helterskelter.ca

QUEEN
1973 - Queen.
1974 - Sheer Heart Attack.
1977 - News Of The World.
1991 - Innuendo.
more QUEEN.
way more Helter Skelter.

September 4, 1973 - 2023: 50 years of: Queen.

England's legacy: from counterculture to rocknroll royalty.

When hardrock stands-up and faces the trends. Less glam than SWEET and as hard as FREE, in a post-BEATLES and pre-punk era, America had their Kings in AEROSMITH ...and now Great-Britain had their QUEEN.

Ain't no communication breakdown, as "Keep Yourself Alive" rattles the scene with grandiose rough-rock ...a Brian May signature. The dreamy "Doing All Right" first half is a ethereal ride that explodes with bursts of heavyrock and diametrically "My Fairy King"s piano-driven would be the foundation for this career-long rhapsody ...a Freddie Mercury signature.

Heavymetal before heavymetal was Heavy-Metal makes an appearance on "Liar" and the ultra-crunch stampede of "Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll". Caught doing their best BLUE CHEER doom vibe heaviness on "Son And Daughter" ...this Queen is the real iron maiden.

Fully self-financed by the band and recorded in Summer '72, they finally found a deal with EMI Records who released the RIAA-certified Gold LP ...whilst the band was already deep in writing / production for 1974's upcoming Queen II LP.

A kind of magic, inside the United Kingdom, in a long line of rockers, the united forces of LED ZEPPELIN, UFO, DEEP PURPLE, URIAH HEEP and THE WHO, would dictate the pace for hardrock and arenarock crowd-gathering musical-majesty. From the bold British monarchy comes rocknroll royalty ...QUEEN wants it all !

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Keep Yourself Alive = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JofwEB9g1zg
Liar = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU7rqB9E_0M
Queen = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JofwEB9g1zg&list=PL2tMgWgIvcWl2sRiJx4DfCptw0fM6Cwgx
Live in London in 1973
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKozb064BN8

November 8, 1974 - 2024: 50 years of: Sheer Heart Attack.

They went rock hard crazy.

Following the majesty of Queen and Queen II LPs, the coronation would now focus on riff-based action. An overdriven QUEEN gives the rock-scene a well deserved heart attack.

This ogre battle becomes a reality, as the crisp "Brighton Rock" surprises the opposition. Obnoxious and rebelicious, the assault continues with the authoritarian "Now I'm Here" and high-gain maneuvers of "Bring Back That Leroy Brown".

On cloud nine sitting "In The Lap Of The Gods", while the lovely harmonies and lasers of "Killer Queen" intertwine in unisons. Unmistakable, the ingenious vile burst of "Stone Cold Crazy" cracks skull on cue, so blunt and brutal that METALLICA would re-electrify it in 1990. Speedmetal before speedmetal was Speed-Metal.

The hardrock universe was taking form, in the USA both AEROSMITH and KISS had a firm grip on the East-Coast, while the updated DEEP PURPLE and QUEEN shook British Royalty to it's very core. RIAA-certified Gold sales wise and fan-certified gold heart-attack wise, QUEEN were now an act to reckon with.

"They're gonna put me in a cell, if I can't go to heaven, will they let me go to hell ?" A year later, the bohemian band would shake the conventions of rocknroll, with a universal defying rhapsody, on 1975's A Night At The Opera LP.

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Sheer Heart Attack = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtTaMwYr7-A&list=OLAK5uy_mjOYP3QFRSIct7rHuhkHdHI75DnWU8REg
Interview in Finland in 1974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSDnQ2EwB4U
At Top Of The Pops in 1974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZBtPf7FOoM
Live in London in 1974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49HHCXl0i6M&list=PLFNWAu-1aoxF3zjQdnu_yxlI-OPC0JIw6
Stone Cold Crazy by METALLICA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL74-fdanyM
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVeuYPLaDWI

November 1, 1977 - 2022: 45 years of: News Of The World.

