This song reminds me of their 2nd album. Queen II is a fantastic album. Lots of good vs. evil epics. "Ogre Battle," "March of the Black Queen" ... btw, I never recommended it because I knew you'd find it on your own.
The fact that you get this and Bohemian Rhapsody on the same album is just insane. These guys were astonishingly talented, and didn’t mind showing it off.
@@DEAKY0921 Yes, they went the way of Genesis after Hacket leaving, Journey after Perry arriving, in the pop hopper. Not really sure why, would love to hear the back story.
This is what they used to do, so when you're done with this album, get thee hence to Queen I, then Queen II, where more of this stuff awaits you...Great reaction for an epic track !😺
FYI saw the tour that supported this album..Freddie would do the middle section live SOLO using 3 tape echo machines and harmonize with himself, live !!
I love how Freddie’s vocals masterfully interpreted every Queen song no matter which member wrote it. He always made it clear that he was not the “leader”, but the lead singer but he was the heart of Queen.
This video almost made me cry. I was 15 at the time this album came out in 1975. My Dad was in his 50s, a chorister at the local church choir and primarily into sacred music but one day I came home from school early and caught him listening to this. He was totally enthralled by the counter harmonies and arrangements. He passed recently but the memory of him being caught up in contemprsry music, just for a moment, has never left me.
Great tune! I could write so much about this tune but it would overload the server. The vocal section is so amazing and in tune. So incredibly clever. The same line repeated three times and timed perfectly. Brian May had the initial idea of repeating an instrument exactly but at a different time interval during the guitar section of Brighton Rock. He expanded the idea to repeating the line two times and using vocals and lyrics for this track. Brian May’s best song, by far!
You'll love this 'making of' clip from the BBC 'Classic Albums' documentary. They do the full album. :) th-cam.com/video/JOTf8GbD-oE/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=ST-Entertainment
This is a true classic....one you really need to have headphones on to really appreciate the "stereo" effect. I remember the first time i heard this and it blew me away. The whole album is a gem.
A number of us have said we can't wait 'til you get to this song, knowing that you would have this exact reaction, which was priceless to watch, by the way. When I saw them on their tour for this album they DIDN'T play this song. Very disappointing. But on their next tour ('A Day At The Races') they DID do it. The vocal interlude was just Freddie and an Echoplex used in the same way that Brian uses it in "Brighton Rock" in concert. Simply stunning! Undeniably one of Queen's best songs. So glad to finally see your reaction to it. Very satisfying.
I was able to see Queen on this tour & still relish the memory. By far the best opening to a concert ever. The Prophet’s Song remains my favorite Queen song. Taking nothing from the talent that was Freddie, but have always been drawn to Brian May’s compositions. So glad you discovered it.
@@Owlstretchingtime78 of course they could,they are a very talented bunch of guys. I like that Roger done the vocals on Drowse,I just love that song. Love ur song choices too. I love u don't fool me too. It was a very sad day 😥when Freddie left the planet 🌍 hope he is at peace along with the other legends thats left us,to many to mention here but Lemmy was another of my loves.🙏🕊
Pretty much my reaction when I first heard this (years ago). What I’d like to know is how do you have dreams like this and remember everything when you wake up, and turn it into something like this? I can’t remember squat when I’m up first thing.
Not was it just “a dream”, it was a *fever dream* Brian had when he was very very sick in 1974. But from what I have learned of Brian, “idea dreams” are a fairly common occurrence for him - I know he had such an idea dream during the worst of the Covid restrictions : he was dreaming of ways to reconfigure the ventilation system in the Apollo Hammersmith (once known as the Odeon- Hammersmith) concert venue to make it safer to have audiences. So he and a small, hand-selected team of trusted scientists and techs were granted permission by the venue to see if Brian’s idea-dream translated to real world terms. ( I believe they DID learn some things that made having events at least *somewhat* safer … and opened more avenues of research). According to some random article I once saw, this kind of inspired “idea dreaming” that becomes a work of scientific or artistic merit in the real world is the hallmark of genius-level IQ - which definitely describes our Rockstar Astrophysicist, Dr. Sir Brian Harold May!
Hi Justin. Dave from London, with Friday On My Mind. So many to choose from, but if I had to pick my all-time favourite Queen song, this would probably be it. Yes, it rocks and there's a portentous feel to it, but the innovation and imagination for its time (or any time) is off the scale (several scales maybe?). The vocal harmonies were just so influential, even to this day.
