Tater Thoughts

In the biggest stylistic turn yet, Freddie's composition "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" has many instrumental features we'll (almost) never get again. Double bass. Banjo. Tack piano. And Freddie singing with such impressiveness, sounding jazzy and inspired by choral groups of the '50s or '60s. Visions of vaudeville come to mind listening to this surprisingly fun shift. And live? It's such a welcome refresh. Freddie calling the audience "lovies" is the sweetest thing.

Almost 50 episodes and more than 30 Queen Deep Dives later, I've discovered how much I love podcasting. I'm so invested in this, I created an Instagram channel entirely devoted to this podcast, Tater Thoughts (link on my Anchor profile, or search for the handle @taterthoughtspod). Thanks for tuning in and here's to more Queen dives and music madness, and so much more...

Finally, bassist John Deacon reveals his first contribution with "Misfire"! This lovely and joyful little number is a great representation of John's love for pop and soul, and it fits perfectly among the diversity of Sheer Heart Attack. John provided not only bass, but most of this tune's catchy guitars.

Despite its brevity, "Dear Friends" is one of my favorites from Queen's Brian May. When he gets reflective and tender, his lovely lyrical artistry comes out. And in this classically-influenced piano number, Freddie delivers Brian's words beautifully, with both of the boys providing soft and sensitive backing vocals. 

The first song credited to all the guys. The first song Queen ever played live. One of the first speed metal songs, ever. "Stone Cold Crazy" made its mark, even though it was never a single. It's fast, furious, frantic and of course, fantastic. There's an interesting illusion with the tempo; and live, this number was pure fire.

Who are you? I'm not talking about your name, or where you're from. I'm talking about your online persona. What do people perceive when they see what you share, and what you say? How are you using the power of social media and the internet? Are you aware of the tone you create, and the message you're sending? I think about all of this, and more, a lot. And I'm diving deep into human psyche and expression to pick it apart.

This Freddie composition is one of Queen's rare operatically-tinged numbers, and guess what? There's something really, really cool about it. "In the Lap of the Gods" is one of my favorites, and I love Roger's sky-high falsetto vocals that are remarkably and beautifully controlled. Live, its subdued and dramatic energy could hold its own against Queen's rockier numbers. 

"Think I'll stay around!" From Freddie's soft vulnerability of the previous track to this (literally) rocking number, courtesy of Brian, that Queen played live more than any other song, "Now I'm Here" has a special quality that makes it lovable and memorable, even to the anti-Queen listener. There's a reason they played it live so much: It was the ultimate connection between performer and fan, and the fans simply loved it.

This rare super-soft ballad showcases Freddie's versatility as an artist and exemplifies Queen's ability to play anything effortlessly with ease, grace and style. "Lily of the Valley" is uniquely tender and soft, tugging at the heartstrings and impressing at every turn. All the guys put their talents to incredible use in this striking number; one of my favorites from Freddie...and I'm not alone.

Drama is the word of the day, and it's appropriate for this Freddie composition, "Flick of the Wrist". One of my favorites on Sheer Heart Attack, all the hard rock energy and dynamic shifts in style and tone from previous albums are packed into this succinct and impactful number. It always went over well live, and I wish the guitar solo just went on forever.