An Overlooked Queen Masterpiece

Many may feel that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is their crowning achievment. Perhaps, but I would argue that The Prophet’s Song, an epic track from the same album, is a superier song. The band’s following album, A Day At The Races, contains one of Queen’s most overlooked and under appreciated gems. The song was never released as a single. It was performed live for a brief time in the mid 1970s. The song that I am refering to is The Millionaire Waltz. At four minutes and 54 seconds Queen pack more brilliance into this one track than many other bands can muster over an entire cd.

One of the many great things about Queen is that as a band they were four equally talented musicians. The Millionaire Waltz truly reflects this. On display are Freddie Mercury’s classically inspired piano playing, Brian May’s extremely impressive guitar orchestra, Roger Taylor laying down the foundation and John Deacon’s brilliant bass work holding it all together. Add on top of that Freddie’s vocal acrobatics, the band’s over the top vocal choirs and it all adds up to an epic track.

At the two minute and 29 second mark the band could have successfully ended the song. But instead at the 2 minute and 30 second mark the full band comes thundering in, bringing the song to a new level. They spend the rest of the track in a dizzying display of musical brilliance.

To truly appreciate this gem you have to listen with headphones. Sit back and enjoy a nearly five minute musical roller coaster ride and prepare to feel like a millionaire.