There's so many, but the one that really stands out for me is at the end of "Don't Try So Hard." The guy's on the edge of death and singing with that kind of power and range. He gave everything he had and more. WOW!
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I think his best vocal performance studiowise has to be the haunting mother love just listen to the middle verse starting"i walked too long in this lonely lane" and hear the power and determination of his voice with the FACT that he was weeks away from death absolutely bloody amazing.
Live wise i would have to say earls court 77 every vocal sang beautifully and full of power and grit IMO the best gig ever i've seen.
Live wise i would have to say earls court 77 every vocal sang beautifully and full of power and grit IMO the best gig ever i've seen.
In My Defence
Who Wants To Live Forever
Don't Try So Hard
Bohemian Rhapsody
Guide Me Home
How Can I Go On
Let Me Live
Friends Will Be Friends
One Year Of Love
I'm Going Slightly Mad
Who Wants To Live Forever
Don't Try So Hard
Bohemian Rhapsody
Guide Me Home
How Can I Go On
Let Me Live
Friends Will Be Friends
One Year Of Love
I'm Going Slightly Mad
Live at the Bowl--Somebody to Love me--perfect voice!
Are you ready my brothers and sisters!Wwwooooowww!
I agree with you that Somebody to Love Me on QOF is spectacular. I even think the audio throughout this DVD is outstanding for all four - one of the best Queen audio products ever. Freddie's voice doesn't have that pure, soft, sweet sound as in earlier years, but on QOF he is up and down scales like the smoothest slide trombone and with a lot of vocal power throughout. He was in great form that day! As one of his promoters said, "Queen always delivers!"
Does anybody know why Freddie's voice had changed so much live in the 84-85-86 years ? The first live Queen album I ever heard was Live at Wembley back in 1992 and though the show was powerful, I was very disappointed by Freddie's voice, which was very weak in comparison with that of the albums...at some time in this concert, I wouldn't have guessed it was Freddie singing if I hadn't known it ! A friend of mine told me at that time that she couldn't recognize Freddie's voice as it was so different (and definitely worse) than in the studio...
And this is not only in Wembley but actually it seems that his voice had really deepened in the Works tour and in the Magic tour...I noticed this in the videotape "The magic years vol. 2" where the concert excerpts from Rock in Rio (1985) and concerts in Australia show a Freddie with exactly the same voice than in Wembley 86, that's to say horrible when one thinks of what he was able to do a few years before.
There is however a very noticeable exception in this period : during Live Aid 85, his voice sounds almost like his 80-82 live voice, and this is probably one of the most reasons this show has been so successful.
It's only when I bought and heard "Live Killers" that I felt relieved : Freddie was really able to sing live like in the studio in 1979, his performance on "don't stop me now" is astounding as his voice is exactly the same than in the studio version and he reaches all the high notes...
By the way, his best live performances are :
- Houston 1977 ("my melancholy blues", absolutely wonderfully sung)
- Montreal 1981 ("we will rock you" DVD)
- Sao Paulo 1981 ("somebody to love", even better than in Milton Keynes)
His voice is also very good and impressive at Milton Keynes, and I agree that Freddie's vocal masterpiece this night is "play the game" which is indeed better sung than in the "the game" record.
And this is not only in Wembley but actually it seems that his voice had really deepened in the Works tour and in the Magic tour...I noticed this in the videotape "The magic years vol. 2" where the concert excerpts from Rock in Rio (1985) and concerts in Australia show a Freddie with exactly the same voice than in Wembley 86, that's to say horrible when one thinks of what he was able to do a few years before.
There is however a very noticeable exception in this period : during Live Aid 85, his voice sounds almost like his 80-82 live voice, and this is probably one of the most reasons this show has been so successful.
It's only when I bought and heard "Live Killers" that I felt relieved : Freddie was really able to sing live like in the studio in 1979, his performance on "don't stop me now" is astounding as his voice is exactly the same than in the studio version and he reaches all the high notes...
By the way, his best live performances are :
- Houston 1977 ("my melancholy blues", absolutely wonderfully sung)
- Montreal 1981 ("we will rock you" DVD)
- Sao Paulo 1981 ("somebody to love", even better than in Milton Keynes)
His voice is also very good and impressive at Milton Keynes, and I agree that Freddie's vocal masterpiece this night is "play the game" which is indeed better sung than in the "the game" record.
