Customer Reviews

Classic Album: The Making of A Night at the Opera [UMD for PSP]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful addition to the excellent "Classic Albums" collection. This was truly a ground breaking album in late 1975 and is broken down on this DVD in order of the original track listing. I am consistently pleased with the quality of sound and video of the "Classic Album" DVD's (this being my 4th; the others: Pink Floyd, Deep Purple & Stevie Wonder). This, like the others brings back key individuals that helped to make the album a success and a notch above others (i.e.: original engineers, music critics, fellow musicians and DJ's). They describe how no synthesizers were used for their sound. Multi-tracking, piano flourishes, a harp, a ukulele, and multi-layered guitars all combine for a great and unique sound.

A few highlights:

* A frustrated Freddie Mercury taking out his aggressions lyrically on their previous management in the opening song "Death on Two Legs". They had been taken advantage of financially previous to this album.

* A tale of the very shy bassist John Deacon who contributed very few songs in his career but they were critical and outstanding ones to the group. Brian and Roger tell of how he sheepishly introduces "You're My Best Friend" to them and Freddie. Of course they loved it and Freddie making it a classic vocal with John on keyboards.

* "'39". A "great" Brian May song that he revisits in great detail and sings in a new full acoustic version and in some original archived footage. This has always been one of my favorite songs by anyone but never realized it was about space travel. Now I know why it has some similarities to the Moody Blues "To Our Children's Children's Children" album also about space travel a few years earlier in 1970.

* "Love of My Life". Also one of my personal favorites and an incredibly beautiful song. This was a song Freddie had written about a "woman" he loved which it also explains in pictures. Not only is there some great footage on this but also some great bonus footage of him (appears to be at Wembley where he sings acoustically to a few 100 thousand people. What an incredible performance and performer! A MUST SEE! Also a touching new acoustic version by Brian on this track too.

* In depth details on "Bohemian Rhapsody". Music video footage, sound board separations and great archival live performances.

* Audio: 5 stars (new footage & studio recordings); 3-4 Stars (old footage)

* Video: 5 Stars (new footage); 3-4 Stars (old footage)

* Bonus Features: 5 Stars

Song List (as presented here):

* Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to ...)

* Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

* I'm in Love with my Car

* You're My Best Friend

* '39

* Sweet Lady

* Seaside Rendezvous

* The Prophets Song

* Love of my Life

* Good Company

* Bohemian Rhapsody

* God Save the Queen

1975's landmark album "A Night At The Opera" by Queen has since become known as

their breakthrough into rock superstardom! This is the first Queen album that

I ever bought, though they had done three albums before this one.

This album changed the way rock albums were looked at in the 70's,

in the same way that The Beatle's "Sgt. Pepper" had changed the way

pop albums were looked at in the 60's!

When I first heard "Bohemian Rhapsody", at age 13, (I didn't hear it until 1977)

I couldn't believe what I was hearing and had to hear it another 4 or 5 more times

for it too sink in! I became a Queen/Freddie Mercury fan from that point on!

It was incredible in '75 and still is the most unique and original musical piece

that Rock has ever produced, IMHO!---It also extended the time standards on what

the length of a single record could be.

Queen fought for this song (Bohemian Rhapsody) to be released in it's entirety,

(almost 6 minutes!) instead of being edited to death into a 3 minute single like

alot of music was done at that time. It butchered alot of great music and took

away from it's impact. This was also during the time when FM radio was taking over,

and playing whole albums and not just singles, so that people were able to hear Queen's

whole vision in a way that had never been done before!

Queen also were innovators in pioneering a visual process and promotional tool

which was still in it's infancy in 1975....the music video!

Today, when you look at that primitive video, you realize what a revelation

Queen was in rock history! Of course, the rest of the album was incredible too,

and this DVD is a great behind-the-scenes documentary with the surviving members

of Queen sharing their thought / creative processes in putting this landmark album together.

The original engineer is on hand too to share alot of the sonic brilliance which went

into it's production and of course, the genius of the late great Freddie Mercury

is replete throughout! Lots of great behind-the-scenes footage and film from that

time period are present as well throughout this DVD.

I'm so glad that I bought this DVD, and I think you will be too!

Queen has always been a band that either repels people because late frontman Freddie Mercury was too over the top, or draws the most loyal of fans because they have the ability to recognize them for the 4-piece audio wunderkind that they are. I consider them--unlike so many people have called Led Zeppelin--the Beatles of the 70s, and A Night at the Opera their Sgt. Pepper. Why this is so is quite simple, and this video will back it up like nothing else if you don't already think the album doesn't stand on its own merits:

These days, anyone can make albums with all kinds of dynamic effects due to cost efficient and easily operated technology. Just like their predecessors, the Fab Four, and their peers, Pink Floyd, the groundbreaking sounds they put on this album in particular were costly due to time and effort, but that's part of what makes these especially notable albums more appreciable than a lot that have been released since Boston came along. This DVD takes you into the studio with the co-creators and the band, giving you a track-by-track explanation of all the songs and how they came about. I love the songs "'39" and "Good Company" best, so this is just a wonderful asset for anybody who's really into the album. I love the fact that Brian pays such great homage to John Deacon as a contributing songwriter, because his tunes--few as they were--were some of the most melodic and lyrically well thought out that Freddie ever sang on. Brian proves throughout that he's a guitarist who deserves to be placed in the same league as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, and Roger Taylor demonstrates exactly why he DOESN'T suck as a drummer!

