The Cavern
Rock & Words
A DAY AT THE RACES (Queen, 1976)
Artist: Queen (C+)
Recording Dates: Jul-Nov 1976
Release Date: December 10th, 1976. UK
Record Label: EMI / Elektra
Producer: Queen
Rating: 9
Era: The Great Transition (1970-1980+)
Subgenre: Art Rock
Best Song: Somebody To Love
Tracklist: 1) Tie Your Mother Down; 2) You Take My Breath Away; 3) Long Away; 4) The Millionaire Waltz; 5) You And I; 6) Somebody To Love; 7) White Man; 8) Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy; 9) Drowse; 10) Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together).
After the spectacular A Night At The Opera in 1975, Queen had set incredibly high standards, and the whole world eagerly awaited their next album, as always happens after the release of an album of that magnitude. It's hard to say that A Day At The Races has anything wrong with it. Well, maybe "White Man". But it's still a great album, very solid, light without being banal, and still with some very rock-oriented and almost prog-like touches from Queen's early days. They're still in that transitional phase where they're neither as light as in the '80s nor as heavy as on their first albums, combining the best of both worlds. The band didn't want to take too many risks, and this album is essentially a sequel to A Night At The Opera. It even takes its name from another Marx Brothers film (the next one chronologically), and the cover is the same except for the inverted colors, using a black background and white lettering. I disagree with Starostin that the titles should have been reversed. To me, this one seems more cheerful, more daytime-like; Night has a more nocturnal atmosphere, but perhaps they should have reversed the cover colors to fully realize the idea. What is certain is that they could have easily been released as a double album.
You can't blame Queen for not taking risks. After all, this is arguably their second-best album in their entire extensive discography. That's the point. Listening to it, it falls short of A Night at the Opera in terms of overall vision. It doesn't feel so much like an album as a collection of songs, and perhaps that's what Queen lacked to truly take off and reach the level of a Led Zeppelin or a Pink Floyd: a groundbreaking album , a true masterpiece, a DSOTM. Don't get me wrong, Mercury and company are still phenomenal, and no one questions their legendary status; one can only wish for albums like these today. But despite having tremendous tracks to spare throughout their discography, they don't have albums that truly shook the world, and even A Night at the Opera relies heavily on "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be considered a landmark album. This was the main argument for the band's rating.
This is confirmed on A Day At The Races. While it's a great album, it doesn't seem to have 100% of the band on every track. I understand the idea of democracy and that May, Taylor , and Deacon contributed their own compositions; but having Brian and Roger sing them still strikes me as, more than a nice gesture from Freddie, a waste for the band, given they have the best vocalist in history. At times they sound very simplistic, at times very pretentious. The album generally works, but it has its flaws; they don't quite maintain the standard of a perfect 10, much less a landmark album.
On the other hand, this is the first album where Queen shook off their fear and produced it entirely themselves, without Roy Thomas Baker's production assistance. They once again toured various studios in England, including Sarm West, Manor, and Wessex, to achieve the atmosphere they were looking for. Mike Stone was the engineer, contributing to the album's clarity of sound and its colossal vocal performance.