When I saw your post of this title, I rushed to watch it! Couldn't wait for your response and reaction to it! It's such a different track, and really very awesome! You should check out the live version by Queen Extravaganza for a few years ago, with Marc Martel, it's awesome with all the harmonies sung without overdubbing. Really cool! I always enjoy your enjoyment!
In the intro, Brian May plays, along with the acoustic guitar, a toy version of a Japanese string instrument called a koto, which someone gave him when he was in Japan.
Justin, I'm wondering: You are aware that the acapella section starts with Freddie singing all alone and that everything he sings has two time delays connected to it, right? Which creates the effect of three voices singing in harmony with each other. Very cleverly done! 😍
Glad to see you finally got to "it", amazing that they could talk the record execs into putting a work like this on vinyl. Belongs in the prog hall of fame, and yet they are known for their pop hits and stadium anthems. And I highly recommend Japan if you haven't gone, major cultural experience and great eye candy. My wife was a navy brat and she was born there.
By chance (considering your t-shirt), the first notes are those of a koto, a Japanese instrument played by Brian which was given to him in Japan where the group had a lot of success. Thank you for your reaction and your enthusiasm for Queen !
Hearing something like this was so unbelievable back then. Imagine this after the first side. If this is a favorite of yours you will really like Queen 2. This would have been just one of the breathtaking stand outs on Queen 2 I think I have mentioned or people have mentioned a technique that Brian used with multiple delays. Back then they were tape echoes. He would set the time of the delay to come back far enough behind that it could harmonize with the note he was currently playing. He used two tape echoes for three part harmony. He does this in the song Brighton Rock and would use for his extended guitar solo portions at live concerts. And here they used it with Freddie’s vocal.
I remember listening to this album for the first time. (Not sure when, probably late 80's or early 90's) I remember thinking how loaded this album is. Lots of songs that got significant time on the radio. However, I had not heard the Prophet's Song before and like you I was blown away and not sure why this song isn't even more popular than it is as it is absolutely legendary.
This song brings back a lot 0f memories. I was 15. Dad just died. Me alone in my room with headphones on listening and trying to figure out what it all meant.
Oh goody! I've been waiting to see your reaction to this amazing recording and you didn't disappoint me.This song puts Bohemian Rhapsody to shame. I bought this album when it first came out, and to me this was far and away the standout track of the album. Following this track the rest of the album paled in comparison. Thanks for your video.
One small detail that I appreciate is that every time you have the lines like "listen to the wise MAN!" or "listen to the good PLAN!," the accented word is over a different chord every single time.
JP, you might find a live record called _One Live Badger_ from 1973 of interest. Tony Kaye of Yes is the keyboardist/founder, Jon Anderson producer. It's the best sounding live album to date as of 1973 and every song on the record is really good, Roger Dean did the cover, the music is basic rock with prog stylings. Easy to imagine the guys in Kansas who released their first record a year later listening to it and saying wow!.
Hi JP, ...Why hasn't anyone told me about 'The Prophet's Song?... Well, if you knew me, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN LONG AGO! This song is #3 on my personal 'best of' list called 'For All Time'. Said list is my countdown of all the music that has moved me throughout my lifetime (I started compiling in Octorber 2023). Once I'm gone, I want all people to know just how important music is/was to me. God's greatest gift to mankind (after Jesus) is Music- PERIOD! I first heard this album in 1975 (when it was released). My older sister had a copy and I borrowed it for a listen one day. When this song played, I was very aware of 'being in another place' somehow. Great music simply takes me away both mentally and spiritually. I did not understand that at the time (I was just 12). After all these years, that feeling has never gone away with any great music, which this track clearly is! These days, I start to cry marveling at the sheer beauty I'm hearing. Queen has always been able to connect with people on both basic and advanced levels. Come to think of it- They may be the best at it that music has ever offered up (short of the Classical Masters, of course). In case you're wondering about the two tunes ahead of this one? #2 is Fun City (from the 'Midnight Cowboy' Soundtrack) This one is dedicated to my late mother :) #1 is Open Secret by Stephen Stills (from the album 'Stephen Stills 2'). This will always be #1 to me. So there you have it. Enjoyed the video very much!
this song is underrated because back in the 70s record companies would only pick 2-3 songs off an album to push and it was time for the next album.....Queen made quality albums, almost every song is great!
Best Queen Songs for me : The Prophet's Song, Father to Son, Who wants to live forever. Would have told ya, didn't know your channel before. Did a Video about this Song as a total noob with the first free Version of Windows Movie Maker back in the Day... 😉
A Night at the Opera was the first album I bought for myself and when I got it home my mother, aunt, and grandma, who were very traditional, Catholic ladies wanted to know why I was excited to hear it. I put on side 2 so we could get to Bohemian Rhapsody and this came on. That may have been a mistake... As a side note, when I graduated high school, the grad committee chose a song to represent each grad and since I wanted to be a science fiction writer this was the one they picked for me.
