{"product_id":"queen-sheer-heart-attack-180g-vinyl-lp-half-speed","title":"Queen – Sheer Heart Attack [180g Vinyl LP Half Speed]","description":"\u003ch3\u003eQueen – Sheer Heart Attack [180g Vinyl LP]\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vinyl LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Half-Speed Mastered, Stereo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 602547202680\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBarcode:\u003c\/strong\u003e 602547202680\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hard Rock \/ Glam Rock \/ Pop Rock \/ Arena Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLabel:\u003c\/strong\u003e Virgin EMI Records \/ Universal Music\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginally Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8 November 1974\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReissue Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2015\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePressing:\u003c\/strong\u003e 180 Gram Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New \u0026amp; Sealed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSheer Heart Attack\u003c\/em\u003e is the third studio album by Queen — released on 8 November 1974 on EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US — and the record on which the band's signature sound crystallised into something fully realised and commercially unstoppable. After the promising but uneven debut \u003cem\u003eQueen\u003c\/em\u003e (1973) and the more ambitious \u003cem\u003eQueen II\u003c\/em\u003e (1974), this album demonstrated that the group's instinct for layered multi-tracked vocals, dynamic arrangement and stylistic range could be delivered with complete conviction across an entire record. It debuted at \u003cstrong\u003enumber two on the UK Albums Chart\u003c\/strong\u003e and reached \u003cstrong\u003enumber twelve in the United States\u003c\/strong\u003e, and was certified \u003cstrong\u003ePlatinum by the RIAA\u003c\/strong\u003e. More significantly, it produced the band's commercial breakthrough in both territories: \u003cstrong\u003e\"Killer Queen\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — released as a single in October 1974 and reaching \u003cstrong\u003enumber two in the UK\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003enumber twelve on the Billboard Hot 100\u003c\/strong\u003e — was their first major international hit and remains one of the finest examples of Queen's ability to fuse rock instrumentation with music hall wit and operatic vocal arrangement. Freddie Mercury described it as his favourite Queen composition of the period, calling it \"a bit of a kitsch adventure.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was recorded across four studios — \u003cstrong\u003eTrident Studios\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eWessex Sound Studios\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eRockfield Studios\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAir Studios\u003c\/strong\u003e — between July and October 1974, partly under difficult circumstances: guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eBrian May\u003c\/strong\u003e contracted hepatitis midway through the sessions and was hospitalised for several weeks, with his guitar parts completed in accelerated sessions after his recovery. The circumstances, far from diminishing the record, appear to have concentrated the remaining three members' efforts: drummer \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Taylor's\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Tenement Funster\" and bass player \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Deacon's\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Misfire\" are among the album's most characterful individual contributions, while Mercury's \"Killer Queen\", \"Lily of the Valley\" and the closing \"In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited\" demonstrate his growing command of the full studio as compositional tool. May's \"Now I'm Here\" and \"Brighton Rock\" (featuring the first extended live guitar solo ever recorded using a delay unit) are among the most powerful rock performances on any Queen record. The album's critical reputation has been consistently high: \u003cem\u003eAllMusic\u003c\/em\u003e called it the point at which \"everything fell into place,\" and it was ranked among the best albums of 1974 in several contemporary polls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003e2015 pressing\u003c\/strong\u003e presents the album \u003cstrong\u003eremastered at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine\u003c\/strong\u003e (℗ 2011 Queen Productions Ltd), with lacquers \u003cstrong\u003ecut at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios\u003c\/strong\u003e — confirmed from the matrix runout: \"MILES ABBEY ROAD ½ SPEED\". The half-speed process gives the pressing demonstrably cleaner high-frequency reproduction, wider stereo imaging and improved dynamic range. Pressed on \u003cstrong\u003e180 gram black vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e at \u003cstrong\u003eOptimal Media GmbH in Germany\u003c\/strong\u003e, presented in the original sleeve with a \u003cstrong\u003eprinted inner sleeve\u003c\/strong\u003e reproducing lyrics and credits. The catalogue number and barcode are identical on this pressing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTracklist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrighton Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKiller Queen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTenement Funster\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlick of the Wrist\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLily of the Valley\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow I'm Here\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the Lap of the Gods\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStone Cold Crazy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDear Friends\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMisfire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBring Back That Leroy Brown\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the Lap of the Gods... Revisited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCredits\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFreddie Mercury – Vocals, Piano\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrian May – Guitar, Vocals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoger Taylor – Drums, Vocals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJohn Deacon – Bass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoy Thomas Baker – Producer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQueen – Producers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMiles Showell – Half-Speed Lacquer Cutting, Abbey Road Studios\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGateway Mastering Studios – Remastering\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLabel – Virgin EMI Records \/ Universal Music\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Queen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504791593347,"sku":"602547202680","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/9757\/4275\/files\/0a44df41-020c-40e2-b001-b40cf9b946c7.webp?v=1772725553","url":"https:\/\/vikingrecords.co.uk\/products\/queen-sheer-heart-attack-180g-vinyl-lp-half-speed","provider":"Viking Records Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}