Freddie vs Paul

It seems the only kind of thread to get attention here is a "vs" thread. Very well, this is a thread to compare Freddie to Paul.

1. Natural voice:

Paul's voice is great for hard, meaty blues, but falls somewhat flat of Freddie's beautiful, rich tenor. I'd give this to Freddie.

2. Technique

While Freddie's natural talent made many assume he was a schooled opera singer, the truth is he was better at letting go than controling his performance. He couldn't always hit his trademark falsetto, as heard on Who Wants To Live Forever from Live at Wembley. Paul's range is modest, but he's a master of control over pitch, shape and time. Just listen to his We Will Rock You from ROTC - he's in time like a metronome - or the beautifully hit falsetto on Voodoo.  Points go to Paul.

3. Interpretation

Freddie was, well, always Freddie. While this is fine with Queen fans, Paul's ability to find a deep meaning to every song and shape his delivery to best fit the meaning is uncanny. Sometimes I think of him as a "musical actor." This category is won by Paul, hands down.

4. Showmanship

Paul is a fine charismatic singer, but frankly, when it's time to go wild, nobody compares to Freddie at full blast. Watching Freddie is watching pure energy unleashed, and he wins this category.

5. Songwriting

Frankly, Paul's writing comes up to standard blues rock, while Freddie was pushing the limits of pop music more than anyone else, including Lennon. BUT, that was only with Queen - left to his own devices, Freddie slided into cheesy pop and disco. I think any real rocker would give points to Paul here, and I'm no different.

6. Solo Career

Despite his massive popularity, Freddie never took off outside Queen, while Paul has had a successful solo career. This is a no-brainer; Paul clearly wins.

7. Influence

Freddie, with Queen, broke more new ground than Paul. Great and diverse bands, some of which bear no resemblance to Queen (Dream Theater, Radiohead) cite Queen as their influence. I'm giving this one to Freddie.

8. Popularity

Freddie was massive over the world, but never really conquered USA, which fell for Paul. I'm letting this one slip undecided.

9. Positive Message

Freddie lost the battle - and his life - to his vices; Paul broke free from drugs, fixed himself, and returned triumphantly. I'm tempted to give this one to Paul.

However, Freddie sent an important message. He was a homosexual and an Asian minority who was an equal member of a British rock band. He didn't preach equality - he LIVED it. For this, a point goes to him.

10. Rock n Roll Lifestyle

This is a no-brainer. Paul has always been the rock n roll man, sweaty, macho, setting hotel rooms on fire, playing with the cream of the guitarists crop including Page, Townsend, Beck, Gilmour... Freddie was campy and loved pop. Paul wins hands down.

Surprisingly, Freddie loses 4:6 to Paul! Of course, numbers alone don't tell the whole story. This little analysis showed us that Freddie had a beautiful voice, who, together with other members of Queen, broke new ground, became a star in the face of prejudice and had a profound influence on the music. Paul is a technically superior singer who stayed true to rock n roll, achieved success on his own, and left an unique imprint on classic rock tunes.

I agree with all excep the 3rd point... freddie is better when it comes to interpretate a song... paul exagerate on the feeling he gives to the song... and that is truly annoying... for example, on i want it all, if you extract the voice of paul, and hear it a capella, it will be like if he is singing a love song... he always put some things on his voice to give more feeling, that is nice, but he do it all the time,,, and ruin the song...


Sorry for my english...

I have to whole heartedly disagree with "hands down to Paul" for interpretation. Freddie put emotion into every line, IMO. While passionate, it was rarely overdone. If you didn't know what a song meant, you could tell by Freddie's vocal interpretation what HE believed it to mean. Paul reminds me of Kevin Costner... while a good actor, he's seems the same in every part.

As for popularity in the states - ask almost anyone and they'll know the names - Bad Company, Queen and Freddie Mercury. Ask again and only half will know "Paul Rodgers". Freddie wins this one hands down.

So... looks like it's been reversed 6:4 - Freddie. lol.

Yes Freddie is the loser ....of course .... P Staker has "discovered" this and he's just telling us now
Thank you so much ....we Queen-fans would've never discovered this on our own ....