Really cool song - based on English Tudor folk song styles - the vocal Round in the middle is unforgettable. I heard a similar thing with a lead guitar playing a Round of The Anvil Chorus by Verdi - I don't know if it's on this album, but Brian May might have played it.
A reactor with great taste!!!! In my opinion this one has the edge over Bohemian Rhapsody. So many great song on one album. Thanks for that super review! ❤👏🏻👏🏻
This is really a hit or miss song. Usually people either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it (mostly because it is so different from most popular music). Occasionally, you can get a hater to listen to it a few times & bring them over to appreciation. 😀
This was " anything you can do I can do better" from Freddie to Brian. The thoughtful and musical use of echo started on the first Queen album, and developed from there. But if you want to know where this came from it has much more in common with Queen 2 than with Sheer heart Attack. And ever since I heard the album, this was always the standout track, not Bohemian Rhapsody.
I was fortunate enough to see them perform this track live. A brilliant piece by Brian May. A great ascending bassline by John Deacon, finished off by Roger Taylor, who was always amazing.Freddie’s voice, and his arrangement on the canon, was innovative at the time. It wasn’t accapella- they were loops, repeated, to build the layers. ,
That was pretty much the same reaction I had nearly fifty years ago lying on the floor in my parents' den. Every minute or so I asked myself (the Universe), "How is it possible that it just keeps getting better?" Like others, it seems obvious to suggest that Queen II be your next album. Yes, March of the Black Queen is epic and a favorite of mine, but White Queen is hauntingly ethereal and Father to Son has a mighty fine May solo. Yeah, you'll like that one...
I've been a Queen fan since I was in Elementary School. This is still my favourite Queen song. Their best track ever. It IS the best song on the album, Bohemian Rhapsody notwithstanding. But side 2 of this album is one of the greatest album sides ever.
I'm fairly sure that I've seen The Prophet's Song recommended here before - in many fans' top 10 lists I would think though it wasn't a single and was obviously overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody. 'Album' fans would definitely mention it as one of their best and now you know why.
Thanks, Just! This song has been referred to as "Brian May's Bo Rap" - I think it's actually even more incredibly complicated...I believe Brian said that he was inspired by a dream... obvious "biblical" references... You totally needed those headphones! appreciate your reaction... (p.s. hope you had lyrics.. also, this goes straight into "Love of My Life".. Queen albums had NO space between songs... no matter how different) p.s. have you listened to Brian's "'39"? just what you would expect from an astrophysicist.. lol
This track is usually overlooked in favor of Bohemian Rhapsody, it is equally epic. This album has been my favorite of Queen's since it was released in 1975.
I am glad that you liked this masterpiece! Being overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody, this was not heard or played as much. IMO, this song is better but Bo Rhap is a masterpiece all its own. That is one reason why it is worth playing whole albums, to get to the deep cuts, especially with Queen.
Not released as a single, so along with '39' was only something those of us who bought and listened to the album got to enjoy (Or in my case, Mum bought the album, I later "borrowed it" on a regular basis).
Love this track Justin thank you . Sorry you weren’t more informed . The only reason I didn’t say carry on the bridge into love of my life was because I thought I’d be one of hundreds telling you the same thing . Obviously everyone else thought the same 🤣. If you see that documentary Brian May will tell you how he detuned his guitar to get that dark growling sound . Hope you get to play this album in entirety soon so yo can hear that beautiful transition between songs . See you soon .
Love your music picks. Not mainstream. That's why I want you to hear the British band Groundhogs, Sad is the Hunter. A blues & rock band most famous in the early seventies.
This song is seldom properly appreciated and little mentioned. It's one of Queen's greatest tracks, and for me, right up there in this album alongside Bohemian Rhapsody and '39. Queen at their proggiest - so innovative, varied, masterful. There you go JP, now you know. Just another reason this is their best album.
Well, Somebody to Love is peerless, but the rest of it doesn't stack up to the best of Opera for me. All of their albums are uneven - I don't see a perfect one among them. Taste is taste though, enjoy! @@Owlstretchingtime78
Easily my favorite Queen song. Everyone was slackjawed in disbelief upon first witnessing this, their magnum opus. Its relative obscurity is a mystery. Quite like the Rolling Stones' "Continental Drift". Or Joanne Shenandoah's "Prophesy Song".
