"Really?
I thought we had a discussion about this when the BoRap masters were
leaked and there was agreement that Freddie was responsible for
virtually everything"
Well, On the Borhap documentary Brian says he could hear parts of the solo in his head when Roger, Freddie and John were laying down the backing track.
Thread
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[QUOTE]
[b]FriedChicken wrote: [/b]
"Really?
I thought we had a discussion about this when the BoRap masters were
leaked and there was agreement that Freddie was responsible for
virtually everything"
Well, On the Borhap documentary Brian says he could hear parts of the solo in his head when Roger, Freddie and John were laying down the backing track. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, well, Freddie was obviously telepathically beaming Brian the solo, because he is God, right?
How could I forget that!
Sorry Lord Freddie. Please don´t fire thunderbolts and lightning at my ass, o Lord.
Sorry Lord Freddie. Please don´t fire thunderbolts and lightning at my ass, o Lord.
[QUOTE]
[b]FriedChicken wrote: [/b]
How could I forget that!
Sorry Lord Freddie. Please don´t fire thunderbolts and lightning at my ass, o Lord.
[/QUOTE]
Very very frightening me!
[b]FriedChicken wrote: [/b]
How could I forget that!
Sorry Lord Freddie. Please don´t fire thunderbolts and lightning at my ass, o Lord.
[/QUOTE]
Very very frightening me!
Is this the point where another good thread turns to shit?
> Do you think you could possibly make an analysis of the new album, point out the songwriting trademarks and such (either here on Queenzone, or on that section of your website for non-Queen music)...? I'd be interesting to read.
Maybe, but I admit I haven't listened to the album. I'm really not interested. But who knows, maybe I listen to it today, or tomorrow, or next week... but I'll analyse Queen music first ;)
> I don't think you can make this assumption. Unless Fred wrote the guitar solo note for note for Brian to play...
I don't mean that the whole solo is Fred's creation (and I don't mean it isn't either). But the riff at least is surely his, further pointing at Mercury (as the song's main writer).
> I think this is not a valid argument: I-i modulation is the most common (or perhaps second most common, after half-step) modulation in classical music, and thus something anyone who has even superficial knowledge of classical harmony would be familiar with. Since all four members of Queen knew music theory (though, admittedly, in varying degrees), any of them could have introduced this.
Of course, and of course they all did, but Brian did it more often than the others. The modulation alone doesn't count as 'evidence of May as songwriter', but if you put the modulation and other details, you can suspect of him. Same as, say, Freddie and piano-friendly keys.
> Thanks so Much Sebastian. Always a "must read". I am looking forward to your analysis of Too much Love Will Kill You.
That one wasn't credited to the band, so I'm gonna skip it for the moment. Lovely song, though!
Maybe, but I admit I haven't listened to the album. I'm really not interested. But who knows, maybe I listen to it today, or tomorrow, or next week... but I'll analyse Queen music first ;)
> I don't think you can make this assumption. Unless Fred wrote the guitar solo note for note for Brian to play...
I don't mean that the whole solo is Fred's creation (and I don't mean it isn't either). But the riff at least is surely his, further pointing at Mercury (as the song's main writer).
> I think this is not a valid argument: I-i modulation is the most common (or perhaps second most common, after half-step) modulation in classical music, and thus something anyone who has even superficial knowledge of classical harmony would be familiar with. Since all four members of Queen knew music theory (though, admittedly, in varying degrees), any of them could have introduced this.
Of course, and of course they all did, but Brian did it more often than the others. The modulation alone doesn't count as 'evidence of May as songwriter', but if you put the modulation and other details, you can suspect of him. Same as, say, Freddie and piano-friendly keys.
> Thanks so Much Sebastian. Always a "must read". I am looking forward to your analysis of Too much Love Will Kill You.
That one wasn't credited to the band, so I'm gonna skip it for the moment. Lovely song, though!
What would you call a piano-friendly key? Personally, I'm partial to Bb, but that's just because that was the first key I learned to play. I'd say that on a piano, in contrast to most other instruments, every key is as easy to play as every other.