Now they were the biggest band in the world.

Following the hot rock success of 1976's A Day At The Races LP, the eclectic QUEEN were on the verge of superstardom. Using the same writing-pattern, a supercharged rock Stonehenge was about to be released on the World ...have you heard the news ?

Primal and ritualistic, the decibels goes decadent. The simplest and the best renown rock track. This anthem unites people and generations all under the sign of proudness and rebelliousness. Pointing fingers and yelling it out loud "We Will Rock You" could possibly be the greatest rock song ever, by any band. Thank you Gentleman.

Second cut, second universal hit. A now sports-arena event heard around the globe, the suave power and might of "We Are The Champions" rings aloud. Not mere competitors, we are the champions, QUEEN are the champions ...of the world. God-like epicness is an understatement.

Cranked to eleven, the metal-elements makes a cameo, will you survive this "Sheer Heart Attack" ? This stone cold crazy tire-burning madness leaves no-one indifferent. John Deacon's overdriven bass and pure fury grips on cue as "Fight From The Inside" swallow the audience for an amazing ride and on the other side of the spectrum, the funky counterpart off-set Roger Taylor drum patterns of "Get Down, Make Love" commands with lethal, lust filled authority. Yes more.

Sit down, take a deep breath and enjoy Brian May's beautiful vocal / piano serenade of "All Dead, All Dead", while Freddie Mercury bring us home with the build-up rock of "Spread Your Wings" and his vocal acrobatics of "Who Needs You".

All killers - no fillers !
QUEEN are the Kings of rocknroll !

Sitting on their marble solid throne, the world was a better place with QUEEN by our side and News Of The World in our stereo. RIAA-certified 4x Platinum and beyond, rapidly Earth got a taste of top-class British Royalty. The band would tend towards more sights and sounds with 1978's colorful Jazz experimentation LP.

"...no time for losers, cause we are the champions ...of the world !" *
We Will Rock You = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk
We Are The Champions = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY
Spread Your Wings = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyd6OLyhPJo
News Of The World = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7HR7Nd2FqU&list=PL-Dlrh3xUEoRon8efwUe7ZX4kbzY-iudn
Interview in Australia in 1978
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYp281y0CQ
Live in Houston in 1977
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyeqsi0lPn8

January 21, 1991 - 2026: 35 years of: Innuendo.

The final curtain call.

At the tail-end of hard-rocknroll's dominance, following 1989's The Miracle LP, in pain and suffering ...QUEEN delivers their last tour-de-force.

Distinguished, the rock rolls with grace on the title-track "Innuendo" and the equally slick "I'm Going Slightly Mad". More kinda magic shakes the pillars of the agora with 'I Can't Live Without You" and the divine "All God's People".

Always loaded with fast cuts, the ripping starts with "Headlong" and boils extra loud with "The Hitman", while teasing the FM-waves on "Delilah". The album culminates with the closing "The Show Must Go On" ...publicly foreshadowing the band's fate, the frontman delivers his last grand performance.

Following Mercury's passing in November 1991, a gigantic spectacle was set-up in April 1992, at Wembley Stadium. A worldwide telecasted event, for the globe to see.

RIAA-certified Gold status, most of the future material had already been recorded by the singer, as the three surviving members would release 1995's posthumous Made In Heaven CD ...the final triptych in British rock royalty. During the new millennium, tagging along various singers, a new QUEEN managed to keep herself alive.

RIP Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)

*
Innuendo = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2N0TkfrQhY
Headlong = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhyaAPsT1LU
I'm Going Slightly Mad = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6hY_50Dh0
These Are The Days Of Our Lives = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc
Innuendo = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTCQztDU9jc&list=OLAK5uy_kbJr6e2scXh1eg9qjKIl73F2zIuLqydFk
EPK in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E49eBwim9Lk

more QUEEN:

#Freddie Mercury Tribute