Just to clarify that I like Paul. I think he is a damn fine singer. My point is Brian's quotes regarding what Freddie may or may not have said about Paul. I am just a bit dubious as to the truth of it all.
All in all though it will not spoil any enjoyment of the future tour and album.
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Actually, no, IMO. It makes masses more angry then it comes to using 'Queen' name and all those Freddie's references (you can see it in this thread, 'Queen RIP' subjects weren't widely available in the recent months on QZ, but after just one short quote from Brian's interview... Whooa!). Leave the guy on heaven and go on.
I wouldn't buy any single record of Aretha, just because Freddie liked her, I wouldn't have sex with other men, just because Freddie liked that kind of the out-of-school activities. I don't care if he liked Paul Rodgers or not, it won't change my mind about using 'Queen' name. But it'll make Brian the embellish businessman. As well as it makes Paul Rodgers the diffident musician who needs in Freddie's posthumous blessing. But it seems like Paul Rodgers doesn't need it and also seems like Brian is not very prosperous Queen's frontman.
I wouldn't buy any single record of Aretha, just because Freddie liked her, I wouldn't have sex with other men, just because Freddie liked that kind of the out-of-school activities. I don't care if he liked Paul Rodgers or not, it won't change my mind about using 'Queen' name. But it'll make Brian the embellish businessman. As well as it makes Paul Rodgers the diffident musician who needs in Freddie's posthumous blessing. But it seems like Paul Rodgers doesn't need it and also seems like Brian is not very prosperous Queen's frontman.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Serry... wrote: [/QUOTENAME]If you trust more to Brian, then welcome to the world where My Fairy King is from QII and the magic toy koto sounds are in Teo Torriate.[/QUOTE]
Yeah... damn Brian for the odd oversight regarding things he did over 30 years ago! Everyone has a photographic memory.
Yeah... damn Brian for the odd oversight regarding things he did over 30 years ago! Everyone has a photographic memory.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Serry... wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I wouldn't have sex with other men, just because Freddie liked that kind of the out-of-school activities. I don't care if he liked Paul Rodgers or not, it won't change my mind about using 'Queen' name. [/QUOTE]
Yes, but would you have sex with PAUL RODGERS?
I think that's the real question here. I mean, yeah you're gonna get teased by your buddies, but it is the celebrity exemption, right? Just like you HAVE to "do" Elizabeth Taylor, even though she's 79-ish, right?
But BTT, I do think it puts Paul is a very difficult position. (I mean the Brian quotes, not the sex thing!!!) Paul doesn't need Freddie's or anyone else's endorsement. I think the gold records on the wall do that just fine.
But seriously, are "the masses" really THAT upset? It's been 17 years since a real Queen release. Haven't most of those people either (a) moved on to another band or (b) are glad just to hear something outta the Queen cave?
Yes, but would you have sex with PAUL RODGERS?
I think that's the real question here. I mean, yeah you're gonna get teased by your buddies, but it is the celebrity exemption, right? Just like you HAVE to "do" Elizabeth Taylor, even though she's 79-ish, right?
But BTT, I do think it puts Paul is a very difficult position. (I mean the Brian quotes, not the sex thing!!!) Paul doesn't need Freddie's or anyone else's endorsement. I think the gold records on the wall do that just fine.
But seriously, are "the masses" really THAT upset? It's been 17 years since a real Queen release. Haven't most of those people either (a) moved on to another band or (b) are glad just to hear something outta the Queen cave?
I just wonder why is it so difficult for people to believe - yeah, it's a question of trust, although the quote per se is by no means outlandish - that Freddie recognized qualities in Paul Rodgers. That's just all too usual between musicians, even between those who don't even know each other. Good musicians are often, not always, it's not a 100 % rule, but they are often humble about their own skills, and it's not a fake attitude, it's just that music is too wide an art form for someone to claim that he can do anything.
I'm not getting into the marketing thing.