Something about this song reminds me of a minstral-type song, typical of Jethro Tull. Maybe it's the arrangement. Can you imagine: Jethro Tull meets Yes and the product of the meeting is this?? Thom in Toronto, Canada ♥️🇨🇦
The band initially wanted this to be the first single off the album, not Bo Rap. Remember this pre digital, so all the vocals in the acapella section would have been done again and again
Great reaction JP! Where did this come from? A dream that Brian May had about the Great Flood and his fears about the human race. I use this song as an example that Queen could do prog...and heavy at that!! Such an epic track...and yes, better than Bohemian Rhapsody (IMHO - and I love BR immensely!) This song hits me hard, every time! The segue into Love Of My Life is perfect...and provides a much needed respite after the barrage we just experienced! Cheers.
For me this album is the true follow-up to Queen I and II for similarity of songs. Sheer Heart Attack is a bit different although there are some rather good songs here as well.
A lot of us will have had the same reaction as you when the needle dropped on this one. I put it alongside Kashmir and Stargazer, all three songs belonging to a similar period in time and in my musical adventure, and Queen were never quite this epic again. which is a shame.
Now you know. Now you know. Now you know. So glad you discovered this epic. Sorry it took you so long to find it! Still, idk about best track - Death on Two Legs is always going to hold that crown for me.
@@Owlstretchingtime78Life is Real (song for Lennon), especially if you sing it along with the track, is so very emotional, it’s hard not to cry. Because it’s also about Mercury’s life
I love how totally unaware Justin was at the start of the video of this being one of Queen's most epic songs!
😁👍
We didn’t know either when we first heard it… why should he? That the beauty of it, blam!
It's like an unwritten rule among a Queen Fans, we don't talk about "The Prophet Song", you must discover it for yourself. 😜
@@jon-paulfilkins7820
Shhh… you know the rules.
“Where did THIS song come from?” reminds me you haven’t listened to Queen II yet.
He HAS listened to March of the Black Queen, at least.
Ogre Battle
'Father To Son'.
The most criminally underrated song in history. Queen's most epic song. I'll die on this hill.
It's amazing how a 50 year old album can still fascinate a new listener. Some songs though just transcend time.
Brighton Rock and March of the Black Queen are two other hidden classics.
These are indeed as the say facts 😁
I just suggested “Liar” and “White Man”.
One the most under-rated tracks of all time.
My absolute fave of theirs.
One of the greatest head phone songs of all time.
This song reminds me of their 2nd album. Queen II is a fantastic album. Lots of good vs. evil epics. "Ogre Battle," "March of the Black Queen" ... btw, I never recommended it because I knew you'd find it on your own.
💯
The fact that you get this and Bohemian Rhapsody on the same album is just insane. These guys were astonishingly talented, and didn’t mind showing it off.
You get these two masterpieces but other 7/8 poppy ass songs
This and Brighton Rock are the two big Queen tracks for me. One is a vocal multi-tracking epic and the other, a guitar multi-tracking epic.
@@DEAKY0921 Yes, they went the way of Genesis after Hacket leaving, Journey after Perry arriving, in the pop hopper. Not really sure why, would love to hear the back story.
@@DEAKY0921 Hence why A Day At The Races and Queen II are objectively better albums
@@ForcingLaughterFakingSmilesThey are better albums, but 7/8 poppy ass songs? Give me a break!
This is what they used to do, so when you're done with this album, get thee hence to Queen I, then Queen II, where more of this stuff awaits you...Great reaction for an epic track !😺
FYI saw the tour that supported this album..Freddie would do the middle section live SOLO using 3 tape echo machines and harmonize with himself, live !!
That’s a great effort to do on stage
I love how Freddie’s vocals masterfully interpreted every Queen song no matter which member wrote it. He always made it clear that he was not the “leader”, but the lead singer but he was the heart of Queen.
Justin, your facial expressions are the best thing about this channel. This is SUCH a great song. Brings me back to being a kid.
This video almost made me cry. I was 15 at the time this album came out in 1975. My Dad was in his 50s, a chorister at the local church choir and primarily into sacred music but one day I came home from school early and caught him listening to this. He was totally enthralled by the counter harmonies and arrangements. He passed recently but the memory of him being caught up in contemprsry music, just for a moment, has never left me.
I'm sorry to hear about that Bob, ive gone through the same recently. Hold onto those lovely memories, and he'll always be near
Oh and then it's slowly transferring into Love of my Life.... my God, it's beautiful
When I was 13 this Album came out and this song and I’m in Love with my Car were it for me. The second side of the album was in heavy rotation
Sample "Death on two legs "Another banger with a personal message.
