This is truly outstanding work! Keep it up!
cheerz!
Richard
Thread
Posts in chronological order
[b]IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY
[/b]Credited by Richards to Freddie. Brian said that the oboe part was John's idea but of course it doesn't mean the whole song is his (remember the [i]KoHD[/i] case)
- I > bVI modulation and back as in [i]Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
[/i]- The opening progression in the verse is similar to the one in [i]We Are the Champions[/i]
- Ninth chord in third inversion as in [i]Bohemian Rhapsody[/i], resolved similarly too
[b]LET ME LIVE
[/b]Not officially credited to anybody.
The song itself is quite simple, which makes it very hard to find trademarks. Both the key, the progressions (such as I > iii > IV > V, also found in blink-182's [i]First Date[/i], which I love) and even the IV > VI/i > V > I bit, are all generic enough to be within all four's compositional vocabulary. Maybe the actual composer's fingerprints can be found through a more detailed analysis, which hopefully will come one of these days.
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
Again, the track's very simple, harmonically, and it's quite hard to establish individual trademarks there. Maybe the way melody overlaps the main riff, which is similar to [i]Breakthru[/i]: 'you don't [b]fool [/b]me' vs. 'I wake [b]up[/b]'. The i > VII > iv > i progression with pedal bass is somewhat characteristic of Queen later period in general (e.g. i > VII > VII > VI in [i]Mother Love[/i], i > VII > VI in [i]Scandal[/i]).
[b]A WINTER'S TALE
[/b]Credited to Mercury by both Richards and May (I think)
http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/g-songs-15-03.htm
[/b]Credited by Richards to Freddie. Brian said that the oboe part was John's idea but of course it doesn't mean the whole song is his (remember the [i]KoHD[/i] case)
- I > bVI modulation and back as in [i]Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
[/i]- The opening progression in the verse is similar to the one in [i]We Are the Champions[/i]
- Ninth chord in third inversion as in [i]Bohemian Rhapsody[/i], resolved similarly too
[b]LET ME LIVE
[/b]Not officially credited to anybody.
The song itself is quite simple, which makes it very hard to find trademarks. Both the key, the progressions (such as I > iii > IV > V, also found in blink-182's [i]First Date[/i], which I love) and even the IV > VI/i > V > I bit, are all generic enough to be within all four's compositional vocabulary. Maybe the actual composer's fingerprints can be found through a more detailed analysis, which hopefully will come one of these days.
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
Again, the track's very simple, harmonically, and it's quite hard to establish individual trademarks there. Maybe the way melody overlaps the main riff, which is similar to [i]Breakthru[/i]: 'you don't [b]fool [/b]me' vs. 'I wake [b]up[/b]'. The i > VII > iv > i progression with pedal bass is somewhat characteristic of Queen later period in general (e.g. i > VII > VII > VI in [i]Mother Love[/i], i > VII > VI in [i]Scandal[/i]).
[b]A WINTER'S TALE
[/b]Credited to Mercury by both Richards and May (I think)
http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/g-songs-15-03.htm
Thanks buddy! I always enjoy this thread =)
[QUOTE]
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
[b][/b]
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
[/QUOTE]
Didn't Brian also say that it was Richards who turned this one into a song? While Freddie was still alive, it was just an idea: little bits of vocals and some chords that Richards turned into a song. Of course, it's impossible to say what actually existed before Richards took over (save Freddie's melody lines). Maybe Richards was more arranger than composer, but who knows, maybe he had more input than we want to admit. And as you said earlier, sometimes it's a fine line between composing and arranging.
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
[b][/b]
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
[/QUOTE]
Didn't Brian also say that it was Richards who turned this one into a song? While Freddie was still alive, it was just an idea: little bits of vocals and some chords that Richards turned into a song. Of course, it's impossible to say what actually existed before Richards took over (save Freddie's melody lines). Maybe Richards was more arranger than composer, but who knows, maybe he had more input than we want to admit. And as you said earlier, sometimes it's a fine line between composing and arranging.
[QUOTE]
[b]August R. wrote: [/b]
[QUOTE]
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
[b][/b]
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
[/QUOTE]
Didn't Brian also say that it was Richards who turned this one into a song? While Freddie was still alive, it was just an idea: little bits of vocals and some chords that Richards turned into a song. Of course, it's impossible to say what actually existed before Richards took over (save Freddie's melody lines). Maybe Richards was more arranger than composer, but who knows, maybe he had more input than we want to admit. And as you said earlier, sometimes it's a fine line between composing and arranging.
[/QUOTE]
We must find that guy Richards :)
[b]August R. wrote: [/b]
[QUOTE]
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
[b][/b]
[b]YOU DON'T FOOL ME
[/b]Richards confirmed it as Mercury & Taylor. May said Deacon and Taylor had had a lot to do with the bare bones but it's not the same as saying the whole song is theirs.