MY GREAT THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIN

Interesting and well worth a discussion so here goes:

I will be frankly honest and say i knew of the band Free for 1 song  and Bad Company for again 1 song prior to Paul joining QPR however i had never heard of Paul Rodgers !!
I do not believe the two are comparable as they are completely different in style but apart from possibly positive image !! Fred would win 9 - 1 in my humble opinion.
Come on could Paul have pulled of Live Aid  influence the rich to part with there cash , somehow i think not !
Queen stood against every new generation of  band and style  that came around and stayed on top , sadly Paul R was left behind in the 70's , his influence All right now , somehow i can not see Freddie's Bo Rhap advertising chewing gum.

1 Natural voice (Freddie- more versatile and rich voice, very talented)
2 Technique (Freddie, Paul seems a bit limited and the same)
3 Iterpretation (definitely Freddie!)
4 Showmanship (again Freddie)
5 Songwriting (undecidedly, I would split it)
6 Solo career (Paul- impresive collaborations)
7 Influence (Freddie affected more people I suppose)
8 Popularity (undecidedly, but as I noticed more peole know the name F.Mercury than P.Rogers)
9 Possitive massege (undecidedly)
10 Rock n Roll life style- who gives points for this? Has it really any relation or importance? I think 10 question should be "connection with audience", what seems for me much more important. And this one goes to Freddie as well

i love PR but i think he only wins in solo career. rock and roll lifestyle? i'd say definitely freddie, that is what ultimately killed him. or does all that gay scene and partying isn't considered to be rnr lifestyle?

[QUOTE]

[b]P-Staker wrote: [/b]

It seems the only kind of thread to get attention here is a "vs" thread. Very well, this is a thread to compare Freddie to Paul.

1. Natural voice:

Paul's voice is great for hard, meaty blues, but falls somewhat flat of Freddie's beautiful, rich tenor. I'd give this to Freddie.

2. Technique

While Freddie's natural talent made many assume he was a schooled opera singer, the truth is he was better at letting go than controling his performance. He couldn't always hit his trademark falsetto, as heard on Who Wants To Live Forever from Live at Wembley. Paul's range is modest, but he's a master of control over pitch, shape and time. Just listen to his We Will Rock You from ROTC - he's in time like a metronome - or the beautifully hit falsetto on Voodoo.  Points go to Paul.

3. Interpretation

Freddie was, well, always Freddie. While this is fine with Queen fans, Paul's ability to find a deep meaning to every song and shape his delivery to best fit the meaning is uncanny. Sometimes I think of him as a "musical actor." This category is won by Paul, hands down.

4. Showmanship

Paul is a fine charismatic singer, but frankly, when it's time to go wild, nobody compares to Freddie at full blast. Watching Freddie is watching pure energy unleashed, and he wins this category.

5. Songwriting

Frankly, Paul's writing comes up to standard blues rock, while Freddie was pushing the limits of pop music more than anyone else, including Lennon. BUT, that was only with Queen - left to his own devices, Freddie slided into cheesy pop and disco. I think any real rocker would give points to Paul here, and I'm no different.

6. Solo Career

Despite his massive popularity, Freddie never took off outside Queen, while Paul has had a successful solo career. This is a no-brainer; Paul clearly wins.

7. Influence

Freddie, with Queen, broke more new ground than Paul. Great and diverse bands, some of which bear no resemblance to Queen (Dream Theater, Radiohead) cite Queen as their influence. I'm giving this one to Freddie.

8. Popularity

Freddie was massive over the world, but never really conquered USA, which fell for Paul. I'm letting this one slip undecided.

9. Positive Message

Freddie lost the battle - and his life - to his vices; Paul broke free from drugs, fixed himself, and returned triumphantly. I'm tempted to give this one to Paul.

However, Freddie sent an important message. He was a homosexual and an Asian minority who was an equal member of a British rock band. He didn't preach equality - he LIVED it. For this, a point goes to him.

10. Rock n Roll Lifestyle

This is a no-brainer. Paul has always been the rock n roll man, sweaty, macho, setting hotel rooms on fire, playing with the cream of the guitarists crop including Page, Townsend, Beck, Gilmour... Freddie was campy and loved pop. Paul wins hands down.

Surprisingly, Freddie loses 4:6 to Paul! Of course, numbers alone don't tell the whole story. This little analysis showed us that Freddie had a beautiful voice, who, together with other members of Queen, broke new ground, became a star in the face of prejudice and had a profound influence on the music. Paul is a technically superior singer who stayed true to rock n roll, achieved success on his own, and left an unique imprint on classic rock tunes.[/QUOTE]
OK, I have a problem with points 5,6, 8 and 9.