Of course that's completely subjective, but, statistically, there are keys more usual for certain instruments. Guitar-friendly keys are roughly from one to three sharps plus D Minor and E Major. Piano-friendly are roughly from one to four flats. Neither C Major nor A minor are as piano- or guitar-friendly as people use to think, but they're still used very often.
stone cold crazy might have been originally from mercury, but I think the reason why mercury gave credit to all 4 of them was because their input was so strong. If freddie was the real writer of that song it would have been credited to fred, and not all 4 of them.
[QUOTE]
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
Of course that's completely subjective, but, statistically, there are keys more usual for certain instruments. Guitar-friendly keys are roughly from one to three sharps plus D Minor and E Major. Piano-friendly are roughly from one to four flats. Neither C Major nor A minor are as piano- or guitar-friendly as people use to think, but they're still used very often.
[/QUOTE]
Indeed I understood as much, but on what basis is instrument-friendliness decided? With wind instruments and certain others, I can imagine consideration of fingering, embouchure and the likes, such as open strings on guitar, but apart from facility in reading the score I can think of no considerations especially limiting for key instruments.
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
Of course that's completely subjective, but, statistically, there are keys more usual for certain instruments. Guitar-friendly keys are roughly from one to three sharps plus D Minor and E Major. Piano-friendly are roughly from one to four flats. Neither C Major nor A minor are as piano- or guitar-friendly as people use to think, but they're still used very often.
[/QUOTE]
Indeed I understood as much, but on what basis is instrument-friendliness decided? With wind instruments and certain others, I can imagine consideration of fingering, embouchure and the likes, such as open strings on guitar, but apart from facility in reading the score I can think of no considerations especially limiting for key instruments.
Anatomically, a pianist hand may feel more comfortable with two digits on black keys (e.g. thumb and ring, or thumb and middle) and one on the white key (fore or middle). That's why keys such as F Major, B-Flat Major, E-Flat Major and A-Flat Major may be more suitable for piano players than, say, B minor. Of course, that's subjective, but stats also imply that: off Chopin's works, all of which have piano, very few are in keys like G Major, D Major or A Major (about five each); on the other hand, compositions in F Major, B-Flat Major and E-Flat Major easily double up their sharp-side counterparts.
C-Sharp minor is probably the only sharp-side key that's largely favoured by piano composers, just like loads of pieces for guitar are in D minor. But otherwise, guitarists tend to stay away from flat-side keys (unless there's a trick involved such as alternate tuning), and pianists tend to favour flats rather than sharps.
Not in vain [i]Yesterday[/i] is usually performed in G Major instead of F Major. And, btw, that song was composed on piano.
C-Sharp minor is probably the only sharp-side key that's largely favoured by piano composers, just like loads of pieces for guitar are in D minor. But otherwise, guitarists tend to stay away from flat-side keys (unless there's a trick involved such as alternate tuning), and pianists tend to favour flats rather than sharps.
Not in vain [i]Yesterday[/i] is usually performed in G Major instead of F Major. And, btw, that song was composed on piano.
Interesting. I'm personally very partial to flat based keys on both guitar and piano when improvising or composing. I always suspected that the prolific use of some keys rather than others was mostly to do with the subtle differences in musical color between different tonics for the same type of scale.
That's also a factor. In the case of Queen, there may be loads of different reasons behind each key choice. For instance, [i]Bo Rhap [/i]in D-Flat/G-Flat/C/A-Flat would've been more difficult to play for Mercury, and the high notes in the ballad section would be Eb's rather than tenor C's; and Roger would have to sing a soprano Db in 'for me' (which he obviously could, but not as easily as the Bb). [i]Bo Rhap[/i] in G Major/C Major / F-Sharp Major / D Major wouldn't sound as 'heroic' (for lack of a better word) and it'd be very hard for Freddie to sing a low E (although he probably could do it).
[b]I'M GOING SLIGHTLY MAD
[/b]Credited (by Richards, May, Taylor, Hutton and Freestone) to Mercury. Reportedly there's some ghost input by Straker on the lyrics.