[/QUOTE]
Didn't Brian also say that it was Richards who turned this one into a song? While Freddie was still alive, it was just an idea: little bits of vocals and some chords that Richards turned into a song. Of course, it's impossible to say what actually existed before Richards took over (save Freddie's melody lines). Maybe Richards was more arranger than composer, but who knows, maybe he had more input than we want to admit. And as you said earlier, sometimes it's a fine line between composing and arranging.
[/QUOTE]
We must find that guy Richards :)
There's also a long-running theory about credits: had Queen been a different band, say The Eagles, they'd have been much more specific with input. 'A Hard Life' would've probably credited Mercury and May, 'Slightly Mad' would include Straker, and maybe a couple of tracks would've added more people to them. We'll never know anyway...
[b]Sebastian wrote: [/b]
[b]HEADLONG
[/b]May confirmed having written it for his solo album
- 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
[/QUOTE]
For both of the songs you need a "tuned-down" guitar. So it was not for rhythm-purpose but avoiding another guitar-change :)
[b]HEADLONG
[/b]May confirmed having written it for his solo album
- 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
[/QUOTE]
For both of the songs you need a "tuned-down" guitar. So it was not for rhythm-purpose but avoiding another guitar-change :)
It could've been for both reasons ;)
"Kasshoggi's Ship" and "the Guv'nor" are actually almost the same song, so how can you(Sebastian) say that Freddie wrote the first?
Similar, yes. The same, hardly. But there's some good stuff in that... I may have to rethink it. Thanks.
See, as you're far better acquainted with theory you could probably make a strong case for it being Freddie's, (and I thought I heard it said that it was his in an interview somewhere anyway),
but actually when I heard Khashoggi's Ship the first thing I thought of was I Can't Live With You, a Brian tune. Not sure why (!)
but actually when I heard Khashoggi's Ship the first thing I thought of was I Can't Live With You, a Brian tune. Not sure why (!)
No song performed by a band will ever fully be written by a single person, as anyone will add a personal touch to even the most elaborate, anal-retentive score, not to mention the fact that I highly doubt a single Queen-song was released that did not feature input from all four members in the compositional and recording stages. It is quite possible that Freddie borrowed a 'Brian-gimmick' or the other way 'round.
Thanks Sebastian!!
I really enjoy reading your articles.
I really enjoy reading your articles.
Great stuff!
From the top of my head, i remember these facts:
- Freddie changed the direction of "These are the days of our lives" at Roger´s request because Roger felt stuck with it. I´m assuming that Fredie wrote the chord changes during the guitar solo since it´s the only change in direction that i can hear and,
- Brian wrote the solo wich Roger didn´t like first but B[b]rian told him to let it sink and now Roger loves it.
The Bijou stuff is interesting since i allways thought that the guitar was Brian´s. The chord changes are Freddie´s but since the guitar was recorded really fast (meaning that Brian knew what he wanted to play) and Brian statements of being a tribute to Jeff Becks´s "Cause we ended as lovers", can´t we just assume that Freddie was just arranging the chords over wich the guitar was going to be recorded?
Either way this is a great topic. Thanks for writing it, Sebastian.
Taske care[/b]
From the top of my head, i remember these facts:
- Freddie changed the direction of "These are the days of our lives" at Roger´s request because Roger felt stuck with it. I´m assuming that Fredie wrote the chord changes during the guitar solo since it´s the only change in direction that i can hear and,
- Brian wrote the solo wich Roger didn´t like first but B[b]rian told him to let it sink and now Roger loves it.
The Bijou stuff is interesting since i allways thought that the guitar was Brian´s. The chord changes are Freddie´s but since the guitar was recorded really fast (meaning that Brian knew what he wanted to play) and Brian statements of being a tribute to Jeff Becks´s "Cause we ended as lovers", can´t we just assume that Freddie was just arranging the chords over wich the guitar was going to be recorded?
Either way this is a great topic. Thanks for writing it, Sebastian.
Taske care[/b]
Brian spoke to Guitar Player in 2008 and said Freddie sung Bijou, and he simply transposed it to the guitar - and yes, he did mention it was his own tribute to Jeff Beck.
Perhaps when he mentioned Jeff Beck, he was talking about the way the song was arranged and played: that "crying" tone, using the fingers instead of a plectrum... Freddie probably didn't tell Brian to use a certain pickup or to forget about the sixpence for that song, it all must've been Brian's choice.
Perhaps when he mentioned Jeff Beck, he was talking about the way the song was arranged and played: that "crying" tone, using the fingers instead of a plectrum... Freddie probably didn't tell Brian to use a certain pickup or to forget about the sixpence for that song, it all must've been Brian's choice.