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Louder

Entertainment

Paul Brannigan

"We had the desire to create something extraordinary. And we did." Queen announce remixed, remastered and expanded Queen II Collector’s Edition

Brian May Roger Taylor

Queen have announced details of a remixed, remastered and expanded 'collectors edition' version of their second album, Queen II.

Commonly regarded as the band's heaviest album, Queen II was recorded at Soho’s Trident Studios with Roy Thomas Baker, and originally released on March 8, 1974. The album peaked at number 5 in the UK, and at number 49 on the Billboard 200.

"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."

The 2026 edition of the album will be released as a lavish 5 CD plus 2LP box set, featuring intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the recording studio, previously unheard outtakes and demos, live tracks and BBC radio sessions.

Of particular interest to die-hard fans is the 'Sessions' CD, presenting a completely different and 100% previously unreleased version of every song from the album in the form of outtakes from the original Trident sessions, complete with false starts, guide vocals, the odd mistake, and some fabulous studio banter between the four band members. Full tracklist below.

The box set also comes with a 112-page book featuring previously unseen photographs, handwritten lyrics, diary entries, and special memorabilia, as well as memories of writing and recording the album from the band members.

The album will also be available as a two CD Deluxe Edition, Vinyl LP, Vinyl Picture Disc LP, CD and cassette formats, all featuring a brand new 2026 mix.

"This new stereo mix is quite adventurous," says Brian May, "and, rendering the impossible complexity of these tracks, the new clarity is astounding. Because of the work of our sound team, this ancient work from when we were still just learning how to reach for the stars, opens up a new world to many who care about these arcane dreams as much as we do."

"When Queen II came out a lot of people thought we’d forsaken rock music," May reflects. "They said, 'Why don’t you play things like Liar and Keep Yourself Alive?' All we could say was, give it another listen, it’s there, but it’s all layered, it’s a new approach. Nowadays people say, ‘Why don’t you play like Queen II?’ I like the album a lot. It’s not perfect, it has the imperfections and excesses of youth, but I think that was our biggest single step ever."

"We're going from a band that is hardly allowed in the studio, except for a few kind of hours in dead time, to a band that actually has studio time. We can indulge ourselves. We can experiment, and we do make a giant leap with painting pictures on the canvas of the tapes on Queen II."

"I don’t think the album sounds like anyone else," says Roger Taylor. "We gained a mental identity, a group identity and we were just doing what we did."

Queen II is available to pre-order now.

Queen II: Collector's Edition 2026 Mix (5CD+2LP)

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, March 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