[i]5. Songwriting

Frankly, Paul's writing comes up to standard blues rock, while Freddie was pushing the limits of pop music more than anyone else, including Lennon. BUT, that was only with Queen - left to his own devices, Freddie slided into cheesy pop and disco. I think any real rocker would give points to Paul here, and I'm no different.

[/i]How is it that you seem to consider only Freddie's solo career for this?.  You have to consider their whole songwriting careers.  Plus, it's only in one solo album that Freddie explored disco.  The another one was Barcelona.

[i]6. Solo Career

Despite his massive popularity, Freddie never took off outside Queen, while Paul has had a successful solo career. This is a no-brainer; Paul clearly wins.

[/i]I'm not sure if we should consider this, since Freddie didn't have much of a solo career, he nerver really pursued it, it was a side thing (so it's no surprise it never "took off", though many of his solo songs are actually quite well known...).  I mean, Freddie loses because Queen never broke up?.

[i]8. Popularity

Freddie was massive over the world, but never really conquered USA, which fell for Paul. I'm letting this one slip undecided.
[/i]
I'm curious, why is it that "the world" and "the US" seem to have the same weight here...?.  I mean, it's THE WORLD vs one country in it.  I'm guessing you're from the US.
Queen are far more popular.  EVERYONE (including in the US) know who Queen and Freddie Mercury are.  How many people know who Paul Rodgers is?.  I have nothing against him, but before I became a Queen fan I had never heard of him.  I had certainly heard of Queen and Freddie Mercury.
And think about the popularity of songs, not just of names.  Everyone knows Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, and quite many other Queen songs (including in the US).

[i]9. Positive Message

Freddie lost the battle - and his life - to his vices; Paul broke free from drugs, fixed himself, and returned triumphantly. I'm tempted to give this one to Paul.

However, Freddie sent an important message. He was a homosexual and an Asian minority who was an equal member of a British rock band. He didn't preach equality - he LIVED it. For this, a point goes to him.

[/i]I just have a problem with saying that Freddie got HIV because of some "vice".
About the rest, I agree. 

I agree with whoever said point 10 doesn't make much sense at all...

pointless...its like to compare Mercedes and Volkswagen

[QUOTE]

[b]P-Staker wrote: [/b]

It seems the only kind of thread to get attention here is a "vs" thread. Very well, this is a thread to compare Freddie to Paul.

1. Natural voice:

Paul's voice is great for hard, meaty blues, but falls somewhat flat of Freddie's beautiful, rich tenor. I'd give this to Freddie.

[/QUOTE]

I don't quite understand how can you compare 2 different singers and get a "winner" .

[QUOTE]
2. Technique

While Freddie's natural talent made many assume he was a schooled opera singer, the truth is he was better at letting go than controling his performance. He couldn't always hit his trademark falsetto, as heard on Who Wants To Live Forever from Live at Wembley. Paul's range is modest, but he's a master of control over pitch, shape and time. Just listen to his We Will Rock You from ROTC - he's in time like a metronome - or the beautifully hit falsetto on Voodoo.  Points go to Paul.

[/QUOTE]

Well I agree that Paul is technically a better singer, but I still prefer Freddie. Simply because I get a feeling that Paul is actually a robot programmed to give the "standard performance" every day. Freddie was the main entertainer, the lead singer, the big showman ..., Paul is "only" a singer,

[QUOTE]
3. Interpretation

Freddie was, well, always Freddie. While this is fine with Queen fans, Paul's ability to find a deep meaning to every song and shape his delivery to best fit the meaning is uncanny. Sometimes I think of him as a "musical actor." This category is won by Paul, hands down.
[/QUOTE]

Actually this "Paul's ability to find a deep meening to every song" is pretty annoying. He always re-works the Queen classics, so for me, Freddie is the winner.

[QUOTE]
4. Showmanship

Paul is a fine charismatic singer, but frankly, when it's time to go wild, nobody compares to Freddie at full blast. Watching Freddie is watching pure energy unleashed, and he wins this category.
[/QUOTE]

Fully agree.

