If you want to stay popular in the States - your name has to be Frank or Elvis, no other way!
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Here's one very different theory on why Made In heaven didn't make it in the USA. I never thought about this myself, but a friend of mine came up with this idea.
Made in Heaven - most people will understand this as Freddie making music in heaven after his death. What will the typical American think when he sees a title like this? "No way that fag is in heaven. Homosexuality is a sin, he is in hell now. How can they even suggest that this kind of satanic music is made in heaven?"
Sounds silly? Please remember that we are talking about one of the few countries in the world that didn't understand that the video for I Want To Break Free was sheer fun.
Made in Heaven - most people will understand this as Freddie making music in heaven after his death. What will the typical American think when he sees a title like this? "No way that fag is in heaven. Homosexuality is a sin, he is in hell now. How can they even suggest that this kind of satanic music is made in heaven?"
Sounds silly? Please remember that we are talking about one of the few countries in the world that didn't understand that the video for I Want To Break Free was sheer fun.
I'm sure Frank Streisand and Elvis Springsteen will agree.
Here's one very different theory on why Made In heaven didn't make it in the USA. I never thought about this myself, but a friend of mine came up with this idea.
Made in Heaven - most people will understand this as Freddie making music in heaven after his death. What will the typical American think when he sees a title like this? "No way that fag is in heaven. Homosexuality is a sin, he is in hell now. How can they even suggest that this kind of satanic music is made in heaven?"
Sounds silly? Please remember that we are talking about one of the few countries in the world that didn't understand that the video for I Want To Break Free was sheer fun.
still, utter stupidity can be no excuse for this.
It seems hardly likely to me that someone, in a country that hasn't really supported Queen for over fifteen years, is thinking about buying an album, but decides no to, because the title might imply that homosexuals go to heaven.
I think braindead people like that would shudder thinking about the idea of buying a record of a gay singer in the first place.
Still, a nice theory, though. ;-)
Interesting theory, but I doubt people were looking that much into the title. The US didn't care about Queen at all after Hot Space and the release of Made In Heaven didn't attract any attention because of that. And plus, they were pretty much off the radar in favor of other music anyway.
"Why do you think it sucked?"
Well...
Brian said that the process involved the remaining members passing the material back and forth and making changes independently. Call me crazy but that's what the album sounds like, a recording made without a band dynamic.
Second, the songs are incomplete or rehashed. Track 1 and 13 are unfinished. Mother Love was unfinished. Piece of my heart was unfinished.
Three, the songwriting was weak. Everybody's opinion is different, but these songs sounded like throwaways dug up for the purpose of releasing product.
Four, and most importantly for the US market, it was flat and boring. Queen was a rock band in the US, period. They were liked by the masses for AOBTD, but their creative and popular peak was when they were rockers. There is nothing resembling a rock song on the album, and don't say IWBTLY is a rock song. It's a synth tune with guitars (which sound contrived.) There are no amazing "Queen" moments.
Five, it's beyond maudlin. Other than Mother Love for emotion, it's in Celine Dion cornball territory. If they had ended with the honesty of Innuendo, I think it would have been a perfect goodbye, but it reeks of a manipulative goodbye.
Six, the covers are inferior to all of the others. And IWBTLY was unknown in the US, so who cared if was covered.
To each his own, and I'm sure people on this board feel the same as ANATO, which is my favourite album. But I remember a station which supported (and still supports Queen) in Canada saying that the album was a nice tribute, too bad they couldn't have given him a farewell with some decent songs. My sentiments exactly.
Well, Innuendo did well in the US. The first single from the album here in the US Headlong did superb on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart peaking at #1. The title cut hit Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart as well pushing Innuendo to Gold status in the US. The Show Must Go On was given tons of play on Album Oriented Rock in late 1991 before that loser Kurt Cobain made himself known. Americans have sad music taste and at times I am disgraced to be an American! It's OK to have a skank like Britney show cleavage and liplock with Madonna but having Queen dress in drag for Break Free was offensive! Don't give me the times have changed bit because "the more the things change, the more they stay the same"(Circumstances by Rush from 1978). Americans tend to be more towards what's the latest thing while places like Europe and Canada stick with legendary bands through the tough times but high and tight Americans want to be hip. I could give a monkey's about style. Queen were a great band and if Freddie were not dead I think Queen would still be making records today!
"Why do you think it sucked?"
Well...
Brian said that the process involved the remaining members passing the material back and forth and making changes independently. Call me crazy but that's what the album sounds like, a recording made without a band dynamic.
Second, the songs are incomplete or rehashed. Track 1 and 13 are unfinished. Mother Love was unfinished. Piece of my heart was unfinished.
