Queen I Box Set - Post-Release Discussion

It’s taken Queen years to do what pretty much every other major band has done and crack open the door to their archives. They dipped a toe in the water with 2017’s 40th-anniversary News Of The World reissue, but this six-CD, one-LP deluxe box is on another level entirely. Queen I – no, the numeral isn’t a typo, it’s a new addition to the original title – is a thing of beauty on a musical, physical and historical level.

First released in July 1973, the band’s debut album has always languished in the shadow of what followed. At times it’s heavier and rockier than anything else they did, not least the Sabbath-esque Son And Daughter, but the seeds of future greatness are already starting to sprout – a direct line can be drawn from the ornate grandeur of My Fairy King to Bohemian Rhapsody.

A brand new mix adds modern sparkle and different musical emphases to John Anthony’s original production, although the addition of lightweight album reject Mad The Swine between Great King Rat and My Fairy King is more contentious – it’s nowhere near as inventive, elegant or strong as anything else here.

That’s easily forgiven considering what else is spread across the remaining discs. Demos from De Lane Lea studios, BBC session tracks from 1973 and early 1974, and cherry-picked selections from their September 1974 show at London’s Rainbow theatre have all been available before, but bringing them together in one place adds to the bigger picture.

But hardcore Queen connoisseurs will be lit up by three things. The first is a CD of unreleased outtakes, which doesn’t just bring the creation of the songs to life, it brings the people behind them to life too; hearing between-take banter (“You fucked it, Brian!”) is a revelation from a band who took great pains to keep the world out. Similarly, three tracks recorded in San Diego in 1976 and two from London’s Imperial College in 1970 (understandably lo-fi) are just as eye-opening, not least because they include hard-rocking original Hangman and what sounds like a bluesy mash-up of Bo Diddley’s I’m A Man and the Spencer Davis Group’s track of the same title, neither of which have appeared on an official Queen release before.



Read more:- www.loudersound.com/reviews/queen-queen-i-50th-anniversary

Heard the whole album. Oh my effin' God! Liar, Great King Rat & even Mad The Swine (a song I'd skip) sounded more alive!

As for the rest of the box set, I can safely say they're in the right direction to crafting a Deluxe Edition set.

No! They stripped the reverb from Jesus acapella outro! Strange choice ..

The banter at the end of Mad the Swine is priceless:

I think it's "Bi... Queen Bitch." 😄

Listening to the De Lane Lea test session of See What A Fool I've Been, it's amazing how drastically different it is from the studio version, the BBC session, and the live versions were so familiar with!

I've had a couple of listens through now. It's great. The songs have more life, more breathing room and sound bigger. I like it, and there are little things which I hear now which I didn't before (the little drum rolls in Jesus took me by surprise, and Freddie clearly saying "dirty old man!" during the GKR solo.

Very minor quibbles. Removing the reverb at the end of Jesus seems an odd decision, and makes the song lose some atmosphere. And I'm probably most disappointed at the octave-pitched guitars being pushed to the background in the second verse of Son & Daughter. They used to sound like gorgeous rain drops falling on Freddie's vocal, now they are just quiet background noise without definition.

Wow, haven't been active on a Queen forum for a long time, that long I went to Queenzone to login lol. That's me back to a newbie I guess, gone are thousands of posts of credibility 😉. Anyway, had to sign up to discuss the box set. Been listening to it bit by bit since it dropped on Tidal at midnight. Sounds awesome. Only been thru the actual album and instrumentals.

I love the fresh sound, I can see some newcomers to the band enjoying the more polished, at times softer, remix. The original raw album is always there for anyone who might not like it.

Anyway, love KYA. Always one of my favourites, the drum solo took me by surprise, but it brings some real freshness to the song if you've been listening to it for decades.

Liar and GKR fantastic.

The harmonies of MFK in the instrumentals are lovely.

Listening on good earphones I'd recommend to hear everything as it's a real joy hearing the new detail.

I don't mind this remaster, some will moan probably that it's too digital in parts or 'changed' at times and you'll have the usual YT comments telling us, "Freddie would be turning in his grave" (as if they knew him) with the odd bit of autotune... But it's 2024 and there's the other remasters or original to enjoy. To this fan of 35 years... Love it.

Going through it right now! I need to spend some time with it for proper impressions, but sure, this is a worthy release!

Listening on headphones and I don't like that fuzzy guitar in the left channel on Jesus. Sounds like a bloody wasp buzzing around! 🐝

Love the new remix. I wonder what John did to create that bass sound in the Liar solo? Is it just simply a lot of gain or did he use some kind of pedal?

Poor Fred, he sounds really insecure after that. Very subdued too.

S&D is perfect bar from the outro guitars on the last verse where have they gone ..

I think the night comes down guide vocal is better than the album version.
Also, mad the swine, theres an "oooo" by freddie, towards the end, that sounds like his 1990 voice