Dean asked me on Tuesday if I wanted to go see Classic Albums Live perform Queen’s A Night at the Opera on November 1st. At first I was skeptical because we’d gone to see It’s a Kinda Magic before and while it was good it was still not Queen and made me a little sad to be there.
I have to admit that I’m glad I said yes to this one despite my misgivings. The concert was amazing. The performers don’t try to copy the live experience of a band. They create their own concert experience while performing live versions of the songs on an album exactly as they are on the album. It was mind-blowingly amazing. I wish very much that they were doing a second show tomorrow because I’d go see it again in a heartbeat.
Here’s the set list:
- Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)
- Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
- I’m in Love with My Car
- You’re My Best Friend
- ’39
- Sweet Lady
- Seaside Rendezvous
- The Prophet’s Song
- Love of my Life
- Good Company
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- God Save the Queen (Instrumental)
Intermission
- Tie Your Mother Down
- Keep Yourself Alive
- Get Down, Make Love
- Killer Queen
- Bicycle Race
- Brighton Rock
- Spread Your Wings
- We Will Rock You
- We Are the Champions
- Under Pressure
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love
- Somebody to Love
I’m pretty sure I have all the bonus songs listed here. The official set list only included the songs from A Night at the Opera, so the rest I’m trying to recall from memory. The order may be slightly off because of that. I was too gobsmacked to keep track exactly because I was enchanted waiting to see what their next song was going to be.
I’m sure it helped that A Night at the Opera is my favourite album and I listen to it all the time. That gave me a deeper appreciation for what it took for this group to be able to perform all the songs in that way. I never would have thought I’d hear The Prophet’s Song done justice in a live version, because covers either skip or drastically simplify the vocal harmony section which completely wrecks the song. There were four vocalists and they pulled that off wonderfully. It was a joy to experience. Similarly, the solos in Brighton Rock were perfectly done as well. I was both gleeful and fascinated watching the guitarists and drummer perform those.
I’ve also got a soft spot for News of the World so I was really glad that some of those songs were played as well. Spread Your Wings is always excellent live.
Everything was performed instead of using pre-recorded sound effects. Notable were the kazoos used in Seaside Rendezvous and the bicycle bells used in Bicycle Race. Everyone on stage looked to be having a blast playing those sections. Their enthusiasm was contagious. I’m hoping they come back next year and do it again because I will definitely be there if they do.