Queen reborn sans Mercury

SomebodyWhoLoves wrote: Brian May + Roger Taylor = Smile. Any Band Member(s) + Freddie = Queen. Why don't people understand this?? Queen were not made up of four equal parts no matter what Freddie said in the past. Freddie was at least 90% Queen because he provided the voice, and the artistry. The other members were very good musicians and song writers, but without Freddie, they are Smile Plus. If any member died except Freddie, the remaining Members + Freddie = Queen. e.g. If Brian and Roger died, but Freddie and John lived on, Freddie + John = Queen. Yes. Freddie + John + a new Guitarist + a new Drummer will still be Queen because you have the VOICE of Queen, and the Flamboyant Artistry of Queen. This new Queen may not be as Rock Oriented and would not feature Brian May's Red Special but it would still be Queen.



Oh God....

I have been a Queen fan since Im 10 years old, now at 43 I can say that Queen is still my favorite band. You can say Ive almost grown up with them, so Ive watched/seen changes over the years, and not always for the best, but I have always remained a loyal fan. I feel that any true fan would know by now after hearing/reading interviews with the rest of the band that Freddie wanted them to continue on without him, and I think he would be proud with this first effort and especially with Paul Rodgers. Yes, this album is not you typical Queen album, and not like the last few albums we got to experience with Freddie. In fact, I feel that the band was trying to get away from the "campy" image that had been created of them over the years by doing more guitar oriented material on the albums, especially The Miracle. I personally have always been a bigger fan of Roger Taylors & Brian Mays stuff on all the Queen albums(just my preference). Freddies was without doubt one of, if not the best, frontmen in rock music, and Im proud that I got to see him twice during my lifetime. For the longest time, probably since i was 13-15 years old, I always wanted to see Brian & Roger do some material together just to see what it would have been like back then. Remembner this was back around the time of Fat Bottemed Girls & the Jazz album. Unfortunately I got my wish at the loss of Freddie. So for me this new album is what Ive been hoping for for a very long time. Im also reminded about an article I read several years ago that quoted the band as saying if any one member left, Queen would fold. Freddie didnt leave, he was taken from us, so I feel its only right that the rest of the band members should & have continued on in his memory. Hell, they even dedicated this album to him. Also, cheers to the band fro keeping with their name & Paul Rodgers also, instead of trying to create a new name such as Paul had donr with Jimmy Page some years back known as The Firm. Nobody expects Paul to be Freddie, no more than we could expect Freddie to be Paul. I think we should all be proud as Queen fans at what the boys have done over the years to keep Freddies memory alive and for giving us a great "first effort" at least in The Cosmos Rocks.

Oh, and for anyone who has any doubts about going to see the band on their latest tour...That would be a shame! I saw them here in the USA in '05 from the 4th row, and the show, in a word, ROCKED!! Im looking forward to having the chance to see the boys again.

I await all the comments back ;)

kingogre wrote: Just my two cents, but I think big parts of Brian Mays solo-albums sound more or less exactly like Queen with Brian singing. Freddie never managed to catch that Queen feeling on Mr Bad Guy despite having some Queen-like songs. There is something that happens when Brians guitar is added to a song that gives it that instantly recognisable sound.

People in bands don't generally release solo albums that sound exactly like the band theyre from.... it sort of defeats the purpose (waits for some smart arse to tell the story of Freddie asking the session guitarist to play like Brian...). People seem to forget that Mr Bad Guy was released in 1985, and he was trying to tap in to the current market (waits for some smart arse to state that this failed). Why would he have been trying to catch "that Queen feeling" on a record that wasn't Queen?! I have little doubt he's have been more than capable of making a Queen sounding album on his own if that has been his aim.... but this was obviously never his aim.

Freddie was 25% of Queen...fact

For many years...and I have folowed Queen from circa 1972/73 I always argued that Freddie was not THE major influence on the band...right up until his sad passing away

If you ever needed proof that he was THE major influence..it's this new album.

Paul rodgers is an amazing artist.

I rate him as the best rock vocalist in the world.

His vocals on Cosmos Rocks are faultless...ok

But NOBODY will tell me this is a QUEEN album...

