Has anyone ever actually stuck the Flash Gordon soundtrack on and listened to it? I mean aye it's Queen and all that but it doesn't mean you have to like it. FG soundtrack sounds like the kind of thing Ross from Friends played during his ill-fated music career.
danwhite89 wrote: Has anyone ever actually stuck the Flash Gordon soundtrack on and listened to it? I mean aye it's Queen and all that but it doesn't mean you have to like it. FG soundtrack sounds like the kind of thing Ross from Friends played during his ill-fated music career.
Yes I have. I must admit that the first time I heard it, it sounded disjointed and the tracks were quite short, meaning that before it sinks in, the music is finished.
However, after watching the DVD of the movie, I appreciate the sound tracks better, especially the track Football Fight. The sound effects in the music were in line with the action in the movie. My conclusion was that the four of them were really very good and creative in composing those sound tracks.
So, once in a while, when I have finished my rounds of the albums, I will listen to the Flash Gordon sound track.
It is in print because it is an official Queen album, what more could one possibly need to know?
Micrówave wrote:"Steve Lukather is a better guitarist than Brian May. Way more recordings of him both with Toto and others. I don't see Larry Carlton asking Brian to join him on tour. I don't know any bands that Brian May carried without actually being in the band (The Tubes). Michael Jackson didn't (1) ask Brian to be his band for the Thriller album or (2) take his guitar work over Eddie Van Halen's."
How does the number of recordings featuring Lukather make him a better guitarist than Brian. During his lifetime, Jimi Hendrix released just four original recordings, including three studio albums, except he's generally regarded as the greatest guitarist of all time. Brian's not having carried a group is also irrelevent. Queen arguably wasn't a guitar-based group, and that has nothing to do with Brian's talents a a guitarist. Plus, if you look at guitarists who have carried groups on their own; Eddie Van Halen, for example, well I think that Brian is better. Finally, what does Michael Jackson have to do with it? He also didn't ask Carlos Santana, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck (for Thriller that is), Eric Clapton, David Gilmour etc... The fact the he didn't ask Brian is irrelevent. I hate to tell you, but you can't measure the quality of a guitarist simply by whether they worked with this person or not. Should we dismiss Beck because he never worked with Freddie? You also mention Larry Carlton, well, again, considering that Carlton (not a huge fan) hasn't worked with plenty of great guitarists, that doesn't mean much. Even if he and/or Michael Jackson did work with every great guitarist, save for Brian, I don't think that you can really determine the talent of a musician by whom they worked with.
Anyway, I think that Brian is a vastly superior guitarist to Lukather, and I don't think that the reasons you provided are all that convincing.
Microwave is also pretty ignorant about what he thinks Lukather and Brian use to get their sounds.
Saying that Lukather "plugs straight into the amp" is incredibly incorrect. Steve Lukather was probably Bob Bradshaw's favorite customer in the 1980's - I'm assuming the Micro Man knows who Mr. Bradshaw is, of course.
Then he believes hat Brian only has a unique sound due to delays and harmonizers. Jeez, watch the damn Star Licks video, would you?
danwhite89 wrote: Has anyone ever actually stuck the Flash Gordon soundtrack on and listened to it? I mean aye it's Queen and all that but it doesn't mean you have to like it. FG soundtrack sounds like the kind of thing Ross from Friends played during his ill-fated music career.
Yes I have, many times. "The Hero" was a favorite at one point of time and the whole had a novelty factor to it, for me. Its beeb a while though. And I don't see myself listening to it any time soon.
[QUOTE]Microwave is also pretty ignorant about what he thinks Lukather and Brian use to get their sounds. [/QUOTE]
No, I'm not. Since joining Larry Carlton on tour, Steve no longer uses all those 80s effects. I was fortunate enough to see two of the Larry/Steve shows and saw a super guitarist get back to his roots.
Also, your guys' stupid little VoteNumberOne website that you all participated in took Steve over Brian.
Besides Queen's albums, what has Brian done to garner any attention from the musical community? The Brian May Band was/is a joke. The duet with Meat Loaf sold 62 copies. Maybe you think the Anita stuff is just amazing... I haven't heard it, so I'm pretty ignorant there.
Since 1991, Brian May hasn't done a damn thing except recycle... with one exception. He recorded ONE song with the Parker and must have sent it right back.
But, Mondo, what does this have to do with the original topic? All you want to do is have a Queen - Toto Pissing Contest.
Here's 10 guitarists who have done far more with their guitars that you can piss on (if you'd like).
