28 years on Sunday

for myself - as a fan since 1974, and (almost) at an age where senility might help me forget where I was when I heard, I still can't forget.
i'm sure I've retold my own story: driving to work (from worcestershire to london) stupidly-early that monday morning and the radio playing hit after hit queen song - with hardly any DJ talk.
then the half-hourly news - 6am, I pulled over when I heard. couldn't believe it.

but here's the thing: (expecting Jazz(hands) to start hurling flame-throwers at me any second): what is there to miss?
Most of Freddie's 1980's song-writing was lazy, Roger and John were doing the band's heavy lifting in the 80s. In a way, I liken mid-late 80s Queen to the end of the Beatles. The two quieter members were coming to the fore - being more productive. Roger was definitely the George Harrison of the group - his solo/Cross 80s output backs this up.

Sure, I miss 70's Queen (not just Freddie), but the band itself was on autopilot for huge chunks of that last decade.

The only reason the band exists at all these days is BECAUSE Freddie died. Had he still been alive, Queen would not exist as a going concern. They were all headed their separate ways. His death brought them together.

Thanks to almost everyone who shared a few words about Freddie and your memories.
Shame on the person who has a go at me for not being a Freddie/Queen fan before he died. Thst does not mean I can't pay respect to Freddie, and recognized what a talent he was and a wealth of music he left us with. I admire, respect Freddie for more than half my life as of now, and yes he and his music means so much to me.

@brENsKi Queen have been together an extra 28 years since Freddie died and no split in sight sadly with the inferior Adam Lambert and they have not been productive since "Made in Heaven" album,
and the constant touring is such a boring sight in my mind.
Just read an interview with Pete Townsend and even though "The Who" are still touring he said "We havnt got a f**king band anymore" so surely Queen don't either because both bands have lost two vital band members.

[QUOTE] [b]Jazz+ wrote:[/b]

@brENsKi Queen have been together an extra 28 years since Freddie died and no split in sight sadly with the inferior Adam Lambert and they have not been productive since "Made in Heaven" album,
and the constant touring is such a boring sight in my mind.
Just read an interview with Pete Townsend and even though "The Who" are still touring he said "We havnt got a f**king band anymore" so surely Queen don't either because both bands have lost two vital band members.
[/QUOTE]

they "have a band" (in my eyes) while any original member wants to keep it going.

it may "bore you" (and it' not something I'm into either) - but if there wasn't a market for it - then Brian and Roger wouldn't do it.

For me there's loads of bands out there "doing it" - they may not be the original lineups - but while an original member remains, then it's valid.

Stones
Who
Rainbow
ELO
Fleetwood Mac

f*ck even the current "Karaoke Purple" is valid while Paicey continues...YOU don't have to like it, and YOU don't even have to accept it - but YOU need to calm the f*ck down - because there is absolutely nothing YOU can do about it. grow up and move on - otherwise you become a "mad old man in the park shouting at pigeons".

@brenski I am not mad about it more sad really.
Looking back at the band and how they were in 1984 at the Montreux Rock Festival compared to now there is no comparison and they do look cheap and plastic!
The special magic has gone from Queen now we have no Deacon no Mercury and Queen are more "Smile" than Queen !
i do not want to see them live again because i have seen Queen 5 times in the 70s and 80s and i just know if i went now i would be disgusted.

[QUOTE] [b]Jazz+ wrote:[/b]

@brenski I am not mad about it more sad really.
Looking back at the band and how they were in 1984 at the Montreux Rock Festival compared to now there is no comparison and they do look cheap and plastic!
The special magic has gone from Queen now we have no Deacon no Mercury and Queen are more "Smile" than Queen !
i do not want to see them live again because i have seen Queen 5 times in the 70s and 80s and i just know if i went now i would be disgusted.[/QUOTE]

we have to "weigh up" what we (as fans) can get out of this.
I saw Ritchie Blackmore twice with Rainbow and once with Purple back in the 80s. So when he toured an "new rainbow" 3 years ago, I saw him again, and again in 2017. Our idols won't be around forever, so rather than quibble about the lineup, I'll take the opportunity every time it comes along.
Same with Jeff Lynne's ELO in 2016, and Eagles (with Deacon Frey replacing Glenn). For me - if my heroes tour - and I want to see them then I'll move heaven and earth to do so.
Now, can someone persuade Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, CCR and Sammy Hagar to visit the UK?
Someone should bend Percy's elbow over a Zep reunion and while they're at it, get Paul, Ringo, Dani and Julian to do something.

