Queen at the EMAs

GratefulFan 11 November 2011 11:32 · Member since October 2009

Sheer Brass Neck wrote: Michael, a runner-up on a talent show with a decent voice isn't anything close to an "artist", that demeans the term for people who have talent. He's no better than Gary Mullen, or no worse, because they've both made their mark singing others material. Adam Lambert is the world's most flamboyant karaoke singer, not worthy of a spot with Queen, maybe a Queen tribute band.

Adam Lambert is the rough equivalent of Celine Dion, if Celine regularly jacked Rob Halford's wardrobe closet and sang shittily more often than she does. They both have big polished voices that take up a lot of space in the room, but little anywhere else. Somebody remarked about Bob Dylan that he had changed things such that it was no longer good enough to sing sweetly because what mattered was if people believed you. Lambert is not believable. Some people are high achievers technically and never let you forget for a moment that they are 'performing'. Some people apparently like that. Hey if you like his effusive and elaborate vocal love notes to himself, knock yourself out, but don't be looking to hard for exotic reasons why other people don't. The fact it that at 27 years old, Adam got as far as he was going to get on his own before AI because as a true artist he has done nothing to suggest that he is not exceedingly limited. People comparing him to early Fred when Fred was still reaching around a bit are really pretty delusional. Adam is 29 or 30 now I think? I guess we can expect his Bohemian Rhapsody magnum opus any day now...

G

GratefulFan 11 November 2011 11:55 · Member since October 2009

Michael Allred wrote:

Well far be it for a young man to try and install some honesty into the world, be rightly proud of who he is and perhaps be a beacon of hope to young gay men and women.

I mean if you REALLY want to get negative here (yet remain factual) ol' Freddie himself seemed like a gay Uncle Tom who lived in denial, dealt with a hefty amount of self-hatred and did nothing for his own community.

Oh what am I saying? I'm dealing with Freddie fans here and to them, he was an angel sent from god and could do no wrong.

He's welcome to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/adam-lambert-goes-hetero_n_327262.html
">install as much honesty into the world as he likes</a>, but unless he wants to look like a self promoting twat he should be doing it on his own time. That moment and that interview was about Queen, and yanking it hard to the left for his own agenda was inappropriate. Queen has embraced the cause of AIDS, but the band has never tried or wanted to be some kind of symbol of gay pride, and to unilaterally co-opt Fred for that effort in the middle of an interview about the band as a whole and their 40 year success was exquisitely lame.

Lambert can only run about 'installing honesty' at his whim because he's standing on the shoulders of people like Fred who lived private but open lives as gay men when there was an extraordinary lack of tolerance shot thorough the entire culture. People like Fred had responsibility not only to themselves but to everybody associated with them, and I think he walked that tightrope just about perfectly. While I don't think any individual gay person has any particular mandatory obligation to the community, I'd point out that in addition to the absurd photo spread above designed to lock in the devotion of his pre-pubescent and 45 year old female fans, he declined to be clear about his sexual orientation while he was on American Idol, waiting instead until the contest was over. He did that in 2009. 2009! Freddie made his choices in 1975 and through the hysterical early years of the AIDS epidemic. There is simply no comparison.

G

GratefulFan 11 November 2011 12:05 · Member since October 2009

Kind of on topic is a recent and controversial rant about teen suicide by Rick Mercer, Canada's Jon Stewart. Ironically he's gay, but hardly anybody knew that until this piece got the spotlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1OvtBa2FK8

R

Rubbersuit 11 November 2011 12:17 · Member since May 2005

GratefulFan wrote: Kind of on topic is a recent and controversial rant about teen suicide by Rick Mercer, Canada's Jon Stewart. Ironically he's gay, but hardly anybody knew that until this piece got the spotlight.

[/QUOTE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1OvtBa2FK8
Great rant, but what I found strange, is that you would only know that he's gay if you already know that about him... it was suprising that he didn't say "like me" or something in there somewhere as he's talking about how many normal people are gay.

M

Michael Allred 12 November 2011 06:17 · Member since September 2001

Sheer Brass Neck wrote: Michael, a runner-up on a talent show with a decent voice isn't anything close to an "artist", that demeans the term for people who have talent. He's no better than Gary Mullen, or no worse, because they've both made their mark singing others material. Adam Lambert is the world's most flamboyant karaoke singer, not worthy of a spot with Queen, maybe a Queen tribute band.

Again, let's get past the obvious snobbery here as it does not matter where or how someone gets their start. Would you have looked at Mercury any differently had he got his start in the same way?

M

Michael Allred 12 November 2011 06:22 · Member since September 2001

Gregsynth wrote:

========

Apparently, you don't seem to get it: I've watched Lambert on American Idol, his 2010-2011 tour, and his various guest/TV appearances. He does indeed have an excessive "musical theatre" vibrato, and he does wail/shout/scream high notes. If you actually get off your high horse and read the comments on this thread, you can see that MANY users here are saying something similar. If you can't hear his "goat-vibrato" on that performance, then I don't what to say (even Sir GH said he over-did the vibrato). You are incredibly arrogant to judge people and claim that Queen fans are close-minded. Hello? Maybe some people DIDN'T LIKE THE PERFORMANCE. I didn't like Freddie's performance of "Communication Breakdown" from 1969, but you don't see me bitching and moaning on forums and Youtube about it (then comparing that to Robert Plant).

