So the B’s latest musical fascination is Queen’s “Bicycle Race” from the 1978 album “Jazz.”
You know, Queen. Yes, that Queen of “We Will Rock You” fame. You know, Jazz, the album with the naked female bicycle race (god, do I remember it!). But, there was some excellent music too.
Few bands embodied the pure excess of the '70s like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of prog rock and heavy metal, as well as vaudevillian music hall, the British quartet delved deeply into camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen's music was a bizarre yet highly accessible fusion of the macho and the fey. - All Music Guide
"Macho and the fey" is absolutely perfect. Fey! Exactly.
And, sure, now that I think of it, “Bicycle Race” is the perfect device for introduction to prog rock, math rock and metal for a four-year-old child. It’s silly on the surface (like me). Filled with a bunch of then-current pop references and an advertisement for a bicycle race. But, you know what? It smokes. The guitar sounds are huge, the time shifts from 4/4 to 6/8 to 4/4, competing duple and triple meters, dueling guitars, perfect execution, and tasty bass (John Deacon, right?) make Bicycle fun and challenging if you get into it (over and over like I’m hearing it lately). And, of note, the drumming is first rate. Seriously. Sure Freddy Mercury is the front man for this iconic quartet, but you cannot say that Brian May and Roger Taylor are not bad ass performers. Yeah, Queen rocks. Good for the B. Good for me!
“Bicycle Race” catches Queen at the very top of their trip. They are playing clean and hard, they are jamming about nonsense, insider goofs. They are in the zone and ahead of the beat. They are perfect.
"I don't want to be a candidate for Viet Nam or Watergate."
Posts
