The Great QUEEN debate!!!

[keyboardistmatt]

Ok;

From the Muse thread, there seems to be some debate about Queen.  I think this should have its own thread...

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I was brought up on a selection of bands including Queen.  As such, I really, really like them!  I don't have all of their albums, but the ones I do have I really love.  I think Queen were one of the greatest bands ever. 

So...

Debate!!!

[Manatee]

I think Queen was a good band that had some terrific moments.  I actually do like Bohemian Rhapsody quite a bit.  Unfortunately (well not so unfortunate for them since they sold a lot of records), they are a prime example of a band that probably had more to offer that had a few particular songs played to death on American radio, so I tend to be tired of them even though I'd probably enjoy hearing some of their less-played stuff.  Sort of the same thing that holds true for me with the Beatles, only not as extreme (and there are a ton of Beatles songs that got played to death).

[Teunis]

Definitely among my favorite bands  . I own these albums: A Night At The Opera, A Kind Of Magic, Live Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo, Greatest Hits and Made In Heaven. We always take the latter one with us while on holidays, even my wife loves it  . And I own the 'Live at the Wembley Stadium DVD, very cool to watch. What a performer Freddie was. Especially at the track 'Love of my Life', the interaction with the audience, goosebumps! The album/gigs with Paul Rodgers were not Queen anymore imo.

[Nicky007]

I hardly need to add more, but since Queen interest me a lot, and I like a good exchange, guess I have to dish up somethin here.

OK, let's start with some general observations: 30 years ago, there was a much closer correlation between quality and popularity than there is today !

Practically speaking, first Beatles, Stones, Who, and Bob Dylan were top-league, in terms of quality and creativity, and they were extremely popular. Then came the next generation: Floyd, Genesis, Zep, Doors, Steppenwolf, and several more; and they were also very popular. With Floyd and Genesis, took some time tho. And already in this generation, there arose bands that remained prog/cult and never attained broad popularity, e.g. Yes and King Crimson. After that, it became more and more such that the best groups remained under the radar in terms of the general media. Takin the prog flagship DT, I reckon that in Denmark, about 1% of the population listen to'm. (With Beatles, that was close to 100% in the 60's and 70's.)

And today, in serious music circles (like the Room), it's almost an emblem of quality for a group if they'r not played and not mentioned in the general media (take e.g. Sieges Even and SubSignal - these days, there's a discussion in Wiki about whether there should be an article about SubSignal at all (of course there should be a Wiki-article)).

So, times have really changed drastically. One has to understand this.

Yes, definitely Queen were top-league; they were talented, genuine, creative, progressive, all that, just like Floyd, Genesis, Zep, and all the other groups we still love !

With time, even our young Roomies will realise this, I'm sure  

... Made In Heaven. We always take the latter one with us while on holidays, even my wife loves it  .

It's wonderful, isnt it, Teunis ? 

You should get Sheer Heart Attack too. This one and Heaven are my two Queen faves 

Nicky.

[Deenfan]

Time for some petrol?

I don't care much about Queen. Some times, when I hear a song on the radio, I think "This isn't too bad", but "Bohemian Rhapsody" is idiotic. I saw the original and thought it was the parody. As such, why not go all the way? I quite enjoy the "Bad News" version. The full comedy potential of the song is allowed to blossom. Wonderful.

Good?

[Nicky007]

Guess some people aint grown up with 37 

Deenie, you shouldnt make any general statements about Queen on the basis of some hits that'v been played in the radio.

Play Queen II-V thru a coupl'o times, and also listen to some of the fabulous stuff that Brian May does on his guitar .....

..... and then we'l start talkin as grown-ups 

(You can take it, you b*d !) 

Nicky.

[maddox]

Time for some petrol?

I don't care much about Queen. Some times, when I hear a song on the radio, I think "This isn't too bad", but "Bohemian Rhapsody" is idiotic. I saw the original and thought it was the parody. As such, why not go all the way? I quite enjoy the "Bad News" version. The full comedy potential of the song is allowed to blossom. Wonderful.

Good?

Deenfan, you're the man. 



I expect to to be a person who's opinion is irrelevant about this particular matter . 

Well, if anything else... i might as well put some bright shiny words in here.

Like i already said, as a performer Freddy Mercury, tragically, was a very good artist.
As a singer however, not.
And that has got nothing to do with the fact that he's dead or not, it's just how it is.

