Who was Queen's most talented musician ?

Music ability, talent,proficiency is hard to define but at least there are some parameters to examin.
Actually the question is mostly between Freddie and Brian ( i see them as the most talented of the four)

So trying to define the music ability i would take on acount:

1) Best ear for music (perfect/relative pitch)
2) More complex/original ability in composing
3) Efficiency on musical instrument/s
4) "The Harmonies Department" (Queen's trademark)
5) Former training in music ( though this can be at odds with actual inherent musical talent)

I would say that RT is the most accomplished as a musician. No other Queen member has produced an album like Fun in Space. Freddie and Brian couldn't. Niether can play drums and Freddie was somewhat limited in his guitar playing ability. JD could play guitar and Keys, as well as Bass, and by all accounts can play drums though I'm not sure to what level. However he couldn't sing.

Roger's vocals are equal to or may be better than BM's.

As individual musicians Brian, in the 70's, had some brilliant ideas on how to present the guitar to an audience, both recorded and live. But as a player there are many who are better and play more complex things and haunt been effected by time/age

JD was a great Bass player, a very melodic style though always underplayed and underrated. As a guitarist he never showed any great talent but he could play. that isn't a put down of his ability.

Freddie was for the most part a great song writer. His vocal ability goes without question. Though I believe his piano playing, although powerful and very locked in to the bass and drums was not as good ad many.

The question of song writing. It's very subjective. Was Freddie a good song writer because he wrote March of The Black Queen and Bo Rhap or was he good because he could pen something as catchy as CLTCL. However you look at it. He's catchy pop stuff was no better and no more catchy then early to mid 60's Beatles and his complex stuff was nothing compared to some of what Rush did or what Dream Theatre or Muse do now.

The rest of Queen were not overshadowed by FM's writing.

Well interesting is that when you listen to the Kind Of Magic demo version you hear a song that sounds like all the FM demo's/Mister Bad Guy. When you hear the Kind Of Magic song by Queen you hear it is so much evolved in a classic song. The songs as solo artists (FM / BM and RT) are all excellent and all but they are missing 'the magic touch' that Queen as a band was able to deliver.

Ok sorry this is more a 'best song writer' reply so a little out of subject but interesting enough for this discussion I think....

Talis

ie. who do you like most and why...

It's pretty obvious who the best songwriters were in Queen....The first 8 records were the classic Queen era....Freddie was obviously the best and original writer...not even close really, Brian was really great as well...actually it's close between those two...Vocal harmonies were Freddie and Brian....Equally I think...Brian was a huge fan of Freddie's harmony ability...Watch the ANATO Documentary, He goes on and on about his ability in Love of my life...so Brian And Freddie are the best in that department as well....Musically it was Brian,, he was an innovator on his instrument, a unique sound that no other guitarist could sound like....Freddie had his own style on the piano, but wasn't technically great...Roger was a good drummer, so he comes in second in that department.. Singing was Freddie obviously, then Roger...I think Roger is a better singer than Brian overall....So, when you say, Who Queen's most talented musician?....If you're talking about who's the best on his instrument alone, it's Brian....Roger was a good drummer, but not as good as Brian was...If you're talking songwriting and singing, it's Freddie....I alway's said Freddie and Brian is what made Queen Special, So I'll stick with those two overall...By the way, Barclona is above anything Roger has ever done....Singer's like Halford and Dickinson, even Sarah Brightman has mentioned Barcelona as special...I can't even think of one musician who mentions Roger solo stuff....

[QUOTE] [b]Stelios wrote:[/b]

Music ability, talent,proficiency is hard to define but at least there are some parameters to examin.
Actually the question is mostly between Freddie and Brian ( i see them as the most talented of the four)

So trying to define the music ability i would take on acount:

1) Best ear for music (perfect/relative pitch)
2) More complex/original ability in composing
3) Efficiency on musical instrument/s
4) "The Harmonies Department" (Queen's trademark)
5) Former training in music ( though this can be at odds with actual inherent musical talent)
[/QUOTE]
#1 is equal between freddie and Brian
#2 Freddie,, it's pretty obvious
#3 Brian, Roger is a distant 2nd
#4 Freddie,, but you could argue between Freddie and Brian, it's very close
#5 see # 3

This topic seems very divisive and meaningless. The songs are accredited to the member who wrote the lyrics. That was their rule. They all chip in on the music and contributed to make it sound as good as it can be. We can only see the name of the songwriter but what went on behind the scenes, we do not know and cannot really judge.

Mike G, do you know Queen have a bass player? He is called John.

[QUOTE] [b]Mike G wrote:[/b]

[
[/QUOTE]
#1 is equal between freddie and Brian
#2 Freddie,, it's pretty obvious
#3 Brian, Roger is a distant 2nd
#4 Freddie,, but you could argue between Freddie and Brian, it's very close
#5 see # 3[/QUOTE]

#3 has to be Roger. . . He remains the only member of Queen who had the skill and enough ability as a multi instrumentalist to record an album on his own. Both Brian and Freddie's work outside Queen required other musicians, bM less so, and in Freddies case writers too. Because of this BM would be second to Roger with Freddie distant third.

