Free Queen: The Complete Works by Georg Purvis Page B

special meaning, but we were fascinated with this type of thing, and the wardrobe we used at the time described it perfectly well.”
    Freddie, at the six o’clock position, is flanked by John and Roger at either side while Brian, being the tallest, appears above Freddie. With hooded eyes and features white and waxen, the four unsmiling faces stare emotionlessly. Dressed in all black and set against a stark black backdrop, the only other colour comesfrom Freddie’s attenuated hands, crossed protectively over his chest. There wasn’t any hidden meaning in the photograph, and it contrasted beautifully with the inner, which is the exact opposite of the front cover: the band are dressed in all white, Freddie hiding all but the top half of his face with a white fur blanket as the others stare at the camera in an almost bemused manner, mirroring their respective positions on the front (only Roger and John are switched). Still, it’s moody and strangely dark, despite the overall use of white and light: both portraits are the visual equivalent of the aural light and shade present in the songs on the album.
    The sessions concluded fairly quickly, with eleven complete songs ready plus ‘See What A Fool I’ve Been’, ultimately released as the B-side of ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’ but not on the album itself. (The non-album B-side was later released on the 1991 remaster, along with two remixes of ‘Ogre Battle’ and ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’, the latter receiving high praise from Freddie. Twenty years after its initial reissue, Universal Records once again remastered it and released a deluxe edition, with a bonus disc of largely arbitrary selections; all good separately, but as bonuses, they were minimal.) But the band already had another tour scheduled and decided it was too soon to release yet another album. Other circumstances, including minor errors in the mixes and artwork, resulted in further delays; John, quite reasonably, insisted he be credited correctly instead of as Deacon John. The album finally emerged in March 1974, a mere fortnight after the smash success of ‘Seven Seas Of Rhye’. Reviews ranged from the good ( Sounds : “this album captures them in their finest hour”, Disc : “standards are very high”) to the middling ( Melody Maker : “there’s no depth of sound or feeling”) to the downright bad ( Record Mirror : “the dregs of glam rock”). Surprisingly, Rolling Stone was relatively supportive (at least regarding the first side), gushing that it “is quite an improvement, containing many of the same muddled tendencies, but with the saving grace of timely and well-chosen power chords and some rather pretty tunes”, while describing the second side as “a lyrically muddled fairy-tale world with none of Genesis’ wit or sophistication. They’ve also appropriated the most irritating elements of Yes’ style: histrionic vocals, abrupt and pointless compositional complexity, and a dearth of melody,” ultimately concluding that it “remains a floundering and sadly unoriginal affair.”
    In the immediate aftermath, Roger voiced an opinion to Sounds , which is shared by the majority of Queen fans: “We took so much trouble over [ Queen II ]; possibly too much, but when we finished we felt really proud. Immediately it got really bad reviews, so I took it home to listen to and thought, ‘Christ, are they right?’ But after hearing it a few weeks later I still like it. I think it’s great. We’ll stick by it.”
    SHEER HEART ATTACK
    EMI EMC 3061 0C 062 96025, November 1974 [2]
    Elektra 7E-1026, November 1974 [12]
    EMI CDP 7 46206 2, December 1986
    Hollywood HR-61036-2, March 1991
    Parlophone CDPCSD 129, 1994
    Island Remasters 276 441 1, March 2011 [82]
    ‘Brighton Rock’ (5’10), ‘Killer Queen’ (3’01), ‘Tenement Funster’ (2’47), ‘Flick Of The Wrist’ (3’17), ‘Lily Of The Valley’ (1’44), ‘Now I’m Here’ (4’14), ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’ (3’22), ‘Stone Cold