Liar (Queen song)

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox song | name = Liar | cover = Liar by Queen.jpeg | alt = | caption = A-side label for the US vinyl single | type = single | artist = Queen | album = Queen | B-side = Doing All Right | released = 14 February 1974<ref name="The Queen Chronology">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WulVDwAAQBAJ|title=The Queen Chronology|language=en|date=April 2018|isbn=9781926462103|last1=Lemieux|first1=Patrick|last2=Unger|first2=Adam|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> | recorded = December 1971;<br/>June–November 1972 | studio = Trident Studios, London | genre = *Hard rock<ref>{{cite book|author=Georg Purvis|title=Queen: Complete Works|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2K_BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT657|date=24 August 2012|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=978-1-78116-287-3|page=657}}</ref> *progressive rock<ref name="Goldmine 2024">{{cite web|first= Martin|last= Popoff|title= The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked|website= Goldmine| date= January 5, 2024|url= https://www.goldminemag.com/music-history/top-20-unlikely-progressive-rock-hits-ranked|accessdate= January 7, 2024}}</ref> *heavy metal<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCeTqWXP6eoC&pg=PT39|title=Queen- Uncensored on the Record|publisher=Coda Books |isbn=9781908538840}}</ref> | length = *6:24 (album version) *3:01 (single version) | label = Elektra | writer = Freddie Mercury | producer = {{hlist|John Anthony|Roy Thomas Baker|Queen}} | prev_title = Keep Yourself Alive | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = Seven Seas of Rhye | next_year = 1974 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|oU7rqB9E_0M|"Liar"}} | type = single }} }}

"'''Liar'''" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by the lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1970. The song featured on the band's 1973 debut album ''Queen.'' A heavily truncated version of "Liar" was released as a single – backed with "Doing All Right" – in the United States and New Zealand by Elektra Records in February 1974.

The music video consisted of the band miming to the song on a sound stage. "Liar" was the band's second videoclip and it was filmed one year before it was released as a single.

As confirmed by the transcription on EMI Music Publishing's ''Off The Record'' sheet music for the song, this is one of three Queen tracks, the others being "Now I'm Here" and "Under Pressure" (their collaboration originally with David Bowie), to feature a Hammond organ.

This song briefly brought up the problem of songwriting credits within the band. May queried which band members would be credited for developing the music for each song, to which Mercury concluded the discussion, stating that the lyricist, or otherwise the individual who originates the song, should be credited as its writer, a practice that continued until ''The Miracle'' (1989).

==Composition == This song makes prominent use of the flanging effect, especially on the drums and cowbell. This is also the longest song on the album.

==Reception== ''Cash Box'' called it a "top flight, tightly delivered rocker" with an accent on "bass and lead guitar with energetic lead vocal and harmony performances."<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=February 23, 1974|page=34|accessdate=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-02-23.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}</ref>

==Live performances== {{Unreferenced section|date=June 2018}} In the band's early years, "Liar" was a concert staple, performed as a conclusion to their main set, and often lasting for up to ten minutes. "Liar" would start to be played more sparingly by The News of the World Tour, to be dropped from the setlist for the Jazz Tour. However, starting with the Crazy Tour, the song begins to be performed sparingly again. By the Game Tour, the song was no longer included in the setlist. The song was revived for a few shows in the European leg of the 1982 Hot Space Tour and rumoured to have been played once in the North American leg on that very same tour. The song would be revived again in the Works Tour (though the song was cut down to three minutes or less). "Liar" was referred to in the setlist of the Magic Tour, as Brian May played a partial guitar riff from the song immediately before "Tear It Up".

==Personnel== *Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals, Hammond organ *Brian May – acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals *Roger Taylor – drums, woodblock, cowbell, backing vocals *John Deacon – bass guitar

==Track listing== #"Liar" (Freddie Mercury) – 3:03 #"Doing All Right" (Brian May, Tim Staffell) – 4:09

==Appearances== *''Queen'' (1973) *''At the Beeb'' (1989) *''Live at the Rainbow '74'' (2014) *''A Night at the Odeon – Hammersmith 1975'' (2015) *''On Air'' (2016)

==Legacy/cover versions== Comedy heavy metal band Bad News used the opening riff and other song structures in their song "Hey, Hey, Bad News". Brian May produced their self-titled album and played on their cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the same album.

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{YouTube|id=oU7rqB9E_0M|title=Official music video}} * [http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/queen-album/#lyrics Lyrics at Queen official website] * [http://www.queenpedia.com/index.php?title=Liar_(Queen_song) "Liar"] at Queenpedia * [{{Allmusic|class=song|id=t3181257|pure_url=yes}} "Liar" song review] at Allmusic

Category:Queen (band) songs Category:1973 songs Category:1974 singles Category:Songs written by Freddie Mercury Category:Song recordings produced by John Anthony (record producer) Category:Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers Category:EMI Records singles Category:Elektra Records singles Category:Hollywood Records singles Category:British heavy metal songs