Despite its imperfections, it remains a very good album and a worthy successor to A Night At The Opera. Queen maintains their classic sound (specifically that of these transitional years) with its endless layers of vocals for a spectacular, operatic sound. They retain their sense of humor (from the Marx Brothers tribute, most evident in this sort of "sequel"), continue with excellent melodic storytelling, a high level of instrumental skill, and a wide variety of genres. The thing is, although they try to sound fresh, there's a certain sense of déjà vu: "Tie Your Mother Down" is definitely better than "Death On Two Legs," but it still serves the same purpose as a kick-ass rock opener; "Somebody To Love" takes on the starring role of "Bohemian Rhapsody" on this album. And it comes pretty close: personally, it's my second favorite Queen song ever and ever. “Take My Breath Away” is beautiful, but not that far removed in mood from “Love Of My Life”, “Long Way” isn’t that different from what May already did on “39,” “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” is an improvement on the retro and cheeky vibe of “Lazy Sunday Afternoon”, and even “Drowse” seems like a slower, less punchy version of “I’m In Love With My Car”. It evokes a similar feeling to what King Crimson did with their first two albums. Even so, that’s no reason for Rolling Stone (surprise, surprise) to criticize it, saying Freddie had a passable pop voice, and predicting that Queen had no future…
The album opens with a one-minute instrumental "Intro" by Brian May. I find it colossal and magnificent, and I struggle to separate it from "Tie Your Mother Down"—I consider them one and the same. But many disagree and criticize May for this fragment of just over a minute. I see it as a continuation of the instrumental piece that closes Night At The Opera, "God Save The Queen," and I even find it superior, with Brian using the tritone and then introducing an ascending synthesizer scale that prepares us for…
“Tie Your Mother Down” is a kick-ass, unusually aggressive rocker for Queen, one that could easily have fit on their earlier albums, but surprisingly doesn't sound out of place here. The band sounds fresh and loose, with May unleashing his full guitar potential and even outshining Freddie. The song was actually written by May, and while it has a certain resemblance to “Death On Two Legs” as a powerful opener, I think it's more comparable to “Keep Yourself Alive” because of May's unusual power and because it slipped in as one of the band's “atypical” classics. Mercury plays a major role with his powerful voice, not overexerting himself, but with great attitude in his phrasing and intonation, also sounding menacing at times. The backing vocals are spectacular, using overdubs for the choruses and especially in the climactic bridge around the three-minute mark, showing that even in the most rock-oriented moments, they still skillfully incorporate operatic touches. Immediately following is one of my favorite May solos, a powerful blend of slide and blues, hard rock, setting his guitar ablaze like few others, as May can sometimes be quite mathematical. The riff is legendary, and Brian wrote it while finishing his PhD in astrophysics in Tenerife. Yes, he has a PhD in astrophysics, no less! He woke up with the tune in his head and composed the monumental riff on his Spanish guitar, singing the title along with the melody. When working on it in the studio, he considered changing it to something more fitting, but Mercury was captivated by "Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down!" The lyrics aren't particularly brilliant, they're more playful, but it's the chorus that gives it its brilliance. An iconic riff, attitude, a powerful guitar, a chorus you won't be able to get out of your head for a month… what more could you ask for? They should do more things like this, that's all ! I don't understand how it didn't make the Greatest Hits album, but for me it would be in the top ten or very, very close.
Then comes “You Take My Breath Away”, one of the most beautiful and moving ballads ever written. It’s basically just Freddie and his piano. Well, and the spectacular multitrack intro for an angelic effect. Freddie plays heartbreaking piano arpeggios over a minor key. The lyrics are incredibly sentimental. They ooze a sweetness that if anyone else sang them, it could induce a diabetic coma. But Mercury sings them with such passion that it doesn’t matter; every line truly moves you, and you buy into every verse. He sounds particularly spectacular when he sings, “ I’ll get no sleep until I find you, to tell you that you just take my breath away,” interspersed with the rest of the band’s backing vocals. Then comes a gentle, brief, and warm guitar solo, perfectly suited to the song, while they repeat the last verse, closing with a very unusual effect of a reverse arpeggiator with several layers of Freddie repeating “you take my breath away,” creating that circular effect at the end. A beautiful song. Not even honey can ruin it because of the way it's sung. The only problem is the tremendous contrast with the opening theme, which is a sudden shift from a volcanic eruption to a paradisiacal haven without any transition.
“Long Away” is a lovely ballad, with a bit more energy, written and sung by Brian. I stand by my theory that “unofficial” vocalists copy (consciously or unconsciously) the lead singer's style. The difference is obvious in range (and passion—Brian sings almost asleep here), but a non-fan's ear would hardly be able to tell it wasn't Freddie. The song is beautiful, with that guitar launching sizzling, very Byrd-esque arpeggios. It's one of the few songs where Brian doesn't use his “Red Special,” but rather a 12-string Burns to achieve that very 1965 effect. The melody is good, the guitar solo very cute, somewhat following the vocal pattern until it takes off with the tritone. John plays a good bass line , although it's a bit buried in the mix. Freddie joins in from time to time to help with the operatic backing vocals and the high notes. Although the lyrics are melancholic and lonely, I find the song cheerful and full of hope, and it ends up putting me in a good mood. Perhaps it seems unnecessary given that I already have "39," but I think this one is slightly better.
