Ask any rock band that's ever released an earth-shattering, spine-tingling, joy-inducing album of mythic proportions: it's very difficult to follow an earth-shattering, spine-tingling, joy-inducing album of mythic proportions. Once you issue forth a recording that is absolutely guaranteed a slot in rock history, subsequent albums will always be compared to the lofty height of the bar that classic album set.

So when I popped Queen's 1976 offering A Day at the Races into my CD player, I began to tell myself over and over not to think about A Night at the Opera. But as the album wore on and the songs clipped by, I realized that I couldn't stop myself from making the obligatory comparisons to its predecessor. That isn't to say that I wanted to be critical towards Races; in fact, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed all of the songs and believed that it is an amazing album (which it most certainly is). But I just couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was amiss...

And then it hit me. As one cycles through the ten tracks offered on A Day at the Races, one will discover that many of the songs are presented in the same groundbreaking style as their Opera counterparts; in other words, certain tracks on both albums seem to match up, sync in some tangible way.

Can you really blame them? The genre and style of Opera was a damn good one, so why would Queen stray from a successful formula? The answer, of course, is that they wouldn't, and over the course of this review I'll point out the distinct parallels that link A Night at the Opera and its younger brother, A Day at the Races, throughout the track-by-track rundown.

But enough about parallels and connections. All ten tracks on the album are amazing, and while it isn't perfect, it is quite unfair that it has been forced to languish in the immense shadow of its older sister for the decades since it has been released. A Day at the Races is everlasting proof that Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor were in a state of musical genius in the late 1970s, and this album should always be remembered not as A Night at the Opera's shameful cousin but triumphant twin.

Now that we've had enough introduction, it's time for my trademark track-by-track rundown.

"Tie Your Mother Down" (May)

A Day at the Races opens where "Bohemian Rhapsody" left off: with the crashing sound of a gong (Opera similarity number one). Subsequently, we're treated to a bombastic section of blasting guitar chords before the oh-so-familiar-and-simple opening riff comes steaming onto the track. Freddie's vocals are especially impressive here, as he manages to keep the difficult balance between screaming and singing, producing a memorable vocal performance. Rounding out the number are the tongue-in-cheek, decidedly blunt, sexually-charged lyrics. Overall, it's an instant classic rock song and it follows in the footsteps of another rollicking opening number, Opera's "Death on Two Legs."

"You Take My Breath Away" (Mercury)

The mood mellows considerably for "You Take My Breath Away," a number that beats out "Love of My Life" (its doppelganger) on the tenderness scale. Freddie's voice is decidedly demure, staying in the upper regions of his register, as he's backed up by trademark Queen layered vocals. A simple piano line dominates the track and provides an excellent backup for quite possibly the most heartfelt lyrics to appear on a rock album: "I'd give all my life for just one kiss" and "You can reduce me to tears/With a single sigh" are just some of the classic lines that pepper the song.

"Long Away" (May)

The album takes a decidedly poppy turn with "Long Away," featuring a vocal performance from May. Maybe it's the lack of a Mercury vocal, maybe it's the ringing, lighthearted guitar licks, but to me, it just doesn't sound like a Queen song, seeming too pop-inflected to come from the masters of hard rock. But one glance at the lyrics will prove it's a product of Brian May's mind: "You might believe in heaven/I would not care to say/For every star in heaven, there's a sad soul here today...a million lights above you/smile down upon your home." And unless the space-related lyrics send you on a "'39" flashback, I'm proud to say that it has no real similarity to any Opera song.

"The Millionaire Waltz" (Mercury)

That classic Queen form returns with Freddie's "The Millionaire Waltz," a multifaceted tune that yes, is presented with the standard waltz rhythm (if you're unfamiliar with it, imagine a brass band playing an oom-pah-pah beat). "Millionaire" has been frequently likened to "Bohemian Rhapsody," and I have to agree; the various sections, including a piano intro, a half-sung, half-shouted rock section, and triumphant instrumentals do bring back memories of "Rhapsody," but I have to say that it provides the camp factor of "Seaside Rendezvous" and "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon." Either way, it's a great song on its own, and Freddie spices things up with, of all things, a fake German accent ("My fine friend, take me wiz you unt love me") and generally amazing vocals.