Cleveland, Ohio, '81, sitting on a stool with a guitar, and started crazy little thing called love, awesome!
Studio wise
Queen - Somebody to Love
Solo - tie- BORNED TO B LOVED / Great Pretender
Studio wise
Queen - Somebody to Love
Solo - tie- BORNED TO B LOVED / Great Pretender
sorry meant 1980......in Cleveland
Under Pressure at Wembley. I thought that one note he hit after keep comin up with love but it's so slashed and torn and he goes whyyyy or something but you could really hear the power in his voice.
In the lap of the Gods at Wembley.
In the lap of the Gods at Wembley.
Escuderodelareina, gracias por la info.Y si soy argentino. De hecho el "panza pedraza" es un personaje radial muy conocido de la radio rock and pop, que es un villero que escucha cumbia en medio de un programa de rock.
Freddie's voice changed because he didn't sing as often as he did in the 70s. The vocal sound is created by muscles in the throat and vocal chords. When muscles are stressed and exercised, the vocal chords are able to get tighter and stronger. After the Game album, Freddie's voice was deep and he often had to yell with his chest voice to reach the high notes until his last record, Innuendo. It's not by coincidence because he stopped touring/recording annually. He took 2 years after the Game album to make Hot Space. And there were 2 year period between subsequent albums, Works, Magic, and his Opera CD. He also stopped touring after the magic tour so there was not much singing going on in the 80s compared to the 70s. Like an athlete, his voice suffered from the long periods of stagnation.
Finally in Innuendo, he was sick with Aids so he must've sang a little bit everyday. By doing this, he was gradually building up his vocal strength until his voice was higher pitched, and he could more easily reach higher notes without "yelling".
But you can tell that by his Innuendo album, his voice had, after years and years in the 80s of "yelling", suffered some damage and his voice had a ragged edge that he never had before in the 70s, and this was a permanent condition. Even in his song, These are the Days of Our lives, although he sang remarkably like his pre-80s period, he lost a little of his angelic sweetness quality to his voice. The voice is older, and a little faded. This is due to natural age, his AIDS disease, and also the aforementioned damage. Had he been healthy, and maintained his voice properly in the 80s, he probably could have sang as good as his The Game album with little deterioration.
Vocally, Freddie was at his prime in his 70s, especially from the years 75-78. He had immense power in his earlier albums from 73-74 but he was still immature in his skills, and wasn't able to control his power to the degree he attained in the years 75-78. Often times, he'd shriek the high notes so it sounded a little pitchy. It was still angelically beautiful but raw.
In his 1975 album, ANATO, he achieved his technical mastery and you can tell he attained supreme confidence. IMHO, his vocal mastery is most purely demonstrated in Bohemian Rhapsody. That piece was superb, exquisite and showcases his angelic voice perfectly.
Finally in Innuendo, he was sick with Aids so he must've sang a little bit everyday. By doing this, he was gradually building up his vocal strength until his voice was higher pitched, and he could more easily reach higher notes without "yelling".
But you can tell that by his Innuendo album, his voice had, after years and years in the 80s of "yelling", suffered some damage and his voice had a ragged edge that he never had before in the 70s, and this was a permanent condition. Even in his song, These are the Days of Our lives, although he sang remarkably like his pre-80s period, he lost a little of his angelic sweetness quality to his voice. The voice is older, and a little faded. This is due to natural age, his AIDS disease, and also the aforementioned damage. Had he been healthy, and maintained his voice properly in the 80s, he probably could have sang as good as his The Game album with little deterioration.
Vocally, Freddie was at his prime in his 70s, especially from the years 75-78. He had immense power in his earlier albums from 73-74 but he was still immature in his skills, and wasn't able to control his power to the degree he attained in the years 75-78. Often times, he'd shriek the high notes so it sounded a little pitchy. It was still angelically beautiful but raw.
In his 1975 album, ANATO, he achieved his technical mastery and you can tell he attained supreme confidence. IMHO, his vocal mastery is most purely demonstrated in Bohemian Rhapsody. That piece was superb, exquisite and showcases his angelic voice perfectly.