Les Paul
Jimi Hendrix
Terry Kath
Larry Carlton
John McLaughlin
Steve Lukather
Jimmy Page
Steve Howe
Carlos Santana
Michael Hedges
You can hear all these guitarists "mature" on their recordings. Brian never got better. The solo on Killer Queen and Crazy Little Thing sound like they could have been recorded at the same time. All those guys set new molds for future guitar players. Page was probably the most inept of those 10, but he created simple riffs that became the staple for young rock guitarists. Hedges probably would have done far more, but we were only lucky to get 6 albums before he passed.
Listen to what you think is Brian's tastiest solo. You pick. I think it's Back Chat. Then listen to Kid Charlemagne. You'll either hear it right off or never understand what I'm talking about. Players know.
You also mention Larry Carlton, well, again, considering that Carlton (not a huge fan) hasn't worked with plenty of great guitarists, that doesn't mean much.
Somebody doesn't know too much about 70s and 80s music. Carlton worked with just about everybody. 3 Grammies. How many did Brian or Queen get? Oh yeah, none. One of those Grammies he won with Steve Lukather. Uncanny. Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, The Four Tops, are a few of the people he's recorded with. Oh look, there's Michael Jackson again!!!
Michael knew enough to sing a couple of songs with Freddie, so he obviously knew who Brian was. He just never felt the need to use him. We'll never know why, but I can assume, can't I?
Brian recorded with Meat Loaf and a home tape with Eddie Van Halen and played live with Def Leppard. Wow.
And FYI, Queen WAS a guitar driven band. See Queen I, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, etc.
Kid Charlemaigne is an amazing solo, Microwave. But so is It's Late, which we'll never know if Larry Carlton had in him musically. I don't think Brian ever professed his skill as a guitarist once. He is a consummate musician, in a band where songs ruled, a writer first, guitarist second. I'd hazard a guess that WWRY is arguably the most recognizable, or played song in rock history. BoRhap is frequently listed as the greatest rock song ever. Brian's guitar harmonies are utterly unique, and influential in the sense that he is inimitable. If he couldn't play as well as the guy in Toto (fantastic talent, utterly uninspiring emotionally to my ears) or Larry Carlton, so be it. I'd hazard a guess there aren't amny guitarists who would rather have their own careers over Brian's. And to finish, Brian tapped, played great straight ahead solos without harmonies (Sweet Lady, TYMD, Stone Cold Crazy) and played some sweet acoustic to boot. He's not some hack, he's the great Brian May. And that man could play, and people loved him. Lots of guys on YouTube are "better" guitarists than Brian, but Brian is 1000 times the writer than Lukather and Carlton so I guess it depends what you like.
Then why the need for Steve Howe? Brian said it was because Steve could do things with an acoustic guitar that he couldn't. So he was just being nice? Doubt it. He nailed it on the head. Brian's acoustic work was very good. I thought he played Love Of My Life quite brilliantly. But he knew his limitations. He just decided to work with what he had.
You're comparing those solos to Kid Charlemagne? Really?
Obviously, a Queen Fan board is going to be 95% impartial to anything Brian does. I was trying to look at it from a bigger picture. If you're thinking Carlton or Luke couldn't hold Brian's strap, then you just don't know those two well enough. Rosanna was an uninspiring solo? Try playing it... or even trying to learn it.
In no way do I think Brian sucks. He was a true virtuoso, but only for a very short period. The last 20 years have not seen anything really worthwhile from Brian. I don't know why. Perhaps the challenge left as Freddie's last days were coming. I think Freddie really pushed those guys to play their best. When the reigns were handed to Brian and Roger, that went out the door.
But is this really why Flash Gordon is still available? Because it's a Queen Album or because Brian May played on it? Exactly how is this charting?
Amazon.com says Flash Gordon's sales rank is #71,840. Sister Act 2's rank is #2776 (also a Hollywood Records title). Rocky III is at #45,240.
It's not because it's still selling. More people (still) want to hear Eye Of The Tiger... and that's just sad.
Let me stop and say to those replying that I'm not trying to personally attack you or incite anger. So please, don't take it so personally. Of course, if you want to call me names and such, so be it. I was just trying to get an intellegent conversation going and see if someone knew something about how the record business works.
Why this became a Brian May vs The World thread is beyond me. I don't think Flash is in print because Brian May played on it. There are plenty of other bands that people feel the same way for. That doen't keep an obscure record in print.