- Intro has a similar formula to some of Fred's solo tracks ([i]Let's Turn It On, Living on My Own[/i]), though it's so simple itself that can't be counted as a trademark per se.
- 'Uh-uh-ah-ah' break is reminiscent of the 'shark' extension on [i]Two Legs[/i].
- Maj > dim progression as in [i]Barcelona [/i]and [i]Lap of the Gods[/i]
[b]HEADLONG
[/b]May confirmed having written it for his solo album
- Key seems to modulate (or at least tonicise) between Major and minor on a fairly similar way to [i]'39 [/i]or [i]Keep Yourself Alive[/i] (so-so). I think [i]Why Don't We Try Again[/i] can work as another parallel. Note how Freddie's i>I modulations (e.g. [i]Slightly Mad[/i]) were executed very differently.
- Rhythm of some riffs and fills are very similar to [i]Love Token[/i], no wonder why he played them closely on the set during his solo tours
- First chorus hasn't got backing vocals, the others are more bombastic. Classic Brian: [i]Prophet's Song, Teo Torriatte, Show Must Go On, I Want It All [/i](album version) and his cover of [i]All the Way from Memphis[/i]
- Alternate choruses, as in [i]Prophet's Song [/i](to name just one).
[b]I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU
[/b]May confirmed it'd been conceived for 'Back to the Light'
- Chorus progression is basically the same as [i]I Want It All[/i] middle-eight.
- Semi-chromatic riffs as in [i]Keep Yourself Alive[/i]
- Tonicisation to the parallel's relative
[b]DON'T TRY SO HARD
[/b]May confirmed it's Mercury's (Q Mag, 2004)
- Verse uses the same chord functions as [i]Living on My Own[/i]'s: i > iv > VII
- Chromatically-descending progression as in [i]Bo Rhap [/i]and [i]Black Queen
[/i]- i > IV phrase modulation (May would've probably gone pivot in the same situation)
- Nice Mercury-esque extension at the end
[b]RIDE THE WILD WIND
[/b]May confirmed it as Taylor's in 1991. Ten years later, Richards did so too.
- Opening progression is V > vi > IV > I, which is the reversed version of 1-4-6-5 used in [i]Surrender[/i] (refrain)
- The beat actually works quite nicely if you put it together with [i]Invisible Man[/i]'s
- I > V progression with pedal bass also found on [i]Radio Ga Ga [/i](same key) and [i]Days of Our Lives[/i]
- v/iii chord in the verse, as in [i]Drowse[/i]
[b]ALL GOD'S PEOPLE
[/b]Registered in BMI (if I remember correctly) to the four band members, not to Mike
Credited as Mercury's by both May (1991, 1994) and Richards
- Ehalfdim chord in the context of D Major/minor, as in [i]Slightly Mad[/i]
- Static-chord long section as in [i]Somebody to Love, Great King Rat, Ogre Battle, Liar[/i]...
- V>v progression using third inversions (both chords are with M11th) is probably Mike's contribution
[b]DAYS OF OUR LIVES
[/b]Credited to Taylor by May, Richards and himself
- C Major was virtually Roger's homekey during that era, together with F Major
- http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/g-songs-14-08.htm
[b]DELILAH
[/b]Credited to Mercury by Hutton, Freestone, May and Richards
It uses eight chords, four of which are part of the standard set (I, ii, IV, V), and additionally includes:
- viihalfdim: Diatonic function, used before in [i]Bohemian Rhapsody[/i].
- biidim: Chromatic, explored in [i]Lily Of The Valley[/i].
- II (V-V): Chromatic, as in loads of earlier tracks ([i]Bo Rhap, Bicycle...[/i]).
- ivdim: Chromatic ([i]Bo Rhap, Champions[/i])
[b]THE HITMAN
[/b]May confirmed (1991, Sunset Strip) that Mercury wrote the riff, then May changed it (and the key), and finally Deacon re-arranged the order. All other details are unconfirmed (and the fact there's a demo with Brian singing ten lines or so doesn't guarantee that the remaining 80% of the song is his).
