’t get into it until Wayne’s World dropped and the Bohemian Rhapsody skit came on. I was immediately hooked. It took one listen to solidify this song as my favorite of all time.

I had never heard anything like it and I loved every part of it. Freddie Mercury’s voice was my favorite, Brian May’s guitar work was my favorite, Roger Taylor’s playing and voice was my favorite(he does all the super high shit, incredible), John Deacon’s bass playing was my favorite. The arrangement and style blew my mind. What a fucking song!

I quickly referred to my dad for every piece of music made by this incredible super group as well as all the information he could provide about this band and the genius that poured from their pen.

A Night At The Opera was the first record he introduced me to. I fell in love with the entire thing immediately. The opener, Death On Two Legs, was brilliant. The intro into the super heavy smash still blows my mind. Such an amazing choice of instrumentation and sounds.

Love Of My Life could very well be my favorite ballad of all time. Brian May’s cello-esque guitar lines make me cry.

The Prophet Song was the only track that took a sec to get into and it’s one of my favs on the record.

The record shows just how talented each member is at songwriting. ‘39 by Brian May, You’re My Best Friend by John Deacon, I’m In Love With My Car by Roger Taylor, all bangers.

If you take nothing from this record save one thing, let it be this; every member contributed well beyond just playing their instrument. They wrote, arranged, sang, and produced. Some army shit, “be all you can be”.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

All my love,
SYN
:syngates:

Apple Music
Spotify
YouTube

OH YES, i mean i´ve heard Queen almost all my life thanks to my dad being a super fan of them but I never have taken the time to hear a whole album of them, so it´ll be pretty exciting to hear this one! Going to leave my thoughts tomorrow, thank you Syn

 

[Batbia]

Can't wait to hear this tomorrow, but I'll probably like it a LOT! I really enjoy some of their songs and from this album I already know Bohemian Rhapsody, a masterpiece! Queen is absolutely legendary so this is going to be a blast!

 

[Gabby Heafy]

Wowww Syn!! You have chosen an amazing and great Queen's album! is one of my favorite bands! The ballad "Love of my Life" is unique, I agree with you! that song makes me cry every time I listen to it! it's beautiful. I'll drop my thoughts later!!! Love ya!

 

[Alicia Willis]

See? I think I'm in the minority. I really can't stand Bohemian Rhapsody. Maybe it's because it's been overplayed, but I remember the first time I heard it I wasn't very impressed. Then again, I haven't heard it since I started this school and started learning to listen to ALL parts of a song. Not just the vocals and lyrics.

I agree with you that that song has most definitely been overplayed and I get why some don’t like it; also only bits and pieces of the song are only ever shown on major social platforms (like IG riff videos ). The entire song is most definitely an experience though. But, if it’s not your cup of tea that’s totally cool too, and respect you for saying so. Don’t tell anyone, but I wasn’t a big fan of Sparks.

 

[Aquamandy]

Oh wow I'm REALLY excited by this one Funny to remember that I actually discovered Bohemian Rhapsody on Guitar Hero 6, which happens to be the same way I discovered Avenged Sevenfold, since Bat Country is on the setlist.
Well, I'll get deeper into this album later, but my father is now a huge Queen fan (thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody movie) and I'm more than excited to finally head dive into Queen!
Thanks Syn, I'll try my best to write my thoughts cause I can't miss this one

 

[Gabby Heafy]

Ahh fuck yes !!! You had me at Wayne’s World !!! Obviously we ALL love Bohemian Rhapsody (one of the greatest songs of all time) but That fucking movie, one of my FAVORITES!
I’d honestly love to see that soundtrack as an AOTM. Yes, I’m going off topic lol.

There is a VHS tape somewhere in my mom’s secret collection of little Alicia singing Foxey Lady and emulating Dana Carvey’s dance moves
I digress though. Fucking amazing album but I’m honestly more excited you mentioned Wayne’s World because I know some of the younger folks here probably haven’t seen it.

Go fucking watching it.

This is the scene Syn is referencing.

OMG! lol that scene is fuckin epic! it brings back so many beautiful memories!

