Product Details

• Actors: Queen
• Directors: Matthew Longfellow
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 21, 2006
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000EHSVP0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,831 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

If ever there was an album worthy of inclusion in Eagle Vision’s Classic Albums series it is Queen’s breakout release A Night At The Opera. Released in 1975, this was not only the band’s first platinum album, but also the one that catapulted them into the spotlight as one of the biggest rock acts in the world.

Now for the first time, fans are offered an in-depth look at one of rock music’s seminal records with the Classic Albums DVD Queen — The Making Of A Night At The Opera.

• BRAND NEW INTERVIEWS with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
• COMMENTARY by original producer Roy Thomas Baker.
• ARCHIVAL PERFORMANCE and INTERVIEW FOOTAGE with late lead singer Freddie Mercury.
• INTERVIEWS and GUEST COMMENTARY by guitarists Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and many more.
• NEW ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES of ’39 and Love Of My Life by Brian May.
• DRUM and ACOUSTIC DEMONSTRATIONS of I ’m In Love With My Car from Roger Taylor.
• ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDING PROCESS of all12 tracks on the album.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Mix of Hard Rock, Pop, Opera, Music Hall Camp & Tradional Folk, April 1, 2006

By 

Glen Ramirez (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera (DVD)

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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Behind-The-Scenes Documentary About An Amazing Album!!, January 10, 2010

By 

HE WHO FUNKS BEHIND THE ROWS!! (Seattle & San Diego) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera (DVD)

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!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Classic Album Video is "Good Company.", May 8, 2006

By 

Lovely to See You (Out There Somewhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera (DVD)

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.