Queen Rocks

Apologies if this has been discussed before..... While listening to Queen Rocks the 'retake` of I Can't Live With You came on. Was this the actual original version or just a new backing track? Which then made me think if they thought about putting it on Made in Heaven? Just a thought. ....

If I'm correct, the Rocks version of I can't live with you was how Brian and Roger initially intended for it to be, as in 'rockier' but the reason the original version is different is because that's how Freddie wanted it

The 'rocks' retake is a new backing track. Wouldn't have a clue whether it was done in 1995 or 1997. To be honest, as much as I like the song, I think both versions kind of fall flat - the original sounds dull, underproduced and generally like a demo as most people say, while the retake sounds overproduced. It's like a wall of sound sort of approach at times, when the 'big' sound really doesn't fit the song, at least for me.

The song was originally gonna be for Brian's solo project, but the other band members liked it so they used it for Innuendo instead. It's Brian's song, so I don't think Freddie's intention would have THAT much influence on the end product. They used a programmed synth drum part, which doesn't help, and Brian's gone on record as saying it was impossible for them to mix so it would sound like they originally wanted it. The retake was obviously a means of getting around that issue. I don't think the newly recorded version is meant to the be the definitive version or anything, just one which is more fitting for the 'Rocks' album. It is, however, closer to how Brian and Roger would've liked it to sound.

the rocks version is much better than the original, the innuendo version is so lazy...

i know this has been probably discussed before, but why does "Innuendo" sound flat? the album is my fav, but seems to lack punch .

Everything here seems pretty accurate the way I've read it, however I disagree with tomchristie about the Rocks version. I love it; it doesn't sound overwhelming, and it's nice hearing more guitars and a real drum track added to the shallow poppiness of the original. When listening to Innuendo, I often replace the original with the QR version just because I find the original so hard to listen to when there's a far superior version out there.

[QUOTE] [b]dowens wrote:[/b]

i know this has been probably discussed before, but why does "Innuendo" sound flat? the album is my fav, but seems to lack punch .
[/QUOTE]
Ha ha, we posted our things at almost the exact same time. This definitely wasn't here before I posted my original comment.

Anyway, the way I understand it, the reason the album (some songs more than others) sounds kind of dull and flat in general is because this was Queen's first digital recording, all the previous ones being recorded analog. Digital recordings are known for sort of sucking the soul out of music (which is why I will always prefer the sound of vinyl records over anything else). The overabundance of synths doesn't help at all, either.

This track was also going to be the first single from Rocks but that decision was changed.

is there or would there been a video for it GT? Wasn't the album labeled as Volume 1? I do prefer age Rocks version and it also got me thinking, do you think the band would do an album of 'reworked' songs?

is there or would there been a video for it GT? Wasn't the album labeled as Volume 1? I do prefer the Rocks version and it also got me thinking, do you think the band would do an album of 'reworked' songs?

I've read interviews with Brian where he says that Roger recorded the drums back in the day for tge Innuendo version but Brian ended up preferring to keep the electronic druns on it as the mix didn't sound right. Listening to it, I thought that the Rocks version drums were Roger's original Innuendo take without all the electronics on top and they are NOT re-recorded (although some guitar is new) - perhaps GT can confirm for sure?

I seem to recall Brian saying Roger couldn't quite get the beat right and they went with Brian's programmed drums (from his demo perhaps?). When they revisited the song they edited the drum track with some protools-type software and then it "worked". I'm thinking slight changes in tempo, minuscule edits here and there that couldn't be made (easily) with 1991 technology. Perhaps they thought it was too much of a hassle for an album track? Or they were on a hurry? Who knows?
Seems weird to me that Roger couldn't capture Brian's idea or "feel" for the beat and they left the programmed drums, though. The mixing argument makes more sense but what I just mentioned is my interpretation of some Brian comment or interview I read years ago.

A new version of I Can't Live With You, which was going to be the first single, is included and different to the original on the Innuendo album. It is also different to the Brian Malouf remix that was issued as a USA promo single at the time of that album.
The band found an unused studio take they had not used, and so reworked it with new drums and guitar from both Brian and Roger.
Brian: "I Can't Live With You was a track which started off in the studio with the three of us playing it, and there were problems in getting it to work because it was half way between a sort of funk thing and a rock thing, and somehow although the live stuff sounded heavier it didn't have the feel...the bounce that it needed. We did it with mostly programmed drums and a lot of keyboards and stuff and it was built very much as a pop record. Roger never forgave me, because it didn't end up with having him on it, so I don't blame him really. So when he suggested that we redo it I sort of understood where he was coming from and I also thought it was a good idea because now you have technology much more than you had in those days, so we were able to take the original drum track and work on it on the computer and just get rid of all those things where we disagreed about what the timings were. Having done that it all sounds glittering and wonderful so I was moved to play new guitar to it, so it's now much heavier thing all round. All that's left of the original really is the vocal and even that we did a little work on, and just odd little bits."

[i]is there or would there been a video for it GT? Wasn't the album labeled as Volume 1? I do prefer the Rocks version and it also got me thinking, do you think the band would do an album of 'reworked' songs?[/i]

I personally don't think the band will do a 'reworked' songs album - why would they? The songs are perfect as they are. I know a lot of bands and artists have done this over the years, but Brian and Roger would probably not like the idea and certainly not have the time.

Yes, in some of the promo material the album was labelled as 'Volume 1', especially in the USA.

There is no video for the song and very much doubt that one would have been made.

[QUOTE] [b]GT wrote:[/b]There is no video for the song and very much doubt that one would have been made.[/QUOTE]

Wasn't there a Rocks videotape with some sort of videos for all the songs, including this one?

(I know some people don't like to count stuff like the MIH and the Rocks clips as official music videos, but they have been approved by the band for promotional purposes...)