"You and I" (Deacon)

Bassist Deacon makes his obligatory one appearance with the hopelessly upbeat, peppy love song "You and I." I have to admit that it's definitely one of my favorites simply because it balances pop with Queen dramatics; sure, there's the light piano intro and rollicking Mercury vocals, but mixed in occasionally are trademark backup vocals ("Sunny and bright!") and slower, more deliberate verses (listen when Freddie's voice takes a dramatic turn on the "You know I never could foresee the future years" lyric).

"Somebody to Love" (Mercury)

Finding someone to love is a common topic in popular music, but no artist before or since has rendered that search better than Queen. In the opening, you're introduced to the jaw-dropping, gospel-like chorus of vocals, comprised solely of band members (Queen didn't pull a "You Can't Always Get What You Want") that back up Freddie the entire time. There are very few words that can describe this song, overall, better than "epic"; the "choir" reaches chant proportions towards the end in a triumphant repetition of "Need somebody to love," Freddie takes his voice to new and incredible levels, and the lyrics could not be written any better. How can you not automatically love a song that includes lyrics like "But everybody wants to put me down, they say I'm going crazy/They say I got a lot of water on my brain, got no common sense/I got nobody left to believe"?

"White Man" (May)

Certainly the most bizarre offering on the album, the caustic "White Man" finds its muse from an interesting and unlikely source, especially for a British band: the plight of Native Americans. Blistering May guitar opens the show, setting up an opportunity for Freddie to provide more chant-like vocals, especially on part of the chorus (consisting of only "White man, white man"). Unfortunately, the entire song has the feel of a cheap "Prophet's Song" knockoff, to the point where I half-expect Freddie to break into "The earth will shake, in two will break" after the guitar solo, making this song one I occasionally skip over (although I think the majority of the lyrics are dead-on correct).

"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" (Mercury)

The traditional Queen camp returns for "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy," a tune about a typical ladies' man adept at sweet-talking the women. A solid wall of backup vocals supplement over-the-top lyrics (you can instantly tell this is a Mercury composition) like "Dining at the Ritz, we'll meet at nine, I will pay the bill, you taste the wine/Driving back in style in my saloon will do quite nicely/Just take me back to yours, that will be fine." Overall, a great campy number in the tradition of "Seaside Rendezvous."

"Drowse" (Taylor)

Roger Taylor takes the microphone for "Drowse," a number laden with thick, heavy guitar licks and methodic drumbeats. The song lives up to its name, providing a downright trippy aura to complement lament-like lyrics, such as "It's the fantastic drowse of the afternoon Sundays that bored you to rages of tears/The unending pleadings, to waste all your good times in thoughts of your middle-aged years." Roger's gravelly, rough voice is the perfect fit for this sharp-edged tune that deserves proper recognition; while you might not like it at first, it most certainly will grow on you. Plus, it receives bonus points for one of my favorite lyrics ever: "Never wanted to be the boy next door, always thought I'd be something more."

"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (May, translations by Kujirooka)

The album closes on an emotional note with "Teo Torriatte," an emotional ballad with an upbeat, bilingual (English and Japanese) chorus. Freddie's voice remains breathy and solemn throughout the verse and reaches tear-jerking power towards the end, singing (almost prophetically referring to his premature death), "Hear my song...still think of me the way you've come to think of me/The nights grow on, but dreams live on/Just close your pretty eyes and you can be with me." The chorus, which appears to be joined by what sounds like a group of children at the end, will go down in history as one of the best on record: "Let us cling together as the years go by, oh, my love, my love/In the quiet of the night, let our candle always burn/Let us never lose the lessons we have learned." Overall, it's the strongest song on the album, and if you don't feel at least a gentle tug at your heartstrings or a slight loosening of your tear ducts at the end, consult a doctor immediately.

(The Hollywood Records CD release features two bonus tracks, 1991 remixes of "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Somebody to Love," but as with those of Opera, I really haven't paid them much attention.)

So, what have we learned? Yes, A Day at the Races may be in many ways similar to its more famous predecessor, A Night at the Opera, but it is in no way an inferior product. And why you may not feel the heart-busting, pulse-quickening, epiphany-inducing shock that you did when first listening to Opera, give A Day at the Races a chance to grow on you, and you'll realize that it's well worth the price of admission.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving