Queen decisions

splicksplack wrote:



They continued to dilute and tarnish the legacy by getting into bed with Robbie Williams, Wycliffe Jean and Five while also allowing releases featuring The Miami Project and The Muppets. Anything to sell, sell, sell regardless of quality or legacy implications.

Yes, just like they did it when Freddie was alive and "got into bed" with Top of the Pops, SNL, Sanremo '84, Sun City, etc.
Anything to sell, sell, sell.. indeed you know the band pretty well.

splicksplack wrote:

They continued to dilute and tarnish the legacy by getting into bed with Robbie Williams, Wycliffe Jean and Five while also allowing releases featuring The Miami Project and The Muppets. Anything to sell, sell, sell regardless of quality or legacy implications.

I would say the success of the film is pretty good proof that they haven't tarnished their legacy in the slightest. Regardless of what they do with who original Queen are beloved and will continue to be IMO.

That's like saying Santa Claus is still beloved because he's preserved his dignity and mystique.

No, because he's a ubiquitous whore.

Woah I spelled 'ubiquitous' right

It created a new legacy for Queen... a false legacy. Sporadic touring and albums in the 80's. AIDS diagnosis before Live Aid, Freddie knew it'd be his last performance, so he gave it his all! It tarnished Freddie's legacy greatly, but no, not Queen's.

Sebastian wrote:

Maylor can tour with Justin Bieber

I am neutral on Adam Lambert, but damn... he's like a blessing compared to other possibilities.

Togg wrote:

you may not like it but there's no way you can call it anything other than brilliant marketing.... they sell the same stuff over and over and people buy it.

I agree.

Piss and moan all you want. Cry GREED and SELL OUT till you're blue in the face but here's the deal.....Brian, Roger and Jim have worked very hard to not just keep Queen out there but promote and advertise till Queen was in everything. Everywhere. They have kept Queen music not just alive but thriving. Perhaps moreso now then they have ever been.
People talk of Queen and Freddie in ways they've never been before. They're not just some old band with a few hits decades ago, they're an essential part of world culture.
I'm thankful for that and as Queen fans, you should be too.

Agreed

They're an essential part of world culture despite marketing acrobatics, not because of them.
Anyway, your logic works better for Um Bongo rather than Queen (speaking of badly received formula changes).

Yeah they are marketing themselves to remain a visible public entity. Although that said, we do get the occasion archival treat so can't grumble.

Aristide1, yes but on a much smaller scale.

dysan wrote:

Aye... they have been in the business since the early days of it becoming BIG business. You could argue they actually invented it. Pioneers.

Debatable.

Zeppelin were playing stadiums by 1973 and taking 90% from the promoters (Peter Grant was a beast).

The Beatles and Elvis certainly didn't see a lot of coin in their heyday, but Dave Clark sure did, as he had his own publishing (just like Queen did by 1977).

Not sure if Queen were *the* first to create a megacorporation out of a band, but no doubt they were one of the first. They were Britain's highest paid executives by 1980 - during the business-friendly reign of Thatcher, and without a manager. This is not to be taken lightly.

To think Brian and Roger suddenly became smart businessmen after Mercury died is extremely naive. All four of them were brilliant in the board room - particularly Deacon.

aristide1 wrote:

They're an essential part of world culture despite marketing acrobatics, not because of them.

Wrong.

Michael Allred wrote:

Brian, Roger and Jim have worked very hard to not just keep Queen out there but promote and advertise till Queen was in everything. Everywhere. They have kept Queen music not just alive but thriving. Perhaps moreso now then they have ever been.
People talk of Queen and Freddie in ways they've never been before. They're not just some old band with a few hits decades ago, they're an essential part of world culture.

Correct. And it has been a very conscious effort on their part. And working with Adam Lambert has been a massive portion of that effort in North America, as he was already very well known here. Like him or not, it was a very strategic business decision.

It can be easily argued that Queen are bigger now than they've ever been, and some would even say they're more relevant to popular culture than The Beatles now.

And smart PR is entirely the reason why. It sure isn't because of facebook memes.

Things will change now, but it's not because of Adam, it's currently because of the movie. While Adam keeps the Queen name flowing about with live performances, it's not bringing a big increase to Queen's albums sales. A lot of the people attending those concerts are Adam Lambert worshippers there to see him, not Queen.

Do you expect an Adam Lambert obsessed little girl to go out and buy an album without Adam on it? We should analyze the sales of Adam's last solo album and Queen Forever.

As said, things will change now!