I thought Dune and The Keep were fair comparisons, since they're in the same genre and time frame as Flash's release. I bet you people who dress up like Chewbacca (Jake, Thomas Quinn, P_G) would find Dune a much superior film to Flash. The Keep was one of Michael Mann's first films and had a stellar cast, so it's got quite a cult following as well.
Somehow that got translated into Steve Lukather's inferiority to Brian May. For that, I apologize, I wasn't trying to do that.
Micrówave wrote:"Somebody doesn't know too much about 70s and 80s music. Carlton worked with just about everybody." Uh, I know plenty about 70/80's music. He did NOT work with 'just about everybody', and even if he did (which he did not), it doesn't mean anything. As I said before, you can not measure the quality of a musician based on whom they worked with.
"3 Grammies. How many did Brian or Queen get? Oh yeah, none." Oh, please. Who cares how many Grammies Queen won. That's like saying that Paul Haggis's Crash is a better film than Citizen Kane, because Crash won more Oscars, including Best Picture. Awards are irrelevent. Plus, if you want to talk about awards, then tell me how many Grammies Hendrix won? How about The Who? The Rolling Stones? The Doors?
"Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, The Four Tops, are a few of the people he's recorded with. Oh look, there's Michael Jackson again!!!" Again, all irrelevent. Not only does it not matter whom he did or did not work with, but if you do want to talk about people he worked with, I can talk about people he did not work with. Furthermore, what does it matter anyway? I love Steely Dan, but my view of them has nothing to do with whom they've recorded with.
"Michael knew enough to sing a couple of songs with Freddie, so he obviously knew who Brian was. He just never felt the need to use him. We'll never know why, but I can assume, can't I?" You can assume, but your assumption is irrelevent. Let's say that Michael regarded Brian as a hack. Does that matter? Are you seriously suggesting that because one man wasn't a big fan of Brian, then therefore Brian was't a great guitarist?
I love Michael Jackson, I think he was a genius, but his opinion was no more important than that of anyone else, and what he thought of Brian does not concern me in the slightest. The truth is, we will never know why Michael did not work with Brian (and there is no evidence to suggest that your assumption is valid), but even if your assumption is correct, since when does working with Michael Jackson, or anyone else, determine the worth of someone? Freddie never worked with George Clinton or Axl Rose or Domingo. It's irrelevent.
One last comment; Michael did work with Eddie Van Halen and I think that Brian is a vastly superior guitarist.
"Brian recorded with Meat Loaf and a home tape with Eddie Van Halen and played live with Def Leppard. Wow." Interesting. So you are someone whose opinions of musicians relates directly to who they worked with and how many awards they've won? Surely, you could make your own judgement?
Personally, I prefer that Brian is doing what he enjoys rather than working with people merely to impress people like you.
"And FYI, Queen WAS a guitar driven band. See Queen I, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, etc." Sorry, I disagree. I think they were a vocal-driven band, or at least they became one with SHA onwards. Regardless, my point was that if you take groups which are guitar-focused, well, IMO Brian was a superior guitarist to many of these guitarists; Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young, Ritchie Blackmore etc...
Micro Man, I'm sorry that Flash Gordon is still in print. It is quite possibly the one Queen album I never, ever listen to - probably because the film is not exactly one to remember.
Tell you what - if you get up a petition to put the ToeToe soundtrack back in print, I'll sign it. Heck, if you can send it to the States, I'll even have an attorney notarize it for you.
Mando, if it were still available, I'd buy you a Dune soundtrack. It's a much better soundtrack.
I'll see if Dorothy or the Tin Man can fire up that petition.
"And FYI, Queen WAS a guitar driven band. See Queen I, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, etc."
Debatable. Compared to say VH or AC/DC, very little Queen music was guitar driven. ! and !!, yes. SHA? Of 13 tracks, I'd call only BR, NIH and SCC "guitar driven." Tenement Funster and Misfire are acoustic numbers written by others and along with the acoustic on She Makes Me, aren't guitar driven in the Brian May style. ANATO? IILWMC, Sweet Lady, Prophet's Song and GSTQ. Again, '39 is acoustic and not Brian May being Brian May. ADATR? TYMD and White Man. Long Away and Drowse are not guitar driven in the Brian May style. NOTW? Sleeping and It's Late. SHA, FFTI were both Roger songs unlike Brian's usual playing as Roger played most of them. Who needs you is guitar unlike the Brian May style. And guitars slowly disappeared after Jazz. I'd call Queen a song band, with guitar playing a big role when needed. VH, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Boston etc. were guitar driven bands/acts, Queen weren't.
