The heaviest and most Progressive chapter of Queen’s legacy gets a monumental reissue treatment
Queen have announced the release of a stunning Super Deluxe 5CD/2LP Collector’s Edition box set dedicated to “Queen II,” their landmark 1974 second album — widely regarded as the band’s most ambitious, Heavy, and Progressive statement.
Executive produced by Brian May and Roger Taylor, the reissue features a brand new 2026 remix and remaster of the album, handled by the acclaimed team of Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae, and Kris Fredriksson — names well-known to Queen aficionados for their meticulous work on previous catalogue restorations.
“Queen II” holds a very special place in the band’s discography and in the broader history of Heavy Progressive Rock. Released in March 1974, the album showcased a side of Queen that would never be quite so uncompromisingly dark and grandiose again — a labyrinthine world of fantasy, mythology, and multi-layered guitar orchestration, split between the “White Side” and the “Black Side,” the latter dominated by the sprawling suite of Faerie tales penned by Freddie Mercury. Tracks like “Ogre Battle,” “The March of the Black Queen,” and “Procession” remain some of the most theatrical and sonically dense recordings in Classic Rock history.
The box set promises to be essential for both long-time devotees and anyone approaching the album with fresh ears. Beyond the newly mixed and remastered album itself, the package includes intimate fly-on-the-wall audio captured directly from the recording sessions — a rare, unfiltered document of the band at work — alongside previously unheard outtakes and demos, live tracks, and radio sessions that paint a vivid picture of Queen at a pivotal creative crossroads.
The 5xCD/2xLP format ensures the full scope of the archival material can breathe properly, making this far more than a straightforward anniversary edition.
Purchase “Queen II” via Burning Shed here: https://burningshed.com/queen_queen-ii_vinyl-boxset
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 – November 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