Three, the songwriting was weak. Everybody's opinion is different, but these songs sounded like throwaways dug up for the purpose of releasing product.
Four, and most importantly for the US market, it was flat and boring. Queen was a rock band in the US, period. They were liked by the masses for AOBTD, but their creative and popular peak was when they were rockers. There is nothing resembling a rock song on the album, and don't say IWBTLY is a rock song. It's a synth tune with guitars (which sound contrived.) There are no amazing "Queen" moments.
Five, it's beyond maudlin. Other than Mother Love for emotion, it's in Celine Dion cornball territory. If they had ended with the honesty of Innuendo, I think it would have been a perfect goodbye, but it reeks of a manipulative goodbye.
Six, the covers are inferior to all of the others. And IWBTLY was unknown in the US, so who cared if was covered.
To each his own, and I'm sure people on this board feel the same as ANATO, which is my favourite album. But I remember a station which supported (and still supports Queen) in Canada saying that the album was a nice tribute, too bad they couldn't have given him a farewell with some decent songs. My sentiments exactly.
My sentiments exactly, too !
"Made in Heaven" is very difficult to love for me. Brian says, MIH was a labour of love, and I would never doubt that. Apart from the fact that I respect every decision the guys make, I must not like them all. So the following is IMHO:
It's a matter of taste of course, but I like a band's catalogue to be "clean": everything that can be released shall be - but no rehashing of things, or taking tracks people did not intend to be part of the respective bands work.
Who knows if John Lennon ever wanted "Free as a bird" to be released in the first place ? (Sure Yoko Ono thinks she does... ;-) ) Not to mention it becoming a Beatles Track ? Just speculation, but come on, it's a "discussion forum"...
I still don't really like the idea of "I was born to love you" and "Made in heaven" being "covered" by Queen, unless someones convinces me that Freddie intended those to be Queen tracks, when he wrote them back in the 80s. (Like "There Must Be More To Life Than This") And even if so, once he had recorded them, I doubt if he had liked the idea of them to be turned into rocktracks, as at the time of the recording he wanted them to be dance-orientated. It's a tribute by the boys, but would he have liked the idea ? Think of the liner notes in "Mr. Bad Guy": "Thanks to Brian, Roger and John for not interfering."
Of course, they knew him, and they did that with the best intentions. And who am I to doubt the album ?! It's just a personal opinion !
Dunno what to say about "Heaven for everyone", as it is Rog's Track, and maybe even Fred tried to convince him to use it as a possible Queen-Track when he recorded it in '86 or '87, so I can't comment on that. It's still a rehash, though.
But even worse is the inclusion of "My Life has been saved". A nice little track with a catchy hook-line, nothing less, but nothing more. It was the B-Side to the 5th and last single from "The Miracle", and endet up as albumtrack on the BIG one (as MIH was eagerly awaited)... again, it's up to everyones personal taste, but the briefness of the track and the repetition of the 1st v
What's the talking about the "necessary promotion"? Do Queen have to make a big tour to sell an album in the US? Made In Heaven was the fifth best selling album in the history of my country - with absolutely no promotion at all. People here very well know Queen recorded good music so they simply bought the album. Americans never really liked Queen so why the surprise?
Excellent post Regor (and not just because we agree!) There was something disjointed about the album and I think it's the reasons you mentioned.
As for the US sales Mr. Scully, it was simply a matter of nobody caring. Queen fans mention Freddie's moustache, look and the Break Free video as the reasons they lost America. It wasn't. Queen weren't a keyboard/synth band. The following singles were the big releases from The Game to The Works. Play the Game, Crazy, Dust, Body Language, Calling all girls, Radio Ga Ga. Was Brian in the band at this time? American's loved heavy Queen, guitar and piano based. Brian sounded totally recognizeable, as did their harmonies and Freddie piano was unique also. Once two of those elements disappeared, it was curtains for Queen. And as much as I like Hammer to Fall, by the time it was released it was too late.
As for the US sales Mr. Scully, it was simply a matter of nobody caring. Queen fans mention Freddie's moustache, look and the Break Free video as the reasons they lost America. It wasn't. Queen weren't a keyboard/synth band. The following singles were the big releases from The Game to The Works. Play the Game, Crazy, Dust, Body Language, Calling all girls, Radio Ga Ga. Was Brian in the band at this time? American's loved heavy Queen, guitar and piano based. Brian sounded totally recognizeable, as did their harmonies and Freddie piano was unique also. Once two of those elements disappeared, it was curtains for Queen. And as much as I like Hammer to Fall, by the time it was released it was too late.
