Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
1. Brighton Rock
2. Killer Queen
3. Tenement Funster
4. Flick of the West
5. Lily of the Valley
6. Now I'm Here
7. In the Lap of the Gods
8. Stone Cold Crazy
9. Dear Friends
10.Misfire
11.Bring Back That Leroy Brown
12.She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes)
13.In the Lap of the Gods....Revisited
Released a mere six months after their
last record, this album shows Queen still becoming a bit more focused -
a trend which they started on their last album. Although this band
would always be very "showy", their earliest records tend to lay on the
fantasy - mythology theme pretty thick, they are focusing here a bit
more on some straight ahead rock n roll.
These are the examples of strength on this record. One of their most
overlooked pieces in their entire catalog is the opening number
Brighton Rock which showcases Brian May's killer guitar chops.
This is one of those songs that your almost surprised to see on an
actual album, as it seems more fit for the live stage. Had this song
set us up for the rest of the album, it would have had a more powerful
impact, but the rest of what is on the album is a bit hit and miss.
Again, the straightforward songs such as Now I'm Here and
Killer Queen don't rock as hard as the opener, but straight
ahead, powerful rock and roll was only one of this band's many
many strengths.
Speaking of powerful rock and roll, one of the best pieces here has to
be the killer Stone Cold Crazy which, not surprisingly, was
covered years later by Metallica.
I'd have to honestly say that the rest of this record is merely "o.k.".
It's never bad, and the whole album is a treat when listening. Like
many Queen records, this album seems to go for an overall theme as
opposed to a set of strong songs. Witness that many of the songs (5
total) are less than 2 1/2 minutes in length. This can be a bit of a
setback since all of these songs sound good it's just that
they're so short, you never really have time to immerse yourself. Songs
like Bring Back That Leroy Brown and Lily of the Valley
sound like they could have been something really special, but at some
point you have to wonder if they just gave up.
Then there are two versions of In The Lap of the Gods. One has
the moniker "revisited" added to it, but to me they sound like the same
song done slightly differently. The song She Makes Me (Stormtrooper
in Stilettos) sounds like it could be a great track, based on
the title, but you definitely can't tell a book by its cover. This song
is so low key that it puts you to sleep, and you have to wonder if the
guys were on Quaaludes when they recorded it.
Again, though, when you consider this came out so soon after the last
release, and the fact that you could see them evolving and maturing,
it's hard not to really like the album even though it seems it could
have been a tad better.
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