Things that "bother" you about Queen

And you know what I hate about Queenzone? I cannot for the life of me put a gap between the 2 first lines in the previous thread.

I believe it helps keeps things fresh when a band mixes things up a little. When an instrument isn't the primary tool used by an artist, you can get something very interesting and perhaps not what, say, the regular guitarist or pianist would do. Brian has said he likes composing on piano because when he picks up the guitar, his fingers and brain play what they're comfortable with. He's freer to experiment on the piano because he's not a master at it. Freddie supposedly composed some things on guitar (I've heard "Ogre Battle" cited), which probably achived the same result.

We're only talking about a few songs in the Queen catalogue, but they are more or less successful, in my opinion.

Brian on piano  = Save Me, Forever, Too Much Love Will Kill You
Freddie on guitar = Crazy Little Thing, Ogre Battle (composed)
Roger on bass = Fight From The Inside
John on multiple guitars = Misfire
Brian on programmed drums = I Can't Live With You
(at least we now have the Roger-on-drums version with the Retake, for those who don't like the original)

rhyeking wrote: I believe it helps keeps things fresh when a band mixes things up a little. When an instrument isn't the primary tool used by an artist, you can get something very interesting and perhaps not what, say, the regular guitarist or pianist would do. Brian has said he likes composing on piano because when he picks up the guitar, his fingers and brain play what they're comfortable with. He's freer to experiment on the piano because he's not a master at it. Freddie supposedly composed some things on guitar (I've heard "Ogre Battle" cited), which probably achived the same result.

We're only talking about a few songs in the Queen catalogue, but they are more or less successful, in my opinion.

Brian on piano  = Save Me, Forever, Too Much Love Will Kill You
Freddie on guitar = Crazy Little Thing, Ogre Battle (composed)
Roger on bass = Fight From The Inside
John on multiple guitars = Misfire
Brian on programmed drums = I Can't Live With You
(at least we now have the Roger-on-drums version with the Retake, for those who don't like the original)
Freddie composed a lot more than orge battle on guitar, like the heavy bit in Bo Rhap.   Many many more.

mike hunt wrote: i alway's hear about the slagging people get for being queen fans.....what fucking planet do you live on?.....when i mention i'm a queen fan the respect for me goes through the roof.  They know they could talk some serious music with me.   the first thing they mention is the voice of freddie of course, and brilliance of the band as a whole. 

    The only thing that bothered me about queen is that they were a bit too Democratic.   An example is putting on a roger song just for the sake of it.   "loser in the end"  didn't fit queen2, so it should have been released as a B side Single.    The white side should have ended with a brian song.   Stuff like that.

Funny you mention that the respect for you goes through the roof. I actually found I made great working contact's through Queen coming up in conversation. Long story short, I was flying between melbourne and sydney for work. One night out, the manager of the department and I were talking over some beers, and we started talking Queen. As soon as he said Freddie, Brian, Roger and John, I knew he was serious and from there we just hit it of and I was later offered a job from him.

So, as far as people putting you down for liking Queen, I had the total opposite and ended up making some great friendships.

Oh I have too had people respect me. They're called "real music fans". The casual fan who maybe likes one of the 4 or 5 still played on the radio hits, or those who plain just don't like Queen, are the ones I get crap from.

I like all kinds of music but some people who are close minded say some idiotic things about Queen, despite them having done at least one song that fits ANY music mold save for Rap and even then, the remix of Dragon Attack could in a way count towards that in a pinch. Even though Queen had nothing to do with the rap part.

And the reason I mis-heard Hijack My Heart was the music kinda blending and me not hearing the emphasis on the "ss" ending to the word. The song still bothers me... "Stupid bimbo" line for one. Its a good song but the lyrics could have used a bit of re writing. Then again ANYTHING Queen has done is lyrically MILES better than many group like Kiss, Pearl Jam, Van Halen and Nirvana did for the most part anyways. Thats just my opinion though. Kiss's songs were dumb IMHO and I dislike Pearl Jam & Nirvana. Plus I hate the people that act like Eddie Van Halen was the greatest. Hint: no where near it! I could name at least 15 guitarists who were MILES better without any effort!

(Because I'm sure I'll be asked.....) Brian May, Pete Townsend, Jan Akkerman (Focus), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Braunn (Iron Butterfly), George Harrison, Nancy Wilson (Heart), JY (Styx), Gary Richrath (REO), Randy Bachman, Davey Johnstone (Elton John), George Johnson (Brothers Johnson), I just realized that was 16.....

mike hunt wrote: rhyeking wrote: I believe it helps keeps things fresh when a band mixes things up a little. When an instrument isn't the primary tool used by an artist, you can get something very interesting and perhaps not what, say, the regular guitarist or pianist would do. Brian has said he likes composing on piano because when he picks up the guitar, his fingers and brain play what they're comfortable with. He's freer to experiment on the piano because he's not a master at it. Freddie supposedly composed some things on guitar (I've heard "Ogre Battle" cited), which probably achived the same result.

We're only talking about a few songs in the Queen catalogue, but they are more or less successful, in my opinion.

Brian on piano  = Save Me, Forever, Too Much Love Will Kill You
Freddie on guitar = Crazy Little Thing, Ogre Battle (composed)
Roger on bass = Fight From The Inside
John on multiple guitars = Misfire
Brian on programmed drums = I Can't Live With You
(at least we now have the Roger-on-drums version with the Retake, for those who don't like the original)

+++++++++++++++++++++
mike hunt wrote: Freddie composed a lot more than orge battle on guitar, like the heavy bit in Bo Rhap.   Many many more.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That was just a sampling. Not being a musician, how an artist composes is only a minor curiousity for me. The more examples there are, the better. They prove my point.