From the point of view of a musician, the claim has a lot of credibility. Musicians do it all the time: they curse as often as they lavish praise on other people. "X is crap, but, wow, Y does this kind of thing, I don't like it and I can't do it, but he does it fine...", it's just so...natural. Freddie praised, in public, Boy George, and, like, Boy George is no genius, Freddie just thought it was interesting music being made and praised him.
Take Richter (Russian pianist) whose history Serry knows much better than any of us.
The guy was not given to praise: he pretty much bashed everyone. But sometimes he'd come from nowhere and praise people who were being massacred by critics at the time, totally against the grain and risking sounding like an idiot (his praise of Glenn Gould's renditions of Bach's pieces, by then quite controversial, when Glenn went to East Europe, for instance). So even for a absolutely arrogant and selfish musician like Richter, it was possible to praise other musicians even if they were not considered that sound (Glenn Gould was controversial at the time). He praised people who never made it into a studio to record anything. So...
NOOOOOW. lol. I believe Brian, I don't think the claim is preposterous.
The question here, I think, is: is it right for Brian, even if what he's saying is true, to bring Freddie's memory back as a way of marketing his product? It'd not be good neither for the image of Queen as a band nor for Paul Rodgers, who'd be in need of Freddie's "approval" everytime he records anything with the guys.
That's Serry's question, I think, and he can correct me if I'm wrong. It's something like: "stop doing business over the words of a guy who died! Stop exploiting his memory!", I thing Serry's point is a moral one, but I could be wrong.
And, again, if I got Serry's point right, it doesn't have anything to do with Paul's skills as a musician. It's just that there's no "Queen" anymore. There can be another interesting band formed by this guys, but not carrying on the name of Queen.
I thinking aloud, sorry. lol I want to understand Serry's point, because my impression is that his point is much more a moral one than a musical one - Paul Rodgers could be twin brother of Freddie, but he'd not be Freddie and, therefore, there'd be no Queen without its legenday frontman who people are still so attached to, for better or for worse.
So, is this the point?
Because the quote per se is not absurd. I can picture Freddie saying that, no prob. The question is: Freddie must have said lots of things we don't know. Is it right to bring it all up for marketing reasons?
That's the only real, legitimate discussion I can think of. If that's not Serry's point, then I rest my case and confess I don't know what the arguing is about.
By the way, I have no problem with Brian's answer. He was likely questioned by a journalist "Do you think that Freddie would have..."..."Do you still remember Freddie...", and he gave what seems to be a very honest answer, I have no reasons to doubt it. I do think the guy must really miss Freddie sometimes - it's not soap opera lol - and answered the question honestly, in good faith, from the perspective of a guy who saw Freddie working until his last days and knew Freddie didn't want the band to vanish.
I'm ok with the int
I'm not getting into the marketing thing.
From the point of view of a musician, the claim has a lot of credibility. Musicians do it all the time: they curse as often as they lavish praise on other people. "X is crap, but, wow, Y does this kind of thing, I don't like it and I can't do it, but he does it fine...", it's just so...natural. Freddie praised, in public, Boy George, and, like, Boy George is no genius, Freddie just thought it was interesting music being made and praised him.
Take Richter (Russian pianist) whose history Serry knows much better than any of us.
The guy was not given to praise: he pretty much bashed everyone. But sometimes he'd come from nowhere and praise people who were being massacred by critics at the time, totally against the grain and risking sounding like an idiot (his praise of Glenn Gould's renditions of Bach's pieces, by then quite controversial, when Glenn went to East Europe, for instance). So even for a absolutely arrogant and selfish musician like Richter, it was possible to praise other musicians even if they were not considered that sound (Glenn Gould was controversial at the time). He praised people who never made it into a studio to record anything. So...
NOOOOOW. lol. I believe Brian, I don't think the claim is preposterous.
The question here, I think, is: is it right for Brian, even if what he's saying is true, to bring Freddie's memory back as a way of marketing his product? It'd not be good neither for the image of Queen as a band nor for Paul Rodgers, who'd be in need of Freddie's "approval" everytime he records anything with the guys.
