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Queen's Four-Fold Strategy For Global Conquest

by Ron Ross
"Circus Raves" March 1975 (extract)

Enigmatic brooder
John Deacon has been called the "most enigmatic member of Queen," by Rosemary Horride, a British music paper writer close to the band who has supported them in the press from their inception. Evidently, Deacon is reticent enough to make John Entwistle, another dark brooding bassist, appear a blabbermouth. A graduated Master of Science in acoustics and vibration technology, his ears, along with those of producer Roy Baker, must be part of the secret of Queen's scintillating recorded sound.

Nevertheless, "Misfire," his short sweet tune on Sheer Heart Attack is as acoustically melodic and appealing as an Eagles bopper. It's neither as complex as physics nor as monolithically direct as John's pounding bassbeats on the maniacal rocker "Stone Cold Crazy" (a group composition, by the way). "Misfire" is a love song that could easily be a hit single by one of the many pleasant teen groups currently stimulating pop madness in England. Only at the end would a new initiate to Queen recognize John Deacon's unmistakable trademark: the bass runs under the fade are as fast and facile as any to be heard. The least well known musician in Queen is one of his rock generation's most able.

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