It's also a generation issue.....generally people over 30 know how great and influencial they were, but if we're talking teenager's to mid 20's maybe they don't get the whole queen thing.  Maybe the younger fans get some slack from those people, though even the youngster's these day's seem to get it for the most part.

When I was a wee lad, I thought everyone had a "job" in a band and you didn't deviate. It true for some bands, but not all. When I got older and started paying attention, I realized how narrow that view was. I enjoy how bands can have more than one singer and can play different instruments.

It's something I miss after The Game, when Brian and Roger stopped singing whole songs on albums. "Hijack My Heart" and "Lost Opportunity" were refreshing for that.

QueenFan76 wrote: Oh I have too had people respect me. They're called "real music fans". The casual fan who maybe likes one of the 4 or 5 still played on the radio hits, or those who plain just don't like Queen, are the ones I get crap from.

I like all kinds of music but some people who are close minded say some idiotic things about Queen, despite them having done at least one song that fits ANY music mold save for Rap and even then, the remix of Dragon Attack could in a way count towards that in a pinch. Even though Queen had nothing to do with the rap part.

And the reason I mis-heard Hijack My Heart was the music kinda blending and me not hearing the emphasis on the "ss" ending to the word. The song still bothers me... "Stupid bimbo" line for one. Its a good song but the lyrics could have used a bit of re writing. Then again ANYTHING Queen has done is lyrically MILES better than many group like Kiss, Pearl Jam, Van Halen and Nirvana did for the most part anyways. Thats just my opinion though. Kiss's songs were dumb IMHO and I dislike Pearl Jam & Nirvana. Plus I hate the people that act like Eddie Van Halen was the greatest. Hint: no where near it! I could name at least 15 guitarists who were MILES better without any effort!

(Because I'm sure I'll be asked.....) Brian May, Pete Townsend, Jan Akkerman (Focus), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Braunn (Iron Butterfly), George Harrison, Nancy Wilson (Heart), JY (Styx), Gary Richrath (REO), Randy Bachman, Davey Johnstone (Elton John), George Johnson (Brothers Johnson), I just realized that was 16.....

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Why so combative?

Also; I've always known Eddie Vedder to be a fine lyricist (as was Kurt Cobain). I've never understood people's hatred for them.

As for Queen things that bother me, there really aren't any I can think of other than stuff that has happened since Freddie died.

Well, the elephant in my living room here is their lack of popularity in the States. That has always bothered me, because I've always felt that folks didn't understand what a wonderful band Queen were. I suspect were I to live elsewhere, it wouldn't bother me so much, but, even now, years after Freddie's death, I still find myself trying to, "sell," Queen to folks.

I saw Maroon 5 today and the thing that bothers me is that he started to sing Another one bits the dust for the first encore... he didnt finish it!!!

I saw the Barenaked Ladies singing Radio Gaga and loved it.

Mind you i like them anyway.

I didnt like everything that Freddie had written.I didnt like Body Language and cant really,after all these years,get into Crazy Little Thing Called Love.Its not bad.It's just not in the same league as a lot of his other stuff.

Sun City.  Did the reputation of the band a lot of harm although it has been argued (very articulately by Brian it has to be said) that the sentiment was right.

and

As a Queen fan getting slagged off by people who only had really heard singles before and/or thought Queen were all show. Very gratifying to find out now in the passage of time how much of an influence they have had on today's music (Muse for example as Dom Howard's mum was a big Queen fan and still is).

and

Lyrics - yes there is a lot of cheesy lyrics about but some very good too.  Difficult to find a band that doesn't have some clangers in the back catalogue though.

Wow. Narcissism at it's best!

"Tell you what, Bri... i don't like your part on Bohemian Rhapsody... I want it to go like this: "Weeeoooo weeooo weeoooo Weeedooodeeskippityblappittity dooo bop!!"? and THEN (this is the best part) I want you to recompose it so the ending resounds with a choir singing... BOOOOO-He-mian RHAPSODY.... BO(!) hemian rhapsody!!

...because it doesn't meet my sensibilities."

...It'd be very keen shit for the young kids who don't know what the song's called as well!!! I think it's frigging brilliant!

BO!!!!!!!!- heeemian Rhaaaaaaapsody!!...

You and rog could do it!!

Could u do that, Bri?

thank you.

:-)

FTR: "Cloudless sunny day... yes, it's "pedestrian" but spoken like a song written in a minute... (some of the best happen that way...as it's been said.. it just "drops down on you") ...It's totally there to convey the fact that

1) Some broad cut him off! (Everyone's either a broad or an asshole when they do that to you)
2) He was pleasantly struck/surprised/whatever by the radiance this woman pulled to him...

so

3) In the end... He may almost be surprised and admiring of this bold woman who just a minute ago was an asshole...

Although it's contrived and manipulated for movies everywhere... it just so happens that it happens, too.... in real life

Oh...and it's also my favorite B-side... something infectious about it.  Well... that and the Scandal B-side (My Melancholy Blues Live)

Oh and Just to reply to the Topic:

Things that bother me about Queen:

1) They were just TOO DAMNED GREAT!

it's awful.

?