Queen Adam Lambert honour or dishonour Freddie?

It has come up time and again on this forum - the haters say that Queen + Adam Lambert makes a mockery of and dishonours Queen's legacy and Freddie's memory.

You know what? It doesn't.

Actually, the haters who say that Brian and Roger have no right to do this are the ones dishonouring Freddie's memory and Queen's legacy. If anything, Brian and Roger with Adam are keeping Freddie's memory in the public eye, and respectfully in tact.

Peter Freestone, Jer Bulsara and Kashmira Cooke have given this their blessing, and are delighted that Queen's music - including Freddie Mercury's songs are being performed by two of the original composers and performers. I mean, come on, if Mrs Bulsara and Kashmira can give it their blessing, how on earth can this be dishonouring Freddie?

Just to remind you, Jer is Freddie's mother - Kashmira is Freddie's sister. They KNEW and LOVED Freddie as a person, not as a fan from a far. Brian and Roger were co-creators with Freddie, and were FRIENDS with Freddie. I bet there's not even one hater on this forum who knew Freddie - and meeting him backstage once, or in the street outside Garden Lodge - doesn't constitute a friendship.

Really, the haters are just being rather joyless and sulky about the whole thing, and clearly haven't moved on from 1986.

So, unless one of you met Freddie in, say, 1988, and had the chance to say 'Hey Freddie, there's this dude who's 6 years old at the moment and he's going to front your band in 25 years time, long after you've died' and Freddie said 'Oh, please, fuck that dear, no little whippersnapper is going to attempt to usurp my place as the singer in what is clearly the best rock band on the planet, I'd rather they just retired because without me they have no right to make music'.... then I think we really have no grounds for all the negativity.

Did you read and digest this Gezza?

You like the collaboration. Fine by me. I think it's a bloody boring rehash of yet the same music, again. I was enthousiastic about Q+PR at first, and I was very much disappointed with what happened - turns out this sort of thing bores me tremendously. So I don't want anything to do with this, which I still think of as Q+PR 2.0, and I think it's a waste of time. I am just as entitled to my views as you are to yours, and if you can't handle the fact that not everyone, by far, likes this tour, then you're just as bad as gerry. The way you put your post full of strawmen is also highly distasteful.

Perhaps I worded it wrongly -

There is a difference between those who don't like the collaboration because, artistically, they find it a boring rehash and perhaps don't like the sound of Adam Lambert singing Queen songs, and those who actively say that this is dishonouring someone's memory, or hate it simply because it's not Freddie Mercury.

I can handle people not liking it, that's up to them. What I don't see the point in, is that so much bile has to be forced on to people - I mean, really, people here are like kids in the playground throwing rocks about, and it's all quite unreasonable actually.

What do you mean full of strawmen? What, exactly, is distasteful about my original post?

I don't really care if it honours or disrespects Freddie, he's dead, he doesn't give a fuck.

On its own merits it is a decent show, as a lover of music, that is all that matters to me.

Your last paragraph was a strawman-fallacy. You write

[QUOTE]
So, unless one of you met Freddie in, say, 1988, and had the chance to say 'Hey Freddie, there's this dude who's 6 years old at the moment and he's going to front your band in 25 years time, long after you've died' and Freddie said 'Oh, please, fuck that dear, no little whippersnapper is going to attempt to usurp my place as the singer in what is clearly the best rock band on the planet, I'd rather they just retired because without me they have no right to make music'.... then I think we really have no grounds for all the negativity. [/QUOTE]

By that wording, you imply (unintentionally, I gather from your second post), that " I'd rather they just retired because without me [Freddie] they have no right to make music" is the reason behind any dismissal of this project. I found that a little hurtful, because my main problem with these shows is that they're NOT making new music. Granted, Cosmos Rocks wasn't a stellar masterpiece, but at least it yielded a few good songs and, most importantly, it saw Roger and Brian making NEW music and GROWING, even if it also featured some pretty lame filler. I'm not a great fan of Adam Lambert's voice and antics, but if they wrote new songs that suited his style of singing a little better, I think I'd enjoy this a lot more than AL trying to sing Freddie-songs and just falling short of the mark. It's like AC/DC: Bon Scott died, Brian Johnson came in, and they're both pretty damn good vocalists. However, Brian Johnson just sounds a lot better doing Johnson-era songs than he does on Bon Scott-era songs.

Thomas I'm sorry you found that hurtful, and I'm pleased to hear that you'd welcome some new music from Queen + AL - quite a few people would. But what I'm ranting at, are the people who act almost as if they're the custodians of Freddie's memory and wishes, and own Queen in some way. Actually as far as we know, Freddie didn't discuss Queen carrying on - he was most probably too focused on using what time he could to record songs, and then getting his affairs in order, and he probably expected that the band would continue to make music as a unit or as solo artists, and that Queen would obviously be a big part of their lives after his death. But there are so many people on here that seem to assume the role of a confidante of Freddie's when they talk about the continuation of Queen, and Brian and Roger can't seem to do right for doing wrong at times.