- Beginning the song 'far from home' (music-wise) is an old 'n' new trick from Freddie's: [i]Lap of the Gods, My Fairy King, A New Life Is Born
[/i]- The 'ain't no escaping...' bit is probably May's input (similar formula to [i]Dragon Attack[/i], also placed in a similar part of the verse)
- Modulation down and up is reminiscent of [i]Let Me Entertain You[/i]
- Riff-design is also Freddie-esque (in sixths, May seemed to favour tenths more, as in [i]KYA[/i] - to be double-checked)
- Ending 'jam' was also probably Brian's idea (see [i]Father to Son[/i])
[b]BIJOU
[/b]Brian confirmed recently being more involved with the vocal parts, while Freddie (yes, Freddie) was more involved with the guitar parts (you don't need to be a top guitarist to write excellent guitar lines).
- Maj > dim change as in [i]Barcelona, Lap of the Gods [/i]and [i]Slightly Mad[/i]
- i > IV/VI modulation is a stride-kind, which is rather Freddie-esque (though I'm not sure if he used that exact type before)
- The ending is similar (harmonically) to that in [i]Don't Try So Hard
[/i][b]THE SHOW MUST GO ON
[/b]May confirmed being chiefly responsible for the lyrics, melody and arrangements. He said being influenced by Pachelbel when he wanted to build the song over one repeated sequence (which reportedly came, originally, from John and Roger). May-esque details in the music:
- Modulation's done similarly to [i]No-One But You[/i]
- C#halfdim appears with some frequency during his later-day compositions ([i]Who Wants to Live Forever, Too Much Love[/i])
- Just like [i]I Want It All[/i] (same author, one or two years of difference), intro, verses, choruses and solos are done over the same progression
- First chorus without bv, the others are more bombastic [i]Prophet's Song, Teo Torriatte, Headlong, I Want It All (album version)[/i] and his [i]All the Way from Memphis[/i] cover.
[/b]Credited (by Richards, May, Taylor, Hutton and Freestone) to Mercury. Reportedly there's some ghost input by Straker on the lyrics.
- Intro has a similar formula to some of Fred's solo tracks ([i]Let's Turn It On, Living on My Own[/i]), though it's so simple itself that can't be counted as a trademark per se.
- 'Uh-uh-ah-ah' break is reminiscent of the 'shark' extension on [i]Two Legs[/i].
- Maj > dim progression as in [i]Barcelona [/i]and [i]Lap of the Gods[/i]
[b]HEADLONG
[/b]May confirmed having written it for his solo album
- Key seems to modulate (or at least tonicise) between Major and minor on a fairly similar way to [i]'39 [/i]or [i]Keep Yourself Alive[/i] (so-so). I think [i]Why Don't We Try Again[/i] can work as another parallel. Note how Freddie's i>I modulations (e.g. [i]Slightly Mad[/i]) were executed very differently.
- Rhythm of some riffs and fills are very similar to [i]Love Token[/i], no wonder why he played them closely on the set during his solo tours
- First chorus hasn't got backing vocals, the others are more bombastic. Classic Brian: [i]Prophet's Song, Teo Torriatte, Show Must Go On, I Want It All [/i](album version) and his cover of [i]All the Way from Memphis[/i]
- Alternate choruses, as in [i]Prophet's Song [/i](to name just one).
[b]I CAN'T LIVE WITH YOU
[/b]May confirmed it'd been conceived for 'Back to the Light'
- Chorus progression is basically the same as [i]I Want It All[/i] middle-eight.
- Semi-chromatic riffs as in [i]Keep Yourself Alive[/i]
- Tonicisation to the parallel's relative
[b]DON'T TRY SO HARD
[/b]May confirmed it's Mercury's (Q Mag, 2004)
- Verse uses the same chord functions as [i]Living on My Own[/i]'s: i > iv > VII
- Chromatically-descending progression as in [i]Bo Rhap [/i]and [i]Black Queen
[/i]- i > IV phrase modulation (May would've probably gone pivot in the same situation)
- Nice Mercury-esque extension at the end
[b]RIDE THE WILD WIND
[/b]May confirmed it as Taylor's in 1991. Ten years later, Richards did so too.
