The full story behind their most bombastic album, the hit of the century “Bohemian Rhapsody” and all about the new revelations from Freddie Mercury’s alleged daughter
There are albums that crown careers – and there are those that make careers possible. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, released on November 21, 1975, belongs to the second category.
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From crisis to crown
In 1975, Queen were on the brink: worn down by a gagging contract, almost bankrupt, ridiculed by the press. And yet four musicians decided to put everything on one card. The result was not only the most expensive record of their time, but an artistic manifesto that brought together rock, opera, cabaret, vaudeville and stadium anthems in an unprecedented way – and finally catapulted Queen to Olympus.
The magic of “Bohemian Rhapsody”
At the center of this explosion: “Bohemian Rhapsody”. An almost six-minute monster, without a chorus, full of abrupt changes in style and operatic characters – rejected by the record company as unplayable, secretly smuggled onto the radio program, immediately loved by the audience. It became Queen’s first number one, the most streamed piece of the 20th century – and a song that continues to conquer minds and hearts alike to this day. But what does it actually mean? Coming out in metaphors? A reckoning with racism? Or a simple language game? Freddie Mercury took the secret to his grave – and perhaps that is exactly where the magic of the mini-opera lies. It’s a kind of magic.
Secret daughter and theater: Queen remains a legend
Even outside of music, the fascination with Queen lives on: Freddie Mercury’s alleged daughter speaks out in a new controversial biography. In her book “Love, Freddie,” author Lesley-Ann Jones uses emails, letters and diary entries to trace the story of a woman who goes by “B” and is said to have been born in 1976 as the result of Mercury’s affair with the wife of one of his best friends. What is true about the claims?
Queen are also back in the theater: On October 17th, Ben Elton’s enormously successful musical “We Will Rock You” returns to Stuttgart. In the interview, the director explains why the show is still growing after more than 20 years, how he sees the criticism of Queen and the musical – and what it means when a satire of the future is suddenly overtaken by reality.
Order now: You can read everything in the new MUSIKEXPRESSwhat you need to know about Queen. From October 10th at the kiosk – magnifico!