There are a few excellent tracks and the album is enjoyable....but the spark of creativity, panache and style died with Freddie......We Believe would have been a Queen classic with Freddie's vocal, production techniques and personal touch....but with Paul (great vocal) sounds like a man trying to make US beleive me means what he is singing...

BIG mistake was selling this as a QUEEN album....to be honest its a different animal altogether...

SOrry guys..Paul Rodgers is amazing...but while the records are made under the Queen banner...he will always be a poor second best.where is the humour, the flamboyance, the production wizardry and the Queen special ingrediant that made you listen to an album and go "WOW" ?

Was Sour Milk Sea superior to Smile? SWL thinks so, I bet.

I think we should all be proud as Queen fans at what the boys have done over the years to keep Freddies memory alive and for giving us a great "first effort" at least in The Cosmos Rocks.


Gotta tell ya....I keep Freddie's Memory Alive by listening to "Him" (Queen)
Proud to say that my eight year old daughter knows very well who Freddie Mercury was and I might add she absolutely adores him and respects what he contributed to the music world.
That is how you keep Memories alive!! Hopefully she'll pass it down to her children and if she don't...then Grandma will see to it that she does!!!

My point was that despite some songs being essentially Queen-leftovers they dont sound like Queen. Brians solo records, despite not being very Queen like has something that makes them instantly recognisable.

Freddie was more or less the face of Queen, but in some way the guitarplaying of Brian is at the heart of the sound and together with Freddies vocals and flamboyance it turns into something very special. Also remember that Brian was the workaholic of them, first into the studio and not out until late at night. Freddie was on the other hand there more less and less with every album.

Dont get me wrong, Im not trying to lessen Freddie in any way. Nor any of the others. They all had qualities that helped make Queen into something very special. But when hearing this album it is noticeable that something special happens even to Paul Rodgers-songs when his guitarplaying enter.

Marcos Napier wrote:

"Was Sour Milk Sea superior to Smile? SWL thinks so, I bet."



Was Smile superior to Queen? It seems quite a few of the QPR fans think so.

Well, Smile is certainly better than Q+PR.



Cheers,
Hor

Smile + Chuck Norris --oh no, that would never happen ... but

Smile + Chuck Norris :D wait, I'm not the first to say that, right?

Kingorge wrote: Freddie was on the other hand there more less and less with every album.

I do agree totally with you about Brian May's fantastic guitar playing. It's Stands alone!
The four of them together as group will never be matched again though. They had a unique style and harmonized perfectly in sync with one another  This is what makes them stand out and apart from what they are even trying to accomplish now. Freddie's voice is bullet proof...simple as that.
To my understanding Freddie worked as hard as could until the end. He was passionate about his Love.
Anything I've heard about him is that even as he was dying he was in the recording studio, and told his band members to "throw anything at me that you can..I don't care what it is...I'll sing it"
This was all recorded and I'm still waiting for them to make an album out of his archives.

I think that would be something real "Special".

Of course he worked as hard as he could during the end. But during the late 70s and 80s he seems to have been more interested in other things and it can be noticed in his output as a songwriter at that time. Agree with you completely for the rest though.:) Even if it can never be the same its still good to have Brian and Roger back making good music again, and Paul Rodgers is an excellent choice for a working partner.

Kingorge wrote:Paul Rodgers is an excellent choice for a working partner.

I respect your opinion and I'm glad your enjoying your new found passion..but for myself and my eight year old daughter (who has heard and was quite offended by hearing Paul Rodgers singing the old Queen hits) we will remain on the "Original" Queen side.

Glad they produced some "new" songs though ;)

I am happy Brian and Roger are together singing and touring and writing such great songs. And I am happy for them to have Paul as a vocalist. I hope they will last as a band. And it won`t change anything whether you say your underage daughter, who repeats what her mother says, is offended by Paul or not. In fact nobody is interested in the opinion of your daughter.
The guys have returned to the stage and songwriting and the true fans support them. Certainly it would have been better to have the original Queen but Freddie is dead and John refused to take part. So? The two guys do it with Paul. And what if Paul had refused? Imagine that?