The only gripe I really have about the DVD is that they could have at least included the full-length videos for "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "You're My Best Friend" under the special features section, which actually makes the bio a 4.5 in my opinion, but there is more than enough here to enjoy, and I certainly hope you do! This was my first in the line of Classic Album DVD's, but definitely not my last. I can't wait to see if other bands' stories are handled this well.

The Good

This DVD release focuses on the stories and behind-the-scenes events that surrounded this Queen masterpiece. Although some music is featured, it's all about the stories. "Death on Two Legs" was written by Mercury about his former managers and how he felt they bled him dry. Roger Taylor gives you a drummers perspective of his song "I'm in Love With My Car." It's no surprise that John Decon penned "You're my Best Friend," but it's apparent within the dialoge here that there is some tension between him and the other surviving band members. Decon refused to be interviewed.

Brian May expresses his regret that "'39" was not releases as a single. He thought that it was unique in that most folk songs were about sailors setting out to sea, whereas this folk song was about setting off into space. Taylor goes into all of the crazy objects they used to produce the sounds on "Seaside Rendevous." May reveales he learned how to play guitar from his father who used to play a ukalale/banjo. Brian even shows you what it looks like. Brian breaks down his jazz band-like solo on the mixing board to show you all of the layers he used on only the guitar to create that sound. They don't really go much into "Bohemian Rhapsody," beyond what people know already.

I've seen a few of these Classic Album Series releases, and this is the only one that had bonus material. Basically it's just footage they cut out of the documentary (I'm sure for time restrictions). Brian May performs "'39" in its entirety on his guitar in the studio, and returns to do it again with "Love of My Life." Except on Love they split it with a live performance of a Mercury performance. A live performance of "Sweet Lady Luck" is included. It is taken from a historic Queen concert at Hyde Park. Discussions of "Bohemian Rhaposdy" are a little more in-depth in the bonus section. There are a few more bonuses, but I don't want to give them all away.

The Bad

What was Brian thinking when he picked out that shirt. Also, when did Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) become Queen experts?

The Verdict

There's no doubt in my mind that A Night at the Opera was one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and this DVD only renewed my appreciation of it.

It was really a pleasure to see this DVD and realise the renewed personalities of drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May. If you remember after that Freddie passed away (RIP), they were really in a dark, gloomy mood. I don't remember their tranquility and peace of mind in an interview, since all happened, 6 years ago.

This DVD really is illustrative with an extensive analysis of the recording process song by song with Roy Thomas Baker and Brian May (I don't know if it had would been better to add the comments of Roy Thomas Baker about the making of "Bohemian Rhapsody" that appear in "THE MAGIC YEARS" vol. I), special Roger's drum demostration (almost a clinic!... If you aren't a drummer, with these tips you can understand better the Roger Taylor style), with good introspective interviews (and the reason of the John Deacon's disappearing of the musical scene), with people that lived the bankrup of the band in '74, and finally, the making of an extraordinary masterpiece: the A NIGHT AT THE OPERA album. It's interesting see the live footage and performances between one and another interview, and a good example of this is the live track "SWEET LADY" from the DVD LIVE AT THE HYDE PARK, '76... Good Luck!

This is a great DVD. For me, the original album gets only 4 stars. While brilliant, it has a couple of uninteresting tracks (Good Company, Sweet Lady and God Save The Queen). The rest though, Rocks!!!

The Making Of DVD is incredible. So interesting, I love hearing Brian and Roger talk. Watching them play is worth the price of the DVD alone.

I always thought '39 was about the Second World War. Silly me.

For me, I would love to hear the original 9 minute version of Bo Rhap and hoped it would be on here. It isn't which is a shame. Perhaps one day it will surface.

My version has the DVD of Night At The Opera (released on its own a couple of years ago) included, the 5.1 surround sounds amazing.

Hopefully they do A Day At The Races next as that is my favourite Queen and All Time album.

What can be said about one of the most iconic landmark albums of all time? This DVD gives a number of "in studio" insights into the making of "A NIGHT AT THE OPERA", utilizing interviews with Brian May, Roger Taylor, and the original producer, Roy Thomas Baker. There are a few (minimal) taped segments with Freddie Mercury, and nothing from John Deacon, who has retired from "the business".

