Itoshiki Oshieo Idaki

Queen - A Day at the Races - 1976

After their big success with A Night at the Opera, the band decided to continue on the same path and released this album. It's not only a continuation in the eclectic musical style, but also in title (both refer to Marx Brothers movies) and in the style of the covers.

This one would actually be the last time they would do in this style, since after this album they would move towards a more straightforward type of rock. So, basically, this is their goodbye to their own type of progressive rock.
I think this album is a bit quirkier, even more indulgent than their previous one. I'm actually saying this as a compliment, and always found that it is the strange bits that always made me like this one so much. It's something about Brian May going a bit "psycho" on "Tie your Mother Down", or Freddie giving us a full-blown waltz piece, or them including a Japanese-style song with lyrics in Japanese, or Roger giving us what is probably his strangest song ever, the beautiful "Drowse".
Of course, I'm not forgetting that amazing classic "Somebody to Love". I think I've always even liked it more than "Bohemian Rhapsody". Partly because, while a huge hit, it always was sort of in the shadow of "Rhapsody". Also because gospel is always more accessible and singalong than opera. And, of course, there's the detail that it's a bit easier to identify with the quest for love than with murder.
At any rate, this is a brilliant album (well, I'm not likely to say different about Queen), and one I would recommend anybody.

Now, each album so far, I've been focusing on someone or something related to the band.
Today,  I'll be selfish and annoying and personal, so you can skip if you want. Today, I'm going to remember my 13 year old self, the one that fell in love with this great band. And if I talk about this, it's both me and my cousin, who was like a sister to me. Together we would spend hours singing the songs, arguing about who would sing which part. Together we would hunt down articles in whatever few magazines we could get our hands on, to find news about them. Together we would dream that one day we would manage to save enough money to go somewhere (Europe, the US) and see them live, because them coming to Argentina seemed impossible. Together we went to see them when they came here, against our wildest dreams. Together we sent a letter to the Queen Fan Club (and they actually replied). Together we wore down the album covers reading the lyrics again and again. Then, well, then life. That's not important now. One more thing though: Back then there was one (and pretty much only one) music videos show on the telly. Thursday evening. My cousin was studying and she would come to my house, usually a few minutes after the show had begun. As luck would have it, she would always end up missing the video for her favourite song, "Somebody to Love". And, of course, I would tease her about it. So tonight, here it's for you, little sister. No matter what, nothing will ruin those memories.

• Brian's and Freddie's clothes in this video are brilliant! I mean, yes, it was the 1970s, I know, but even at that, it's a bit cute! And, well, colourful, of course!
• I used to hate "White Man", one of their few songs that deal with socio/historical topics (it's told from the point of view of a Native American). It's quite a great song, though. 
• I always thought it was a bit weird that "Teo Torriatte" was never a bigger hit. It sounds to me like it has everything to have become a huge anthem. Of course, the title for this entry is from that song. It means (according to Wikipedia and Google) "embracing loving teachings". In the song, it's translated as "let us never lose the lessons we have learned".
• Ok, I'm very close to posting the whole album here (and there's a bonus track coming, of course), but I'm "settling" for just three songs: "Teo Torriatte", because you should know it, "Drowse", because I love Roger's songs, the stranger the better, and "The Millionaire Waltz", because the "Come back, Come back to me, make me feel - Like a millionaire" line always makes me very happy. 

Too proud to be a Queen

Kiss - Rock and Roll Over - 1976

Ok, I'm tired of writing now!! 

This is one of those albums, I think. Haven't heard it in a while, played it yesterday, thought:"Wow! This one was much better than I remembered!". Played it again today, thought: "Well, actually, I'm a bit bored with it already!"

I don't know, the songs aren't really bad, but the whole "grab the rocket in my pocket" stuff can get old a bit quick, I guess. They went back to their rock roots, after the more "experimental" sound on their previous one, and that is not a bad thing in itself. But this album sounds a bit too cliché for me.
Two songs that I think are brilliant: "I want you" and "Hard Luck Woman", which is one of my favourites ever. 

• "Hard Luck Woman" was a song Paul Stanley actually wrote with a mind to give to Rod Stewart to sing. But after the success of "Beth", they decided to keep it and have Peter Criss sing it instead. 
• And, of course, that's the song I'm putting here. It was quite a successful hit, but still I don't think it was too big, at least not here. 

I wanna hear every single person, see every single pair of hands

Bonus track

• On April 20th, 1992, less than six months after Freddie passed away, some of the biggest musicians got together with Brian, John and Roger and rocked Wembley Stadium at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness. The concert was epic, some performances were better than others. This one is one of the best, without a doubt. RIP, Freddie and George. You're being missed immensely!