Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Nov 2, 2020 18:16:06 GMT
This is where it all started, the first time I'd heard a Queen album, and it was on the strength of Bohemian Rhapsody that I thought I'd better give this band a look. I'd heard Seven Seas of Rhye, and liked it, but I was into Sweet , Mud and T-Rex at the time, so when Killer Queen came along I thought shit they've gone soft, and why is the singer wearing a fur coat? Never really paid them much attention after that, but enjoyed Now I'm Here as a single.
So, being about 11 years old, I don't actually remember the first time I heard ANATO, but I do remember what struck me was the overlapping lines on the lead vocals (how did he sing two things at once?), and the segues between the tracks, with little or no gaps in between. I'd never heard that before, and it was all quite an amazing revelation to me at the time. I remember listening for those overlapped lyrics on the other albums as I got to hear them, but they were present more on the earlier albums and started to diminish in use after ANATO.
I loved the opening to Death On Two Legs (and the fact that he said "arse" in the middle of it), and it was an amazingly spiteful song, but I didn't know the background of it at the time.
The way it ended and LOASA started almost immediately was just brilliant, and years later, I made the guitar part of Lazing... into a ringtone on my phone, which I still have to this day! A brilliant track, and still one of my favourites today.
Another segue into IILWMC (different to the B side of Bohemian Rhapsody), and a great vocal and lyrics by Roger, on admittedly one of the few of his songs I really like.
You're My Best Friend followed, and I found that a bit less exciting than the previous three tracks. Then Brian takes us on a trip in '39, which was OK, as was Sweet Lady, but the best of side one was yet to come in Seaside Rendezvous. I loved this track at the time, and I guess the slight childishness of it appealed to an 11 year old just starting out on his musical journey. A lot of people don't like this song, but when you think that the jazzy bit was performed vocally by the band, its a masterpiece!
Side two opens with The Prophet's Song. I couldn't get enough of this track at the time. I was starting to like longer songs and this fitted the bill, and the way the Now I Knows came floating out of the different speakers was just awesome.
Another segue into Love of My Life (I remember having heated debates with friends as to where The Prophet"s Song ended and LOML started), which was a nice enough track, but didn't really excite an 11 year old me.
Good Company took me years to get into. At the time, I considered it the worst track on the album, but now I absolutely love it and think it's one of the best things the band ever did. Brian demonstrated a stroke of compositional genius by creating the Dixieland jazz band on the guitar, and it's just a wonderful track.
What can I say about Bohemian Rhapsody? Its not actually my favourite Queen song, but it's the one that got me into the band, and they've been my favourite band ever since. I don't think there's many a day when I don't hear Queen at some point, either on the radio, or on my iPod shuffle, and to be without this legacy of music would be unthinkable.
So that brings us to the end. God Save The Queen. A lovely end to the proceedings, made even better when all those fluttering little guitar bits were heard for the first time on the DVD-A (well, it was the first time I heard them anyway).
In my opinion, ANATO brought together everything that Queen were at the time. It's difficult to argue that it wasn't the best album that they'd done so far, but I still think the two which followed were in some ways better.
Thoughts welcome... 🙂
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Nov 2, 2020 19:15:52 GMT
i think we have a few matchups there Simon.
I love "Seaside" - an excellent track, the album itself flows nicely.
My only points of issue really are with "Sweet Lady" - not just the crap lyrics, but also that I'm convinced that Brian borrowed that guitar riff from Jeff Lynne's Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle - yes there's definitely differences there, but the overall tone and feel of the riff is the same - and it comes across as an adaptation of Ma-Ma-Ma Belle.
As for Prophet Song...I too was getting into longer songs around that time:
The Musical Box, Supper's Ready, The Knife, A National Acrobat, Child In Time, Lazy, Won't Get Fooled Again etc
But I just never got along with Brian's "version of Bo Rhap" - it always felt a bit uncomfortable for me - drags on too long where there's not much actually happening.
I love Opera, but because of it's "couple of down moments" (for me) - it's sister LP; Races.