As for the music of Queen: There are some pretty good moments during the rather big career of Queen and i have to admit that they had potential (like that word) but to me, they weren't the big band people said they were.
Sure, Brain May is a good guitarist but his style is too omnipresent for my taste. Listen to his work on the first album and you know how he plays on the last album.
The same goes for statue John Deacon and Roger Taylor, who supposed to be a drummer but every time i see him play, I just simply can't imagine him as a drummer. It just doesn't fit the picture.

Funny thing is though, that although i don't really care for Queen, i do care for a few bands who are somewhat influenced by Queen, like Shadow Gallery or since The Resistance, Muse.

How weird can life be. 

I hope i wasn't that harsh about Queen.
And i also hope that i still can walk the streets in my home town without being shot to death. 

[Nicky007]

... Roger Taylor, who is supposed to be a drummer, but every time i see him play, I just simply can't imagine him as a drummer. It just doesn't fit the picture.

You sure have some imagination, Mad 

And i also hope that i still can walk the streets in my home town without being shot to death. 

I don't even know your last name, or which town ya live in, Mad; I only know that you live somewhere in the marsh. But if I ask the Netherlands National Radio to blast out Bohemian Rhapsody, it might do the trick 

Nicky.

[maddox]

My location is hidden underneath this link. 

This might give you an idea of where i live. 
Just click on Satellite and zoom either in or out. 
On the left side of the little river. 

[Nicky007]

OK, so you live right next to Deenie, Mad. He lives in Nieuwegein 

Nicky.

[maddox]

OK, so you live right next to Deenie, Mad. He lives in Nieuwegein 

Nicky.

Yeah, just a little bit to the North. 

[Deenfan]

This is mad...

[maddox]

This is mad...

You mean 'slightly mad' since its a topic about Queen. 

And we're back on topic, gents. 

[The Butterfly Man]

I really like Queen!

Not really a debate from my side, but at least I've said something...

Tom

[Nicky007]

This is mad...

Yeah, it's the Room 

Nicky.

[maddox]

Yeah, it's the Room 

Nicky.

Like i already said: And we're back on topic gents. 

[Nicky007]

Like i already said: And we're back on topic gents. 

Hey Mad, you and Deenie may be queenie, but I aint. So leave me off-topic 



Nicky.

[johninblack]

Queen II - One of the best albums ever. Period. There is no further debate

[keyboardistmatt]

I saw the original and thought it was the parody. As such, why not go all the way? I quite enjoy the "Bad News" version. The full comedy potential of the song is allowed to blossom. Wonderful.

Good?

Oh dear!!!

[keyboardistmatt]

Like i already said, as a performer Freddy Mercury, tragically, was a very good artist.
As a singer however, not.

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Sure, Brain May is a good guitarist but his style is too omnipresent for my taste. Listen to his work on the first album and you know how he plays on the last album.
The same goes for statue John Deacon...

How can you say that about Freddie!?  He had one of the best singing voices out there!  Just listen to his performance in Wembley, 1986!  There's barely a note out of place.

Brian May is a far better guitarist than most people would give him credit for... he has a certain style for Queen, but you can almost feel the restraint on his playing, that is until "Ressurection"!

John Deacon is known to be one of the best bassists in that particular field.  His bass lines vary from solid and heavy, to intricate and nimble.  There are some nice wandering basslines as well.

[keyboardistmatt]

Queen II - One of the best albums ever. Period. There is no further debate

I prefer Innuendo myself!

[Nicky007]

One of course must set off some leisure time, and just let the music carry one away. But how better to spend one's time than with wonderful music ? - and Queen have made some of the best.

Certainly some of it is overdone, like parts of Bohemian Rhapsody (Freddy was queen in at least two senses), and Roger Taylor's songs are rather standard; but as you indicate, Matt, Brian May is invariably top-league, and all four guys were really into Queen.

When I say Sheer Heart Attack, I mean Brighton Rock (track 1). That song swept me away. It was an obsession with me.

If you guys get tired of kibbitzin, then give this a run or two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdUKi3_QntE

Nicky.

[Bupie]

Nobody mentions Jazz 

It features some classics like Bicycle Race, Fat Bottomed Girls or Don't Stop me Now (a great song IMHO) ?

[Deenfan]

Fat bottomed girls... Yup, that'll probably be one of their best bumbers numbers. Not that I have ever heard it.

[Bupie]

You should : it's as close as power metal as they ever came