[QUOTE] [b]Vocal harmony wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Mike G wrote:[/b]

[
[/QUOTE]
#1 is equal between freddie and Brian
#2 Freddie,, it's pretty obvious
#3 Brian, Roger is a distant 2nd
#4 Freddie,, but you could argue between Freddie and Brian, it's very close
#5 see # 3[/QUOTE]

#3 has to be Roger. . . He remains the only member of Queen who had the skill and enough ability as a multi instrumentalist to record an album on his own. Both Brian and Freddie's work outside Queen required other musicians, bM less so, and in Freddies case writers too. Because of this BM would be second to Roger with Freddie distant third.[/QUOTE]

#3For me is Brian. He developed a unique craftsmanship with the electric guitar.
But if we take on perspective that Freddie's instrument was actually his voice, i believe he took it even further than Brian with the Red Special.

[QUOTE] [b]Stelios wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Vocal harmony wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Mike G wrote:[/b]

[
[/QUOTE]
#1 is equal between freddie and Brian
#2 Freddie,, it's pretty obvious
#3 Brian, Roger is a distant 2nd
#4 Freddie,, but you could argue between Freddie and Brian, it's very close
#5 see # 3[/QUOTE]

#3 has to be Roger. . . He remains the only member of Queen who had the skill and enough ability as a multi instrumentalist to record an album on his own. Both Brian and Freddie's work outside Queen required other musicians, bM less so, and in Freddies case writers too. Because of this BM would be second to Roger with Freddie distant third.[/QUOTE]

#3For me is Brian. He developed a unique craftsmanship with the electric guitar.
But if we take on perspective that Freddie's instrument was actually his voice, i believe he took it even further than Brian with the Red Special.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, of course it's all opinion, so don't no one accuse me of knowing it all as facts..Brian May was truly a unique player with a sound of his own...Roger really wasn't all that original as a writer or drummer and his voice wasn't either...He sounded like Rod Steward and Bowie....But he was good, just not on the level of Brian May...Freddie's voice is the first thing people notice about Queen...All ages, my 74 year old mother and 2 year old son sing along to Love Of My Life...His voice was groundbreaking....Roger is good, but groundbreaking he wasn't....

[QUOTE] [b]tcc wrote:[/b]
This topic seems very divisive and meaningless. .[/QUOTE]

it may be (as you say) pretty meaningless - but i don't see how it's any more divisive that any other topic requesting individual opinion. .

Where you get replies like that of Vocal Harmony above, that is constructive surely?

Unless of course you mean it could be divisive on a band level :-)
- which i very much doubt it could be these days as one is dead, one couldn't give a stuff and the other two are joined at the hip....so what is there to divide?

[QUOTE] [b]Bad Seed wrote:[/b]

Mike G, do you know Queen have a bass player? He is called John.[/QUOTE]
I'm a fan Of Mr. Deacon...I like almost every song he wrote, but he didn't write enough to compete with Freddie And Brian.....Maybe he has the edge on Roger in songwriting...It's very close IMO...As a bass player he was solid, maybe a bit underrated....But I think Roger was slightly better as a drummer...Listen to Sheer Heart Attack, Brighton Rock, ect....but it's close with those two...John is very good as well...Dragon Attack is a good one for John....

[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]tcc wrote:[/b]
This topic seems very divisive and meaningless. .[/QUOTE]

it may be (as you say) pretty meaningless - but i don't see how it's any more divisive that any other topic requesting individual opinion. .

Where you get replies like that of Vocal Harmony above, that is constructive surely?

Unless of course you mean it could be divisive on a band level :-)
- which i very much doubt it could be these days as one is dead, one couldn't give a stuff and the other two are joined at the hip....so what is there to divide?[/QUOTE]


This is a better topic than most of the other crap on this site!....Like the thread, Did Brian Have a Nose Job?...

[QUOTE] [b]Mike G wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Stelios wrote:[/b]

Music ability, talent,proficiency is hard to define but at least there are some parameters to examin.
Actually the question is mostly between Freddie and Brian ( i see them as the most talented of the four)

So trying to define the music ability i would take on acount:

1) Best ear for music (perfect/relative pitch)
2) More complex/original ability in composing
3) Efficiency on musical instrument/s
4) "The Harmonies Department" (Queen's trademark)
5) Former training in music ( though this can be at odds with actual inherent musical talent)
[/QUOTE]
#1 is equal between freddie and Brian
#2 Freddie,, it's pretty obvious
#3 Brian, Roger is a distant 2nd
#4 Freddie,, but you could argue between Freddie and Brian, it's very close
#5 see # 3[/QUOTE]

I would go with this list pretty much, except woudl say that it was not all that close between Freddie and Brian in terms of harmonies. Freddie was the best singer and he was also easily the best at harmonies IMO. Just check the Cosmos Rocks and see where the harmonies went when Freddie wasn't on board any more.

Despite that, I really liked the variety that Roger and Brian made to Queen vocals in the 70's. Freddie might have been easily the best singer, but I think that having just the one singer in the 80's most of the time made the albums a bit more one dimensional.