My High School Chorus teacher did this with the class before us...we missed out. This is such a classic tune! Thanks for dusting this one off.
Ohhhh I loved this reaction! I’m still giggling. You were unprepared for the sonic onslaught that is this song. 😅
Great tune! I could write so much about this tune but it would overload the server. The vocal section is so amazing and in tune. So incredibly clever. The same line repeated three times and timed perfectly. Brian May had the initial idea of repeating an instrument exactly but at a different time interval during the guitar section of Brighton Rock. He expanded the idea to repeating the line two times and using vocals and lyrics for this track. Brian May’s best song, by far!
You'll love this 'making of' clip from the BBC 'Classic Albums' documentary. They do the full album. :)
th-cam.com/video/JOTf8GbD-oE/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=ST-Entertainment
I wish I had never heard this song..... so I could hear it again for the first time.
There is always demenia ✨
You made my week JP. What a great reaction. I laughed so hard!
I mentioned about the prophet's song ages ago and especially when it ends to listen to the next song love of my life
More people should have let him know!
This is a true classic....one you really need to have headphones on to really appreciate the "stereo" effect. I remember the first time i heard this and it blew me away. The whole album is a gem.
A number of us have said we can't wait 'til you get to this song, knowing that you would have this exact reaction, which was priceless to watch, by the way.
When I saw them on their tour for this album they DIDN'T play this song. Very disappointing. But on their next tour ('A Day At The Races') they DID do it. The vocal interlude was just Freddie and an Echoplex used in the same way that Brian uses it in "Brighton Rock" in concert. Simply stunning!
Undeniably one of Queen's best songs. So glad to finally see your reaction to it. Very satisfying.
Yeah, this is definitely one of my favorites, too. It's just a very fascinating song and it sounds great. I love it.
This song is so underrated. Freddie’s canon in the middle freaking amazing. Thanks for doing this.
I was able to see Queen on this tour & still relish the memory. By far the best opening to a concert ever. The Prophet’s Song remains my favorite Queen song. Taking nothing from the talent that was Freddie, but have always been drawn to Brian May’s compositions. So glad you discovered it.
Ive got a night at the opera and a day at the races on vinyl up on my wall. Love this song it gives me serious goosebumps... Love Queen ❤
Although this is the best track from both albums, i actually favour 'A Day At The Races'. Where do you stand? 👍
@@Owlstretchingtime78 yeah me too,I love Drowse,You take my breath away its on another level,love it ✌
@@jackieblu7111 Great songs, but i'm a stickler for 'The Millionaire Waltz' and 'Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy'. Queen could do it all! 🎯 ✌️
@@Owlstretchingtime78 of course they could,they are a very talented bunch of guys. I like that Roger done the vocals on Drowse,I just love that song. Love ur song choices too. I love u don't fool me too. It was a very sad day 😥when Freddie left the planet 🌍 hope he is at peace along with the other legends thats left us,to many to mention here but Lemmy was another of my loves.🙏🕊
Pretty much my reaction when I first heard this (years ago).
What I’d like to know is how do you have dreams like this and remember everything when you wake up, and turn it into something like this? I can’t remember squat when I’m up first thing.
Not was it just “a dream”, it was a *fever dream* Brian had when he was very very sick in 1974.
But from what I have learned of Brian, “idea dreams” are a fairly common occurrence for him - I know he had such an idea dream during the worst of the Covid restrictions : he was dreaming of ways to reconfigure the ventilation system in the Apollo Hammersmith (once known as the Odeon- Hammersmith) concert venue to make it safer to have audiences. So he and a small, hand-selected team of trusted scientists and techs were granted permission by the venue to see if Brian’s idea-dream translated to real world terms. ( I believe they DID learn some things that made having events at least *somewhat* safer … and opened more avenues of research).
According to some random article I once saw, this kind of inspired “idea dreaming” that becomes a work of scientific or artistic merit in the real world is the hallmark of genius-level IQ - which definitely describes our Rockstar Astrophysicist, Dr. Sir Brian Harold May!
My favorite Queen album! My favorite Queen song!
Hi Justin. Dave from London, with Friday On My Mind. So many to choose from, but if I had to pick my all-time favourite Queen song, this would probably be it. Yes, it rocks and there's a portentous feel to it, but the innovation and imagination for its time (or any time) is off the scale (several scales maybe?). The vocal harmonies were just so influential, even to this day.
Yes a Friday treat!!