 

[Iris]

I agree with you that that song has most definitely been overplayed and I get why some don’t like it; also only bits and pieces of the song are only ever shown on major social platforms (like IG riff videos ). The entire song is most definitely an experience though. But, if it’s not your cup of tea that’s totally cool too, and respect you for saying so. Don’t tell anyone, but I wasn’t a big fan of Sparks.

Great minds think alike. But I also like Nickleback. So. Fucking fight me.

 

[Muz Malek]

:syngates:Yo Family! This months #AOTM is A Night At The Opera by the legendary Queen. This was a record my dad had at our house but funny enough I didn’t get into it until Wayne’s World dropped and the Bohemian Rhapsody skit came on. I was immediately hooked. It took one listen to solidify this song as my favorite of all time.

I had never heard anything like it and I loved every part of it. Freddie Mercury’s voice was my favorite, Brian May’s guitar work was my favorite, Roger Taylor’s playing and voice was my favorite(he does all the super high shit, incredible), John Deacon’s bass playing was my favorite. The arrangement and style blew my mind. What a fucking song!

I quickly referred to my dad for every piece of music made by this incredible super group as well as all the information he could provide about this band and the genius that poured from their pen.

A Night At The Opera was the first record he introduced me to. I fell in love with the entire thing immediately. The opener, Death On Two Legs, was brilliant. The intro into the super heavy smash still blows my mind. Such an amazing choice of instrumentation and sounds.

Love Of My Life could very well be my favorite ballad of all time. Brian May’s cello-esque guitar lines make me cry.

The Prophet Song was the only track that took a sec to get into and it’s one of my favs on the record.

The record shows just how talented each member is at songwriting. ‘39 by Brian May, You’re My Best Friend by John Deacon, I’m In Love With My Car by Roger Taylor, all bangers.

If you take nothing from this record save one thing, let it be this; every member contributed well beyond just playing their instrument. They wrote, arranged, sang, and produced. Some army shit, “be all you can be”.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

All my love,
SYN
:syngates:

Apple Music
Spotify
YouTube

First heard of queen when I watched My Chemical Romance documentaries during their early years and they kept saying how Queen is one of their biggest and main influence.

Refreshing to see this from you too, Syn!

 

[redlipsofdeceit]

Talking about Queen's music is a very emotional thing for me, because I grew up listening to them thanks to my mom, who has an amazing musical taste and loves Queen dearly, and my aunt (in memoriam) who also loved them. Listening to their music warms my heart and gives me nostalgic vibes every time.
It's one of those bands that are so widely known that what can you even say about them that hasn't been said a million times before, right?

Freddie Mercury was a genius who unfortunately left this world too soon, but his legacy will be carried for many, many years because that man not only had one of the most unique voices ever - I dare to say THE most unique voice I have ever heard -, but he also was a flawless performer, a great lyricist, a well rounded musician, a creative mind, a perfectionist artist. Brian May is a mind blowing guitarist - and that makes me think of the time I was talking to my friend @Radu-Cristian Perde and he told me about how Brian May and his father built Brian's first guitar, and I got amazed at how he managed to be a guitarist extraordinaire without fancy guitars and equipments. A gifted guitarist for sure, a real talent. His guitar work is the type that makes jaws drop and his solos are breathtaking.
One of the things I love about Queen is how they always did those vocals that made their songs really sound like something you would hear at the opera. They build up this huge ambience in their songs, which blesses my ears every time I listen to them.