Among the very cool insights are how Brian created the Dixieland Jazz Band using only guitar sounds, the amazing vocal dubs, and the origins of some of the songs.

One caveat - if you just hit "play", for some reason the disc doesn't actually cover all the songs. You have to either go "song by song" in the menu, or watch both the "movie" AND the "extras" all the way through to hear about every song on the album. So in that sense, the extra features are not really extras. Overall though, well worth the money.

In 1975, Queen were a band on the rise. They just had a hit single with "Killer Queen" off the "Sheer Heart Attack" and were set to release their 4th studio album. "A Night at the Opera" marked Queen's breakthrough, which spawned 2 hit singles, one of them being one of the most popular singles of all time. This song of course was "Bohemian Rhapsody", Freddie Mercury's epic, 6 minute long operatic force. John Deacon also contributed a delightful pop hit with "You're My Best Friend." It wasn't just these two singles that made this album so classic though.

Brian May and Roger Taylor give excellent, detailed descriptions of the work that went into recording and writing many of the songs off the album. "Death on Two Legs" was Freddie's heavy opener, and the DVD takes an excellent excerpt of a Mercury interview where he describes the idea behind the song. Brian May goes through his song structures and writing techniques for "The Prophet's Song", "'39", "Good Company" and "Sweet Lady." Roger Taylor explains the drum-work for "I'm in Love With My Car." However, John Deacon doesn't participate in any interviews, and Roger and Brian discuss how he wishes to live the "quiet life." If you are a Queen fan, this is great footage of the band members detailing the work done on these songs, and along with in-depth analysis and summaries of every song on the album, there are extras. Included is a live version of "Sweet Lady" at Hyde Park, Brian May's performance of "'39" and "Love of My Life", performed by Freddie and Brian.

This a worthwhile DVD if you are a Queen fan who loves this particular album, and are interested in how it was composed so brilliantly. Highly recommended to all fans of Queen.

I'm a big fan of the 'Classic Albums' DVD series. As a fan, I'd rather see and hear about my favorite musicians' triumphs rather than their personal failures (ala' "Behind the Music"). If you're a fan of the group being profiled, you're going to enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the making of their best-known album. I'm a Queen fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed this video.

There's a lot of archival footage of Queen's mid-70s stage act (though not of the footage shows the band in the studio actually recording their music). Brand-new interviews with both Brian May and Roger Taylor comprise the bulk of this DVD's running time. Brian and Roger are as soft-spoken and thoughtful as always and I've always appreciated their dry sense of humor. Roy Thomas Baker, the album's producer, also appears sporadically as do a handful of executves who were in power at Elektra Records when Queen were under contract there. (Elektra were Queen's American distributors at one time; I am surprised no one from EMI was interviewed as this was Queen's British label). There are some rock journalists and British DJs. A variety of minor rock celebrities (Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Perry) pop in but provide very little. Freddie Mercury, of course, only appears in grainy vintage TV interviews from the early 1980s. John Deacon apparently is letting his bass work speak for itself as he declined requests to be interviewed for this project.

There are many, many highlights to both Brian's and Roger's interviews. Brian, in particular, gently reminds us that although 'A Night at the Opera' was considered Queen's breakthrough album, it really exists in a continuity of musical styles and techniques going back to Queen's first album. Brian plays us excerpts of 'March of the Black Queen' and 'Procession' to bring the point home. It's always a delight to see Brian play his Red Special guitar (or an Ovation) to make a musical point, and Brian freely credits Freddie Mercury for authoring some of Queen's heaviest riffs. It's also a treat to hear Brian's solo acoustic takes on both '39' and 'Love of my Life.' Roger shares a wonderful story in which Groucho Marx gave his blessing to Queen's appropriation of the Marx Brothers' film title to their album, and its an anecdote that isn't often retold.

There are also a series of 'extras' which were apparently cut from the TV Special version of this DVD. For what it's worth, I would have prefered if these sequences were simply re-edited into the continuity of the video. Still, they are great to have and the DVD is stronger for their inclusion.

If you're a Queen fan (especially of the 1970s material), you'll definitely want to own this DVD. While Queen experts may already know most or all of the stories included here, it's a great tribute to one of rock music's most adventurous bands.

I love the Classic Album series. They give you such a great insight to how the band created their masterpieces. This time we have been given the pleasure of getting into Queen's classic album and as usual there are some great interviews with band members, producers, famous fans, and record executives. I don't think that this is the best Classic Album DVD but it is still very good. As you would expect, Brian May gives the most interesting information regarding the making of this album and he also shows how he plays some sections. I was a little disappointed with the lack of info given by famed producer Roy Thomas Baker. It would be great to hear Freddie's thoughts on this album but hey, you can't have everything. Overall this is definitely worth buying if you're into Classic Albums or Queen. Other great titles in this series include Deep Purple's Machine Head and Def Leppard's Hysteria.