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Nov 2, 2020 20:01:43 GMT
Yeah, I got into Genesis a bit later, probably around 1977, and it was the long songs (Wind & Wuthering was the first Genesis LP I heard) that got me into them. I still think Seconds Out is one of the best live albums ever, but anyway, we digress... back to ANATO. 😁
One thing I forgot to mention was that the DVD-A, many many years later, of course, renewed my love for the album, and The Prophet's Song, especially, sounded sooo much better on surround sound!
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Nov 2, 2020 22:17:41 GMT
Yeah, I got into Genesis a bit later, probably around 1977, and it was the long songs (Wind & Wuthering was the first Genesis LP I heard) that got me into them. I still think Seconds Out is one of the best live albums ever, but anyway, we digress... back to ANATO. 😁 One thing I forgot to mention was that the DVD-A, many many years later, of course, renewed my love for the album, and The Prophet's Song, especially, sounded sooo much better on surround sound! i bought the DVD-A when on a tour of America's West Coast in 2005 |
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Steve
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Post by Steve on Nov 13, 2020 11:11:40 GMT
Yeah, I got into Genesis a bit later, probably around 1977, and it was the long songs (Wind & Wuthering was the first Genesis LP I heard) that got me into them. I still think Seconds Out is one of the best live albums ever, but anyway, we digress... back to ANATO. 😁 One thing I forgot to mention was that the DVD-A, many many years later, of course, renewed my love for the album, and The Prophet's Song, especially, sounded sooo much better on surround sound! i bought the DVD-A when on a tour of America's West Coast in 2005 This. I loved the album, but the 5.1 audio reinvigorated my love for it! |
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oreno
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Post by oreno on Nov 13, 2020 17:49:44 GMT
I like ANATO a lot but I tend to prefer SHA. When I first got ANATO I was quite hyped for it, knowing its reputation, and the packaging/artwork made it look like a real piece of art. Which it sort of is. Something about White albums (esp gatefolds) gives the sense of something grand, expansive, and well thought out - operatic indeed. (Think Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, or the White album, of course). But there is also a hint of sterility, unlike say the funky, edgy SHA cover. Anyway the album starts with a pure banger, "Death on Two Legs", with that brilliant scene setting piano flourish. As a song it's very arresting, if a bit jarring. As a track it doesn't groove or rock, it's disjointed and stop-starts all the way through. So sounds great, but doesn't instantly sink in. And there was no time for it to sink in because the sudden change to "Lazing.." was a big mood switch, Freddie deliberately contrasting his caustic, angry side with his frivolous, humourous side. (I like to think of the album as showcasing all four members at the start, but with Fred cheekily sneaking a second song in). I thought it was great and it brought a genuine smile to my face. IILWMC I loved immediately and for a while it was my favourite song on the album, possibly my favourite Queen track. YMBF I knew already, but appreciated the mood change. At this point I was convinced ANATO was indeed the great Queen album of repute, 4 killer tracks in succession. '39 I'd been anticipating as someone else had mentioned loving it, so I was a bit disappointed that it was a soft acoustic thing. Nice, but not quite up there.. yet (Later on I absolutely loved it.) Sweet Lady felt like filler, wasn't crazy about it. Still not crazy, but it's OK. Seaside Rendezvous, again wasn't crazy, felt like a retread of "Lazing.." but much longer. At this point I was a bit "meh", thinking it had started so well but dropped off a lot. Flipped the LP.. Prophet's Song had a great melody and feel but I struggled to really digest it as a song.. then again I thought the overall impact was impressive. Another grower, I think. Actually my favourite thing about this was the lyric. And I liked the choral part a lot. But was disappointed by the guitar solo (in fact that went for the album as a whole, bar BR of course.) I LOVED the segue to LOML, and liked the song a lot though it reminded me of being in church for some reason, especially the piano solo. This song more than any felt like it matched the album sleeve. Good Company I was frustrated with, felt a bit lightweight, though again I liked the lyric. Like '39 it grew on me a lot. The jazz guitar band made little impression initially. And Bo Rhap I knew very well, although I think it gains something by being at the end of the record (it also drags the record's impact right up). GSTQ is just what it is. So in the end, I thought it veered from amazing to OK. As a package and a whole I think it stands up extremely well but not sure all the songs are really up to par. Whereas I felt SHA was snappier, less indulgent and generally harder edged, more to my tastes. If anyone bothered reading all that, thanks. Was nice to reminisce.  |
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Nov 13, 2020 19:03:36 GMT
Anyway the album starts with a pure banger, "Death on Two Legs", with that brilliant scene setting piano flourish. As a song it's very arresting, if a bit jarring. As a track it doesn't groove or rock, it's disjointed and stop-starts all the way through. So sounds great, but doesn't instantly sink in. and something else about DoTL that I've never heard anyone mention before: how good would an instrumental version have been as incidental music in the Christmas '75 blockbuster movie: Jaws ? it just fits with a predator stalking its prey. |
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Steve
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Post by Steve on Nov 13, 2020 22:37:17 GMT
Haha that is true. Good observation!
