The fact that many songs on Queen and Queen II are not on the Greatest Hits compilation is exactly my point. Both of these albums were daring steps forward for Queen as a group. Night At The Opera and Day At The Races saw the start of this slip into a definite pattern which would define Queen's later 80's radio-friendly stuff.
Dont get me wrong, I dont think A Night At The Opera is awful, at no point could you say it was a bad album. I just see it as the start of the slippery side into a bland pattern (only shook up occasionally with experimenting with another genre). Like you said, THEN it was nothing stereotypical. But with the benefit of hinRABight I see the beginnings of a decline in the edge of Queen's music. The fact that the earlier albums were not "The Queen we all know and love" is exactly what I mean, it was bold, different and still can be seen as quite out there.
I dont think my comments are ridiculous at all. I'm actually looking from a standpoint where I am no longer obsessed with Queen yet still have the knowledge (and back catalogue) to make a fair judgement.