That's Serry's question, I think, and he can correct me if I'm wrong. It's something like: "stop doing business over the words of a guy who died! Stop exploiting his memory!", I thing Serry's point is a moral one, but I could be wrong.
And, again, if I got Serry's point right, it doesn't have anything to do with Paul's skills as a musician. It's just that there's no "Queen" anymore. There can be another interesting band formed by this guys, but not carrying on the name of Queen.
I thinking aloud, sorry. lol I want to understand Serry's point, because my impression is that his point is much more a moral one than a musical one - Paul Rodgers could be twin brother of Freddie, but he'd not be Freddie and, therefore, there'd be no Queen without its legenday frontman who people are still so attached to, for better or for worse.
So, is this the point?
Because the quote per se is not absurd. I can picture Freddie saying that, no prob. The question is: Freddie must have said lots of things we don't know. Is it right to bring it all up for marketing reasons?
That's the only real, legitimate discussion I can think of. If that's not Serry's point, then I rest my case and confess I don't know what the arguing is about.
By the way, I have no problem with Brian's answer. He was likely questioned by a journalist "Do you think that Freddie would have..."..."Do you still remember Freddie...", and he gave what seems to be a very honest answer, I have no reasons to doubt it. I do think the guy must really miss Freddie sometimes - it's not soap opera lol - and answered the question honestly, in good faith, from the perspective of a guy who saw Freddie working until his last days and knew Freddie didn't want the band to vanish.
I'm ok with the int
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]gem27 wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Well I agree with Microwave about Lionel Richie. I don't have any music by him but he is very radio friendly and I can't see any harm in the guy and I haven't read up on the facts myself but I will take Microwave's word on how well that album did and fair do's. I don't agree that Paul Rodgers is and was and always will be more popular than Freddie in America though. 1976, Bad Company with Rodgers released the album Run With The Pack that reached #5 on the North America Billboard chart. Queen with Freddie released A Day At The Races the same year which reached #5 on the North America Billboard chart. 1977 and Bad Company with Rodgers released the album Burnin' Sky which reached #15 on the same Morth America Billboard chart while News Of The World, Freddie and Queen's 1977 release made #3. 1979 Rodgers and Bad Company release Desolation Angels which reached #3 on the North America Billboard chart where the following year 1980 Queen and Freddie released The Game which got to #1 in America going 4 times platinum so the facts don't point to Freddie Mercury not being popular as Paul Rodgers in America, in fact he was more popular. As for knocking the UK for being short sighted people that's a laugh. The Americans are the most arrogant short sighted people in the world who believe the mighty America is the be all and end all. The comment made was "more popular in AMERICA" which I think by the chart # I proved was not the case but even if it were, so what. Does that make it right? There are a lot of things more popular in America that the rest of the world don't find interesting. Baseball, American Football are two and if you want a third, college kids running around their campus with guns blowing people away. [/QUOTE]
But you can't leave out for the sake of completion:
1974 BadCo's debut #1
1974 Queen II #49 Sheer Heart Attack #12
1975 Straight Shooter #3
1975 Night at the Opera #4
So it's close to a wash.
Both bands were huge here in the seventies.
Neither touched Zeppelin though.
I think just about every Zep record from II on went #1 in the US and UK.
They had an amazing run by anyone's standards.
But you can't leave out for the sake of completion:
1974 BadCo's debut #1
1974 Queen II #49 Sheer Heart Attack #12
1975 Straight Shooter #3
1975 Night at the Opera #4
So it's close to a wash.
Both bands were huge here in the seventies.
Neither touched Zeppelin though.
I think just about every Zep record from II on went #1 in the US and UK.
They had an amazing run by anyone's standards.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Zebonka12 wrote: [/QUOTENAME]PS. Brian lost the fucking plot years ago.
WWRY Musical.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, good point!
WWRY Musical.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, good point!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sir GH<br><h6>ah yeah</h6> wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
Yeah... damn Brian for the odd oversight regarding things he did over 30 years ago! Everyone has a photographic memory.