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Nov 14, 2020 4:22:30 GMT
Anyway the album starts with a pure banger, "Death on Two Legs", with that brilliant scene setting piano flourish. As a song it's very arresting, if a bit jarring. As a track it doesn't groove or rock, it's disjointed and stop-starts all the way through. So sounds great, but doesn't instantly sink in. and something else about DoTL that I've never heard anyone mention before: how good would an instrumental version have been as incidental music in the Christmas '75 blockbuster movie: Jaws ? it just fits with a predator stalking its prey. Wow, my favorite band and my favorite movie. I never thought to combine the two. That would really be something. |
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Post by primejiveusa on Nov 14, 2020 4:47:44 GMT
I like ANATO a lot but I tend to prefer SHA. When I first got ANATO I was quite hyped for it, knowing its reputation, and the packaging/artwork made it look like a real piece of art. Which it sort of is. Something about White albums (esp gatefolds) gives the sense of something grand, expansive, and well thought out - operatic indeed. (Think Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, or the White album, of course). But there is also a hint of sterility, unlike say the funky, edgy SHA cover. Anyway the album starts with a pure banger, "Death on Two Legs", with that brilliant scene setting piano flourish. As a song it's very arresting, if a bit jarring. As a track it doesn't groove or rock, it's disjointed and stop-starts all the way through. So sounds great, but doesn't instantly sink in. And there was no time for it to sink in because the sudden change to "Lazing.." was a big mood switch, Freddie deliberately contrasting his caustic, angry side with his frivolous, humourous side. (I like to think of the album as showcasing all four members at the start, but with Fred cheekily sneaking a second song in). I thought it was great and it brought a genuine smile to my face. IILWMC I loved immediately and for a while it was my favourite song on the album, possibly my favourite Queen track. YMBF I knew already, but appreciated the mood change. At this point I was convinced ANATO was indeed the great Queen album of repute, 4 killer tracks in succession. '39 I'd been anticipating as someone else had mentioned loving it, so I was a bit disappointed that it was a soft acoustic thing. Nice, but not quite up there.. yet (Later on I absolutely loved it.) Sweet Lady felt like filler, wasn't crazy about it. Still not crazy, but it's OK. Seaside Rendezvous, again wasn't crazy, felt like a retread of "Lazing.." but much longer. At this point I was a bit "meh", thinking it had started so well but dropped off a lot. Flipped the LP.. Prophet's Song had a great melody and feel but I struggled to really digest it as a song.. then again I thought the overall impact was impressive. Another grower, I think. Actually my favourite thing about this was the lyric. And I liked the choral part a lot. But was disappointed by the guitar solo (in fact that went for the album as a whole, bar BR of course.) I LOVED the segue to LOML, and liked the song a lot though it reminded me of being in church for some reason, especially the piano solo. This song more than any felt like it matched the album sleeve. Good Company I was frustrated with, felt a bit lightweight, though again I liked the lyric. Like '39 it grew on me a lot. The jazz guitar band made little impression initially. And Bo Rhap I knew very well, although I think it gains something by being at the end of the record (it also drags the record's impact right up). GSTQ is just what it is. So in the end, I thought it veered from amazing to OK. As a package and a whole I think it stands up extremely well but not sure all the songs are really up to par. Whereas I felt SHA was snappier, less indulgent and generally harder edged, more to my tastes. If anyone bothered reading all that, thanks. Was nice to reminisce. I read and enjoyed every word. And by the way...I prefer SHA over ANATO as well. |
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nickip
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Post by nickip on Nov 15, 2020 8:26:59 GMT
Joining in with the SHA over ANATO theme... I hadn’t actually thought about it until now but ANATO is one of my least played albums. I love DOTL to open and most of the songs would find their way onto a playlist. But as a whole piece of work? Can’t remember the last time I played it. Even Jazz has had a more recent outing!
