Reviews4 stars out of 5 -- "SHEER HEART ATTACK was a leap forward for Queen. It had a thrilling sense of lunacy: any kind of music was permissable as long as it was executed to perfection.", 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's on late-1974's SHEER HEART ATTACK that everything fell into place....Grandiloquent rock songs always one guitar solo away from self-indulgence.", Indispensable - "...Introduced the roaring chrome camp-rock of future Queen....This album was one of the great pop/rock admixtures of the '70s...", 4 stars out of 5 -- "SHEER HEART ATTACK is where the sound takes on its own identity, while still being deliciously schizophrenic.", "This is the Queen album most beloved of generations of hard rock bands....The driving rock of the previous record was there in the shape of 'Brighton Rock'..."
Before the mighty Bohemian Rhapsody single this was the third album by Queen. It is faultless. I bought it when it first came out, but now on heavier weight vinyl and also able to own a better level of hi fi this really comes alive. The material matures as does the writing and performances. I am biased but if I was to recommend just one Queen album this is it. It builds on the previous two albums but also sets the tone for those that followed. Their imaginations are at a peak here and it empowers them to think even more grandly. Even the way the songs are set from start to finish seem to flow in a way that would make you think it is a concept album. It is a piece of music that took rock to new places and won over so many rock fans who had earlier dismissed Queen as a Glam Novelty act. there are hints in the songs that show the wide range of influences that would win many more fans and make them a stadium act and appreciated by a wider fan base. Listen to this then realise what great songs were to follow in years to come. The four guys put heart and soul into this ands whilst Freddie lived they did the same which each new album. Its a tight intimate album. Britain produces some of the most great enduring four piece bands that are more than just the sum of their total. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Queen are there too. This album is playable over and over again. Its a pleasure to the ears.
Despite all my care my forty year old copy of sheer heart attack was feeling a tad worn . This copy is so much better . Whether it is better than the original was is hard to evaluate , but I am guessing it is . I am hearing things I never heard before , well worth the investment , and I will be upgrading my Queen collection to half speed mastered vinyl albums .