Death On Two Legs has guitar lines that are sooo, sooo good! Also, the lyrics made think they were talking about their former label, and turns out Freddie actually wrote it to their former manager. This song feels like a punch in the face and it's definitely a smart choice to open the album with. Very powerful lyrics, very powerful guitar and very powerful lead and backing vocals. So ballsy of them to do that (which led to a lawsuit, btw hahaha).
I'm In Love With My Car is a good surprise, because Roger Taylor does the lead vocals and he has some rasp in his voice that is very interesting and pleasing.
Love Of My Life is a beautiful ballad that made me cry so many times when I got my heart broken. I love to watch the performance of this song live at Rock in Rio 1985. It gives me chills every single time, the whole audience singing the lyrics so loud, that beautiful piano... chills, just chills everywhere.
Bohemian Rhapsody is the greatest masterpiece in the history of music. There's no question about it. The tone changes, the harmonies between the vocals and the piano and between the guitar and the piano, the chords progressions - it's all so insane! All the vocal layering gives so much dimension and thickness to the song, too. Roger Taylor can hit such high notes, it's absolutely mindblowing. Lyric-wise, it has two of my favorite quotes of all time "Mama, I don't wanna die - I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all." and "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me." So powerful.
The whole album has amazing moments; and, every time you listen to it, you can notice new things you hadn't noticed before. Fabulously intricated, like every Queen record.

This made me go on a trip down memory lane. Thank you so much for this recommendation, @Syn Gates. My heart is warm now. ❤

 

[idssdi]

Oeh, I love Queen and one of my friends is like a ridiculously big Queen fan. Love of my life is probably my favourite love song next to something by the Beatles and Bohemian rhapsody is a shear masterpiece(and reminds me of champagne for completely unrelated reasons)

I'll go over it again sometime(I know I said the same with sparks so maybe I'll just do a listening session one of these days)

 

[ari.mac]

So excited for this rec!! I'm a big Queen fan. Discovered them in middle school, around the same time I discovered Guns N' Roses, and have been listening to them ever since! They were such wonderful songwriters and performers. They truly made history and I really think there will be no other like them, with their impact, at least for a very very long time! Also, they influenced so many great artists of all kind of genres, it's unreal how important they are for music!

Now, this album is a masterpiece!! My favorites are:

"Death On two legs" - I love the intro, literally mind blowing!! Freddie's voice is next level (as always) and love how you can hear in his voice alone the emotions he wanted to transmit; those feelings would come at you even if you are not paying attention to the lyrics. The guitar and the whole instrumental is really powerful. A great opening track and a proper diss track. I love it!

" '39 " - The man himself Brian May wrote and sang this on the studio version. I love the story behind this song even if it's a little sad (basically a group of explorers leaves for what they though was a year long mission, but come back and realize that many years passed on earth instead, and all their loved ones are either dead or really old. If you watched Interstellar, it's basically that story), that I think was heavily influenced by May's astrophysics studies. Roger Taylor's backing vocals really stand out, they are incredible. Deacon's bass playing (I think I read somewhere he used a double bass) is really really good as well!!
"Your mother's eyes, from your eyes, cry to me" this line always hit me extra hard.

"Love of my life" - of course this track has to be in my list. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, ballad of all times! This song literally gives me chills everytime I listen to it. The piano, the guitar, Freddie's voice....everything is just... wow.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" - most iconic song ever. I don't even know what to say because this song is an all around masterpiece and that's it! The vocal harmonies and layering are fantastic. The piano and guitar are insane! The guitar solo is amazing. And all of the changes make you feel like you are listening to a whole concept album instead of just one song XD the last couple of minutes of the song are so powerful and then back to a sort of calmness to end the song. I really love everything about it!!

Special mention for "I'm in Love With my Car", "sweet lady" and "Prophet song" (8 minutes of greatness!!), all great songs!!!

Thanks for this @Syn Gates it was so fun to listen to this masterpiece all at once!
Have a great weekend

 

[ari.mac]

my friend @Radu-Cristian Perde and he told me about how Brian May and his father built Brian's first guitar, and I got amazed at how he managed to be a guitarist extraordinaire without fancy guitars and equipments. A gifted guitarist for sure, a real talent. His guitar work is the type that makes jaws drop and his solos are breathtaking.

Agreed sys, a real talent for sure. A great guitarist, a great songwriter, a great singer, and an astrophysicist. A whole lot of greatness in that man!!! :O

 

[Chris Johnston]

Looking forward to getting into this one! Thanks for the heads up, Syn!

 

[redlipsofdeceit]

Agreed sys, a real talent for sure. A great guitarist, a great songwriter, a great singer, and an astrophysicist. A whole lot of greatness in that man!!! :O

He is a special human being, for sure!