Queen’s 1973 self-titled debut record will see a new release on 25 October, fully remixed, remastered, and expanded in a 6CD+1LP box set with 63 tracks and 43 brand new mixes. This is thanks to “meticulously restored original recordings on 16-track analogue magnetic tape,” as Brian May - lead guitarist and backing vocalist of Queen - states on his Instagram account.

“Half a century later, here is our debut Queen album, finally presented just the way we would have loved to present it in 1973.”, May announces, going on to say:

“Although we were always proud of our very first album, it never had the SOUND we wanted. Being young whippersnappers at the time, we had no control over the way the instruments were recorded . It was recorded very dry in the studio - with no 'room', so to us the tracks have always sounded very lifeless and small.”

Regarding the change of name of the original album, May says: "So why QUEEN I?" — because that's exactly what we would've called it at the time if we'd known history was going to take us!"

The second slide of the post shows May unboxing the brand-new edition of Queen's breakthrough record boxset.

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Una publicación compartida por Sir Brian May (@brianmayforreal)

On the CD sleeve insert note May writes, “This is not just a remaster, this is a brand new 2024 rebuild of the entire Queen debut album, which, with the benefit of hindsight, we have re-titled QUEEN I.” He also notes:

“All the performances are exactly as they originally appeared in 1973, but every instrument has been revisited to produce the ‘live’ ambient sounds we would have liked to use originally. The result is “Queen“ as it would have sounded with today’s knowledge and technology – a first. ‘Queen I’ is the debut album we always dreamed of bringing to you.”

The reissue also brings lots of new material as detailed on their official store: “intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the studio, demos, rare live tracks, and previously unheard recordings from Queen’s first ever live performance in London, August 1970.”

Moreover, “Mad the Swine”, a song that didn’t make the final cut of the record due to differences of opinion between the band and one of their producers, is now included in the fourth position on the tracklist, where the band initially wanted it to be when making the album. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia accompanies the release.

A month ago, Queen sold their entire back catalogue to Sony Music for £1b (around $1.3b), including rights to the band’s music and merch opportunities, but excluding their live performances, which remain the property of May and Roger Taylor; they continue to tour under the Queen name with singer Adam Lambert.

May recently posted a video on Instagram in which he revealed that he suffered a stroke that left him with “no control” over his left arm, but fortunately, he “can play guitar after the events of the last few days.”

You can pre-order the box-set and more editions here.

Queen I Collector’s Edition (6CD+LP) tracklist:

CD1: Queen I (2024 Mix)

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right 
3. Great King Rat 
4. Mad The Swine 
5. My Fairy King 
6. Liar 
7. The Night Comes Down 
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll 
9. Son And Daughter 
10. Jesus 
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye...

CD2: De Lane Lea Demos - 2024 Mix

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. The Night Comes Down 
3. Great King Rat 
4. Jesus 
5. Liar

CD3: Queen I Sessions

1. Keep Yourself Alive (Trident Take 13 - Unused Master)
2. Doing All Right (Trident Take 1 - with Guide Vocal) 
3. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Take 1 - with Guide Vocal) 
4. Mad The Swine (Trident Take 3 - with Guide Vocal) 
5. My Fairy King (Trident Backing Track In Development) 
6. Liar (Trident Take 1 – Unused Master) 
7. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Takes 1 & 2 - with Guide Vocal) 
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Trident Takes 8 & 9) 
9. Son And Daughter (Trident Takes 1 & 2 - with Guide Vocal) 
10. Jesus (De Lane Lea Take 2 - with Guide Vocal) 
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye… (Trident Take 3) 
12. See What A Fool I've Been (De Lane Lea Test Session)

CD4: Queen I Backing Tracks

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right 
3. Great King Rat 
4. Mad The Swine 
5. My Fairy King 
6. Liar 
7. The Night Comes Down 
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll 
9. Son And Daughter 
10. Jesus 
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye…

CD5: Queen I At The BBC

1. My Fairy King (BBC Session 1, February 1973)
2. Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 1, February 1973) 
3. Doing All Right (BBC Session 1, February 1973) 
4. Liar (BBC Session 1, February 1973) 
5. Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
6. Liar (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
7. Son And Daughter (BBC Session 2, July 1973)
8.  Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3, December 1973)
9. Great King Rat (BBC Session 3, December 1973
10. Son And Daughter (BBC Session 3, December 1973
11. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 4, April 1974

CD6: Queen I Live

1. Son And Daughter (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
2. Guitar Solo (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
3. Son And Daughter (Reprise) (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
4. Great King Rat (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
5. Keep Yourself Alive (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974
6. Drum Solo (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
7. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise) (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
8. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
9. Liar (Live at the Rainbow - March 1974)
10. Hangman (Live in San Diego - March 1976)
11. Doing All Right (Live in San Diego - March 1976)
12. Jesus (Live at Imperial College - August 1970)
13. I’m A Man (Live at Imperial College - August 1970)

LP: Queen I Live – 2024 Mix

Side 1:

1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Doing All Right
3. Great King Rat
4. Mad The Swine
5. My Fairy King

Side 2:

1. Liar
2. The Night Comes Down
3. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
4. Son And Daughter
5. Jesus
6. Seven Seas Of Rhye…