(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic)

In every sense, A Day at the Races is an unapologetic sequel to A Night at the Opera, the 1975 breakthrough that established Queen as rock & roll royalty. The band never attempts to hide that the record is a sequel — the two albums boast the same variation on the same cover art, the titles are both taken from old Marx Brothers films and serve as counterpoints to each other.

Even though the two albums look the same, they don’t quite sound the same, this one is a bit tighter than its predecessor. Here, the eccentricities are trimmed back somewhat. Though not as innovative or pioneering as its predecessor, it’s a competent and enjoyable album.

Freddie Mercury of course adds a couple of his classics. “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” and “Millionaire waltz” with their retro feel and camp lyrics, and “You Take My Breath Away”, one of Mercury’s most sensitive ballads, single handedly make the album essential. Roger Taylor’s excellent solo track “Drowse” is surprisingly downbeat, but in the middle 8 he does a fine impersonation of Roger Daltrey. May’s opening “Tie Your Mother Down” builds the tension wonderfully before bursting into one of the band’s hardest rock numbers ever. “Long Away” is a nicely understated song which features May on lead vocal.

With all four band members contributing one or more songs, the quality and diversity of the product is undeniable. Songs such as Freddie Mercury’s “Somebody to Love” and Brian May’s “Teo Torriatte” are excellently produced and impeccably performed works. The former features some appealing choral type vocals but when pared back to its most basic form, the song is prosaic. Likewise “Teo Torriate” is a sensitive composition, brought to life by the anthemic, sing-a-long nature of the chorus.

The album can be considered as the first indication that the band were moving away from their innovative and experimental phase, heading towards a more straightforward style.

Line-up:
- Freddie Mercury / vocal, piano, choir meister, tantrums
- Brian May / guitars, vocals, orchestration
- John Deacon / fender bass
- Roger Taylor / drums, vocal, percussion, pandemonium

Track List:
01. Tie Your Mother Down – 4:48
02. You Take My Breath Away – 5:08
03. Long Away – 3:33
04. The Millionaire Waltz – 4:55
05. You And I – 3:25
06. Somebody To Love – 4:56
07. White Man – 4:59
08. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy – 2:54
09. Drowse – 3:45
10. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) – 5:54

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