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NathanH
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Post by NathanH on Nov 15, 2020 9:21:01 GMT
Of the first five albums, Sheer Heart Attack is probably my least favourite. I'll say why later.
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Nov 15, 2020 9:56:50 GMT
To those that prefer SHA, why not start a SHA appreciation thread? 😉
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antonio
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Post by antonio on Nov 19, 2020 14:38:21 GMT
Hello, here you are a Queen fan who wouldn´t put this album in a Top 5 Queen albums.
Ok it contains Death On Two Legs, Bohemian Rhapsody, I´m In Love With My Car or 39...But also Good Company, Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon, Seaside Rendezvous which i can´t stand at all...And The Prophet´s Song or Sweet Lady which are only OK to me.
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ted
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Post by ted on Nov 19, 2020 16:27:05 GMT
Next to Jazz, ANATO is my least favourite 70's album by Queen but the only song I really don't like on it is Seaside Rendezvous. My favourite songs on the album are DOTL, YMBF and LOML. Although I acknowledge BR as a groundbreaking song for Queen which launched them to superstardom, I've always considered The March of The Black Queen on Queen II to be superior.
Ted
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Post by Sakura4anime25 on Nov 19, 2020 19:51:56 GMT
ANATO is probably my favorite album of all time in general. To me, it just feels like everything on it was meticulously crafted to sheer perfection! I can understand how to some people that might make it feel over-done/over-blown, but I personally really like that. For me, the album is a pure joy to listen to from beginning to end and I love it so much!
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Nov 19, 2020 22:55:30 GMT
I'm in the camp that, surprisingly, doesn't regard ANATO as a favorite. I can respect and appreciate what it achieved musically. It really is a brilliant album, but I don't listen to it very often. I'm more likely to listen to Jazz, which is strange, because I actually like it less than ANATO...in just about every aspect: production, songwriting, versatility, track listing, etc. I really don't have a good explanation for this other than I find Jazz to be a really fun album.
That said, personal favorites are Death On Two Legs, Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, I'm In Love With My Car, and Seaside Rendezvous. Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill.
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Nov 19, 2020 23:03:53 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. better than Seven Seas of Rhye, In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited..., Was It All Worth It and The Show Must Go On  surely not. |
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Nov 19, 2020 23:07:27 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. better than Seven Seas of Rhye, In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited..., Was It All Worth It and The Show Must Go On surely not. I love the guitar orchestration on GSTQ. It's so damn lush. But The Show Must Go On is very close. |
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Post by primejiveusa on Nov 23, 2020 21:53:36 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. better than Seven Seas of Rhye, In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited..., Was It All Worth It and The Show Must Go On surely not. Or Teo Torriate or My Melancholy Blues? |
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Post by saintjiub on Nov 23, 2020 22:12:05 GMT
... or More of That Jazz? ... LOL
Seriously, I think Teo Torriate is the best closer, although many probably would say The Show Must Go On.