The reason why I didn't like this performance has nothing to do with being anti-Lambert/pro-Queen. It was because Lambert was OFF KEY, and SCREAMED during TSMGO (which aren't opinions). How's that for an answer?

Queen fans ARE some of the most close minded fans. Period. Shockingly so.

I'm "incredibly arrogant"? Coming from you that's a compliment.

M

Michael Allred 12 November 2011 06:27 · Member since September 2001

GratefulFan wrote:

Michael Allred wrote:

Well far be it for a young man to try and install some honesty into the world, be rightly proud of who he is and perhaps be a beacon of hope to young gay men and women.

I mean if you REALLY want to get negative here (yet remain factual) ol' Freddie himself seemed like a gay Uncle Tom who lived in denial, dealt with a hefty amount of self-hatred and did nothing for his own community.

Oh what am I saying? I'm dealing with Freddie fans here and to them, he was an angel sent from god and could do no wrong.

He's welcome to install as much honesty into the world as he likes, but unless he wants to look like a self promoting twat he should be doing it on his own time. That moment and that interview was about Queen, and yanking it hard to the left for his own agenda was inappropriate. Queen has embraced the cause of AIDS, but the band has never tried or wanted to be some kind of symbol of gay pride, and to unilaterally co-opt Fred for that effort in the middle of an interview about the band as a whole and their 40 year success was exquisitely lame.

Lambert can only run about 'installing honesty' at his whim because he's standing on the shoulders of people like Fred who lived private but open lives as gay men when there was an extraordinary lack of tolerance shot thorough the entire culture. People like Fred had responsibility not only to themselves but to everybody associated with them, and I think he walked that tightrope just about perfectly. While I don't think any individual gay person has any particular mandatory obligation to the community, I'd point out that in addition to the absurd photo spread above designed to lock in the devotion of his pre-pubescent and 45 year old female fans, he declined to be clear about his sexual orientation while he was on American Idol, waiting instead until the contest was over. He did that in 2009. 2009! Freddie made his choices in 1975 and through the hysterical early years of the AIDS epidemic. There is simply no comparison.

He spends a few seconds making a highly personal connection between himself and someone he respects and somehow you turn it into self-promotion and a leftist agenda. Well shit then Brian and Roger had absolutely no business even refering to him in the same interview then since it was "all about them."

I'm curious here, are you gay GratefulFan?

J

john bodega 12 November 2011 07:08 · Member since December 2004

It was craaaaap. It will disappear into the ether with a resoundingly tiny sploosh, things will go back to normal. Calm down everybody.

S

Sheer Brass Neck 12 November 2011 08:13 · Member since May 2008

Michael Allred wrote:

Again, let's get past the obvious snobbery here as it does not matter where or how someone gets their start. Would you have looked at Mercury any differently had he got his start in the same way?

I don't know Michael to be honest. But he didn't get his start that way. And from Brian and Roger's recollections, he worked and worked to perfect his craft, he was wild and uncontrolled both vocally and with his on stage presence in the early days. However, it was his work that got him there. We could be having the discussion of why Michael Allred or Sheer Brass Neck were great or horrible at the EMA's if we had the exposure of a behemoth of a TV show that gave us the spotlight. Adam was nobody until the TV show. He's where he is because of the power of the medium, celebrity and shockingly low expectations from fans today. If that's snobbery, I'm a snob.

G

Gregsynth 12 November 2011 12:36 · Member since November 2008

Michael Allred wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

========

Apparently, you don't seem to get it: I've watched Lambert on American Idol, his 2010-2011 tour, and his various guest/TV appearances. He does indeed have an excessive "musical theatre" vibrato, and he does wail/shout/scream high notes. If you actually get off your high horse and read the comments on this thread, you can see that MANY users here are saying something similar. If you can't hear his "goat-vibrato" on that performance, then I don't what to say (even Sir GH said he over-did the vibrato). You are incredibly arrogant to judge people and claim that Queen fans are close-minded. Hello? Maybe some people DIDN'T LIKE THE PERFORMANCE. I didn't like Freddie's performance of "Communication Breakdown" from 1969, but you don't see me bitching and moaning on forums and Youtube about it (then comparing that to Robert Plant).

The reason why I didn't like this performance has nothing to do with being anti-Lambert/pro-Queen. It was because Lambert was OFF KEY, and SCREAMED during TSMGO (which aren't opinions). How's that for an answer?

Queen fans ARE some of the most close minded fans. Period. Shockingly so.

I'm "incredibly arrogant"? Coming from you that's a compliment.

============

Well you are ignoring true facts, and making assumptions about Queen fans: That alone is arrogance.

