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Classic Album Discussion Thread: The Kinks-Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Pt. 1 (3 Viewers)

Death on Two Legs

From Songfacts:

Freddie Mercury wrote this and dedicated it to Norman Sheffield, Queen's former manager and a co-owner of Trident Studios. Queen felt that Norman had not provided them with the support they needed, and so Mr. Sheffield and the band parted company prior to the recording of A Night At The Opera.
The surviving band members noted the unhappy atmosphere in the Days of our Lives documentary, explaining that the band felt hard done by when they were producing hit singles without seeing any of the money - and with incidents such as Roger Taylor being told he couldn't hit the drums too hard as they supposedly "couldn't afford" new drumsticks. But as Taylor noted, "you see them (the management) running around in stretch limos and think 'hang on there's something not right here!'"
The split occurred under very acrimonious circumstances, and this song acted as something of a final word from the band. The lyrics form a harsh character portrait that outline the band's full animosity towards their former acquaintance. Mercury was reportedly not a fan of the song after writing it, having felt it was too angry and bitter, but May encouraged him to complete it.

Other than Bob Dylan's "Idiot Wind", this may be the angriest, most caustic song I have ever heard. I mean they REALLY did not like this guy. The guitar work, like so much of May from this era, is just awesome. 

 
timschochet said:
Death on Two Legs

Other than Bob Dylan's "Idiot Wind", this may be the angriest, most caustic song I have ever heard. I mean they REALLY did not like this guy. The guitar work, like so much of May from this era, is just awesome. 
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It seems very relevant today as well - interpret that as you may.

 
Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon

Mercury explained the song in an interview to Record Mirror in 1976. "That's the way the mood takes me. Y'know... that's just one aspect of me, and I can really change. Everything on 'Sunday Afternoon' is something that... I'm really, I'm really sort of, I really... well, I love doing the vaudeville side of things. It's quite a sort of test... I love writing things like that and I'm sure I'm going to do more than that... It's quite a challenge."
So although the song was only a short interlude on the original album, it certainly pointed the way for the more flamboyant, theatrical direction Mercury and Queen's songwriting would take in the 1970s.

It's certainly flamboyant. Other British rock gods like Paul McCartney and Ray Davies had flirted quite a bit with music hall and vaudeville themes, but Mercury takes this to a whole new level, which he would continue later with "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy", "Bicycle Race" and others.

 
I'm In Love With My Car

Queen's drummer Roger Taylor wrote this song, sang on it and played drums on the track. Though it was dedicated to Queen roadie John Harris ("a boy racer to the end."), there was still something autobiographical in this car-as-a-metaphor-for-sex song. "I'm not obsessed," the Queen drummer told Mojo, "but I do love a good car."The engine noises on the recording of "I'm In Love With My Car" are authentic and come from the car Roger Taylor owned at the time. He described in a 1997 interview with Pop On The Line: "I remember my car at the time, because I think we've got the exhaust on the record, and that was a little Alfa Romeo. But I think it was more about people in general, for instance boy racers. In particular we had a sound guy/roadie at the time called Jonathan Harris, who was in love with his car, and that inspired that. I think he had a TR4, Triumph TR4."

Roger Taylor loved the song, and demanded it to be the B-side to Freddie Mercury's "Bohemian Rhapsody" single - so much so that he apparently locked himself in a cupboard until Mercury agreed. Perhaps there was a good reason Taylor really wanted it to be the "Rhapsody" B-side - the song credit went completely to him, and when the single became a huge smash hit, he received almost equal royalties as Mercury did for "Rhapsody."
This naturally rather annoyed the rest of the band! Songwriting credits and friction over royalties are a common reason why most bands break up. For this reason, Queen later in their career decided to give a collective co-writing credit for all songs, regardless of who contributed. This meant everyone got equal royalties for any singles/hits, which meant there was less friction with members more willing to let their songs/ideas be worked on - knowing they wouldn't lose any credit or royalty money in the process.

It's kind of impressive to me that Queen had 4 different songwriters on their best albums. I always regarded this as one of the great "car" songs of all time, and I was a little surprised when Stephen King failed to use it in his novel Christine (1982)- every chapter in that novel begins with song lyrics from a classic car song.

 
You're My Best Friend

Queen bass player John Deacon wrote this song. All four members of the group wrote at least one of their hits.

John Deacon wrote this song about his wife. He enjoyed a rather quiet home life, and particularly in the early days of the group he was very shy and quiet, unwilling to put his song suggestions forward.

