Book review: QUEEN in the 1970s by James Griffiths

Queen in the 1970s by James Griffiths

‎Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 30.03.23]

This book scores highly on two counts. Firstly, the author is a big Queen fan and that comes through in the writing, as opposed to a dry biography written by a jobbing writer. Secondly, in between the albums and a critique of each, he gives a potted history of the band that includes a few classic Freddie quotes!

All of Queen’s album output during the 1970s is worth owning, perhaps except for ‘Jazz’ which is more miss than hit. Every self-respecting rock fan should at least own copies of the ‘Queen II’, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ and ‘A Night At The Opera’ albums at the very least (said a non-biased Queen fan!).

The live albums summary is a neat addition covering the various live releases recorded in the 1970s and released officially in the past few decades.

Informative and perfect for the casual Queen fan wanting to know a little more behind the music of the band’s rise to fame during the 1970s. Here’s hoping James Griffiths turns his attention to the next decade where Queen really became a staple of the radio and their most successful decade.  ****

Review by Jason Ritchie


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THE FEVER KINGS Nowhere To Hide (indie)
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ONLAP Ghosts (AFM Records)
DEFENCES The Curse (Long Branch Records)
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IANN BRENNAN Game Over (AGR Records)

Featured Albums w/c 13 May 2024

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