Queen II: Difference between revisions

 

===="Father to Son"====

"Father to Son" was written by May and features [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] sections as well as quiet piano parts, in which both May and Mercury played. Like "Procession", "Father to Son" has parts with May on multi-tracked guitar played through the Deacy Amp. It is written from the father's perspective when talking or thinking about his son. Queen immediately added "Father to Son" to their live setlists. In 1975, it was dropped from live shows, but revived a few times in 1976. The song covers a two-octave range: Mercury (G3-A4), Taylor (G4-A5).

 

===Side Black===

===="Ogre Battle"====

 

The song is one of Queen's heaviest works. The [[Riff|guitar riff]] and Taylor's drumming give it a very "thrash" sound. The [[ogre]]-like screams in the middle are Mercury's, and the high harmonies at the end of the chorus [[hook (music)|hook]] are sung by Taylor. As the title suggests, it tells the story of a battle between ogres, and features a May guitar solo and [[sound effect]]s to simulate the sounds of a battle. The opening of the song is actually the end of the song played in reverse.

 

===="The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke"====

Mercury was inspired by [[Richard Dadd]]'s painting ''[[The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke]]'' at the [[Tate Gallery]] in London. The fantasy-based lyrics make direct reference to characters and vignettes detailed in the painting and in Dadd's companion poem, [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Elimination_of_a_Picture_%26_its_Subject%E2%80%94called_The_Fellers%27_Master_Stroke ''Elimination of a Picture & its Subject—called The Feller's Master Stroke.''] Characters include [[Queen Mab]], Waggoner Will, the Tatterdemalion, and others. The use of the word "[[quaere]]" in the twice-repeated line "What a quaere fellow" has no reference to Mercury's sexuality, according to Roger Taylor.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke by Queen |website=SongFacts |url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/queen/the-fairy-fellers-master-stroke|access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref>

 

 

==Artwork and packaging==

 

Rock photographer [[Mick Rock]] was engaged to create the album's artwork.<ref name="Rock">{{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6613107.stm | title = Photographer lives the Rock dream | last = Pryor | first = Fiona |work=BBC News | date = 10 May 2007 | access-date =27 August 2011}}</ref> In Rock's words, the band wanted to "graft some of [the trademark] decadent 'glam' sensibility" of his previous work with artists such as David Bowie, [[Iggy Pop]] and [[Lou Reed]]. According to Rock, Queen were looking to grab people's attention with the cover, especially since their first album had failed to do so. "They realised that if you could catch people's eyes you could get them interested in the music."<ref name="VH1">Hamrogue, Sasha; Bottomley, C. "[http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1489621/07222004/bowie_david.jhtml Mick Rock: Shooting Up] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808005629/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1489621/07222004/bowie_david.jhtml |date=8 August 2007 }}". [[VH1]]. 22 July 2004. Retrieved on 8 February 2010.</ref>

 

;Queen

*[[Brian May]] – electric guitar {{small|(all)}}, backing vocals {{small|(2, 4, 6–11)}}, acoustic guitar {{small|(2–5, 10)}}, lead vocals {{small|(4)}}, bells {{small|(9)}}, piano {{small|(2)}}

*[[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]] (credited as Roger Meddows-Taylor) – drums {{small|(all but 8)}}, backing vocals {{small|(2, 4–11)}}, lead vocals {{small|(5)}}, additional vocals {{small|(9)}}, [[gong]] {{small|(3, 6)}}, [[marimba]] {{small|(5)}}, tambourine {{small|(2, 11)}} percussion