Queen Sheer Heart Attack LP 1975 Australian original with g/f insert

 

Original Australian pressing on Elektra with gatefold insert

 

Queen’s third studio album, was recorded between July and September 1974, at four different studios in England and Wales (Trident, Wessex, Rockfield and Air). It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker, with the ever dependable Mike Stone as engineer.

 

Somewhat of a departure from the first two albums, Sheer Heart Attack had much more of a group feel about it, a coherence not possible to achieve previously because of the erratic way in which its predecessors were recorded. The first album, for example, was famously recorded in ‘downtime’ with the band permitted to use Trident studios only when no one else was using it. This album by contrast was recorded without those distractions in more calm and orthodox conditions, and ultimately gave rise to a strong and greatly diverse piece of work containing several of the band’s best loved classics. This was much more of an accomplishment than might be apparent, given that Brian May was absent from many sessions due to contracting Hepatitis while on tour in America in May and only being available to record his guitar and vocal parts relatively late in the proceedings. It was far from ideal, but none of this is evident on the final work, and more than three decades on the album remains a firm favourite among Queen devotees. It has consistently been voted in the top 5 favourite albums in fan poles.

 

Sheer Heart Attack is a more ‘pop’ orientated work than its two predecessors, and indeed Killer Queen was the song that provided the band with the international hit, and acclaim, that Seven Seas Of Rhye never quite achieved. Brian would later observe, “For some strange reason we seemed to get a rather different feel on Sheer Heart Attack because of the way we were forced to record it (referring to his illness) and even allowing for all the problems we had, none of us were really displeased with the final result.” Roger Taylor, "It's my favourite. It holds together very well. It's much more concise. It's very varied and dynamic. The different sounds were pleasing".

 

Freddie Mercury’s Killer Queen – for which he would later be awarded his first Ivor Novello award - is the best known song on the album of course, but the opening track Brighton Rock, from Brian, is archetypical early Queen and would soon become a favourite and firm fixture of the live show of the day.

 

Now I’m Here, written by Brian in hospital after again being taken ill in August (in the middle of recording), this time with a duodenal ulcer. The song was inspired by the English rock band, and Queen friends, Mott The Hoople, with a rather dejected Brian reflecting on life on the road with Mott the previous year, and upon his uncertain future.

 

Other lesser known but equally accomplished tracks are Freddie’s piano ballad Lily Of The Valley, containing mention of ‘Messenger from Seven Seas’ and ‘The King Of Rhye’, In The Lap Of The Gods, In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited and the jovial Bring Back That Leroy Brown (featuring Brian May on ukulele-banjo). John Deacon’s first ever composition for Queen, the charming Misfire, on which he plays almost all guitars, appears on this album too, as does Roger Taylor’s intriguing Tenement Funster with Roger providing the lead vocal. Brian’s often overlooked She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilletoes), complete with authentic New York nightmare sounds (if you’ve ever wondered what all the strange noises are on that track), and the sublime Dear Friends with Brian on piano and a heart rending vocal delivered by Freddie, also highlight the album.

 

Like the previous album, Queen II, the front cover image was photographed by Queen’s good friend Mick Rock - the man of whom it was said, ‘captured the 70s’. To achieve the unique look we see on the cover, the band members were smeared in Vaseline and then sprayed with water to achieve a very particular and some might say ‘odd’ look. Nevertheless, it had the desired effect, as the Sheer Heart Attack cover is both arresting and memorable.

 

 

Side 1:

 

1. Brighton Rock

2. Killer Queen

3. Tenement Funster

4. Flick of the Wrist

5. Lily of the Valley

6. Now I'm Here

 

Side 2:

 

7. In the Lap of the Gods

8. Stone Cold Crazy

9. Dear Friends

10. Misfire

11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown

12. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes)

13. In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited

 

 

CONDITION:

 

SLEEVE: EX+ (bump at bottom of spine)

 

RECORD: NM

 

 

 

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