
When Queen debuted in 1973, their mix of hammering jams and folksy asides was closer to Zeppelin than to the stadium-killing theatricality they would later perfect. This revelatory reissue — one of five Queen albums being rereleased with BBC sessions, live cuts, B sides and more — highlights the band's raw roots, particularly on a series of 1971 demos. On those tracks Freddie Mercury already belts like the superstar he'd become, but the instrumental intensity nearly upstages him: Brian May's guitar screams through bolder and longer versions of "Jesus" and "Liar" while the rhythm section gallops in tight formation. Later LPs are more refined, but this two-disc set is a compelling portrait of vehement and nearly violent art.
Listen to Queen's "Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)" Remastered:
Related: The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time: Freddie Mercury
-
MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
-
POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix
Music Reviews
-
star ratingRandom Access Memories
-
star ratingModern Vampires of the City
-
star ratingTrouble Will Find Me
-
star ratingExcuse My French
-
star ratingDemi
-
star ratingSports (30th Anniversary Edition)
We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.












Picks From Around the Web
loading comments...
COMMENTS
Read More