Current Queen though, it's not my cup of tea either (and I won't go see 'em - but that's the only thing we agree on. regardless of what you think - they have a right to continue "as Queen" - it's working and still selling, and lots of people enjoy it - so leave it be.

your problem is this ^ is *your b-all and end-all* - no Freddie = no Queen. that's BS and it's unhealthy (for you) - you're spending too much negative energy and bile on something that doesn't matter. i left here a few years ago - and on returning YOU ARE still repeating yourself. no one cares. drop it.

and if you're talking "plastic queen" - at least try to get your comparator right. Montreux was *just about* as "plastic" and "fake" as the original Queen lineup could ever be.

Sure we know Montreux was a miming event but we still had the vision of the band live and Freddie giving it his all with his ballet twists and turns !
Anything like that was way better than what is on offer now with Nellie Lambert and the two old ex=Queen members.
Queen have basically mocked themselves now with Lambert they are like a version of Spinal Tap embarrassing.

[QUOTE] [b]Jazz+ wrote:[/b]

Sure we know Montreux was a miming event but we still had the vision of the band live and Freddie giving it his all with his ballet twists and turns !
Anything like that was way better than what is on offer now with Nellie Lambert and the two old ex=Queen members.
Queen have basically mocked themselves now with Lambert they are like a version of Spinal Tap embarrassing.[/QUOTE]

gasman...Gasman...G-A-S-M-A-N !!!!

[QUOTE] [b]Jazz+ wrote:[/b]

Sure we know Montreux was a miming event but we still had the vision of the band live and Freddie giving it his all with his ballet twists and turns !
Anything like that was way better than what is on offer now with Nellie Lambert and the two old ex=Queen members.
Queen have basically mocked themselves now with Lambert they are like a version of Spinal Tap embarrassing.[/QUOTE]

As brENsKi pointed out just because you and he don't like what they're doing now doesn't mean they should stop or that others won't enjoy it - no idea why it matters so much to you, no one's forced to see them so if it's not your thing you don't go, it's really that simple. What's plastic and embarrassing to you is fun and a good time to others so why spend time bothering about something that doesn't even matter in the scheme of things and that ultimately you can't change - makes zero sense to me.

Basically my take on Q+AL is that I accept it as a legacy act. Adam Lambert is actually a good singer in that he's technically proficient. Whether or not one likes the sound of his voice, or whether or not one thinks he's a good fit for Queen is a matter of opinion, open for debate and everyone has the right to think what they want.

I have no gripe with Q+AL, and since I am too young to have seen Freddie live I'm glad they have been touring, because it gave me an opportunity I wouldn't have otherwise had. The show they do, in my opinion, is very good. It's worthy of their legacy, and it's way better than seeing any tribute act. Brian and Roger can still play, albeit it seems a bit more tame than it was. I also accept that it's more musical theatre now, and Adam Lambert does look more like a rock star parody than an actual rock star at times. That's fine. Freddie often looked ridiculous and he knew it.

I appreciate there are some things that can't happen with the Q+AL tour - the vocal improvisations can't happen, the crowd probably wouldn't respond to it warmly. In fact there were a couple of things that happened at the O2 in 2017 that I felt didn't go down as well although I enjoyed the show.

I don't share the view - Brian May's view - that Freddie would be, in any way, jealous of Adam Lambert. I think he would be impressed by his technique, although he might not like the sound of Lambert's voice but that's open to speculation. Freddie knew he was exceptional, but was also painfully aware of his live limitations that did sometimes get to him. Things are also very different now. Adam Lambert has vocal coaches and continuous training to help him produce a certain sound, a homogenised sound yes, that is the standard production tone in musical theatre and perhaps some pop music. He's very good at it. Freddie came from a time of individuality, and wasn't trained by someone who could show him how to avoid nodules for instance. That didn't exist in pop music until perhaps after Freddie stopped touring although it was in musical theatre before then.