Then we have “The Millionaire Waltz”, which is indeed a waltz. It begins with one of John Deacon’s most intricate bass lines, playing with the highest notes of the bass and using tones and figures almost like an English horn. The figures he creates throughout the song are truly superb. Freddie plays a playful piano, keeping the waltz time, but making it shine with the enormous dynamism of his voice, taking us from a cheerful and carefree atmosphere to one that brings us to the verge of tears. It’s the most operatic vocal performance on the album, and I can almost picture Freddie on stage, moving back and forth. Halfway through the song, out of nowhere, the guitar ignites with some tremendous backing vocals; the song explodes, Roger adds a drum roll, and suddenly we’re in the middle of a glam rocker in the purest Broadway style. Just as quickly as it ignited, it fades away, leaving us with May playing a fun guitar solo. The song continues to build, with surprising vocal overdubs, tritones, flares, Roger running all over his drum kit at the end, a tinkling piano, and that epic final line from Freddie: “Make me feel like a millionaire.” The song is dedicated to John Reid, the band's manager at the time , which explains the playful yet friendly tone of the lyrics. Based on the dedication, it could easily be mistaken for “Dead in Two Legs” from the previous album, but really, due to its tremendous musical complexity, multi-part structure, a certain prog feel, and backing vocals, this is the “Bohemian Rhapsody” of Races. It obviously falls short, and there's a touch of pretentiousness, but it will remain one of the best bass performances in history.
Next up is “You and I” by John Deacon, but cleverly, he let Freddie sing it. Like all of Deacon's songs, it leans more towards soft pop. There's nothing wrong with that, but nothing special either. The dark bridges contrast with the brighter verses, but May's guitar solo is a plus. Well, not the solo itself, but the chugga-chugga rhythm it starts with. It has good choral effects, but it's already starting to sound more formulaic. The lyrics are corny again, although this time they're John's. I suppose they were all very much in love at the time. But the fact is that Freddie sings with a certain lack of enthusiasm; he doesn't seem to feel what he's singing. Roger does some good fills, trying to give the song a boost. I insist, it's not bad, but we're only five songs in, and three of them are ballads…
And then comes another ballad, but the mother of all Queen ballads. “Somebody To Love” is one of the songs that gave Queen its legendary status . They may not have produced monumental albums, but they have these kinds of songs that the rest of the band can only dream of making. Freddie never denied the song's gospel influences. Freddie, Roger (on the higher vocals), and Brian (on the lower ones) recorded 100 tracks to achieve the impressive, dazzling, incredible harmonies that shine throughout the entire song, creating that dialogue-like effect and a more complex instrumentation than it actually has. If you listen closely, it's really just piano, bass, and drums, with a simple rhythm section. Brian comes in at 1:40, building up to one of the most spectacular guitar solos of his career, an explosion of color and melody, playing with almost the same passion as Freddie sings. Who, by the way, delivers the performance of his life. He'll reach higher notes in other songs, but here he sings with an otherworldly passion. He's not just "performing" the song, he's living it, tearing himself apart inside! The moment when everyone falls silent at the false ending at the 3-minute mark and the long crescendo begins with "Find me somebody to loooove," with Taylor pounding the drums in the background, leading up to the polyphonic explosion of voices, has to be one of the most glorious moments in rock history. Then Freddie finishes a cappella with a soaring "Somebody toooOOOOOOO," a pause, suspense, and ends with another "loooooOOOOve" in which his soul pours out with the long scale he hits, before the coda begins and the piano finishes with a tinkling melody. Wow! The song is perfect, not only because of the incredibly complex way Mercury sings and the immense army of nonexistent clones responding to him. The desperation with which he sings must be genuine. Either that, or Freddie is the greatest vocal actor in history. The passion with which he performs the song is heartbreaking, and I don't know if they're his best lyrics, but I think they're the most honest, at least until he realized he was dying. I've always complained about Queen's lyrics, but this time I take my hat off to lines like "Can barely stand on my feet, Take a look in the mirror and cry, Lord what you're doing to me" or "They say I'm goin' crazy, They say I got a lot of water in my brain," in one of the most unusual yet moving phrases I've ever heard. I mean, on this album everyone was dedicating love songs to their wives; can you imagine Freddie's desperation and helplessness? Today, Mercury's homosexuality is common knowledge, but later his bandmates revealed that he struggled quite a bit during that time. He really couldn't find true love; he was a rather solitary figure. Yes, I must admit, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is far more complex and perfect, a magnum opus. But this one is much more emotional, and unlike “Bohemian,” “Somebody To Love” manages to overwhelm me with its tremendous beauty and sincerity. Without fear of being wrong or regretting it at some point, it's my second favorite Queen song.
