The 1976 song Brian May called Queen’s “greatest musical excess”
Across their extensive career, Queen experimented with a host of different sounds.
From hard rock to dance music, the band were committed to pushing the boundaries of their creativity, and although this attitude could produce misfires from time to time, more often than not, it was a success. It meant that the group managed to stay relevant despite the changing of the zeitgeist.
One key aspect of Queen’s work was the talent and artistic flamboyance of their late frontman, Freddie Mercury. Although every band member brought something vital to the fold, his unfettered character and genius were the tip of their spear. His theatrics and distinctive vocals saw the group stand out amongst the mass of notable acts that their era produced, with him forming a scintillating dual assault with the group’s in-house guitarist, Brian May.
Love or loathe them, no one can doubt the extent of Queen’s creative imagination. The quartet wrote some of the most adventurous rock songs of their era and set a precedent for other future artists, including acts from far-flung fields such as My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and, in some aspects, Björk. The story of Queen will likely always centre around masterpieces such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, but efforts such as this are only the tip of the spear, as they wrote many other accomplished ones that, according to them, outdo such prominent hits.
One of the most distilled versions of themselves that Queen ever composed was ‘The Millionaire Waltz’ from 1976’s A Day at the Races. A continually moving track that weaves in and out of different moods, both Mercury and May are incredibly potent across it, as are bandmates John Deacon and Roger Taylor.
The band was aware of their triumph in the song. Brian May would even call it the band’s “greatest musical excess” and commented that he feels it dwarfs ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Speaking to Q in 2008, he explained: “This was our greatest musical excess. It teems with baroque life and makes ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ look easy. Great piece of Freddie.”
Years before this, Mercury expressed joy at the outcome of the track and commended Brian May and John Deacon for their efforts. He told Capitol Radio: “Actually I’d like to say that Brian (May) did do a very good job on the actual guitars. He’s really taken his guitar orchestration to its limits, I don’t know how he’s ever going to out do that one actually.”
Continuing: “And John (Deacon) played very good bass on that. I think it’s good and we’re patting ourselves on the back again. I really think it’s worked out well especially from the orchestration point of view. Because he’s really used his guitar in a different sort of way, I know he’s done lots of orchestrations before.”
Part of what makes ‘The Millionaire Waltz’ so remarkable is how effortlessly Queen move between entirely different musical ideas without the song ever losing momentum.
One moment it resembles a grand ballroom composition straight out of classical music, and the next it crashes into hard rock passages driven by May’s snarling guitar tone and Taylor’s explosive drumming. The constant shifts could have easily become overindulgent in the hands of another band, but Queen approached the chaos with such confidence that the song feels theatrical rather than cluttered.
It also captured the side of Freddie Mercury that thrived on excess and spectacle. While tracks like ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ later showcased Queen’s ability to strip things back for mass audiences, ‘The Millionaire Waltz’ represented the band at their most unapologetically extravagant. Every member is operating at full capacity, throwing complex harmonies, layered instrumentation and sudden tempo changes into the mix without hesitation. That ambition may have stopped the song from becoming one of Queen’s biggest hits, but it remains one of the clearest examples of just how fearless they could be.
‘The Millionaire Waltz’ stands out as an ambitious and technically impressive piece in Queen’s discography, showcasing the band’s musical experimentation and their willingness to push boundaries. Its intricate composition and theatricality make it a captivating and immersive listening experience, inviting the audience into a world of extravagant melodies and musical grandeur.
Listen to ‘The Millionaire Waltz’ below.
