Queen Announces ‘Queen II’ Deluxe Edition Featuring Unreleased Material and Archival Performances
Queen will revisit a pivotal moment in its early catalog this spring with the release of Queen II Reimagined: Deluxe Collector’s Edition, an expanded box set built around the group’s 1974 sophomore album. The collection arrives March 27 on CD, vinyl, and digital platforms.
Originally issued on March 8, 1974, Queen II marked a clear escalation in the band’s ambition. Structured across the conceptual divide of “Side White” and “Side Black,” the album pushed further into layered vocal arrangements, progressive structures, and heavier guitar textures than its 1973 debut. It produced the band’s first U.K. hit, “Seven Seas of Rhye,” and introduced songs such as “Ogre Battle” and “White Queen (As It Began),” which would remain in live rotation through much of the decade.
The centerpiece of the new edition is a fresh remix overseen by engineers Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J Macrae, and Kris Fredriksson. According to Shirley-Smith, the objective was restoration rather than reinvention. Advances in audio technology have allowed the team to address moments where the density of the original recordings strained the limitations of 1970s studio equipment. “Rather than add anything,” he said in a statement, “we wanted to reveal more of what was there.”
Guitarist Brian May described Queen II as a turning point in the band’s creative independence. “That’s when we really started making music the way we wanted to,” he said. Drummer Roger Taylor reflected on the extensive multitracking that shaped the album’s choral textures, noting that it expanded what three voices could achieve in the studio.
In addition to the remix, the box set compiles studio outtakes and alternate sessions recorded at Trident Studios. Among the archival material are early versions of songs that later evolved into finished tracks, including a 1969 recording by May that became “White Queen.” The release also includes demos of “Loser in the End” and an unfinished piece titled “Not for Sale (Polar Bear),” developed during the original sessions.
A dedicated “backing tracks” disc presents instrumental-only versions of the album, offering a clearer view of the band’s arrangements. Another disc gathers BBC sessions recorded in 1973 and 1974 for John Peel and Bob Harris. A final live disc features performances of every Queen II track captured at concerts across England in 1974 and 1975.
The package is rounded out by a 112-page book containing rare photographs from Mick Rock’s original cover shoot, handwritten lyrics, musical notes, and contemporaneous memorabilia.
Over time, Queen II has earned recognition as a formative statement in the band’s evolution, influencing artists across hard rock and metal. More than 50 years after its release, the album stands as an early blueprint for the scale and theatricality that would define Queen’s later work.
