(Review from allmusic, progarchives.com)

Queen were straining at the boundaries of hard rock and heavy metal on Sheer Heart Attack, but they broke down all the barricades on A Night at the Opera, a self-consciously ridiculous and overblown hard rock masterpiece.

The title “A Night at the Opera” is taken from a film by the Marx Brothers, but aside from a brief operatic section, there isn’t actually much opera to be found here. Indeed, this is not a concept album, although the tracks do tend to sit well together.

Using the multi-layered guitars of its predecessor as a foundation, “A Night at the Opera” encompasses metal (“Death on Two Legs”, “Sweet Lady”), pop (the lovely, shimmering “You’re My Best Friend”), campy British music hall (“Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon,” “Seaside Rendezvous”), and mystical progressive rock (“’39″, “The Prophet’s Song”), eventually bringing it all together on the pseudo-operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

So what of “Bohemian Rhapsody”? There had been successful singles previously which had breached the usual 3 minute limitation, “Hey Jude” by The Beatles and “McArthur Park” by Richard Harris come to mind immediately. Nothing however had prepared the music world for the sheer pomp and audacity of Queen’s new single. The track moves through more moods and styles in 6 minutes than some bands manage on an entire album. One minute your listening to pseudo opera, the next your faced with a heads down straight ahead burst of rock.

Line-up:
- Freddie Mercury / piano, vocals, orchestration
- Brian May / banjo, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals, koto, ukulele
- Roger Taylor / percussion, vocals, drums
- John Deacon / bass, electric piano, guitar

Track List:
01. Death On Two Legs – 3:43
02. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon – 1:07
03. I’m In Love With My Car – 3:04
04. You’re My Best Friend – 2:52
05. ’39 – 3:30
06. Sweet Lady – 4:03
07. Seaside Rendezvous – 2:17
08. The Prophet’s Song – 8:19
09. Love Of My Life – 3:38
10. Good Company – 3:22
11. Bohemian Rhapsody – 5:54
12. God Save The Queen – 1:11

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