Capítulo IV. Funciones de la cultura
IV.- FUNCIONES DE LA CULTURA
4.1. Funciones en relación con el consenso
"Seven Seas of Rhye" had been half-written at the time of recording for Queen's first album, so a short clip of it was included there. However, when Queen finished the song, it ended up being much different from what they'd first envisioned. It was the band's first hit single, peaking at #10 in the UK charts.[31]
The song, like many of the songs on the album, and on Queen and Sheer Heart Attack, is about a fantasy world named Rhye. The song became a live favourite throughout Queen's existence. It features a distinctive arpeggiated piano introduction – on the Queen II recording, the arpeggios are played with both the right and left hands, an octave apart, whereas on the Queen recording, and most live performances, Mercury played the simpler one-handed version of these arpeggios. The theme also appears at the end of "It's a Beautiful Day (reprise)" on the album Made In Heaven. This version ends with a cross fade, instruments blending into a "singsong"-style rendition of "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside".
The seven seas of Rhye are also mentioned in another Queen song, "Lily of the Valley" from Sheer Heart Attack; in the lyric "Messenger from Seven Seas has flown/To tell the king of Rhye he's lost his throne".
Queen comments on the record
“
(On the concept of Side White and Side Black) Well... that was a concept that we developed at the time... it doesn't have any special meaning.But we were fascinated with these types of things... the wardrobe that we used at the time described it perfectly well...
”
—Freddie Mercury[32]
“
The most important thing to me was the Queen II album going into the charts -- especially satisfying that, since the first one didn't do so well.It's nice to see some recognition for your work though I don't usually worry too much. Roger tends to worry more about what's happening on
that side.
”
—John Deacon[33]
“
I hated the title of the second album, Queen II, it was so unimaginative.”
—Roger Taylor[34]
Personnel
• Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, harpsichord
• Brian May - electric guitars, acoustic guitar, bells on "The March of the Black Queen", lead vocals on "Some Day One Day", backing vocals, piano and organ on "Father to Son"
• Roger Taylor - drums, gong, marimba, backing vocals, additional vocals on one line of "The March of The Black Queen", lead vocals on "The Loser in the End"
• John Deacon - bass guitar, acoustic guitars With
• Roy Thomas Baker - castanets on "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke", stylophone on "Seven Seas Of Rhye".
• Robin Cable - piano effects (with Mercury) on "Nevermore"
Production
• All songs produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker excluding:
• "Nevermore" and "Funny How Love Is" - Robin Cable and Queen
• "The March of the Black Queen" - Baker, Cable and Queen
Chart performance
Chart (1974) Peak position
Canadian Albums Chart[35] 40
Norwegian Albums Chart[36] 19
UK Albums Chart[37] 5
U.S. Billboard 200[38] 49
2011 re-issue
On 8 November 2010, record company Universal Music announced a remastered and expanded reissue of the album set for release in May 2011. This as part of a new record deal between Queen and Universal Music, which meant Queen's association with EMI would come to an end after almost 40 years. According to Universal Music, all Queen albums are to be remastered and reissued in 2011.
References
[1] Stephen Thomas Erlewine Queen II (http://www.allmusic.com/album/queen-ii-r687302/review) Allmusic. Retrieved 14 August 2011 [2] Queen: First Five Albums Reissued - 14th March (http://queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-first-five-albums-re-issued-march-14th/
) Queen Online. Retrieved 14 August 2011
[3] Mark Hodkinson (2004) Queen: The Early Years (http://books.google.com/books?id=3ZMQXF9O8x0C&pg=PT240&dq='Queen+II'+
was+the+sort+of+emotional+music+we'd+always+wanted+to+be+able+to+play,+although+we+couldn't+play+most+of+it+on+
Stage+because+it+was+too+Complicated.&hl=en&ei=LptZTuioNIqAOtffuJ4M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&
ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q='Queen II' was the sort of emotional music we'd always wanted to be able to play, although we couldn't play most of it on Stage because it was too Complicated.&f=false) Omnibus Press, 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2011
[4] Pryor, Fiona (10 May 2007). "Photographer lives the Rock dream" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6613107.stm). BBC News.
. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
[5] Hamrogue, Sasha; Bottomley, C. " Mick Rock: Shooting Up (http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1489621/07222004/bowie_david.
jhtml)". VH1. 22 July 2004. Retrieved on 8 February 2010.
[6] IOANNIS " Classic Rock Art - Queen II (http://www.dangerousage.com/classiccovers/index.php?page=queen-ii)". IOANNIS - More than meets the I. Dangerous Age Graphics. May 2008. Retrieved on 8 February 2010.
