Queen were not Freddie's solo group!

"it's different in a band like guns n roses where they could change drummer and still be them

for me, queen is john, brian, roger and freddie. they're all fundamental part of the band even though brian added more to the trademark queen sound with his voice and guitar, and even though fred wrote numerically more songs than the rest, I consider they were all equally important"

Yes, exactly. It's funny because I am a huge fan of Guns N' Roses, and with the new lineup(which only features Axl and Dizzy, from the old lineup), I still feel completely satisfied and hopeful for what I have seen and the potential of the band.

But, with Brian and Roger(as much I like them), going around playing music under the Queen banner...hmm, I just don't know. Queen is different. Without Freddie, it simply is not Queen anymore. I see no problem with Brian and Roger just performing and creating new music under their own names(or perhaps a new name, if they are going to organize an actual group).

I see people come on the GNR forums that I go to everyday, and complain about how "it's not GNR anymore. Axl does not equal GNR, without the original guys." And it doesn't bother me at all. But with Queen...it seems as if I am on the opposite end of the road. I really don't think Brian and Roger should use the Queen name to identify their current and future endeavors. And as much as Brian and Roger still contain and maintain "the Queen sound," without Freddie and John, they aren't really Queen, and I would feel a lot better knowing that the name "Queen" is forever identified by the twenty year reign that it is attached to it, from 1971 to 1991.

Brian and Roger, I would love to see you guys tour, and even make more new music, but it would really be even better, and more...satisfying, if you guys were to do it, without attaching the Queen name to it.

I'm with William. Although I think Queen without Freddie are definitely not the same and will never be but they can do whatever they want with their music.
And they certainly catch more attention if they go on doing it under the name Queen.
Queen is such a signinficant name in music.
I don't like the idea of a proper tour though cos Freddie was the showman, he made a difference at the concerts. Although Brian and Roger are awesome musicians, it might look a bit like "let's pretend we're 20 years back again" or something. I don't know...
I don't like the idea of "reunion tours" (if you can call it that) anyway.
There were always rumours about The Clash doing a reunion tour before Joe Strummer died and I always admired them for never having done it! Although they were offered millions.
But Joe always said: Their time is over, they had their time in the 70's, 80's and doing a reunion tour would be fake cos it would never be the same as it was back then."
And I think the same way about Queen.
But I wouldn't like them less if they did it.
It's up to them.

I'm with FriedChicken.

Totally, perfectly hit the key point.

What FriedChicken said is correct but he missed one, IMO very important point: The sound is there but the voice isn't.
And the Freddie's voice was a very important thing in Queen.

But I support anything they do. They keep the spirit of Queen alive and that's good.

I agree with the GnR thing, I like the new band, even though my favourite band member will always be Izzy, and Michael "Duff" McKagan will be a close second. But they do sound like GnR

It seems to me that even though they´re great, they could be replaced, and Buckethead is equally great as Slash IMO.

In the Queen case I don´t feel the same way. Besides the fact they´re without Fred or John (and for me it´s like a person with heart and lungs but without brain or aortic pump), Rog´s drumming sucks now and so does Brian´s singing. IN MY OPINION

I'm more interested in the source of this "Brian owns the name" allegation, especially as Alex appears to suggest that this was the case before Fred died. Wasn't it Fred that named them, designed the crest etc?

"Wasn't it Fred that named them, designed the crest etc"

Yeah that's what I thought, too...
I've never heard that Brian owns the name Queen.

Freddie came up with the name.
As I recall, Brian didnt like the name at first because of the connotations.

Still, am I the only one that believes that Queen was a chemistry of four different people? Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John have mentioned that in various interviews. It was a unique mixture of different personalities, and different musical styles, were they not?

Brian and Roger are 50% of that chemistry. John and Freddie were the other 50%. There isn't that Queen chemical reaction w/out the other 50%.
Therefore, I do not believe that Brian and Roger are Queen. Queen were a foursome with a unique chemistry.

I agree with Niek about the sound, but the voice isn't there. Freddie was the one that drew in the crowds into the palm of his hand with his pressence and voice. He was unique, that simple.
Brian and Roger are talented musicians and songwritters (although I can debate about some of Roger's songs that are actually horrid IMO), but they aren't strong singers. They cannot reach the notes, nor live up to the Queen name w/out Freddie's voice.

Listen, we can turn blue in our faces discussing this. I have no problems if some Queen fans label Rog and Bri as Queen. I have learnt since yesterday to accept that fact, regardless of how many times I will disagree with them.

But a reunion tour? A new "Queen" album with guest vocalists? Please! Give me a break!

Hi all,
While I have no problem with the principle of Brian and Roger performing under the name of "Queen",I must say that it cheapens a once-great band to see that they performed with such third-rate artists as Zucchero and Anastasia!
Queen were critically reviled through lots of the band's career,and I've always felt the extent of this to have been unfair(even if the occasional poor single/album did deserve a milder form of such abuse!),but they must be having a field day now,that is assuming that they feel that the "brand name"(hate referring to Queen as that,but that's all it's seen as now?)is important enough to berate?
If they MUST perform as Queen,wouldn't it be better if they collaborated with respected artists and maybe recorded new material(especially stuff suited to Brian and Roger's singing voices),and not just live in the past with the back catalogue?
End of rant....

Someohow I KNEW this was going to happen. Every time we have this sidcussion, it turns into an argument of technicalities. Hmm...maybe I should try that.

Folks - Queen wasn't Freddie's solo group, but it disbanded in 1995. It therefore no longer exists. The fact that they only use the name for the recognition kind of bothers me.

"If Brian was dead and Roger retired it would be unfair for me that Fred and John performed as Queen"

Those are 2 totally different things, Freddie and John - no Queen sound
Brian and Roger - Queen sound.

The most important entertainer isn't in the band anymore.
The most important member for the Queen sound is still there.

Stop this crap about Queen without Freddie. If Brian and Roger want to play as Queen, so be it. It's their band, and they decide what will be the future of their band.

And if you don't like it, just don't buy the music and shut up!"


I totally agree with you.

Oh, and Deep Purple changed their formation but we still call them Deep Purple...
Of course Queen was Freddie+Brian+Roger+John, but they can do whatever they want with the name Queen. If you don't want to hear their new music or their concerts, don't buy (or download..) the records.

Can we just let this thread die, please? Or I will start stuttering again?! And thats not a pretty picture!!

Oh God, not again!

Whoever says that Freddie was Queen, is not a real Queen fan.

Queen was those extremely talented 4 guys working together. When one is missing, no matter who it is... then it's not really Queen.

I respect Brian and Roger decision of playing as Queen, and they have said it infinite times that Queen will never be what it was when Freddie was alive. Yet still the guys want to go on with their lives, and I know they miss the feeling of being on stage and being cheered by thousands of screaming fans. Think of it, they know fans want to see them play again... they're doing this for us!

I'm sure a lot of the people who criticize Brian and Roger for playing together, would post messages on these boards wondering if they will ever do something again if right now they weren't doing absolutely anything.

*starts to stutter*
p...p...pl...please lets s...s...stop this

FUCK SHIT CUNT!

Oooh....my...g..g..god...I...Thin..kkk...I...de..de..developed Toure...ttessss
Syn..syndromeee

COCKSUCKER
FUCK
SHIT
BARBARA STREISAND!

Damn it!