- Opening progression is V > vi > IV > I, which is the reversed version of 1-4-6-5 used in [i]Surrender[/i] (refrain)
- The beat actually works quite nicely if you put it together with [i]Invisible Man[/i]'s
- I > V progression with pedal bass also found on [i]Radio Ga Ga [/i](same key) and [i]Days of Our Lives[/i]
- v/iii chord in the verse, as in [i]Drowse[/i]
[b]ALL GOD'S PEOPLE
[/b]Registered in BMI (if I remember correctly) to the four band members, not to Mike
Credited as Mercury's by both May (1991, 1994) and Richards
- Ehalfdim chord in the context of D Major/minor, as in [i]Slightly Mad[/i]
- Static-chord long section as in [i]Somebody to Love, Great King Rat, Ogre Battle, Liar[/i]...
- V>v progression using third inversions (both chords are with M11th) is probably Mike's contribution
[b]DAYS OF OUR LIVES
[/b]Credited to Taylor by May, Richards and himself
- C Major was virtually Roger's homekey during that era, together with F Major
- http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/g-songs-14-08.htm
[b]DELILAH
[/b]Credited to Mercury by Hutton, Freestone, May and Richards
It uses eight chords, four of which are part of the standard set (I, ii, IV, V), and additionally includes:
- viihalfdim: Diatonic function, used before in [i]Bohemian Rhapsody[/i].
- biidim: Chromatic, explored in [i]Lily Of The Valley[/i].
- II (V-V): Chromatic, as in loads of earlier tracks ([i]Bo Rhap, Bicycle...[/i]).
- ivdim: Chromatic ([i]Bo Rhap, Champions[/i])
[b]THE HITMAN
[/b]May confirmed (1991, Sunset Strip) that Mercury wrote the riff, then May changed it (and the key), and finally Deacon re-arranged the order. All other details are unconfirmed (and the fact there's a demo with Brian singing ten lines or so doesn't guarantee that the remaining 80% of the song is his).
- Beginning the song 'far from home' (music-wise) is an old 'n' new trick from Freddie's: [i]Lap of the Gods, My Fairy King, A New Life Is Born
[/i]- The 'ain't no escaping...' bit is probably May's input (similar formula to [i]Dragon Attack[/i], also placed in a similar part of the verse)
- Modulation down and up is reminiscent of [i]Let Me Entertain You[/i]
- Riff-design is also Freddie-esque (in sixths, May seemed to favour tenths more, as in [i]KYA[/i] - to be double-checked)
- Ending 'jam' was also probably Brian's idea (see [i]Father to Son[/i])
[b]BIJOU
[/b]Brian confirmed recently being more involved with the vocal parts, while Freddie (yes, Freddie) was more involved with the guitar parts (you don't need to be a top guitarist to write excellent guitar lines).
- Maj > dim change as in [i]Barcelona, Lap of the Gods [/i]and [i]Slightly Mad[/i]
- i > IV/VI modulation is a stride-kind, which is rather Freddie-esque (though I'm not sure if he used that exact type before)
- The ending is similar (harmonically) to that in [i]Don't Try So Hard
[/i][b]THE SHOW MUST GO ON
[/b]May confirmed being chiefly responsible for the lyrics, melody and arrangements. He said being influenced by Pachelbel when he wanted to build the song over one repeated sequence (which reportedly came, originally, from John and Roger). May-esque details in the music:
- Modulation's done similarly to [i]No-One But You[/i]
- C#halfdim appears with some frequency during his later-day compositions ([i]Who Wants to Live Forever, Too Much Love[/i])
- Just like [i]I Want It All[/i] (same author, one or two years of difference), intro, verses, choruses and solos are done over the same progression
- First chorus without bv, the others are more bombastic [i]Prophet's Song, Teo Torriatte, Headlong, I Want It All (album version)[/i] and his [i]All the Way from Memphis[/i] cover.
Wonderful work ! I love to read all that explanations !
Very interesting. Thank you so much. [img=/images/smiley/msn/thumbs_up.gif][/img]
Very interesting. Thank you so much. [img=/images/smiley/msn/thumbs_up.gif][/img]