[QUOTE]
5. Songwriting

Frankly, Paul's writing comes up to standard blues rock, while Freddie was pushing the limits of pop music more than anyone else, including Lennon. BUT, that was only with Queen - left to his own devices, Freddie slided into cheesy pop and disco. I think any real rocker would give points to Paul here, and I'm no different.
[/QUOTE]

So it means I'm a "real rocker" :) As I wrote before, I love Freddie's stuff from the seventies, but he wrote too "poppy" songs in the 80's, so probably Paul wins this one. At least his lyrics is better then Freddie's 80's stuff

[QUOTE]

6. Solo Career

Despite his massive popularity, Freddie never took off outside Queen, while Paul has had a successful solo career. This is a no-brainer; Paul clearly wins.
[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately you're right.

[QUOTE]

7. Influence

Freddie, with Queen, broke more new ground than Paul. Great and diverse bands, some of which bear no resemblance to Queen (Dream Theater, Radiohead) cite Queen as their influence. I'm giving this one to Freddie.
[/QUOTE]
Agree/

[QUOTE]
8. Popularity

Freddie was massive over the world, but never really conquered USA, which fell for Paul. I'm letting this one slip undecided.
[/QUOTE]

Isn't it illogical to compare "the world" with the USA ?

[QUOTE]

9. Positive Message

Freddie lost the battle - and his life - to his vices; Paul broke free from drugs, fixed himself, and returned triumphantly. I'm tempted to give this one to Paul.

However, Freddie sent an important message. He was a homosexual and an Asian minority who was an equal member of a British rock band. He didn't preach equality - he LIVED it. For this, a point goes to him.
[/QUOTE]

Well I agree but wasn't he technically bisexual ?

[QUOTE]
10. Rock n Roll Lifestyle

This is a no-brainer. Paul has always been the rock n roll man, sweaty, macho, setting hotel rooms on fire, playing with the cream of the guitarists crop including Page, Townsend, Beck, Gilmour... Freddie was campy and loved pop. Paul wins hands down.
[/QUOTE]

Again agree

[QUOTE]
Surprisingly, Freddie loses 4:6 to Paul! Of course, numbers alone don't tell the whole story. This little analysis showed us that Freddie had a beautiful voice, who, together with other members of Queen, broke new ground, became a star in the face of prejudice and had a profound influence on the music. Paul is a technically superior singer who stayed true to rock n roll, achieved success on his own, and left an unique imprint on classic rock tunes.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]

[b]queenfanbg wrote: [/b]

pointless...its like to compare Mercedes and Volkswagen
[/QUOTE]



definitely. They're 2 completely different singers. Both are great, but different

They're both amongst the greatest Rock singers EVER. They are too different to be compared. It's not fair to either of them. Especially Paul, a lot of Queen fans that have a 'Fred-fetish' don't seem to give Paul a fucking break, & frankly it's bullshit!

[QUOTE]

[b]redspecialusa wrote: [/b]

They're both amongst the greatest Rock singers EVER. They are too different to be compared. It's not fair to either of them. Especially Paul, a lot of Queen fans that have a 'Fred-fetish' don't seem to give Paul a fucking break, & frankly it's bullshit!
[/QUOTE]


     Queen fans from the [i]older generation [/i]probably won't ever give him a break. That's when Queen was Queen IMO. Maybe bullshit to you but I"ll stay on Freddie's side of the fence....thank you!

[QUOTE]

[b]«¤~Mrš. BÃD GÛŸ~¤» wrote: [/b]

[QUOTE]





[b]redspecialusa wrote: [/b]



They're both amongst the greatest Rock singers EVER. They are too different to be compared. It's not fair to either of them. Especially Paul, a lot of Queen fans that have a 'Fred-fetish' don't seem to give Paul a fucking break, & frankly it's bullshit!

[/QUOTE]


     Queen fans from the [i]older generation [/i]probably won't ever give him a break. That's when Queen was Queen IMO. Maybe bullshit to you but I"ll stay on Freddie's side of the fence....thank you!



[/QUOTE]
Speak for yourself, I've talked to Queen fans from your generation that love what Paul is doing in the [i]new[/i] group w/ Brian & Roger, reinterpreting Queen's back catalog in the process. The difference (IMO) between you and them? They've accepted Freddie's death, & [b]gotten over it[/b]; and want Brian & Roger to MOVE ON.

Daddy or Chips?