When I saw your post of this title, I rushed to watch it! Couldn't wait for your response and reaction to it! It's such a different track, and really very awesome!
You should check out the live version by Queen Extravaganza for a few years ago, with Marc Martel, it's awesome with all the harmonies sung without overdubbing. Really cool! I always enjoy your enjoyment!
Thank you sir for allowing me to go on this journey with you. I feel like I'm 9 again hearing this for the first time in my life in my Dads combi van.
Much appreciated Nicholas, ty for listening with me😊
PROG! And I love this song. Such a wild album. Enjoyed seeing your reactions. Thx jp . .
In the intro, Brian May plays, along with the acoustic guitar, a toy version of a Japanese string instrument called a koto, which someone gave him when he was in Japan.
Yes, but I didn’t know that to be honest.
On their next album there is the great and emotional and positive song Teo Toriate, partly sung in Japanese
Justin, I'm wondering: You are aware that the acapella section starts with Freddie singing all alone and that everything he sings has two time delays connected to it, right? Which creates the effect of three voices singing in harmony with each other.
Very cleverly done! 😍
Glad to see you finally got to "it", amazing that they could talk the record execs into putting a work like this on vinyl. Belongs in the prog hall of fame, and yet they are known for their pop hits and stadium anthems. And I highly recommend Japan if you haven't gone, major cultural experience and great eye candy. My wife was a navy brat and she was born there.
By chance (considering your t-shirt), the first notes are those of a koto, a Japanese instrument played by Brian which was given to him in Japan where the group had a lot of success. Thank you for your reaction and your enthusiasm for Queen !
The same theme in a great way we also heard on Laughing Stock by talktalk. Both epic in completely different musical ways
A thumbs up just for mentioning 'Laughing Stock'. 👍
Hearing something like this was so unbelievable back then. Imagine this after the first side. If this is a favorite of yours you will really like Queen 2. This would have been just one of the breathtaking stand outs on Queen 2
I think I have mentioned or people have mentioned a technique that Brian used with multiple delays. Back then they were tape echoes. He would set the time of the delay to come back far enough behind that it could harmonize with the note he was currently playing. He used two tape echoes for three part harmony. He does this in the song Brighton Rock and would use for his extended guitar solo portions at live concerts. And here they used it with Freddie’s vocal.
I was thinking the same thing when I heard it. "This is awesome, why have I never heard of this one before?"
"The Dude abides", Queen's epic tune, the legends still ride! Peace & Love, Now you know!
Honestly, I did not see your dude reference before I commented… weird coiwinkidink.
I remember listening to this album for the first time. (Not sure when, probably late 80's or early 90's) I remember thinking how loaded this album is. Lots of songs that got significant time on the radio. However, I had not heard the Prophet's Song before and like you I was blown away and not sure why this song isn't even more popular than it is as it is absolutely legendary.
My all time favourite Queen song. Thank you for this one!
Where did this come from? Listen to their first teo albums. For example, the song Liar.
Always my favourite track on a near flawless album. And the surround sound mix is lovely too.
I’ve been waiting for this one!
Sometimes it's nice to not have something over-hyped beforehand and you get a nice surprise...
A self indulgent masterpiece never quite knew what to make of it love you
It's obvious you did know what to make of it you called it a masterpiece 🤔
I sometimes forget how great this song is. I agree with the commenter that said you need to do their first two albums!
Brilliant song.Brilliant band. I was waiting to see the look on your face when the song started.
This song brings back a lot 0f memories. I was 15. Dad just died. Me alone in my room with headphones on listening and trying to figure out what it all meant.
Oh goody! I've been waiting to see your reaction to this amazing recording and you didn't disappoint me.This song puts Bohemian Rhapsody to shame. I bought this album when it first came out, and to me this was far and away the standout track of the album. Following this track the rest of the album paled in comparison. Thanks for your video.
One small detail that I appreciate is that every time you have the lines like "listen to the wise MAN!" or "listen to the good PLAN!," the accented word is over a different chord every single time.
JP, you might find a live record called _One Live Badger_ from 1973 of interest. Tony Kaye of Yes is the keyboardist/founder, Jon Anderson producer. It's the best sounding live album to date as of 1973 and every song on the record is really good, Roger Dean did the cover, the music is basic rock with prog stylings.
Easy to imagine the guys in Kansas who released their first record a year later listening to it and saying wow!.
I’ve been looking forward to this one
Hi JP,
...Why hasn't anyone told me about 'The Prophet's Song?...
