Queen: a lavish reissue of the album "Queen II" is coming, with unreleased tracks and live recordings

The second Queen album, “Queen II”, will be reissued this spring in an expanded box set gathering alternate versions, outtakes, BBC recordings and numerous live performances of the album's material. The box, titled “Queen II Reimagined: Deluxe Collector's Edition”, will be available from 27 March on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

Originally released on 8 March 1974, “Queen II” featured the single “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and the iconic cover shot by Mick Rock. This new edition presents itself as an in-depth re-examination of the project, spread across five discs.

The new 2026 mix

At the heart of the project is the full remix of the album, carried out by engineers Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J. Macrae and Kris Fredriksson. The work aims to give the sound greater clarity, easing the technical limitations of the era, when the density of the instrumentation tended to overload studio equipment.

Shirley-Smith explained that the goal wasn't to add elements, but to make the ones already there more distinct, bringing to the fore details that had been left in the shadows in the original mix.

A decisive turning point in the band's history

Compared to the self-titled 1973 debut, “Queen II” marks a decisive step forward on both a compositional and conceptual level. The album opens with “Procession”, built by Brian May as a sort of symphony for guitars achieved through overdubs and volume swells. The material moves between hard rock and progressive rock, and in the original edition was split into “Side White” and “Side Black”, underscoring the record's thematic duality. Tracks like “Ogre Battle” and “White Queen (As It Began)” remained in the setlist until the end of the Seventies, while “Seven Seas Of Rhye”, driven by Freddie Mercury's piano lines, became the band's first UK hit.

Brian May has called “Queen II” the band's most significant leap forward, the moment when the group began recording with a fully independent vision. Roger Taylor has also recalled the intense studio work, highlighting the pioneering use of multitracking, which allowed for sweeping choral effects built from just the three members' voices.

The album has deeply influenced musicians of later generations, including Axl Rose, Billy Corgan and Judas Priest's Rob Halford, who have repeatedly acknowledged its importance.

What's in the box set

The box set includes:

• The 2026 remix of the original album
• An album of alternate session material and outtakes recorded at Trident Studios, featuring demos, guide vocals and studio chatter
• An instrumental-only album, useful for highlighting the musical architecture of the tracks
• BBC recordings made between 1973 and 1974 for John Peel and Bob Harris
• Live versions taken from concerts in England between 1974 and 1975

Among the most notable material are “As It Began”, a 1969 Brian May demo that later evolved into “White Queen”, two Roger Taylor demos for “The Loser in the End”, and the previously unreleased “Not for Sale (Polar Bear)”, left unfinished during the “Queen II” sessions.

The box set also includes a 112-page book featuring alternate shots from Mick Rock's photo session, handwritten lyrics, sheet music, diary pages, letters and memorabilia from the era.

Future Prospects

Last autumn, May and Taylor spoke to Rolling Stone about the genesis of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. On that occasion they also touched on the possibility of new live projects. May mentioned his interest in the Sphere in Las Vegas, floating the idea of an immersive show built around Queen's repertoire, calling it a setting technically well suited to showcasing the band's visual and sonic impact.

Tracklist

Disc One: “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”

Disc Two: “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)”

Disc Three: “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”

Disc Four: “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, Sept. 13, 1973)

6. “Father to Son” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

7. “Son and Daughter” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

8. “Guitar Solo” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

9. “Son and Daughter — Reprise” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

10. “Ogre Battle” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

11. “Liar” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

12. “Jailhouse Rock” (Live at Golders Green Hippodrome, Sept. 13, 1973)

Disc Five: “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, March 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)

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