QUEEN
Queen I 2CD Deluxe Edition
2024 EMI Records
Freddie Mercury: Vocals, piano
Brian May: Guitar, piano, vocals
John Deacon: Bass
Roger Taylor: Percussion, vocals
After waiting nearly two weeks for the package to arrive from overseas, the 2024 remix of QUEEN's debut album finally arrived in my hands. Note: There is also a 'Collector's Edition' of this release that includes six CDs of demos, backing tracks and other mixes, and is over four and a half hours long (more on that later). This is a review of the 2024 remix album and the Queen I Sessions bonus disc only.
Overview:
I have always loved QUEEN's debut album, titled eponymously and originally released on July 13, 1973 by EMI in the UK and September 4, 1973 by Elektra in the USA. This album takes a backseat to Queen II (1974) on my list of favorites by the band, but man -- what a fantastic debut album! I first heard it on vinyl, and I'm thankful for that experience. Originally recorded and mixed during unused time at De Lane Lea Studios and Trident Studios in London by Roy Thomas Baker, April through November 1972, Queen was always seen by the band themselves as a record of disappointing sonic quality. They were told the sound would be "fixed in the mix" by Baker at the time, and it was not. Eventually, engineer Mike Stone took a shot at mixing the album and the band said 'OK' to his mix, but were never fully satisfied. Now, over 50 years later, it has finally been remixed with 2024 technology and renamed Queen I. This album could easily be subtitled "Justice For Roger Taylor", because his drums sound so much better here than in the original mix, it's ear-opening. Roger did not get to play his own drums originally on this album, and was forced to play an inferior set that was available in the studio at the time. Roger really is a great drummer, and this remix might make you appreciate him even more. To be honest, the entire album sounds 1,000 times better, as one would expect it to, and it's just fascinating to hear. This remix was overseen by Roger Taylor and Brian May, and produced by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae and Kris Fredriksson. The remix has gained criticism for pitch-correcting the vocals, but that was to be expected. John Deacon's bass work is much punchier and louder in this mix, which was definitely needed, and Brian's guitar work is highlighted as you would expect as well.
CD1: Queen I - 2024 Remix
Track one is of course the band's first ever single, Brian's "Keep Yourself Alive", an important track (despite the world mostly ignoring it in 1973) because it introduced the world to QUEEN. The song dishes out a bigger sound in the remix.
"Doing All Right" sounds better than just "all right" here as well, and the dynamics of this song are easier to hear in this remix.
Freddie's "Great King Rat" benefits greatly from the remix-- there's much more definition all around, especially in Roger's big beat drumming.
"Mad The Swine" is a formerly lost track (it was featured on the 1991 remaster as a bonus track) and is restored here to the fourth song in the track order.
"My Fairy King" is one of the key songs that would precipitate what the band did on Queen II the next year, and the vocals sound fuller and richer here than ever.
"Liar" starts off what is side two on the vinyl, and this remix makes you realize all over again just how great this side is. "Liar" is the only other single originally released from the album, and it's one of the tracks that defines the album for me. This remix greatly boosts the vocals, guitars and once again, Roger's drums. I'm getting more from John's bass work in this remix as well. The jam section in the middle sounds particularly good as well.
Brian's "The Night Comes Down" had a promotional video released ahead of this remix (find it on YouTube) and the remix will have you enjoying the song with fresh ears. It's another paradigm from this 'side' of classic songs (and probably could have been a single). Roger's drumming once again is accentuated.
Speaking of Roger, the wallop of his amazing vocal performance on "Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" is next, and sounds crisp as ever. It's one of my favorite songs on the album.
"Son And Daughter" is possibly the closest the band came to LED ZEPPELIN's sound on Queen I and this rocker from Brian still sits up high on my list of favorites.
Freddie's song, "Jesus", is a track that I think benefits a ton from this remix, as it came across a little thin on the original mix. Here it sounds far more regal and significant.
The album closes with the short version of Freddie's "Seven Seas of Rhye...", a song that was not completely finished here, and would eventually find a place on Queen II (and become the band's first hit single). The piano, drums, guitar and bass are all punched up higher in this remix.