[7] " Mick Rock still behind the lens (http://photo.box.sk/about.php3?id=64)". Photo Box. Box Network Ltd. Retrieved on 8 February 2010.
[8] Queen Biography 1974 (http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/bio_view.aspx?q=6)
[9] Roger Taylor, Queen Street interview (archived at queenonline.com) (http://www.queenonline.com/history/48/) [10] Gunn, Jacky; Jenkins, Jim. Queen. As It Began. London: Sidgwick & Jackson. 1992. pp. 75–77. ISBN 0-283-06052-2.
[11] Barnes, Ken. " Queen II review (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/111006/review/5944771?utm_source=Rhapsody&
utm_medium=CDreview)". 20 June 1974. Retrieved on 16 January 2010.
[12] Christgau, Robert. " Queen: Consumer Guide Reviews (http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3505&name=Queen)".
RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved on 16 January 2010.
[13] Disc, end-of-year list, December 1974
[14] "Closet classics: Albums tuned out by the public". Post-Tribune. 3 July 1987. Retrieved 28 August 2010. Excerpt (http://www.highbeam.
com/doc/1N1-10853B09CF536D18.html) at HighBeam Research (registration required for complete article).
[15] Guinness: All-time top 1000 albums (http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/larkin1000_94.htm). 1994. Archived at rocklistmusic.co.uk
[16] Q, "The 50 Best British Albums Ever", July 2003 ( list archived at www.muzieklijstjes.nl (http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/
Q50bestbritishalbumsever.htm))
[17] The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever! (http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/kerrang.html). Kerrang!. 19 Feb 2005. Archived at rocklistmusic.co.uk
[18] Classic Rock/Metal Hammer, "The 200 Greatest Albums of the 70s", March 2006
[19] Hall, Russell. " 10 Classic Glam Rock Albums (http://uk.music.ign.com/articles/911/911720p2.html)". IGN. 20 September 2008.
Retrieved on 16 January 2010.
[20] The 60 Greatest Elektra Albums (http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo_p3.htm). Mojo. November 2010. Archived at rocklistmusic.co.uk
[21] 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/1001albums.htm)
[22] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. " Queen II overview (http://www.allmusic.com/album/r687302)".Allmusic. Retrieved on 16 January 2010.
[23] The Quietus: Queen: The Gems Beyond The Gilded Headgear Of The Greatest Hits (http://thequietus.com/articles/
03315-queen-finding-the-gems-beyond-the-gilded-headgear-of-the-greatest-hits)
[24] Steve Vai Interview (http://queenonline.com/en/news-archive/steve-vai-on-brian-may/) Queen Online. Retrieved August 19, 2011 [25] James, Del. "The Rolling Stone Interview: Axl Rose (Part I)". Rolling Stone. 10 August 1989.
[26] "Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins talks about the records that changed his life". Melody Maker. 14 August 1993.
[27] e.g., Guitar World, October 1998.
[28] Queen live on tour: Sheer Heart Attack: Setlist (http://www.queenconcerts.com/live/queen/sha.html) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
[29] Queen live on tour: A Night At The Opera: Setlist (http://www.queenconcerts.com/live/queen/anato.html) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
[30] Queen live on tour: Summer 1976 :Setlist (http://www.queenconcerts.com/live/queen/summer76.html) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
[31] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited [32] Conecte (http://qliverecordings.tripod.com/concertography/article10.html)
[33] Music Star 24 August 1974 (http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=John_Deacon_-_08-24-1974_-_Music_Star) [34] Record Mirror 24 May 1975 (http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Roger_Taylor_-_05-24-1975_-_Record_Mirror) [35] Queen II (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=53gtrvbfj0gk7r9b4sd40dtvu0&q1=Queen+
II&q2=Top+Albums/CDs&interval=50) collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 14 August 2011 [36] Queen II (http://www.norwegiancharts.com/) norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 14 August 2011 [37] Queen II (http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=37678) Chart Stats. Retrieved 14 August 2011
[38] Queen - Billboard (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/queen-p5205/charts-awards/billboard-albums) Allmusic. Retrieved 14 August 2011
External links
• Queen II (http://www.queenonline.com/history/65/) at Queen Online, the band's official website.
• Tate Gallery: Richard Dadd's "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke" (http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/
ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=2979&searchid=7731&tabview=work)
• Queen II (http://www.queenpedia.com/index.php?title=Queen_II) at Queenpedia