Anyone who had listened to Queen’s second album (still my favorite despite the fact it contains no “hits”) would not have been surprised by Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen II had all the opera elements there, Bohemian Rhapsody just put them together into one “mini-opera” song.
The problem with Queen II (my favorite as well) is the March of the Black Queen, Ogre Battle and the Faeri Feller’s Master Stroke could not be played live due to the over production. A band I was in played a stripped down Ogre Battle. Underneath is still a great rock song.
That’s pretty much what their producer said on VH1s Great Albums series. Anybody that heard Black Queen or Ogre Battle knew this was coming.
Queen II was a masterpiece, particularly “Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke” and “Nevermore.”