After Freddie Mercury died in 1991, Deacon became something of a recluse - he was involved in the posthumous album Made in Heaven, and on the 1997 single "No-One But You," he retired from music and has declined to tour with the band on their subsequent tours with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert. The band still maintains contact with him, and run decisions by him - according to Brian May, the rule is that if Deacon does not reply to an email, that's his way of saying it has his approval.

This song features a Fender Rhodes electric piano, which was a popular choice at the time, with many rock songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan using the instrument. John Deacon wanted to write a song incorporating the instrument, but Freddie Mercury did not want to play it. "I refused to play that damn thing," Mercury said. "It's tiny and horrible and I don't like them. Why play those when you have a lovely superb piano."

So Deacon took the Rhodes home, learned to play it, and started writing this song.

Outside of the monster hit towards the end of the album, this is the only other song on the album that got regular radio play on AOR. It's a superb pop masterpiece, and I think it continues to hold up remarkably well.

 
Night At the Opera is probably a top 5 all time album for me. Wore it out on the turntable many times over. About an electic of an album as you’ll find in the AOR genre. Bohemian and Best Friend get the accolades, but to me “The Prophet’s Song” is the best tune and an underrated tour de force.

 
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Queen was the first band that made me instantly go buy a record upon first hearing, tho I'm sure there were others from the 60s that would have done same if i drove then. Driving from Salem into Boston, the radio played "Liar" from Queen's first album and the combo of rockin' riffs with dense choral vocals so blew me away i screeched and turned off the highway to find a place to make myself the first kid on the block to own the record that would change everything. I love moments like that...

 
wikkidpissah said:
Queen was the first band that made me instantly go buy a record upon first hearing, tho I'm sure there were others from the 60s that would have done same if i drove then. Driving from Salem into Boston, the radio played "Liar" from Queen's first album and the combo of rockin' riffs with dense choral vocals so blew me away i screeched and turned off the highway to find a place to make myself the first kid on the block to own the record that would change everything. I love moments like that...
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I'm picturing this. Your avatar helps.

 
Doug B said:
Still doing it today?
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Not sure, don’t listen to the radio anymore. I did notice recently that our oldies station considers oldies to be 70-80s-early 90s music. Which is scary and sucks  as I loved the old Motown, doo ***, 50s rock stuff.

 
timschochet said:
I just turned it on. Joneseys Jukebox. 

They just played a Depeche Mode song. Depeche Mode! On KLOS! WTF????
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:lmao:  I don't even know the song nor the format but I'm guessing Personal Jesus just got played on KLOS and heads exploded. Clear Channel for the win.  

 
timschochet said:
I just turned it on. Joneseys Jukebox. 

They just played a Depeche Mode song. Depeche Mode! On KLOS! WTF????
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:shrug:

Jonsey plays his own stuff. You could hear Boston, The Heavy Metal Kids, The Damned and then follow up with The Stooges . He could play Foghat or Dwight Yoakam 

I make no apologies for liking Depeche Mode

 
Queen is one of the few classic rock groups that I really don't like.  Rush is the the other.  I actively hate most of their well-known songs.  

Edit: and REO Speedwagon.

 
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In '97 I sang "We are the Champions" along with 45K other fans after the Marlins won game 7 of the series in Miami- about 10 times! 

"We Will Rock You" plays regularly in many sporting events. Credit Queen with some lasting material for sure.

 
IvanKaramazov said:
Queen is one of the few classic rock groups that I really don't like.  Rush is the the other.  I actively hate most of their well-known songs.  
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Rush is worthy of hate - and if I’m feeling really generous I could see not liking the songs that Joe just mentioned but how can you not like Killer Queen or The Show Must Go On or several others.  I’m guessing you’ve listened to them but if not don’t just hate on the overplayed stadium songs and give them a chance.

 
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Worth it just to hear one of the best combos of singer & guitarist ever. And the rhythm section was not bad either.  

 
I get the love for Queen. They were sensationally talented, but I also never got into them beyond their big hits.

 
AAABatteries said:
Rush is worthy of hate - and if I’m feeling really generous I could see not liking the songs that Joe just mentioned but how can you not like Killer Queen or The Show Must Go On or several others.  I’m guessing you’ve listened to them but if not don’t just hate on the overplayed stadium songs and give them a chance.
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I never realized how many people hate Rush until I started seeing it here.

I'm a Rush fan, though not a fanboy. Just surprises me the level of dislike they elicit.