M

Michael Allred 12 November 2011 18:09 · Member since September 2001

Gregsynth wrote:

Michael Allred wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

========

Apparently, you don't seem to get it: I've watched Lambert on American Idol, his 2010-2011 tour, and his various guest/TV appearances. He does indeed have an excessive "musical theatre" vibrato, and he does wail/shout/scream high notes. If you actually get off your high horse and read the comments on this thread, you can see that MANY users here are saying something similar. If you can't hear his "goat-vibrato" on that performance, then I don't what to say (even Sir GH said he over-did the vibrato). You are incredibly arrogant to judge people and claim that Queen fans are close-minded. Hello? Maybe some people DIDN'T LIKE THE PERFORMANCE. I didn't like Freddie's performance of "Communication Breakdown" from 1969, but you don't see me bitching and moaning on forums and Youtube about it (then comparing that to Robert Plant).

The reason why I didn't like this performance has nothing to do with being anti-Lambert/pro-Queen. It was because Lambert was OFF KEY, and SCREAMED during TSMGO (which aren't opinions). How's that for an answer?

Queen fans ARE some of the most close minded fans. Period. Shockingly so.

I'm "incredibly arrogant"? Coming from you that's a compliment.

============

Well you are ignoring true facts, and making assumptions about Queen fans: That alone is arrogance.

No assumptions are being made, I am observing Queen fan behavior and have been for years.

M

Michael Allred 12 November 2011 18:12 · Member since September 2001

Sheer Brass Neck wrote:

Michael Allred wrote:

Again, let's get past the obvious snobbery here as it does not matter where or how someone gets their start. Would you have looked at Mercury any differently had he got his start in the same way?

I don't know Michael to be honest. But he didn't get his start that way. And from Brian and Roger's recollections, he worked and worked to perfect his craft, he was wild and uncontrolled both vocally and with his on stage presence in the early days. However, it was his work that got him there. We could be having the discussion of why Michael Allred or Sheer Brass Neck were great or horrible at the EMA's if we had the exposure of a behemoth of a TV show that gave us the spotlight. Adam was nobody until the TV show. He's where he is because of the power of the medium, celebrity and shockingly low expectations from fans today. If that's snobbery, I'm a snob.

Lambert is not where he is SOLELY because of a TV show. There have been many contestants on "American Idol" over the years and almost all of them have completely fallen off the radar including some winners. Just a handful have survived and become a success which, obviously, includes Lambert. I think that alone says a lot.

S

Sheer Brass Neck 12 November 2011 18:55 · Member since May 2008

I'm not here to change your mind and I know you're not here to change mine. However, according to the 1000% accurate WikiPedia, 'From December 2006 to May 2007, Lambert briefly moonlighted as the front man for underground rock band The Citizen Vein. Beginning in 2004, he regularly performed at the Upright Cabaret and the Zodiac Show, which was co-created by Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls.From 2005-2008 he performed in the ensemble, as well as understudy the role of Fiyero, in the national tour and Los Angeles productions of Wicked. So he had to start somewhere agreed. His career was really non-existent to be honest (in scope of ANYONE knowing him) until American Idol. If he wasn't on that show, he may still be an understudy on an off Broadway show. That doesn't make him untalented, just makes him a talented guy who got the break of a lifetime on a talent show. He's done nothing except sing other people's songs, which means you're an interpreter, and they aren't in the same league as creators. So IMHO, he's a third rate talent replacing the greatest singer ever. Tough shoes to fill, pretty much impossible. His flamboyant persona doesn't make him the man for the job.

G

Gregsynth 12 November 2011 22:30 · Member since November 2008

Michael Allred wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

Michael Allred wrote:

Gregsynth wrote:

========

Apparently, you don't seem to get it: I've watched Lambert on American Idol, his 2010-2011 tour, and his various guest/TV appearances. He does indeed have an excessive "musical theatre" vibrato, and he does wail/shout/scream high notes. If you actually get off your high horse and read the comments on this thread, you can see that MANY users here are saying something similar. If you can't hear his "goat-vibrato" on that performance, then I don't what to say (even Sir GH said he over-did the vibrato). You are incredibly arrogant to judge people and claim that Queen fans are close-minded. Hello? Maybe some people DIDN'T LIKE THE PERFORMANCE. I didn't like Freddie's performance of "Communication Breakdown" from 1969, but you don't see me bitching and moaning on forums and Youtube about it (then comparing that to Robert Plant).

The reason why I didn't like this performance has nothing to do with being anti-Lambert/pro-Queen. It was because Lambert was OFF KEY, and SCREAMED during TSMGO (which aren't opinions). How's that for an answer?

Queen fans ARE some of the most close minded fans. Period. Shockingly so.

I'm "incredibly arrogant"? Coming from you that's a compliment.

============

Well you are ignoring true facts, and making assumptions about Queen fans: That alone is arrogance.

No assumptions are being made, I am observing Queen fan behavior and have been for years.

===========

Why would you observe behavior?

E

e-man 13 November 2011 02:59 · Member since September 2002

Sheer Brass Neck wrote: Michael, a runner-up on a talent show with a decent voice isn't anything close to an "artist", that demeans the term for people who have talent. He's no better than Gary Mullen, or no worse, because they've both made their mark singing others material. Adam Lambert is the world's most flamboyant karaoke singer, not worthy of a spot with Queen, maybe a Queen tribute band.

pretty much sums it up :)

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