Really ?? I don't hear that much Led Zep in Liar ! Can you elaborate ? It's right that Modern Times Rock'N'Roll and some other songs have a Led Zep feeling, but I don't hear that.[/QUOTE]
It's mostly in the introductory instrumental bit for me. The guitar riffs in particular, I don't really know how to describe them, so I'll link an example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAiApIjMHQU
Starting at 0:32, ending at 1:11 or so. It's probably a combination of the guitar work and the organ.
GratefulFan · Member since
When I think about Liar I almost always think about it live, and in it's time. Stuck to it is that sense of a promising band in the early stages of a career, almost imperceptively gathering momentum and mystique but still new and raw, still ordinary and hungry not to be. Liar is that song a new band plays near the end of the show, the full on rock assault that feels familiar even if it's not.
Because I live in a relatively small city and because of the far flung geography of Canada I didn't have the same concert opportunities as many, so my chances to see future superstars at this special stage were few in the 1980s. I do have a visceral recall of seeing Bryan Adams opening for Loverboy in 1982 before he was anybody very special and his version of Liar was a song called Remember, a great song mostly lost in his later sustained deluge of success. That early artist was 'Bryan Adams' when that was just somebody's name, first and last, just like my own. My recall of him and that evening is one of another time and place and reality, another person really in many ways. A very specific privileged memory that most outside of Canada and the small concert circuit won't have. I wish there were more, but there aren't, so it has it's permanent place.
Queenrockyou · Member since
Listening back to the track, I must concede that when Freddie screams (All Day Long and the subsequent shouts), it can have some Robert Plant feeling in it.
About Liar being al live favourite to showcase the band's skills, you're absolutely right. They kept that song in the setlist until then end of 1977, which means a lot given the lot of music that emerged during those years.
It would be logical to assume that it was written especially for that (pretty much as We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions were written). It has a really nice drum part, which was probably very effective live. It does not sound that powerful on the album though, which is sad. Roger kept complaining about the drums' sound on this album, and he was probably right. However, if this song was not his, it showcases its skills behind the drums. John also plays a nice bass part on this one.
Unfortunately, the song was shortened to be issued as a single. but in its album form, it is rather epic. On stage, it could become a long track, the musicians showing their musical ability to the audience.
Holly2003 · Member since
It's not really a blues song but it does have a "call and respose" section that is typical of the blues style:
Mama I'm gonna be your slave
All day long
Mama I'm gonna try behave
All day long
Mama I'm gonna be your slave
All day long
I'm gonna serve you till your dying day etc
Queenrockyou · Member since
This part is nearly some gospel I'd say, what you think ?
Holly2003 · Member since
Wouldn't argue with that. The lyrics are a strange mixture then of evangelical protestant and confessional catholic.
Queenrockyou · Member since
Do you think we could also detect some form of prog-rock in this song, with the different movements in the song, the various tempos, the Hammond (though very very discrete) ? It's not a King Crimson track altogether. But the progressive rock reached Great Britain in the late sixties, and the influence can probably be heard at certain moments in the first albums.
Queenrockyou · Member since
Also, I am not sure, but it seems I can already hear the Hammond on the demo tape recorded at De Lane Lea (listen to the "In The Beginning" bootleg - http://www.queenzone.com/forum/1101952/in-the-beginning-bootleg.aspx?page=1 - , or "As It Began"). Or is it Brian and its magical guitar ?
If it is a Hammond (or an organ), then it is not used as heavily as on the final cut (if I can say "heavily", let's say not used as long as on the final cut).
Listen to the demo tape starting at 1:20. Up to about 1:45, it seems we can hear it; though starting at 01:45 we clearly hear the guitar on the demo, the Hammond is cut, when on the final cut the Hammond remains and covers the guitar sound.
What are the main interesting differences you notice between the demo and the final cut ? It's very close I'd say, if we exclude the extended guitar play before "Listen, you're gonna listen".