Freddie did actually find out a lot of things by himself that made him a better singer, and he was constantly evolving, learning how to use his phenomenal instrument. I also think the singing on the Barcelona and Innuendo LPs represent a kind of pinnacle in Freddie's voice that is still unmatched by many or any singers since. I like to imagine that had Freddie somehow survived to be able to tour again after the 4.5 years between the end of the magic tour and the release of Innuendo, that it would have been his finest tour to date - but that didn't happen.

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



The only reason the band exists at all these days is BECAUSE Freddie died. Had he still been alive, Queen would not exist as a going concern. They were all headed their separate ways. His death brought them together.

[/QUOTE]

You are a disgraceful stupid idiot

[QUOTE] [b]SweetCaroline wrote:[/b]

“@DrBrianMay I’m always reluctant to post ANYTHING on this day of the year. But I was touched by all your lovely tributes, dear folks, on IG and Twitter - and this post from @stereojazz3D reminded me that I wrote this song… (more) Bri”

http://www.instagram.com/p/B5Q2qxhl-PV/?igshid=fl3f3g5qbum9


instagram.com/p/B5Q2qxhl-PV/…[/QUOTE]

Even on Freddie's death day he has to emphasize that it was HIM that wrote NOBY. Is there anyone with a bigger ego Problem than May??

@brenski You stupidly say Freddie's death brought the band closer together but John Deacon quit as he could not stand been in the band without Freddie. If Brian had not had the ridiculous idea of forming a new Queen band Roger would have quit i am certain of that. Freddie was the heart and the spirit of Queen and it does not matter how many gimmicks Queen+ provide on that stage with the manufactured rubbish that is Adam Lambert it will never be Queen again. Queen are a parody of themselves except Brian is too blinkered to see that.

[QUOTE] [b]runner_70 wrote:[/b]

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


The only reason the band exists at all these days is BECAUSE Freddie died. Had he still been alive, Queen would not exist as a going concern. They were all headed their separate ways. His death brought them together.

[/QUOTE]

You are a disgraceful stupid idiot[/QUOTE]

and YOU are Gerry's "separated at birth" identical twin. wonder who got the looks and brains in your family...because it wasn't either of you two.

gasman...Gasman...G-A-S-M-A-N !

[QUOTE] [b]Jazz+ wrote:[/b]

@brenski You stupidly say Freddie's death brought the band closer together but John Deacon quit as he could not stand been in the band without Freddie. If Brian had not had the ridiculous idea of forming a new Queen band Roger would have quit i am certain of that. Freddie was the heart and the spirit of Queen and it does not matter how many gimmicks Queen+ provide on that stage with the manufactured rubbish that is Adam Lambert it will never be Queen again. Queen are a parody of themselves except Brian is too blinkered to see that.[/QUOTE]
for someone who calls themselves a queen fan you seem to grasp very little. for most of the 80s Freddie was ambivalent about the band. Roger and John were writing the lion's share of the big hits.

Freddie's death DID bring the band together. the Tribute concert and the 1998 single being examples. John couldn't carry on after that and chose to retire - he was practically a recluse when he was in the band anyway.

the current line-up of queen is the ONLY going concern - and though I have no liking for it at all, it's their right to continue, and - MORE IMPORTANTLY....I am f**king ecstatic that THEY DO CONTINUE. why?
because it leaves me safe in the absolute knowledge that every single day they continue as Queen - it consumes YOUR EVERY WAKING MOMENT to the point that it eats you up inside, frustrates you and compels your utterly pointless modus operandi to forge on in vain, refusing to accept the futility of your preaching, and banner waving.

and better still, the knowledge that your protests have no effect whatsoever. just for that alone - I hope Brian, Roger, Adam and any other singer they recruit will continue for ten more years.

gasman...Gasman...G-A-S-M-A-N !