CD 2: Queen I Sessions
The second disc contains 12 outtakes from the studio sessions where the band hammered out these songs and fine-tuned them.
"Keep Yourself Alive" is take 13, which actually sounds pretty close to the final version, minus the polish that would come later. It's interesting to hear.
"Doing All Right" is a more nascent version of the song, this was before the big chorus was added and sounds like what the band would do if they were performing the song "Unplugged".
"Great King Rat" is also an early acoustic-filled version, but otherwise fairly close to how the song ended up sounding despite some of the missing lyrics.
"Mad The Swine" features Brian calling out Freddie in his original last name "Bulsara" (actually sounds like he calls him "Bulsari" here, but still funny to hear) and the way Freddie sings the guide vocal and the band telling each other they "fucked up" is a laugh!
"My Fairy King" is an early version of the song, described as a "backing track in development" before vocals were added.
"Liar" is shockingly, the first take; it sounds fantastic. The band did not deviate too far from this early version, and at the end Freddie says, "Keep that one!"
"The Night Comes Down" features Brian figuring out his intro guitar riff, and once that gets going, the rest pretty closely resembles the final version despite the missing vocal overdubs.
"Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll" is composed of takes eight and nine, before vocals had been added.
"Son And Daughter" features early takes, and mostly lyrics that are fairly close to the final version.
"Jesus" sounds like a shell of the final version, and Freddie did not have most of the lyrics completed yet.
"Seven Seas of Rhye..." is take three, and finds Freddie developing the piano riff that made the song famous.
This disc ends with "See What A Fool I've Been" which is a test session track, (which was originally the B-side of "Seven Seas of Rhye" from the album Queen II) in 1974. It was never one of QUEEN's stronger B-sides, but it's interesting to hear it in its development here.
Packaging:
The album cover artwork (based on an early live photo) has been digitally reworked by Sir Brian May himself. The colors are more in line with what the original UK album cover looked like (versus the reddish tint of the US version) and retains a more regal purple. It also keeps the spotlight coming from the top left side, with additional spotlights seen on the right side above the figure of Freddie, which is smaller but still in the bottom right corner similar to the UK release. The QUEEN logo stays at the top right corner and is now embossed in gold, and the name has been updated to reflect the new title Queen I. This is an improved version in my opinion. The back cover montage was painstakingly recreated by Richard Gray - impressive to be sure, as this montage has over 40 photos! The 25-page hard cover digibook is quite nicely designed and features photos and notes from the recording sessions in 1972, as well as full lyrics (something not included in the original album). The vinyl doesn't include the photos and notes like the CD, but it has full lyrics.
Conclusion:
I bought the vinyl LP for its sound quality and the CD for comparison and packaging, and the bonus disc of session outtakes. I did find that the vinyl sounds superb; I have listened to it over and over. I listened to the CD in my car as well as home stereo and it sounds just fine. Overall, this new 2024 remix is fantastic and well worth the money I spent to get it in my hands. Thanks to Brian May and Roger Taylor for putting forth the effort and making this remix special for the fans, it gets a big thumbs up from this lifelong fan. If you are a fan of the band's first album, I think you will find this remix to be intriguing. As I mentioned earlier, if you crave even more, you can purchase the 'Collector's Edition', which contains 63 tracks (with 43 brand new mixes): the remix vinyl plus six CDs: the remix of the debut album, the sessions, the demos, the backing tracks, At The BBC, and a live disc (which includes an obscure live version of "Hangman"), as well as four band member photos, a poster recreation of the back cover montage, and a huge 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia, all housed in a really cool purple box. This was a little too rich for my blood at this time, but maybe one day!
I have enjoyed revisiting this album again, and I hope the band considers doing this treatment to Queen II as well. Not that it needs a remix as much as this debut album did, but just to hear what they would come up with, as I'm sure it would be as exciting and interesting as this one is. QUEEN fans check this out, it's available online and most retail outlets. QUEEN forever!
5.0 Out Of 5.0
