Machines (Or Back To Humans)

I think it's shit.

Always loved that song and the lyrics. One of my favorites!

Machines (or back to humans) song may have been included in this tour set list in preparation for their gig at Microsoft annual event in Vegas on 17th July (or not. just my wild guess) as the song suits the event.

I found this link at QOL site.

http://partner.microsoft.com/en-gb/inspire/why-attend

I kind of like it. If the album was a bit longer it might have been a good opener to make it more of a concept album like the The Works tour hinted at.

Check the similarities with the song Machines by Sailor from 1978. It even sounds the same.


I was born from a 'Triple X' computerised machine
Although my daddy, he was just another 'lazermatic' beam
They used to tell me funny stories
About creatures they call people - long ago
They even told me they had made us - don't you know

Machines, machines, machines, machines, machines
Who needs flesh - and who needs blood?
We need people like a stick in the mud
We've got brains - and we've got speed
We're in the making of the ultimate breed
No more slaving and scraping to people it's over (over)
Machines, machines, machines, machines

Last night I was fixing up this beautiful machine
But as she started up she turned around looking like a dream
I used to think that all this falling in love
Was just for people - but oh no
She made me fuse a printed a circuit - don't you know

Machines, machines, machines, machines, machines
Who needs flesh - and who needs blood?
We need people like a stick in the mud
We've got brains - and we've got speed
We're in the making of the ultimate breed
No more slaving and scraping to people it's over (over)
Machines, machines, machines, machines

I really dig the groovy shape of your transistors
I only wish you hadn't so many resistors
One two three four
You've got all that I adore
You make me feel so proud to be a machine

Machines, machines, machines, machines, machines
Who needs flesh - and who needs blood?
We need people like a stick in the mud
We've got brains - and we've got speed
We're in the making of the ultimate breed
No more slaving and scraping to people it's over (over)
Machines, machines, machines, machines, machines
Who needs flesh - and who needs blood?
We need people like a stick in the mud
We've got brains - and we've got speed
We're in the making of the ultimate breed
Machines, machines, machines, machines, machines

Neat lyrics. I like it. thanks for sharing it.

ELO wrote an album (Time) that is based in large part on the idea of blurring the line between machines and humans. Before that, many science fiction writers had done the same thing. Taylor & May are both SF fans.

It's almost like people in bands are one trick ponies.

How odd that they've added this to the setlist recently. They dropped It's Late and Spread Your Wings very promptly in 2017 - I presumed because those are songs of lesser popularity. Now they add Machines, which is probably one of their single least well-known/liked recordings. Weird.

@maths15 - My C64 too!

I think it's very impressive they did it live (mostly). Adam nails it, despite it being a bitch to sing. The 3D model of Freddie's limited edition bust (you know, that very expensive ugly thing none of us can truly afford) is really embarrassing. I think they felt it was kinda actual with the shit going on in the tech world with big data, algorithms and machine learning. Also i bet they looked at the latest Muse offering + tour, albeit Muse doing a way better job at capturing the zeitgeist and the 80's revival thing that's been going on since Stranger Things started. That tour is visually stunning and eons more theatrical than Queen ever were live.

Looks more like Lord Lucan than Freddie.

Machines works perfectly with radio gaga, they should've done it live since 1984

[QUOTE] [b]Holly2003 wrote:[/b]

Looks more like Lord Lucan than Freddie. [/QUOTE]

Ha ha yeah. One of the music weekly rags in the 80's called him Lord Lucan of Mercury a couple of times!

Been looking for that Sailor song on YouTube today. Only found it on an import CD on Amazon. Such is the life of a person who doesn't subscribe to music....prefers physical copies