Deep Cuts Volume 1 (1973-1976) (Remastered Edition)

A bespoke collection of hidden gems from the band’s first five albums, specially chosen by Roger Taylor and Brian May in consultation with life-long fan, Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters.

‘Deep Cuts Volume One’ is designed as a companion piece to the first five Queen albums which are being re-issued by Island Records on March 14th as part of the bands 40th anniversary celebrations.

Designed to dig a little deeper than their multi-million selling ‘Greatest Hits’ compilations (‘Greatest Hits’, by the way, is officially the biggest selling British album of all time with sales of an incredible 5.7 million copies so far in the UK alone), ‘Deep Cuts Volume One 1973-1976’ showcases a less well-known side of the early Queen story and reveals some brilliant tracksto listeners looking to delve into the band’s founding years’ work for the first time. The first five Queen albums – Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races - are a testament not only to the band’s skills as songwriters and musicians, but also to their determination to push the creative and technological envelopes to their absolute limits.

Challenging the traditional practises of the studios of the time, pioneering new methods of recording and refusing to use synthesisers, the band’s unique sound was born out of their incredible individual talents and ingenuity. Breaking the mould with multiple vocal harmonies, multi-layered guitar harmonies, cross rhythms and multiple repeats, Queen would layer so many tracks onto recording tape as to render it literally translucent, their 15 hour studio sessions now the stuff of legend within the studio community.

For Queen, the studio was a place of boundless possibilities. From the raw energy and heavy rock of Queen I to the polished splendour of A Day At The Races, they continued to challenge and innovate. Listening to ‘Deep Cuts’ in the 21st century, you can hear how Queen revolutionised both rock music itself and the way rock music was made.

The booklet notes for ‘Deeper Cuts’ were especially commissioned by Roger Taylor and Brian May from comedy actor and writer Rhys Thomas, an unlikely but unquestionable Queen fan and expert. Thomas publicly showed his vast knowledge of the band appearing on the New Year special edition of Celebrity Mastermind where, answering questions of the subject of his favourite band, Queen,he achieved the distinction of scoring the highest number of correct answers in the history of the television series.