Evan's Gate

A crown jewel in the library for any fan of classic rock comes this compendium of every single track recorded and released by Queen during their original reign with late lead vocalist Freddie Mercury.

A stunningly designed volume focusing on the main discography released between 1973 and 1991.

Each title gets a unique graphic art treatment using a similar font but adding a splash of custom color for each recording.

To give readers context there are added sections. A brief intro to each member of the band comes before the eponymous debut is discussed.

We are also given great background on the key players in the band’s story including producers Roy Thomas Baker, Rheinhold Mack, Sound Engineer Mike Stone, and photographer Mick Rock.

Every song in its proper order are given the entries subhead Genesis and Production. How the song was birthed then what technique was applied in the studio to bring the song to life.

There are many images in both color and b&w that have never been seen. One of my favorites was an image of guitarist Brian May holding a Linn-7 drum machine. This technology is mentioned as the band’s fifth member during the recording of Hot Space.

Highlighted throughout are revelations under the heading, For Queen Addicts. This illustrates just how vast the following has become for the band, especially after the success of the movie, “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Everything about the band’s creative process is shared here. I found out a lot of things I did not know about the group. Since I am a Queen Addict I was quite impressed by this compendium.

The novice will probably be happy with their best-selling “Greatest Hits”. Long-time fans will need this book. Anyone who loves classic rock will also want to get a copy.

The band was not perfect. Refreshingly the book discusses the bad press received in the U.K. from the very start. Some of the biggest mistakes made took years to heal.

The four musicians who created this catalog of songs have become beloved by millions. Two of their famous fans, Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters co-curated a Queen compilation and Michael Jackson worked with Freddie.

This diverse mix of artistic points of view are in my opinion one of the components that make Queen so enduring in the canon of popular music.

This tome is genuine treasure.