A Day At The Races
Both regal and raunchy, Queen was at the height of its powers in the  mid-70s, riding the soaring vocals of Freddie Mercury, the ringing guitar crunch  of Brian May and the band's shameless theatrical flourishes. Coming so quickly  after the band'sA Night At the Operaopus, this 1976 album works hard at repeating the same hit-making elements, down to the matching cover art.  IfA Day At the Raceslacks the same level of pop tunesmanship, there is  still energy in these tracks, particularly in the rocking "Tie Your Mother  Down" and the emotional "Somebody to Love," which set a blueprint  for future ballads by the band.--Steve Appleford