By making music, I mean playing the old songs as well as the new - performing an old song live is still making music.

I understand people finding AL falling short of the mark singing Freddie-era songs - his voice is perfect but not quite dramatic enough. He has the control but not the raw energy - at least not yet anyway.

Anyway I'm sorry I've offended you, genuinely, because it wasn't my intention. I just get pissed off at the sheer volume of crap that has to go on here simply because the band want to do something they see as good. Fine, if people are unsure about it or don't really like it but that's not what the thread is about.

I have literally not seen anyone on here saying that AL dishonours Queen's legacy and Freddie's memory, except for Gerry - but nobody gives a damn about what he thinks. I must say I find this discussion a bit unnecessary.

Yes Lambert does dishonours the musical genius that was once Freddie Mercury.
Freddie was a clever intelligent musician and Adam only sings (and badly at that)
Freddie deserves a better lead vocalist than Lamberts pathetic squealing every night, someone who has a decent singing voice
and someone who can deliver the songs and give a great performance.
Quite right that someone on here said that Lambert is only singing Queens greatest hits and that's about it.
i am not bothered about people on here not taking note of my comments because its the queenzone and the same people on here
keep wanting to be top dog.
But really here we have a guy who had no experience of the worlds stages and now fronting Queen, that in itself is patronizing to the memory
of Freddie, just a slip of a lad handed that golden ticket to the world.
Sad thing is if Mr.Lambert is as good as you all say then why did he not win best male vocalist at this years "Brits"?
He never even got nominated. Well there is your answer guys, no ones interested.

No Adam doesn't dishonour Freddie in any way.

In his own way, using his own style, he mostly does justice to the songs. He doesn't perform as well or charismatically as Freddie of course, but he has given life to Queen's songs on stage, and this in itself honours Freddie.

[QUOTE] [b]Rugby_guy wrotte.
that in itself is patronizing to the memory
of Freddie, just a slip of a lad handed that golden
ticket to the world.
Sad thing is if Mr.Lambert is as good as you all say then why did he not win best male vocalist at this
years "Brits"?
He never even got nominated. Well there is your answer guys, no ones interested.

[/QUOTE]

Your a fuck wit, tell us all in your own words how many times did Freddie win best male vocalist at at the Brits or The Grammys .

And explain your slip of a lad comment. Lambert is in his 30's. How old was Freddie when he stopped touring. . . . .

[QUOTE] [b]Costa86 wrote:[/b]

No Adam doesn't dishonour Freddie in anyway.

In his own way, using his own style, he mostly does justice to the songs. He doesn't perform as well or charismatically as Freddie of course, but he has given life to Queen's songs on stage, and this in itself honours Freddie.[/QUOTE]

Good post!

I don't find Lambert's voice too attractive, he does sound good on few songs though - WWTLF, Love Kills and Save Me comes to mind. Also Adam's too camp for my taste (Killer Queen). I prefer hearing Marc Martel singing Queen songs, that is just because I fancy his voice more.

But I like Q+AL collaboration for what it is. I like seeing Brian and Roger still playing and playing well. To be honest, I would have gone to their concert if only they came to my country. The tour is a bit too Greatest Hits (although I understand why) but hearing Brian and Roger sing No One But You would be just great! I'd also love to see Scandal and Innuendo done live, even if sung by Lambert.

But I'm drifting off the point here. No, I do not find this disrespectful, it is what it is. They're not trying to be Queen they once were. They are now Queen+ and considering that they're doing a good job.

I thought the concert was great.

So... honour... big time.

vocal harmony: your the fuck wit since you are defending a nobody against a rock legend.
Freddie has won many many male vocalist awards or are you blind or just plain ignorant?
Lambert has got no worthy awards under his belt as much as Freddie has.
He can not even write music or play piano, so how can he pay tribute to Mr Mercury?
Even tribute acts are much better than Adam Lambert, and they can sing.
If you are going to call some one a fuck wit do your self a favour and look in the mirror first.
I do not have time for your silly comments.

[QUOTE] [b]Rugby_guy wrote:[/b]

vocal harmony: your the fuck wit since you are defending a nobody against a rock legend.
Freddie has won many many male vocalist awards or are you blind or just plain ignorant?
Lambert has got no worthy awards under his belt as much as Freddie has.
He can not even write music or play piano, so how can he pay tribute to Mr Mercury?
Even tribute acts are much better than Adam Lambert, and they can sing.
If you are going to call some one a fuck wit do your self a favour and look in the mirror first.
I do not have time for your silly comments.[/QUOTE]

What awards were they then?
If he is a nobody, then why is he really successful across the pond etc? This was pointed out to you in another thread.
How do you know he cannot write or play piano??

I guess you are so busy praying in your box-bedroom (Freddie shrine) in mummy's house that you haven't the time for silly comments?
You never did answer me - do you work and if so, what is your profession?