Rio de Janeiro 1/12/1985 (Raw power, with excellent audience atmosphere and the only Bb4 "...my hard-earned pay ALL on my own" on the Works Tour![/QUOTE]
I also recall him doing that in Tokyo 5/9.
MC_Sandman · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Chief Mouse wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]MC_Sandman wrote:[/b]
Rio de Janeiro 1/12/1985 (Raw power, with excellent audience atmosphere and the only Bb4 "...my hard-earned pay ALL on my own" on the Works Tour![/QUOTE]
I also recall him doing that in Tokyo 5/9.[/QUOTE]
Yes, he did. Sorry. I completely missed that version. I've edited my list to include it.
MC_Sandman · Member since
ALSO, I'm going to write reviews on the cliche versions (the versions that get mentioned almost every time in a conversation about StL). Some of these were already in the list above, but I figured I'd just cover them all.
Earls Court 6/7/1977 (Weak version; Freddie isn't in the greatest shape and isn't daring on notes. However, the vocal improv was great.)
Stockholm 4/12/1978 (Strong version, with creative phrasing and studio high notes. Mentioned less than the other cliche versions, probably because it's a bootleg.)
Hammersmith 12/26/1979 (Strong version with good vocals. My only problem is FREDDIE'S FRIGGIN VIBRATO USAGE, on every single note to the point where it's obnoxious.)
Montreal 11/25/1981 (Strong version, with amazing musicality, but slightly out-of-sync vocal harmonies.)
Milton Keynes 6/5/1982 (Strong version with soulful vocals and Freddie being daring on higher notes.)
Tokyo 5/8/1985 (Meh version. The song sounds dead. It contains no energy and lacks the fun, carefree atmosphere of the earlier versions.)
Tokyo 5/9/1985 (Meh version. As mentioned before, the song sounds dead.)
MC_Sandman · Member since
If you have an interest in any of the cliche versions listed above, I'm going to post versions you should also listen to.
IF YOU LIKED Earls Court 6/7/1977, then listen to Copenhagen 5/12/1977. (Overall stronger version, with a sustained slide thrown into the middle. The band also sound less tired and more energetic.)
IF YOU LIKED Stockholm 4/12/1978, then listen to Houston 12/11/1977. (While Freddie's vocals aren't as strong, this version is more steady and consistent, with easily discernable vocal harmonies.)
IF YOU LIKED Hammersmith 12/16/1979, then listen to Newcastle 12/4/1979. (Freddie's vocals are much stronger at Newcastle, making this almost a studio-high note replica. Also, his vibrato is more subtle and less obnoxious.)
IF YOU LIKED Montreal 11/25/1981, then listen to Sao Paulo 3/21/1981. (Freddie sings C5s and Bb4s all over the place at Sao Paulo. However, his voice is a little flatter, in keeping with his typical Game Tour phrasing.)
IF YOU LIKED Milton Keynes 6/5/1982, then listen to Edinburgh 6/1/1982. (Edinburgh, as mentioned above, is essentially Milton Keynes with stronger/more frequent high notes.)
IF YOU LIKED Tokyo 5/8/1985, then listen to Tokyo 5/11/1985. (Freddie doesn't have the same range as he does at 5/8, but sings a very playful version with more energy in his voice.)
IF YOU LIKED Tokyo 5/9/1985, then listen to Nagoya 5/13/1985. (At 5/9, Freddie hits one Bb4 [...my hard-earned pay ALL on my own...], and at Nagoya, he nails the other one! Also, as above, Nagoya has more energy.)
Oscar J · Member since
Stockholm '78 is the best version ever. Freddie never sounded so excited singing it, before or after.
brENsKi · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Oscar J wrote:[/b]
Stockholm '78 is the best version ever. Freddie never sounded so excited singing it, before or after. [/QUOTE]
good point. but surely it's not just about Freddie's performance...what about Roger/Bri's singing, their (the band's) playing?
it's the whole that makes the perfroance
Oscar J · Member since
That's what I usually say too, but this particular song is all about Freddie IMO. Besides - the band sound pretty great too.
Nitroboy · Member since
Keep in mind that the Stockholm '78 on Greg's channel, is still running 25 cents too fast :P
Also, instead of the Japan '85 versions, I'd suggest checking out the first Rio version.
MC_Sandman · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Nitroboy wrote:[/b]
Also, instead of the Japan '85 versions, I'd suggest checking out the first Rio version.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I don't know why I forgot that one.
IF YOU LIKED Tokyo 5/8/1985, then listen to Rio 1/12/1985. (Studio high notes with unparalleled raw power. A serious candidate for best version ever.)
MC_Sandman · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Oscar J wrote:[/b]
That's what I usually say too, but this particular song is all about Freddie IMO. Besides - the band sound pretty great too.[/QUOTE]
I agree. This song is Freddie's favorite Queen song, and since it's so vocally demanding, a disproportionately large part of this song is how Freddie sings it. The different phrasings he uses make each and every version unique, within certain criteria. While I agree that the rest of the band does contribute a lot to the sound of the song, most of that is Freddie's vocals.
MC_Sandman · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Oscar J wrote:[/b]
Stockholm '78 is the best version ever. Freddie never sounded so excited singing it, before or after. [/QUOTE]
Most versions of Stockholm up on YouTube all have a speed problem in some form or another. The tape speed jumps around a lot, and as mentioned above, Greg's one is 25 cents fast. The increased tempo might contribute to the perceived increased energy in the song. While I don't mean to say that Stockholm isn't a unique version, I do think that if we had at normal speed, it would sound more like the other versions.
That being said, I'm going to try and fix the speed. I'll upload it when I'm finished.
EDIT: Never mind about uploading it. Queenzone is being stupid and won't let me upload it. I'll upload it on my channel and maybe ask Greg to upload it. My YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZnZSmLGtfWHP6CgzrATsxA
MC_Sandman · Member since
Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXSmDgNQm_4
Nitroboy · Member since
I uploaded the entire show slowed down 25 cents, and I don't hear any speed jumps in the show. It seems very consistent to me :)
Holly2003 · Member since
It's odd, given the poor quality of most of these bootleg concerts, that anyone can say with any confidence that this or that version is "best". How can you possibly tell when the sound quality is so bad?
MC_Sandman · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Holly2003 wrote:[/b]
It's odd, given the poor quality of most of these bootleg concerts, that anyone can say with any confidence that this or that version is "best". How can you possibly tell when the sound quality is so bad? [/QUOTE]
It's difficult to do. I personally don't have an ear for it. From what I've seen of his analyses, Greg has a really good ear for deciphering what's going on in bad quality bootlegs, except for the completely unlistenable ones (like Hannover 1984). Also, everyone is subject to bias; for example, I absolutely hate Freddie's Game Tour phrasing on this song, so I ruled out any Game version (except Montreal) as the best one.
A lot of the concerts Greg has uploaded are actually soundboards, which are (usually) high-quality recordings taken by the band's actual mixing panel/soundboard. Bootlegs are more of a toss-up (Somebody to Horn is a great example of this. Check Greg's channel). However, most bootlegs are in listenable quality, and we can still accurately deduce what notes Freddie hits, or the emotion he puts in, or Brian's guitar work, etc.