Unfortunately, "White Man" follows, and they completely ruin the delicate mood they'd established. It's so awful that I'm surprised Taylor doesn't sing it, because Freddie practically butchers the song like Roger. I understand that Brian is trying to critique the USA from the perspective of a Native American facing the white invaders who come to steal their land; it's one of Queen's few political songs... the attempted riff and melody try to emulate something Native American, and May's guitar has moments of a Western feel. But it just doesn't work. It's pseudo-prog with a very weak melody, a terrible vocal performance from Freddie, and a distorted guitar that sounds like a diesel engine. Roger is perhaps saved by a spectacular drum performance, but the song itself is a waste of over 5 minutes that mars the album and prevents it from being a perfect 10.
Thankfully, “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” continues with its lighthearted style and sense of humor to pull us out of our rut. It's a light, very retro song with a Music Hall feel. It begins as a ballad with a great, very McCartney-esque melody and cute piano arrangements, before taking off at 1:20 with a cymbal crash from Roger and that incredibly catchy mid-tempo rhythm: “Ooh love - Ooh Loverbooooooooooy, What're you doin' tonight, hey boy.” It's intoxicating from beginning to end, with each of its constant changes: the serenade-like intro that evokes tango, the incredibly catchy chorus, the following darker verses, but without losing its humor and theatricality, then the lullaby-like section at 1:20 with an incredible vocal arrangement, before moving on to a dark and menacing mini-section at 1:45: “Hey boy where do you get it from, Hey boy where did you go?” Then we move on to the fun guitar solo where May seems to be answering himself with his Red Special. The lyrics are lovely. I suppose if the others were dedicating songs to their wives, Freddie wanted to do something as close as possible on this album. He hadn't yet fully embraced his sexuality at this time, although I think the song's message is very clear. It's a really good song, another great bass line from Deacon, with great attitude, a sense of humor, multi-part guitar, a retro feel, a great guitar solo, layers and layers of vocals, and it stays in your head for months… what more could we ask for?
And here comes the fly in the ointment of every Queen album. “Drowse” isn't actually that bad, at least not as bad as “White Man.” But it seems like Roger took “I'm In Love With My Car,” stripped it of all its punch and attitude, and spat out Drowse. The vocal performance is terrible, even by Roger's standards. It sounds like he was asleep when he recorded it. And May just keeps sliding his guitar up and down his arm, over and over again. Really . It lulls you to sleep , but It could be worse .
The album closes with “Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”, a tribute from May to the band's massive Japanese fanbase . Brian plays the piano; apparently, it's the only Queen song where Mercury doesn't play it. Freddie sings with a particularly theatrical and dramatic tone. There's an entire verse sung in Japanese. It's not a huge difference, though; the rest of the lyrics are unintelligible anyway. Oh, and the sections with a choir, which seems to be made up of children and not half a trillion Freddie-May-Taylor clones—apparently, also a one-off in their discography! The song itself isn't bad, but it's nothing special, and it's even a bit boring. It sounds like a preview of the lackluster tracks of the '80s. But it's not catastrophic either. It closes with a keyboard scale that, with a lot of imagination, could be joined to the beginning of "Tie Your Mother Down" (after the guitar intro and Taylor's "gong"), giving the album a very subtle circular effect.
It's not a perfect album, but it's still a great one, featuring at least four of the band's timeless classics. You can criticize it all you want, but it's still highly enjoyable, fluid, and varied, showcasing Queen at their best in their many facets, doing precisely what made them legendary: top-tier rock, without being overly complex or complacent. (Overly is the key word.) They rarely rock as hard as "Tie Your Mother," open their hearts as deeply as "Somebody To Love," or are as fun as "Old Fashioned." Freddie is at his vocal peak, and instrumentally, the band displays great balance. They exaggerate in some parts and err on the side of simplicity in others, but overall, it's a good album. For better or worse, they won't release albums as consistent as this pair of twins: Night & Day, which together, I think, comprise three- quarters of their Greatest Hits. Perhaps that's what they needed to jump to that next level, to release it as one of the best double albums in history...
By Corvan
Oct/23/2013