[/QUOTE]
Poor excuse. Very poor excuse. But okay, if Brian doesn't have photographic memory how can you trust him in the reality of this Freddie's quote?
You all guitarists seems to have something like code of conduct, whenever there's thread about Brian it's always the same people who defends him whatever he said or did.
Yeah... damn Brian for the odd oversight regarding things he did over 30 years ago! Everyone has a photographic memory.
[/QUOTE]
Poor excuse. Very poor excuse. But okay, if Brian doesn't have photographic memory how can you trust him in the reality of this Freddie's quote?
You all guitarists seems to have something like code of conduct, whenever there's thread about Brian it's always the same people who defends him whatever he said or did.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Micrówave wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
But BTT, I do think it puts Paul is a very difficult position. (I mean the Brian quotes, not the sex thing!!!) Paul doesn't need Freddie's or anyone else's endorsement. I think the gold records on the wall do that just fine.[/QUOTE]
Yes, this is one of my points. Rodgers is fucking legend (Freddie told me that once 30 years ago, I have photographic memory for the quotes) and all those 'he was Freddie's hero', 'Freddie liked his voice', 'Freddie knew he couldn't sing like Paul' are the childish attempts to make Paul's tenure of Queen's vocalist more comfortable for some fans, press... and maybe Brian himself, since Roger is seems to be more cautious in the Freddie's quoting business and Queen's history.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Yara wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
It's something like: "stop doing business over the words of a guy who died! Stop exploiting his memory!", I thing Serry's point is a moral one, but I could be wrong.
And, again, if I got Serry's point right, it doesn't have anything to do with Paul's skills as a musician. It's just that there's no "Queen" anymore.[/QUOTE]
Yes, these are my points.
But BTT, I do think it puts Paul is a very difficult position. (I mean the Brian quotes, not the sex thing!!!) Paul doesn't need Freddie's or anyone else's endorsement. I think the gold records on the wall do that just fine.[/QUOTE]
Yes, this is one of my points. Rodgers is fucking legend (Freddie told me that once 30 years ago, I have photographic memory for the quotes) and all those 'he was Freddie's hero', 'Freddie liked his voice', 'Freddie knew he couldn't sing like Paul' are the childish attempts to make Paul's tenure of Queen's vocalist more comfortable for some fans, press... and maybe Brian himself, since Roger is seems to be more cautious in the Freddie's quoting business and Queen's history.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Yara wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
It's something like: "stop doing business over the words of a guy who died! Stop exploiting his memory!", I thing Serry's point is a moral one, but I could be wrong.
And, again, if I got Serry's point right, it doesn't have anything to do with Paul's skills as a musician. It's just that there's no "Queen" anymore.[/QUOTE]
Yes, these are my points.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Serry... wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
You all guitarists seems to have something like code of conduct, whenever there's thread about Brian it's always the same people who defends him whatever he said or did. [/QUOTE]
You really need to stop smoking whatever it is you're smoking.
It isn't hard to recognise when and where Brian has made big fuckups. It's plain to see: 5ive collaboration, Robbie Wiliams collaboration, GHIII, "The Call".....
I understand it's your job to bitch about Brian, but can't you wait until something actually WORTH bitching comes around?
It's a bit on the nose for Brian to bring up this alleged quote from Freddie - whether or not it's true or not is anyone's guess.
But 'a bit on the nose' is it. That's all. If putting words in Freddie's mouth and bullshitting were a crime, you'd have to hang half of Queenzone - certainly most of us in this thread!
Brian at least has the small qualification of having known Freddie. Y'know.. nothing big, I guess.
You all guitarists seems to have something like code of conduct, whenever there's thread about Brian it's always the same people who defends him whatever he said or did. [/QUOTE]
You really need to stop smoking whatever it is you're smoking.
It isn't hard to recognise when and where Brian has made big fuckups. It's plain to see: 5ive collaboration, Robbie Wiliams collaboration, GHIII, "The Call".....