Overlooked or otherwise i agree with Regor and BHM. The bottom line is this is a cobbled together album of outtakes - some old some newish but very few of them ultimatley worthy of inclusion. I was a great beleiver after Innuendo that it should be the last studio album but alas more product followed in the shape of MIH. A classic case of the 'sum of the parts not equal to the whole'.
Shame really but its been pretty much downhill ever since.The writing was on the wall i think.
Shame really but its been pretty much downhill ever since.The writing was on the wall i think.
As an American, I hold any country in high regard who still knows what music is about. American music is corporate and shit. Anyone can pick up a keyboard and drum machine and make the shit that is on the radio. That's why Queen lost their popularity here. The music rats told us what to like and we did. Shame!!
Rotwang, with all due respect, nobody told American's what to like or dislike, or anyone else. Times change, and Queen changed with the times. Queen's early albums were marked with incredible innovation, complex musical/vocal harmonies, and a fire that comes from youth. In the 80s, the band changed personally (they couldn't get on), musically (dance, synth music) and emotionally. As a result, they became a different band for good or bad. There's no shame in it, but their musical consistency fell off drastically on the albums from '82 on. Isn't that the real reason America didn't care about them?
Yes, AOBtD and CLTCL were huge here, but not many people knew who was singing them.
As for us being told what to like, I belive that to be completely true. You don't always have to listen, but the push to like certain things is definitely out there.
Little things like MTV and Rolling Stone (just 2 examples) push certain music (not *just* music, though) on someone who may be a weak minded member of society and he goes along with it. Enough of these people get sucked in to make it "cool" and it spreads. This affect slithers along until the "popular media" have everyone by the nuts buying what they want them to.
On the flip side, though, there is a strong reaction against the "popular media". I know *many* people who don't even touch a product if it has *any* amount of hype behind it.
In either case, people lose out on great things like MiH.
Just my opinion, though - which, BTW, sounded much more clear and concise in my head before I started typing it.
As for us being told what to like, I belive that to be completely true. You don't always have to listen, but the push to like certain things is definitely out there.
Little things like MTV and Rolling Stone (just 2 examples) push certain music (not *just* music, though) on someone who may be a weak minded member of society and he goes along with it. Enough of these people get sucked in to make it "cool" and it spreads. This affect slithers along until the "popular media" have everyone by the nuts buying what they want them to.
On the flip side, though, there is a strong reaction against the "popular media". I know *many* people who don't even touch a product if it has *any* amount of hype behind it.
In either case, people lose out on great things like MiH.
Just my opinion, though - which, BTW, sounded much more clear and concise in my head before I started typing it.
So I guess Im horrible for becomming a Queen fan just for getting Classic Queen and The game when I was 11 years old , after seeing Waynes World?
I think thats obsurd really , Classic Queen , after many years of listening to the tracks there. Then once i was able to get a job and work, buying Queens entire collection of albums. I realized just how much a pile of crap the Classic Queen compilation was... you realize how much crap it is just by listening to Under Pressure and Hammer To Fall and lets not forget The Miracle. Should they have made made in heaven?
In my opinion , yes , for the new fans that got to like Queen from catching on whether it be from Waynes World or from the god forsaken Tribute Concert. Yes this was a good release. Now on the other hand , I still think along with the synths and lack of guitars. The Aids scare and homophobia had alot to do with Queens decline in the United States as well. I think that though this wasnt said by anyone here in America at all. You can kinda read between the lines. Honestly, I cant even find the Mr Bad Guy Album in stores , even when i was 15 and 16 trying to buy it , it was no where to be found. Im from Louisiana, wanna know what albums I saw in almost every record store I went to back in 1995 and 1996, for one Hot Space was a rare find here , I found Jazz , News of the World , A night at the Opera , Queen II, A day at the races , The Game , The Miracle and Innuendo and I saw this more than I saw any other album by Queen. None the less , i turn on the television and put it on VH1 during the broadcast of VH1 legends they showed an INFOMERCIAL advertising the Made in Heaven album with a 1800 number. The commercial itself was a load of crap and did nothing to show the best qualitys of this band or that particular album..I mean come on they coulda played A winters Tale or Mother Love but the commercial played Heaven For Everyone , but it was only a repeat of the intro .. shoving the words "This could be heaven" down our throats... that commercial alone was enough for me not to by this album till 2000 , in the mean time i enjoyed the other 24 albums including Innuendo which to me would have signified a rebirth for this band had Freddie not died from such a horrible illness. I will go all the way down to my bloody grave thinking and knowing that Queen didnt get the respect they deserved here in America , even when they got inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland Ohio , I taped that on VH1 , Roger himself posted a comment i dont remember an exact quote , but he mentioned that they never won a Grammy here in the US.. that brings my attention to one other thing ... if any of the songs from the Miracle or Innuendo albums are of any incling I believe that they should have won grammys for both I want it all and The Show Must Go On and Headlong. But that was then and we cant go back and change that now .. but to me , they woulda had my vote. These were four very talented musicians and their own right , and reguardless of taste i think people should realize that. Instead of listening to the garbage which is rap. Ya know what else .. since im getting highly upset now... i think along with 2pac and Biggie smalls and ODB that rap has been ultra magnified and had it not been without those three deaths rap surely wouldnt have become part of the mainstream ... its already infecting country music .. Nelly .. and Tim McGraw? you cant be serious *snickers* .. thats almost as bad as what Eminem did impersonating Michael Jackson ... kinda makes ya wonder what us Queen fans would have said had Eminem impersonated Freddie Mercury instead of MJ ... sorry to bother you with this little rant .. but i couldnt help myself.
