I used to not care for the debut, but it has grown on me over time. It does feel like the band is still developing their sound. A lot of the songs shift around a lot, as Foro mentioned. Sometimes that works to the songs advantage but sometimes it just sounds like a mess. The ideas that would later make the greatest Queen songs are all there, but it lacks the organization. There are some hidden gems here though.
Keep Yourself Alive is probably the best song on the album. It is the only song that feels fully fleshed out and arranged. Lots of great guitar harmonies and the vocal melodies are awesome. I love how it changes keys at the end. Perfect sing-along song.
I like the way Doing Alright shifts dynamics throughout before its explosive finish. What starts out as a pretty standard rock ballad takes some unique twists and turns. An early example both of Queen's versatility and also Freddie's songwriting skills. This is one that has recently become a favorite of mine.
Great King Rat, My Fairy King and Liar further shows their dynamic side, with more of a Vaudeville influence. Liar is probably the heaviest of the three, there are less soft piano moments than on the other two tunes. These three songs all have good moments but none of them are without some duller moments too. They are probably the best examples of the potential Queen has for being something more than your average rock and roll band though.
Night Comes Down and Modern Rock n Roll both seem very half baked. The former has some nice things happening but ultimately doesn't go anywhere. As for the latter, I'm not too fond of Queen's more aggressive side. I like them best when they're melodic. Their heavier material works better when there's a strong melody or riff happening.
Son & Daughter is an example of heavier Queen done right. That is such a cool sludgy riff. I also like Freddie's gritty vocal performance. Good song.
Jesus is awesome. I like Queen's gospel side. The harmonies are perfect for the chorus and it has a cool verse melody. The manic instrumental section is a nice touch.
Queen II is much better. It's more experimental and I really dig the light/dark concept. Still not as good as their later work, but it shows how promising this band's career will be.
Father To Son shows immediately that the band has already changed quite a bit. The grandeur of this is a perfect start to what is probably the closest Queen ever got to prog rock. Explosive song that feels like a journey without any musical meandering.
White Queen is a nice haunting ballad. Love the final chorus.
I like the folky vibes of Some Day One Day. Brian May's vocals work perfectly over this sort of thing.
Loser In the End is a better showcase for Roger Taylor than his song on the previous album. Nice rocking track.
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Fairy Feller's Master Stroke is like a musical descent into madness. Seems like the sort of thing they were going for with a few songs on the first album but it didn't work quite as well as it does here. Hard to believe it's less than 3 minutes, they get a lot done in such a short time.
Nevermore is another short but sweet song. Love those Freddie Mercury piano ballads. An obvious predecessor to Lily of the Valley.
March Of the Black Queen is the centerpiece of the album. Awesome tune that shows glimpses of some of their later epics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Prophet's Song. Love the vocal interaction between Roger and Freddie toward the end. Don't think they ever did that much. Best song on the album easily. The false ending is great too. I like to imagine being around in 1974 to hear this for the first time. It must've been unlike anything else!
Seven Seas of Rhye is a cool tune. Seems like they spent a lot of time on it and it shows. Very well written concise song. That piano hook is infectious.