Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor are serving as executive producers on a brand new Queen II reissue, set to arrive on March 27. The album, originally released in 1974, has been re-mixed by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae, and Kris Fredriksson.
The 5CD+2LP Queen II Collector’s Edition box set features the 2026 mix of the album, plus audio of Queen in the recording studio, previously unheard outtakes and demos, live tracks, and radio sessions.
The Queen II Collector’s Edition box set also arrives with a 112-page book featuring previously unavailable photographs, handwritten lyrics, diary entries, and special memorabilia, as well as recollections of the writing and recording process from the band members.
“Queen II was the single biggest leap we ever made,” says Brian May. “That’s when we really started making music the way we wanted to, rather than the way we were being pushed into recording it.”
“With Queen II, I couldn’t believe how much work we put into it,” adds Roger Taylor. “I think we felt we were evolving our own sound. We were pioneering this sort of multitracking thing. It gave you a tremendous pallet, massive choral effects with just three of us singing.”
This notion was something the group’s late, great bandleader Freddie Mercury discussed during the era in which the album was released. “I wanted to give it everything – to be self-indulgent,” he explained. “But the whole band in particular, we don’t go in for half-measures and I’m pretty hard with myself. There are no compromises.”
This was something Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J McCrae wanted to emphasize in the mixing process of this new edition. “The idea was to reveal more of the clarity of the songs,” says Shirley-Smith. “Rather than add anything, we wanted to reveal more of what was there and get that desired sound.”
“The lengths the band went to achieve what they achieved with the technology they had at the time was incredible,” adds Joshua J Macrae. “Some of it is so ahead of its time. Working on this was like entering a room of fabulousness.”
CD1: Queen II - 2026 Mix
1 Procession
2 Father To Son
3 White Queen (As It Began)
4 Some Day One Day
5 The Loser in the End
6 Ogre Battle
7 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
8 Nevermore
9 The March of the Black Queen
10 Funny How Love Is
11 Seven Seas Of Rhye
CD2: Queen II – Sessions
1 Procession (Stage Intro Tape - April 1973)
2 Father To Son (Takes 4 & 9 - with Guide Vocal)
3 As It Began (Brian's Studio Demo - October 1969)
4 Some Day One Day (Take 1 - with Guide Vocals)
5 The Loser In The End (Roger's First Demo)
6 The Loser In The End (Roger's Second Demo)
7 Ogre Battle (Takes 2 & 6 - with Guide Vocal)
8 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (Takes 4 & 9)
9 Nevermore (Take 6)
10 The March Of The Black Queen (First Section Takes 3 & 5)
11 The March Of The Black Queen (Second Section Take 1)
12 Funny How Love Is (Take 4)
13 Seven Seas Of Rhye (Takes 4, 5 & 6)
14 I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside (Take 4)
15 See What A Fool I've Been (B-side Version 2026 Mix)
16 Not For Sale (Polar Bear)
CD3: Queen II - Backing Tracks
1 Procession
2 Father To Son
3 White Queen (As It Began)
4 Some Day One Day
5 The Loser in the End
6 Ogre Battle
7 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
8 Nevermore
9 The March of the Black Queen
10 Funny How Love Is
11 Seven Seas Of Rhye
CD4: Queen II - At The BBC
1 See What a Fool I've Been (BBC Session 2 - July 1973 - 2011 Mix)
2 Ogre Battle (BBC Session 3 - December 1973)
3 Nevermore (BBC Session 4 - April 1974)
4 White Queen (As It Began) (BBC Session 4 - April 1974)
5 Procession - Intro Tape (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
6 Father To Son (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
7 Son And Daughter (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
8 Guitar Solo (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
9 Son And Daughter - Reprise (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
10 Ogre Battle (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
11 Liar (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
12 Jailhouse Rock (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome - 13th September 1973)
CD5: Queen II – Live
1 Procession - Intro Tape (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
2 Father To Son (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
3 Ogre Battle (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
4 White Queen (As It Began) (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon - December 1975)
5 The March Of The Black Queen (Live at the Rainbow - November 1974)*
6 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
7 Seven Seas Of Rhye (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
8 See What A Fool I've Been (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
LP1: Queen II - 2026 Mix (Side White)
1 Procession
2 Father To Son
3 White Queen (As It Began)
4 Some Day One Day
5 The Loser in the End
LP2: Queen II - 2026 Mix (Side Black)
1 Ogre Battle
2 The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
3 Nevermore
4 The March of the Black Queen
5 Funny How Love Is
6 Seven Seas Of Rhye
Roman P-V - 2026-02-20 13:28:25
