Queen Plans Lavish Queen II Reissue
Queen will release a lavish "Queen II" box set featuring previously unreleased outtakes and live recordings from the band's classic era. The edition is expected to include alternate versions, restored concert tracks, and rare memorabilia from one of rock's most influential albums.
- The original 1974 album was unconventionally structured, with the two sides of the vinyl labeled "Side White" and "Side Black" instead of A and B. Brian May wrote most of the more emotional "Side White," while Freddie Mercury was responsible for the darker, fantasy-themed "Side Black." - Upon its release, *Queen II* received a mixed critical reception, with one Rolling Stone review calling it a "floundering and sadly unoriginal affair." Despite this, it became the band's breakthrough album in their home country, reaching No. 5 on the U.K. charts. - The album is considered a landmark in the development of the band's signature sound, being the first to heavily feature the multi-layered vocal harmonies and intricate guitar overdubs that would define their later work. It has been described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as "a pillar of grandiose, assaultive hard rock." - The album's only single, "Seven Seas of Rhye," became Queen's first chart hit in the U.K., thanks in part to a last-minute appearance on the TV show *Top of the Pops* after David Bowie was unable to perform. - The iconic cover photograph by Mick Rock, featuring the band members in a diamond formation against a black background, was later recreated by the band for the music video for their 1975 masterpiece, "Bohemian Rhapsody." - One track expected to be on the reissue is the long-lost song "Not for Sale (Polar Bear)." The song was recorded for *Queen II* but didn't make the final album, and a version was recently played for the first time by guitarist Brian May.