Yours Truely
Ronald Joseph Silvey
I think thats obsurd really , Classic Queen , after many years of listening to the tracks there. Then once i was able to get a job and work, buying Queens entire collection of albums. I realized just how much a pile of crap the Classic Queen compilation was... you realize how much crap it is just by listening to Under Pressure and Hammer To Fall and lets not forget The Miracle. Should they have made made in heaven?
In my opinion , yes , for the new fans that got to like Queen from catching on whether it be from Waynes World or from the god forsaken Tribute Concert. Yes this was a good release. Now on the other hand , I still think along with the synths and lack of guitars. The Aids scare and homophobia had alot to do with Queens decline in the United States as well. I think that though this wasnt said by anyone here in America at all. You can kinda read between the lines. Honestly, I cant even find the Mr Bad Guy Album in stores , even when i was 15 and 16 trying to buy it , it was no where to be found. Im from Louisiana, wanna know what albums I saw in almost every record store I went to back in 1995 and 1996, for one Hot Space was a rare find here , I found Jazz , News of the World , A night at the Opera , Queen II, A day at the races , The Game , The Miracle and Innuendo and I saw this more than I saw any other album by Queen. None the less , i turn on the television and put it on VH1 during the broadcast of VH1 legends they showed an INFOMERCIAL advertising the Made in Heaven album with a 1800 number. The commercial itself was a load of crap and did nothing to show the best qualitys of this band or that particular album..I mean come on they coulda played A winters Tale or Mother Love but the commercial played Heaven For Everyone , but it was only a repeat of the intro .. shoving the words "This could be heaven" down our throats... that commercial alone was enough for me not to by this album till 2000 , in the mean time i enjoyed the other 24 albums including Innuendo which to me would have signified a rebirth for this band had Freddie not died from such a horrible illness. I will go all the way down to my bloody grave thinking and knowing that Queen didnt get the respect they deserved here in America , even when they got inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland Ohio , I taped that on VH1 , Roger himself posted a comment i dont remember an exact quote , but he mentioned that they never won a Grammy here in the US.. that brings my attention to one other thing ... if any of the songs from the Miracle or Innuendo albums are of any incling I believe that they should have won grammys for both I want it all and The Show Must Go On and Headlong. But that was then and we cant go back and change that now .. but to me , they woulda had my vote. These were four very talented musicians and their own right , and reguardless of taste i think people should realize that. Instead of listening to the garbage which is rap. Ya know what else .. since im getting highly upset now... i think along with 2pac and Biggie smalls and ODB that rap has been ultra magnified and had it not been without those three deaths rap surely wouldnt have become part of the mainstream ... its already infecting country music .. Nelly .. and Tim McGraw? you cant be serious *snickers* .. thats almost as bad as what Eminem did impersonating Michael Jackson ... kinda makes ya wonder what us Queen fans would have said had Eminem impersonated Freddie Mercury instead of MJ ... sorry to bother you with this little rant .. but i couldnt help myself.
Yours Truely
Ronald Joseph Silvey
I'm from Montreal. At the time, in late '95 and early '96, Made In Heaven got some good airplay. Too Much Love Will Kill You was a major hit around here. And I Was Born To Love You, for some unbenknownst reason got very heavy airplay for a non-single (may have been released as a promo). However Let Me Live and You Don't Fool Me was nowwhere to be heard, and rightly so, since these were not radio-friendly for their time. I also remember on our local music TV station, Heaven For Everyone and Too Much Love Will Kill You were played quite frequently as well.