Well, if you knew me, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN LONG AGO! This song is #3 on my personal 'best of' list called 'For All Time'. Said list is my countdown of all the music that has moved me throughout my lifetime (I started compiling in Octorber 2023). Once I'm gone, I want all people to know just how important music is/was to me. God's greatest gift to mankind (after Jesus) is Music- PERIOD!
I first heard this album in 1975 (when it was released). My older sister had a copy and I borrowed it for a listen one day. When this song played, I was very aware of 'being in another place' somehow. Great music simply takes me away both mentally and spiritually. I did not understand that at the time (I was just 12). After all these years, that feeling has never gone away with any great music, which this track clearly is! These days, I start to cry marveling at the sheer beauty I'm hearing. Queen has always been able to connect with people on both basic and advanced levels. Come to think of it- They may be the best at it that music has ever offered up (short of the Classical Masters, of course).
In case you're wondering about the two tunes ahead of this one?
#2 is Fun City (from the 'Midnight Cowboy' Soundtrack) This one is dedicated to my late mother :)
#1 is Open Secret by Stephen Stills (from the album 'Stephen Stills 2'). This will always be #1 to me.
So there you have it. Enjoyed the video very much!
this song is underrated because back in the 70s record companies would only pick 2-3 songs off an album to push and it was time for the next album.....Queen made quality albums, almost every song is great!
Best Queen Songs for me : The Prophet's Song, Father to Son, Who wants to live forever. Would have told ya, didn't know your channel before. Did a Video about this Song as a total noob with the first free Version of Windows Movie Maker back in the Day... 😉
you can never have too many freddies in your ear!
Nice 👍
A Night at the Opera was the first album I bought for myself and when I got it home my mother, aunt, and grandma, who were very traditional, Catholic ladies wanted to know why I was excited to hear it. I put on side 2 so we could get to Bohemian Rhapsody and this came on. That may have been a mistake...
As a side note, when I graduated high school, the grad committee chose a song to represent each grad and since I wanted to be a science fiction writer this was the one they picked for me.
Really cool song - based on English Tudor folk song styles - the vocal Round in the middle is unforgettable. I heard a similar thing with a lead guitar playing a Round of The Anvil Chorus by Verdi - I don't know if it's on this album, but Brian May might have played it.
Queen’s Masterwork, seen them perform it live in 1977 it was epic..
I like this song one hell of a song nice one Brian May 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🥁🥁🎹🎹🎹🎤🎸🎸
My absolute favorite Queen song. Like you say, it's something of a well-hidden secret, which is weird since it's on an absolutely huge album.
A reactor with great taste!!!! In my opinion this one has the edge over Bohemian Rhapsody. So many great song on one album. Thanks for that super review! ❤👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks Irene!
This is really a hit or miss song. Usually people either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it (mostly because it is so different from most popular music). Occasionally, you can get a hater to listen to it a few times & bring them over to appreciation. 😀
Queen II, March Of The Black Queen, Ogra Battle, etc.
This was " anything you can do I can do better" from Freddie to Brian. The thoughtful and musical use of echo started on the first Queen album, and developed from there. But if you want to know where this came from it has much more in common with Queen 2 than with Sheer heart Attack. And ever since I heard the album, this was always the standout track, not Bohemian Rhapsody.
I was fortunate enough to see them perform this track live. A brilliant piece by Brian May. A great ascending bassline by John Deacon, finished off by Roger Taylor, who was always amazing.Freddie’s voice, and his arrangement on the canon, was innovative at the time. It wasn’t accapella- they were loops, repeated, to build the layers. ,
Glad you liked this one. This generally lives in the shadow of Behemian Rhapsody, but its my favourite on the album.
That was pretty much the same reaction I had nearly fifty years ago lying on the floor in my parents' den. Every minute or so I asked myself (the Universe), "How is it possible that it just keeps getting better?"
Like others, it seems obvious to suggest that Queen II be your next album. Yes, March of the Black Queen is epic and a favorite of mine, but White Queen is hauntingly ethereal and Father to Son has a mighty fine May solo. Yeah, you'll like that one...
This is Freddie going 'how about we try this' OK that works ❤❤❤❤
I've been a Queen fan since I was in Elementary School. This is still my favourite Queen song. Their best track ever. It IS the best song on the album, Bohemian Rhapsody notwithstanding. But side 2 of this album is one of the greatest album sides ever.
I'm fairly sure that I've seen The Prophet's Song recommended here before - in many fans' top 10 lists I would think though it wasn't a single and was obviously overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody. 'Album' fans would definitely mention it as one of their best and now you know why.
