And whereas each single Queen hit was sung by Mr. Mercury, there have been fairly a couple of album cuts that includes Could and Taylor as lead singers which might be additionally standout tunes, as properly – though admittedly, not well-known exterior of fanatics of the band. As a loyal Queen fan since 1980 (heck, and I am even the writer of the e-book Lengthy Dwell Queen: Rock Royalty Focus on Freddie, Brian, John & Roger!) and well-versed within the band’s discography/historical past, I could be trusted as your information by way of the 5 greatest Queen songs that weren’t sung by Freddie.
“Some Day One Day” – Queen II (1974)
In the event you’re a rock band and your debut album did not precisely storm the charts, a “course re-plot” could also be in retailer for the all-important sophomore effort. Not Queen. On Queen II, the band went fully excessive production-wise – with layered vocals (that gave the impression of a choir), guitar harmonies, fantasy lyrical topics (“Ogre Battle”), and many others. And the transfer paid off, as they scored their first-ever UK hit single, “Seven Seas of Rhye.”
However the album will also be famous as the primary Queen LP to characteristic a music by Brian Could on lead vocals, on the tune “Some Day One Day” (in case you had been questioning, Roger Taylor was the primary member apart from Freddie to sing lead – on the tune “Trendy Occasions Rock n’ Roll” off their debut).
One of many extra melodic tunes on Queen II, “Some Day One Day” comprises what appears to be a lyrical message of “tomorrow’s going to be a brighter day” – significantly within the closing lyrics of every verse (“No star can mild our approach on this cloud of darkish and worry, However some day, someday…”; “At the moment the cloud, it hangs over us and all is gray, However some day, someday…”; after which lastly, “So nonetheless the cloud it hangs over us and we’re alone, However some day someday…we’ll come residence”).
Additionally of observe, Queen II included a number of tunes that really reference the band’s identify – most clearly within the music titles “White Queen (As It Started)” and “The March of the Black Queen,” but in addition inside this tune, with the lyric “And also you shall be a queen.”
“Lengthy Away” – A Day on the Races (1976)
After the grandiose manufacturing and compositions featured all through A Night time on the Opera (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Prophet’s Tune,” “Seaside Rendezvous,” and many others.), Queen took a step towards a extra simple strategy on its follow-up, A Day on the Races. The primary-ever Queen LP to not have any enter by any means from Roy Thomas Baker, the group was solely credited as producer.
Just like the earlier entry on this checklist, “Lengthy Away” is a melodic rocker, penned and sung by Could. And likewise just like “Some Day One Day,” this tune possesses a optimistic lyrical message, as evidenced by such lyrics as “Take coronary heart, my pal, we love you although it looks as if you are alone; One million lights above you smile down upon your house” and “Hurry, put your troubles in a suitcase come let the brand new little one play.”
And as with numerous Queen compositions, Could assembles his trademark “guitar military” for the solo (creating multi-layered guitar components that create harmonies), whereas the backing vocals (supplied by Could, Mercury, and Taylor) had been layered as soon as extra in such a fashion to create a choir-like impact.
“Drowse” – A Day on the Races (1976)
All through their recording profession, Queen tackled quite a lot of types – steel, pop, dance, rockabilly, ballads, prog, punk, new wave, calypso, blues, and many others. However not often did they ever strategy “psychedelic territory.” Nevertheless, they did a minimum of one time – with this neglected Taylor tune, additionally off A Day on the Races.
“Drowse” can be one of many few Queen compositions to prominently characteristic slide guitar (whereas one other tune on the album contains slide, “Tie Your Mom Down,” it’s solely within the guitar solo part) – which creates a dreamy…sure, drowsy impact all through. And lyrically, it appears Taylor is looking again on his early/pre-Queen days – significantly such lyrics as “It is the unhappy eyed goodbye yesterday’s moments I keep in mind” and “Half of the time we would broaden our minds extra within the pool corridor than we did within the faculty corridor.”
Tracing Queen’s roots, it isn’t a lot of a shock that trippy sonics seeped into their sound a minimum of this one time, as they typically listed such ’60s rock icons because the Beatles and Cream as prime influences early on. And lastly, one last hyperlink between the tune and psychedelia – one of many high stars of late ’60s fashionable music is talked about simply because the music begins to fade out (within the line “Jimi Hendrix, he was good”).
“Battle from the Inside” – Information of the World (1977)
Whereas “One other One Bites the Mud” is commonly credited as Queen’s first foray into dance sounds, there have been a couple of situations within the ‘70s after they received surprisingly funky. And the Taylor-penned (and Information of the World facet one nearer) “Battle from the Inside” does comprise an unmistakable dance-vibe. However in contrast to when the band ultimately fully embraced dance (specifically, facet one in every of 1982’s Sizzling House), Could’s guitar work balances out the funk with the rock on this explicit observe.
Penned completely by Taylor, the drummer additionally handles lead vocals. Lyrically, the tune seems to be about “watch out what you want for” from a rock star perspective, as evidenced by such strains as “You are simply one other image on a teenage wall” and “You are simply one other money-spinner software, you are simply one other idiot.”
Additionally, the drummer was pulling not simply double obligation on the observe, however relatively quintuple obligation (by supplying lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, bass, and extra guitar work).
And it seems that Queen was not the one different arduous rockin’ band experimenting with funk sounds round this time. Working example, such tunes as “Fame” by David Bowie, “Trampled Underfoot” by Led Zeppelin, “Final Youngster” by Aerosmith, “Dancing within the Moonlight (It is Caught Me in Its Highlight)” by Skinny Lizzy, and “One other Brick within the Wall (Half 2)” by Pink Floyd, amongst others.
“Sail Away Candy Sister” – The Recreation (1980)
Out of all of the tunes included on this checklist, the one which had one of the best shot at changing into a bona fide hit was this energy ballad from The Recreation, sung by Brian. Particularly once you assume again to the quantity of energy ballads that stormed the charts throughout the early ‘80s (“Open Arms” by Journey, “The Better of Occasions” by Styx, “Maintain On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon, and many others.), “Sail Away Candy Sister” would have made sense as a single. Which results in the plain query…why wasn’t it ever issued as a single?
Supposedly the band – or particularly, Brian – felt uncomfortable issuing a non-Freddie-sung tune as a single by the band (though Freddie does present a lead vocal cameo within the music’s bridge). And the tune follows the now-famous energy ballad music construction – smooth verses, anthemic choruses, and a searing/emotive guitar solo. So far as the music’s lyrical which means, its full title affords a clue – “Sail Away Candy Sister (To the Sister I By no means Had).” And in case you had been questioning, sure, Brian Could was an solely little one.
Though the music was by no means carried out reside by Queen, it has been by Could solo in 1998, and even by Weapons N’ Roses – or extra particularly, Axl Rose a capella – in 1992 (together with a pro-shot efficiency from Tokyo, which ultimately leads into one other a capella snippet of Grand Funk’s “Dangerous Time,” earlier than launching right into a full-band efficiency of “Candy Youngster o’ Mine”).
Greg Prato is a longtime AllMusic contributor and writer of a number of books, together with Lengthy Dwell Queen: Rock Royalty Focus on Freddie, Brian, John & Roger.
