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Queen was on top of the world. Everywhere they went they were superstars, and Mercury was even awarded a prestigious Ivor Novello songwriting award for 1975's "Bohemian Rhapsody". In Europe, the band were afforded a brand of celebrity usually reserved for real royalty, and they even performed in a benefit attended by Elizabeth II in England. However, the press, never exactly supporters of the group, were now starting to point to Queen as examples of everything bad in 70s rock music. New acts like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Patti Smith were quickly making Queen's brand of entertainment rather obsolete. For their part, the band were toning down the productions (and for this record actually worked without producer-extraordinaire Roy Thomas Baker). It's not as if "We Are the Champions", for example, is somehow less bombastic than their other hits, but it was more to the point (in a way), and didn't really feature much of the baroque embellishment for which they had become known. Still, except for some preliminary stabs at disco and fake punk, Queen was very much in their own world, and fans of the albums up to this point shouldn't be disappointed. We begin with "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions". Before it became the soundtrack to sporting events everywhere, this dynamic duo was a breath of fresh air for Queen. Whereas "Killer Queen" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were fairly camp, these songs seemed like genuine rock statements, and may present the clearest idea of what the band was ultimately all about. Of course, per the usual routine, it's not really obvious just who Queen is rocking in the former tune, or who they are competing with in the latter, but I can't remember anyone arguing the points. "Sheer Heart Attack" is another good Roger Taylor tune, though the fact that it shares its title with the band's third LP has doubtlessly confused more than one fan. However, the music is nothing like anything Queen had ever done, or would do in the future: faux-punk, with raging guitars and a lightspeed beat. There aren't any opera vocals, but there is some cool harmonizing in the chorus, and a fantastic solo drum break. Breakneck stuff, and if you only know Queen for the hits, you're missing out. Elsewhere is "Get Down, Make Love": significant because it was the group's first real concession to disco and the emerging changing of the popular guard from the dazed and confused to the tuned-in and transient. Mercury became increasingly fascinated with all things sexual as the years passed, a trend that didn't wane even through the band's final years. This one's a definite heavy breather, and although it doesn't really mesh with hard rock and standard Queen balladeering on the rest of the album, you can't say it's less distinctly Freddie. review by Dominique Leone — 5-27-01 —