 
Ilov80s said:
I get the love for Queen. They were sensationally talented, but I also never got into them beyond their big hits.
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Same here. I've never even heard most of their music other than what was played on the radio back in the day. Not sure why that is. I do own a greatest hits double CD though haha.

 
Ranethe said:
Same here. I've never even heard most of their music other than what was played on the radio back in the day. Not sure why that is. I do own a greatest hits double CD though haha.
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Yeah, I liked that greatest hits double CD, but they just never strck as strong of a chord and got me to listen much beyond that.

 
A Night at the Opera is not my favorite Queen record - that honor goes to Sheer Heart Attack - but it is still pretty great.  I have heard Bohemian Rhapsody a million times and it still kicks my ### every time. '39 is a longtime favorite of mine. Great band and great record.

Ranethe said:
I never realized how many people hate Rush until I started seeing it here.

I'm a Rush fan, though not a fanboy. Just surprises me the level of dislike they elicit.
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Rush is very much a love or hate band.  Even though I am a diehard fan, I can say with strong confidence that the majority of their fan base is insufferable.  That doesn't help the cause, as someone who already doesn't like their music can be totally turned off by the fans. 

 
Well I think Rush is pretty, pretty good. Seems the haters can't stand Geddy Lee's voice. However, his bass work is phenomenal as is the guitar work of Alex Lifeson. I saw them in Jax around '77 where they opened for Robin Trower and absolutely blew his band away (big Trower fan here). And then again a few years ago in New Orleans where they replayed Moving Pictures in it's entirety. They also had a very funny opening movie where they were all working at an old sausage factory that led into "The Limelight". It was a great concert.

Few 3 piece bands can crank it out like they do. ZZ Top is the only other 3 piece that I've seen that could hold the stage with them.

 
Joe Mammy said:
Well I think Rush is pretty, pretty good. Seems the haters can't stand Geddy Lee's voice. However, his bass work is phenomenal as is the guitar work of Alex Lifeson. I saw them in Jax around '77 where they opened for Robin Trower and absolutely blew his band away (big Trower fan here). And then again a few years ago in New Orleans where they replayed Moving Pictures in it's entirety. They also had a very funny opening movie where they were all working at an old sausage factory that led into "The Limelight". It was a great concert.

Few 3 piece bands can crank it out like they do. ZZ Top is the only other 3 piece that I've seen that could hold the stage with them.
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I don't think anyone would deny their talent, but if you don't like their songs or Geddy's voice, those are pretty big deal breakers.  Heck, I couldn't stand Rush at first because I hated Geddy's voice, but I had friends who played them enough to where it finally won me over. 

 
I haven’t had a lot of time today but I want to finish my discussion of Queen songs from Night of the Opera

39 is a great acoustic tune, which Queen performed when I saw them in 1980. The song is apparently about space travel, although it really doesn’t matter. 

Sweet Lady Standard hard rocking blues number. 

Seaside Rendezvous More of Freddie’s music hall stuff. Listening to this tune objectively might make one question Mercury’s heterosexuality, but as a teenager this never occurred to me. 

The Prophet Song Very underrated epic by May. The band basically reprised it later on for “Flash Gordon” which has the same bass and guitar lines. 

Love of My Life Freddie wrote this for his girlfriend (really?!) It’s a gorgeous melody, one of his very best. 

The last track on the album is a Brian May guitar special of the British National Anthem. I’ll discuss the tune right before that in the next post.

 
Bohemian Rhapsody

Probably the only Queen song that I skip past whoever I hear it, not because I dislike it but because it’s so overplayed. But what fascinates me is that this song has, more than any other, become the most famous song of the classic rock era. 

That took some time to happen. If you had asked me in the 80s or 90s, what is THE song of classic rock, I would have answered fairly quickly, “Stairway to Heaven”. If pressed for a second song I might have come up with “Hotel California” or perhaps “Hey Jude”. “Bohemian Rhapsody” would have been much farther down the list; in fact I might not even have mentioned it as Queen’s most famous song, choosing instead “We Will Rock You” since it was appropriated by American sports. 

But this has all changed, and the proof is my teenage daughters and their friends. They’ve certainly all heard the songs I just listed above, but none of them are as immediately recognizable as Bohemian Rhapsody. In fact, my daughters and their friends know this song word for word- I’ve witnessed it. They all seem to love it. It’s arguably become the most ubiquitous song from the 1970s, regardless of genre, period. 

So strange. 