This song is a masterpiece
Thanks, Just! This song has been referred to as "Brian May's Bo Rap" - I think it's actually even more incredibly complicated...I believe Brian said that he was inspired by a dream... obvious "biblical" references... You totally needed those headphones! appreciate your reaction... (p.s. hope you had lyrics.. also, this goes straight into "Love of My Life".. Queen albums had NO space between songs... no matter how different) p.s. have you listened to Brian's "'39"? just what you would expect from an astrophysicist.. lol
This track is usually overlooked in favor of Bohemian Rhapsody, it is equally epic. This album has been my favorite of Queen's since it was released in 1975.
I am glad that you liked this masterpiece! Being overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody, this was not heard or played as much. IMO, this song is better but Bo Rhap is a masterpiece all its own. That is one reason why it is worth playing whole albums, to get to the deep cuts, especially with Queen.
Not released as a single, so along with '39' was only something those of us who bought and listened to the album got to enjoy (Or in my case, Mum bought the album, I later "borrowed it" on a regular basis).
Love this track Justin thank you . Sorry you weren’t more informed . The only reason I didn’t say carry on the bridge into love of my life was because I thought I’d be one of hundreds telling you the same thing . Obviously everyone else thought the same 🤣. If you see that documentary Brian May will tell you how he detuned his guitar to get that dark growling sound . Hope you get to play this album in entirety soon so yo can hear that beautiful transition between songs . See you soon .
One of my favorite Queen song! I feel one of Queen's best songs.
Love your music picks. Not mainstream. That's why I want you to hear the British band Groundhogs, Sad is the Hunter. A blues & rock band most famous in the early seventies.
The middle section was Freddie harmonising with himself live using a delay machine
This song is seldom properly appreciated and little mentioned. It's one of Queen's greatest tracks, and for me, right up there in this album alongside Bohemian Rhapsody and '39. Queen at their proggiest - so innovative, varied, masterful. There you go JP, now you know. Just another reason this is their best album.
An amazing album, although i prefer their follow up!
Well, Somebody to Love is peerless, but the rest of it doesn't stack up to the best of Opera for me. All of their albums are uneven - I don't see a perfect one among them. Taste is taste though, enjoy! @@Owlstretchingtime78
Easily my favorite Queen song. Everyone was slackjawed in disbelief upon first witnessing this, their magnum opus. Its relative obscurity is a mystery. Quite like the Rolling Stones' "Continental Drift". Or Joanne Shenandoah's "Prophesy Song".
Something about this song reminds me of a minstral-type song, typical of Jethro Tull. Maybe it's the arrangement.
Can you imagine: Jethro Tull meets Yes and the product of the meeting is this??
Thom in Toronto, Canada ♥️🇨🇦
This song makes me think of Queen and Queen alone!
The band initially wanted this to be the first single off the album, not Bo Rap. Remember this pre digital, so all the vocals in the acapella section would have been done again and again
you have sooooooo much to learn!!!!!!
Maybe Innuendo song and Was It All Worth it (Freddie Mercury's farewell song) are other great songs with this feelings.
Great reaction JP! Where did this come from? A dream that Brian May had about the Great Flood and his fears about the human race.
I use this song as an example that Queen could do prog...and heavy at that!!
Such an epic track...and yes, better than Bohemian Rhapsody (IMHO - and I love BR immensely!) This song hits me hard, every time!
The segue into Love Of My Life is perfect...and provides a much needed respite after the barrage we just experienced! Cheers.
For me this album is the true follow-up to Queen I and II for similarity of songs. Sheer Heart Attack is a bit different although there are some rather good songs here as well.
Glad you’ll got the meaning
A lot of us will have had the same reaction as you when the needle dropped on this one. I put it alongside Kashmir and Stargazer, all three songs belonging to a similar period in time and in my musical adventure, and Queen were never quite this epic again. which is a shame.
Its seriously amazing isn't it, blew my mind when I first heard it ❤
Now you know. Now you know. Now you know. So glad you discovered this epic. Sorry it took you so long to find it!
Still, idk about best track - Death on Two Legs is always going to hold that crown for me.
my first video of yours. so yeah, anyway…have you done Liar yet? or White Man? they are “musts” in my humble opinion anyway.😊
I'll bet you would like, White Man, from A Day At The Races. They have a similar sound to me.
Absolutely one of their greatest tracks.The great tracks get fewer as the years go by-'white man' 'it's late' and 'innuendo' excepted:)
There's a few more than that.
@@Owlstretchingtime78Life is Real (song for Lennon), especially if you sing it along with the track, is so very emotional, it’s hard not to cry. Because it’s also about Mercury’s life