Home
Sheer Heart Attack
Barnes and Noble
Loading Inventory...
Sheer Heart Attack in Franklin, TN
Current price: $12.99
Barnes and Noble
Sheer Heart Attack in Franklin, TN
Current price: $12.99
Loading Inventory...
Size: CD
Queen II
was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but
Queen
's third album
Sheer Heart Attack
was where the band started to gel. It followed quickly on the heels of the second record -- just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 -- but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that
is flawless -- it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening
"Brighton Rock"
suddenly veers into long stretches of
Brian May
solo guitar -- but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of
stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds. There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to
's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack. One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas. This is evident not just in
"Killer Queen"
-- the first, best flourishing of
Freddie Mercury
's vaudevillian camp -- but also on the pummeling
"Stone Cold Crazy,"
a frenzied piece of jagged metal that's all the more exciting because it has a real melodic hook. Those hooks are threaded throughout the record, on both the ballads and the other rockers, but it isn't just that this is poppier, it's that they're able to execute their drama with flair and style. There are still references to mystical worlds (
"Lily of the Valley,"
"In the Lap of Gods"
) but the fantasy does not overwhelm as it did on the first two records; the theatricality is now wielded on everyday affairs, which ironically makes them sound larger than life. And this sense of scale, combined with the heavy guitars, pop hooks, and theatrical style, marks the true unveiling of
, making
as the moment where they truly came into their own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but
Queen
's third album
Sheer Heart Attack
was where the band started to gel. It followed quickly on the heels of the second record -- just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 -- but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that
is flawless -- it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening
"Brighton Rock"
suddenly veers into long stretches of
Brian May
solo guitar -- but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of
stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds. There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to
's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack. One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas. This is evident not just in
"Killer Queen"
-- the first, best flourishing of
Freddie Mercury
's vaudevillian camp -- but also on the pummeling
"Stone Cold Crazy,"
a frenzied piece of jagged metal that's all the more exciting because it has a real melodic hook. Those hooks are threaded throughout the record, on both the ballads and the other rockers, but it isn't just that this is poppier, it's that they're able to execute their drama with flair and style. There are still references to mystical worlds (
"Lily of the Valley,"
"In the Lap of Gods"
) but the fantasy does not overwhelm as it did on the first two records; the theatricality is now wielded on everyday affairs, which ironically makes them sound larger than life. And this sense of scale, combined with the heavy guitars, pop hooks, and theatrical style, marks the true unveiling of
, making
as the moment where they truly came into their own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Queen II
was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but
Queen
's third album
Sheer Heart Attack
was where the band started to gel. It followed quickly on the heels of the second record -- just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 -- but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that
is flawless -- it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening
"Brighton Rock"
suddenly veers into long stretches of
Brian May
solo guitar -- but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of
stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds. There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to
's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack. One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas. This is evident not just in
"Killer Queen"
-- the first, best flourishing of
Freddie Mercury
's vaudevillian camp -- but also on the pummeling
"Stone Cold Crazy,"
a frenzied piece of jagged metal that's all the more exciting because it has a real melodic hook. Those hooks are threaded throughout the record, on both the ballads and the other rockers, but it isn't just that this is poppier, it's that they're able to execute their drama with flair and style. There are still references to mystical worlds (
"Lily of the Valley,"
"In the Lap of Gods"
) but the fantasy does not overwhelm as it did on the first two records; the theatricality is now wielded on everyday affairs, which ironically makes them sound larger than life. And this sense of scale, combined with the heavy guitars, pop hooks, and theatrical style, marks the true unveiling of
, making
as the moment where they truly came into their own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
was a breakthrough in terms of power and ambition, but
Queen
's third album
Sheer Heart Attack
was where the band started to gel. It followed quickly on the heels of the second record -- just by a matter of months; it was the second album they released in 1974 -- but it feels like it had a longer incubation period, so great is the progress here. Which isn't quite to say that
is flawless -- it still has a tendency to meander, sometimes within a song itself, as when the killer opening
"Brighton Rock"
suddenly veers into long stretches of
Brian May
solo guitar -- but all these detours do not distract from the overall album, they're in many ways the key to the record itself: it's the sound of
stretching their wings as they learn how to soar to the clouds. There's a genuine excitement in hearing all the elements to
's sound fall into place here, as the music grows grander and catchier without sacrificing their brutal, hard attack. One of the great strengths of the album is how all four members find their voices as songwriters, penning hooks that are big, bold, and insistent and crafting them in songs that work as cohesive entities instead of flourishes of ideas. This is evident not just in
"Killer Queen"
-- the first, best flourishing of
Freddie Mercury
's vaudevillian camp -- but also on the pummeling
"Stone Cold Crazy,"
a frenzied piece of jagged metal that's all the more exciting because it has a real melodic hook. Those hooks are threaded throughout the record, on both the ballads and the other rockers, but it isn't just that this is poppier, it's that they're able to execute their drama with flair and style. There are still references to mystical worlds (
"Lily of the Valley,"
"In the Lap of Gods"
) but the fantasy does not overwhelm as it did on the first two records; the theatricality is now wielded on everyday affairs, which ironically makes them sound larger than life. And this sense of scale, combined with the heavy guitars, pop hooks, and theatrical style, marks the true unveiling of
, making
as the moment where they truly came into their own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
You May Also Like
More About Barnes and Noble at CoolSprings Galleria
Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. Our Nook Digital business offers a lineup of NOOK® tablets and e-Readers and an expansive collection of digital reading content through the NOOK Store®. Barnes & Noble’s mission is to operate the best omni-channel specialty retail business in America, helping both our customers and booksellers reach their aspirations, while being a credit to the communities we serve.
1800 Galleria Blvd #1310, Franklin, TN 37067, United States