 
AAABatteries said:
Rush is worthy of hate - and if I’m feeling really generous I could see not liking the songs that Joe just mentioned but how can you not like Killer Queen or The Show Must Go On or several others.  I’m guessing you’ve listened to them but if not don’t just hate on the overplayed stadium songs and give them a chance.
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You and Ivan can eat #### and have your arms and legs chained to a chair with headphones on....and RUSH ON A LOOP BEING PLAYED AT 11 24/7.

BWAHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

 
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Even now that Queen concert in 1980 might have been the greatest live concert I’ve ever seen.  But there was a weird thing with Bohemian Rhapsody. I remember it came right towards the end, might have been an encore. Freddie came out and played the opening segment on a large piano, and the band slowly joined him...but then, for the middle section, they all disappeared backstage. Apparently the middle section was too difficult to play live, so they simply played the the original recording, accompanied by a light show. Then for the final segment Brian May came out and played guitar, followed by the whole band. 

 
All right, Rush story. I was never a huge fan; my late brother worshipped them, thought Neil Pert was the greatest drummer ever (I started a thread about this a few years back.) 

But I liked some of their stuff, so several years ago I went with my brother and his friends to see them. And I have to say that the show was very impressive. Yet while the band was not pretentious, the fans absolutely were. At one point late in the show the band started playing “Tom Sawyer”, and at once a bunch of guys in the audience (it was festival seating where we were) got up. “Where are they going?” I asked, and my brothers friend said to me, rather haughtily, “Oh whenever they play Tom Sawyer the TRUE fans get up and use the john, grab a beer or whatever. The TRUE fans don’t even like this song; it’s for newbies like you.” I laughed. He stared at me all serious; it was obvious I would never get it. 

 
That is the only way to do it live.  Too many vocal parts to do it live, and you can't have the song without it.  

Fun fact is that the final note of that section has that insanely high note, "....for MEEEEEE!!!"  That crazy high note was Roger Taylor's voice, not Freddie's voice. 

The neat thing about the Queen layered harmonies is they are not always all of their voices blended.  Sometimes, it is just one guy's voice layered x-number of times.  For example, all of the layered harmonies in both Fat Bottomed Girls and Hammer to Fall were done by only Brian May. 

 
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timschochet said:
All right, Rush story. I was never a huge fan; my late brother worshipped them, thought Neil Pert was the greatest drummer ever (I started a thread about this a few years back.) 

But I liked some of their stuff, so several years ago I went with my brother and his friends to see them. And I have to say that the show was very impressive. Yet while the band was not pretentious, the fans absolutely were. At one point late in the show the band started playing “Tom Sawyer”, and at once a bunch of guys in the audience (it was festival seating where we were) got up. “Where are they going?” I asked, and my brothers friend said to me, rather haughtily, “Oh whenever they play Tom Sawyer the TRUE fans get up and use the john, grab a beer or whatever. The TRUE fans don’t even like this song; it’s for newbies like you.” I laughed. He stared at me all serious; it was obvious I would never get it. 
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That is utter crap.  Most fans recognize how good Tom Sawyer is.  Sounds like one of those nimrod Rush fans I referred to earlier. 

I find it best to not judge a band's music based off of their fans, otherwise I will have to stop listening to a lot of bands. :lol:  

 
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timschochet said:
 Apparently the middle section was too difficult to play live, so they simply played the the original recording, accompanied by a light show. Then for the final segment Brian May came out and played guitar, followed by the whole band. 
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That was their m.o. with Bohemian - play the album for the middle operatic part because it was too difficult to replicate on stage.

They stuck with that more so than their “no synths” policy on all their ‘70s album liner notes.

 
I just saw the trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody, which comes out in November. The guy from Mr Robot is Freddie. Looks outstanding. 

 
Time for the next album, and I chose this due to recent discussion: 

Rush- 2112- (1976) 

Side One

2112 (parts 1-7) 

Side Two

A Passage to Bangkok

The Twilight Zone

Lessons

Tears

Something for Nothing

I also considered Moving Pictures, which Ulitmateclassicrock.com ranks as their #1 Rush album, directly above this one. But this is album that the fans seem to prefer. Thoughts? 

 
So about 5 years ago Rolling Stone had a readers poll for the greatest prog rock album ever. #1 was an album by Dream Theater, a band I never listen to (I probably should though) and is not classic rock- too new for that. #2 was 2112. That’s pretty significant. Whatever you want to say about these guys, they’ve obviously lasted a long time, longer than almost all of their contemporaries. 

 
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