AOBTD was awfull in The Works tour. I agree with the guy who mentioned Fat Bottomed Girls being a weak live song. Also I don't like the live versions of Ogre Battle.
I may add Flick Of The Wrist to the list. The Brighton Rock outro in Hyde Park just sucks to me.
Mr Mercury · Member since
Another song, or version of a song, that didnt work live for me was the slow version of Hammer To Fall. Fucking awful is how I'd describe it. Thank god they never did it during the Freddie era live....
Thistle · Member since
Now I'm Here and Brighton Rock, just because of the overly long guitar solos, I'm In Love With My Car, Get Down Make Love and Bring Back That Leroy Brown. It also annoys me that songs like MOTBQ where never played in full, although I can appreciate why.
Bo Rhap · Member since
I never liked Crazy Little Thing Called Love.Neither live nor in the studio.
dysan · Member since
How about songs that are better live? Rock It and Modern Times = awesome
Rick · Member since
I never really cared for Put Out The Fire live. The harmonies are too difficult to produce live on stage.
bitesthedust · Member since
dysan wrote: How about songs that are better live? Rock It and Modern Times = awesome
Most songs from Hot Space Flash - Birmingham 06/12/1980 (the first performance) Another One Bites The Dust - the earlier versions from 1980/81
dive2063 · Member since
You're my best friend and Bicycle race.
Your Fairy King · Member since
Tie Your Mother Down - mostly played way too fast Now I'm Here - the call and response in '78 was cool but after that became a dreadful bore Sheer Heart Attack - came nowhere near the recorded version Tear It Up - didn't deserve to be on record let alone performed live. Hammer to Fall - total sludge Radio Ga Ga - torture to listen to live or on record Friends Will Be Friends - I have no idea why this song is so popular. Most trite lyrics in the catalog Bohemian Rhapsody - done to death, never played in full, no attempt to ever perform the operetta live. Later versions performed way too fast without feeling. I Want to Break Free - as others point out, Fred's barking makes this one a poor live rendition Love of My Life - the acoustic version was fine in '78, but the ANATO version is so much better. Would have been much better live with just Freddie at the piano.
most of the above goes a long way to support why I dislike the Wembley concert and makes me cross-eyed to think it is being re-issued yet again when there are shows with much better performances sitting in the vaults.
jamster1111 · Member since
Your Fairy King wrote: Tie Your Mother Down - mostly played way too fast Now I'm Here - the call and response in '78 was cool but after that became a dreadful bore Sheer Heart Attack - came nowhere near the recorded version Tear It Up - didn't deserve to be on record let alone performed live. Hammer to Fall - total sludge Radio Ga Ga - torture to listen to live or on record Friends Will Be Friends - I have no idea why this song is so popular. Most trite lyrics in the catalog Bohemian Rhapsody - done to death, never played in full, no attempt to ever perform the operetta live. Later versions performed way too fast without feeling. I Want to Break Free - as others point out, Fred's barking makes this one a poor live rendition Love of My Life - the acoustic version was fine in '78, but the ANATO version is so much better. Would have been much better live with just Freddie at the piano.
most of the above goes a long way to support why I dislike the Wembley concert and makes me cross-eyed to think it is being re-issued yet again when there are shows with much better performances sitting in the vaults.
Love of my life was a totally new songs live... you just can't compare the two (the live version vs the studio recording). Each version served a different purpose and it would have been boring live if Freddie played it sitting at the piano. Part of the magic of the song was that he was able to stand up and conduct the audience.
Gregsynth · Member since
Tie Your Mother Down doesn't work live because it was played too fast? Gimme a break! The record version is BORING!!!! That song was made to rock out, and play up-tempo!
Concerning I Want To Break Free: A lot of people are saying stuff like "Freddie shouts or barks the song." That's true for SOME versions of the song. I have listened to every known version of that song (yes, my obsession is kicking in AGAIN--sorry), and rest assured that Freddie does not bark/shout every version out there. The song sounds better live musically, but I agree that Freddie sounds better in the studio on that song.
Djdownsy · Member since
jamster1111 wrote:
Love of my life was a totally new songs live... you just can't compare the two (the live version vs the studio recording). Each version served a different purpose and it would have been boring live if Freddie played it sitting at the piano. Part of the magic of the song was that he was able to stand up and conduct the audience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree completely, if it had been Freddie at the piano, the song wouldn't have lasted in the setlist for two tours.
Djdownsy · Member since
Your Fairy King wrote: dysan wrote: Now I'm Here stretched out way beyond it's natural boredom level +=========
thank you ------------------------------------------------------------------ No it didn't, it was an excellent song, both at the slow tempo in the early days, and the fast tempo by the Jazz tour. What destroyed this song was turning it into a medley, dragon attack never fit imo, and put out the fire just made it longer and longer. By the magic tour, the song was just dreary and boring.
woodstar12 · Member since
Yes Loads of songs didn't do it for me live....
I think Killer Queen has been mentioned, but also Its a Hard Life Don't Stop me Now Death on 2 Legs Bicycle race I want to Break free (so so) Show must go on (now)
I think its more to do with the intricate detail of these songs which is difficult to replicate live,and in part to the pop nature of some of these, compared to some of the harder edged songs which are easier to put across I think. Pop type songs might be hits, but don't come across live very well. Probably why they were mostly short lived in terms of performance. All sounded excellent on disc, but live...mmmm Mind you I guess other pop songs like Ga Ga /Kind of Magic, are more audience orientated so work better. I guess it was more down to honing a core base of songs which seemed to follow them through the years, and were always crowd pleasers. I always remember taking my ex (who loved 'Its a Hard Life') to see Queen at Wembley in 1984 and she was right pissed off, with that song live. She said they ruined it because it was too loud. She wasn't really into rock music that much, but I did tend to agree with her at the time. Probably for a bit of peace and quiet, after i made her queue for hours. Overall though, I feel tracks like Now I'm here/Keep yourself alive/Fat Bottomed Girls and the like just perform better live. Anyway, just my thoughts.
malicedoom · Member since
Although I appreciate that artists (including Queen) play it live, to me it almost feels like The Show Must Go On should never be played live, for various reasons (one of the main, of course, being that Freddie so perfectly nailed that vocal that nothing else will ever come close to his performance). I mean I'm a long-time Elton John fan and yet I still cringe when I hear him sing that - not that he gives a 'bad' performance, it's just so far removed from the original version... dunno - just better left not attempted, to me anyway.