I understand it's your job to bitch about Brian, but can't you wait until something actually WORTH bitching comes around?
It's a bit on the nose for Brian to bring up this alleged quote from Freddie - whether or not it's true or not is anyone's guess.
But 'a bit on the nose' is it. That's all. If putting words in Freddie's mouth and bullshitting were a crime, you'd have to hang half of Queenzone - certainly most of us in this thread!
Brian at least has the small qualification of having known Freddie. Y'know.. nothing big, I guess.
You have just proved my theory.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Serry... wrote: [/QUOTENAME]You have just proved my theory.[/QUOTE]
You're proving a theory of mine, too.
Honestly - I don't really care for what a lot of Brian does. How exactly is that sticking up for him?
You're proving a theory of mine, too.
Honestly - I don't really care for what a lot of Brian does. How exactly is that sticking up for him?
Zebbie-boy, I call it 'the Greg Brooks effect' - when people are afraid to say "Sad, but I have to agree" or "You're right".
Most of the posters have agreed that it was unnecessary Freddie's reference by Brian - true or not, but... you (not exactly you) still argue. 'Brian did it because of this reason', 'Brian could say that because of that reason', 'There's chance that Freddie said something like that', 'Brian doesn't have photographic memory', bla-bla-bla. What's the point in this? If you agree, why do you argue? What for? For the sake of not saying "I agree Serry"/"You're right"? Or because he's Brian May and he's out of undiplomatic criticism?
Most of the posters have agreed that it was unnecessary Freddie's reference by Brian - true or not, but... you (not exactly you) still argue. 'Brian did it because of this reason', 'Brian could say that because of that reason', 'There's chance that Freddie said something like that', 'Brian doesn't have photographic memory', bla-bla-bla. What's the point in this? If you agree, why do you argue? What for? For the sake of not saying "I agree Serry"/"You're right"? Or because he's Brian May and he's out of undiplomatic criticism?
You guys are wondering about Brian's comments ?
To be honest I will be glad if I will be able to say my name in Brian's age :-)
To be honest I will be glad if I will be able to say my name in Brian's age :-)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Serry... wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
For the sake of not saying "I agree Serry"/"You're right"? Or because he's Brian May and he's out of undiplomatic criticism?[/QUOTE]
Neither.
What drew me to the discussion (indeed, to start the thread in the first place) was the possible implication that the quote never existed at all.
That's all I was really addressing.
Though when I think about it, what really gets my goat is how everyone's an expert on Brian's motives. You've got your theory, fair enough. I think you're starting to get your opinions mixed up with facts, though.
The only fact we have is that Brian said this stuff about Freddie in a magazine. Whether it really happened, and his reasons for quoting it in the first place..... all total conjecture. He might be doing it just to be crafty, he might be doing it out of insecurity, it might just be an amusing coincidence that he's remembered after all these years, having finally recorded an album with Paul Rodgers....
Who knows?
You certainly don't.
I don't deny for a second that what you're saying is possible. That's all it is though; possible. There's other possibilities and not all of us like being close minded enough to miss out on them.
For the sake of not saying "I agree Serry"/"You're right"? Or because he's Brian May and he's out of undiplomatic criticism?[/QUOTE]
Neither.
What drew me to the discussion (indeed, to start the thread in the first place) was the possible implication that the quote never existed at all.
That's all I was really addressing.
Though when I think about it, what really gets my goat is how everyone's an expert on Brian's motives. You've got your theory, fair enough. I think you're starting to get your opinions mixed up with facts, though.
The only fact we have is that Brian said this stuff about Freddie in a magazine. Whether it really happened, and his reasons for quoting it in the first place..... all total conjecture. He might be doing it just to be crafty, he might be doing it out of insecurity, it might just be an amusing coincidence that he's remembered after all these years, having finally recorded an album with Paul Rodgers....
Who knows?
You certainly don't.
I don't deny for a second that what you're saying is possible. That's all it is though; possible. There's other possibilities and not all of us like being close minded enough to miss out on them.