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Nov 23, 2020 22:35:58 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. odd that it's a closer. when you think about it - a National Anthem is synonymous with "announcing/introducing" events. but i have a theory as to why Queen did this with ANATO. In the 60s & 70s, UK TV used to "shut down" around midnight. the "closedown" as it was called in those days very often finished up with the national Anthem playing over the station Ident before transmission for the day ended. So I suppose Queen thought it fitting to finish their 1975 LP in keeping with the custom and practice in the UK at that time. |
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Steve
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Post by Steve on Nov 23, 2020 22:59:08 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. odd that it's a closer. when you think about it - a National Anthem is synonymous with "announcing/introducing" events. but i have a theory as to why Queen did this with ANATO. In the 60s & 70s, UK TV used to "shut down" around midnight. the "closedown" as it was called in those days very often finished up with the national Anthem playing over the station Ident before transmission for the day ended. So I suppose Queen thought it fitting to finish their 1975 LP in keeping with the custom and practice in the UK at that time. WIAWI for me! |
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Nov 24, 2020 0:06:34 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. odd that it's a closer. when you think about it - a National Anthem is synonymous with "announcing/introducing" events. but i have a theory as to why Queen did this with ANATO. In the 60s & 70s, UK TV used to "shut down" around midnight. the "closedown" as it was called in those days very often finished up with the national Anthem playing over the station Ident before transmission for the day ended. So I suppose Queen thought it fitting to finish their 1975 LP in keeping with the custom and practice in the UK at that time. Yes, and the same happened in the states. I know this for only two reasons. 1) My father told me. 2) I watched Poltergeist.  |
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ted
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Post by ted on Nov 24, 2020 18:25:17 GMT
Seriously, I think Teo Torriatte is the best closer... I agree.
Ted
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Post by Chopin1995 on Nov 29, 2020 19:43:01 GMT
Ah, and God Save the Queen is the best closer to any Queen album. I'll die on that hill. odd that it's a closer. when you think about it - a National Anthem is synonymous with "announcing/introducing" events. but i have a theory as to why Queen did this with ANATO. In the 60s & 70s, UK TV used to "shut down" around midnight. the "closedown" as it was called in those days very often finished up with the national Anthem playing over the station Ident before transmission for the day ended. So I suppose Queen thought it fitting to finish their 1975 LP in keeping with the custom and practice in the UK at that time. To be fair, Gentle Giant did something very similar on their debut album (5 years before Queen): I'd like to add that I adore Seaside Rendezvous. This is a perfect example why I love Queen - vaudeville vibe, very tasteful composition and performance, some foreign language (French), sense of humour (miming the wind instruments with their voices), wonderful and clever vocal harmonies, unusual instruments and other "toys", great piano track. Apparently Freddie did some research and reading before writing this song. Can't imagine him doing the same in the early 80s |
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Post by Chopin1995 on Nov 29, 2020 19:48:57 GMT
Double post. I don't know how to delete it.
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Post by The Fairy King on Nov 30, 2020 7:31:31 GMT
ANATO (and ADATR) i hold a different affinity with compared to the other albums, as i've heard these first on vinyl. Got into Queen in the early 90's and we did have a CD player, but i got a secondhand pickup around that time for myself and a family friend had ANATO and ADATR lying around on vinyl. They were mine! How exciting!  I was about 10/11 at the time and i'll never forget the first time hearing ANATO in it's entirety. The pops and cracks, the warm sound, the (trying) to figure where songs end and begin. I'd never get that feeling again when i discovered their albums on CD. It was a shame vinyl got out of fashion around that time. |
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Post by staysweet on Nov 30, 2020 21:16:13 GMT
I do love ANATO, I first bought it as an 8 track and listened to it endlessly in my car. I bought the later albums before going back to getting Queen’s first 3 albums, and those 3 became my favorites. Oddly, I rarely listen to ANATO now, maybe all those times in my car met my limit? When I do listen I absolutely love it all over again.
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mike71
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Post by mike71 on Dec 20, 2020 15:28:00 GMT
I always go back to this album. Death On Two Legs is arguably their best opening song. The Prophet Song is brilliant. Love of my life Is one of my favorite songs of all time. Seaside and lazing are well done. The 2 Brian songs 39 and Good Company are great. I'm not really sure what I consider the best Queen album. I think any of the first 6 you could argue is their best.
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