> Freddie's voice changed because he didn't sing as often as he did in the 70s. The vocal sound is created by muscles in the throat and vocal chords. When muscles are stressed and exercised, the vocal chords are able to get tighter and stronger. After the Game album, Freddie's voice was deep and he often had to yell with his chest voice to reach the high notes until his last record, Innuendo. It's not by coincidence because he stopped touring/recording annually. He took 2 years after the Game album to make Hot Space. And there were 2 year period between subsequent albums, Works, Magic, and his Opera CD. He also stopped touring after the magic tour so there was not much singing going on in the 80s compared to the 70s. Like an athlete, his voice suffered from the long periods of stagnation.
I agree that his voice had become deeper and deeper in the 80s albums but still he was singing very well in the studio, even in the eighties. It is in concerts that the difference is the most noticeable however : in the 84-86 years, his voice is often very bad live and I was wondering whether the damaging of his voice from 1984 to the 1986 final touring could be linked with HIV or not...as there are been some rumors saying that he was positive as early as 1984...
In the "Rare Live" videotape, there is "keep yourself alive" excerpts from 1974 and 1985...have a friend of yours who doesn't know anything Queen listen to it without watching, and I'm pretty convinced that he won't be able to tell you that it is the same man who sings this song in the two excerpts !
That's why the releasing of QOF is such a good news : fans can listen to a Freddie Mercury almost in his prime...
I agree that his voice had become deeper and deeper in the 80s albums but still he was singing very well in the studio, even in the eighties. It is in concerts that the difference is the most noticeable however : in the 84-86 years, his voice is often very bad live and I was wondering whether the damaging of his voice from 1984 to the 1986 final touring could be linked with HIV or not...as there are been some rumors saying that he was positive as early as 1984...
In the "Rare Live" videotape, there is "keep yourself alive" excerpts from 1974 and 1985...have a friend of yours who doesn't know anything Queen listen to it without watching, and I'm pretty convinced that he won't be able to tell you that it is the same man who sings this song in the two excerpts !
That's why the releasing of QOF is such a good news : fans can listen to a Freddie Mercury almost in his prime...
> Freddie's voice changed because he didn't sing as often as he did in the 70s. The vocal sound is created by muscles in the throat and vocal chords. When muscles are stressed and exercised, the vocal chords are able to get tighter and stronger. After the Game album, Freddie's voice was deep and he often had to yell with his chest voice to reach the high notes until his last record, Innuendo. It's not by coincidence because he stopped touring/recording annually. He took 2 years after the Game album to make Hot Space. And there were 2 year period between subsequent albums, Works, Magic, and his Opera CD. He also stopped touring after the magic tour so there was not much singing going on in the 80s compared to the 70s. Like an athlete, his voice suffered from the long periods of stagnation.
I agree that his voice had become deeper and deeper in the 80s albums but still he was singing very well in the studio, even in the eighties. It is in concerts that the difference is the most noticeable however : in the 84-86 years, his voice is often very bad live and I was wondering whether the damaging of his voice from 1984 to the 1986 final touring could be linked with HIV or not...as there are been some rumors saying that he was positive as early as 1984...
In the "Rare Live" videotape, there is "keep yourself alive" excerpts from 1974 and 1985...have a friend of yours who doesn't know anything Queen listen to it without watching, and I'm pretty convinced that he won't be able to tell you that it is the same man who sings this song in the two excerpts !
That's why the releasing of QOF is such a good news : fans can listen to a Freddie Mercury almost in his prime...
You don't understand. Because he was not singing regularly, his voice got weaker. Even in the studio, where he is able to re-sing each line, he STILL sounds different from his 1970s era. You may think he is singing well, and I guess he is compared to other singers, but compared to his peak era, his voice is inferior. He lost his angelic quality, and often even in the studio, he is yelling rather than singing.
Since his voice has changed, it doesn't matter whether it's the studio or in live concerts. His voice is weaker. Of course in live concerts, his weakened voice cannot stand the strain of singing high notes and it shows. He is struggling sometimes to reach even a G, which in the 70s, he could do with ease and without his chest voice.
I agree but what I was trying to mean is that even though he had lost some angelic quality in the studio in the eighties, it was still Freddie's voice, easily recognizable by every one...
But in concerts during the 84-86 period, sometimes he didn't even sound like Freddie Mercury at all ! If one compares his voice in "Live Killers" and in "Live at Wembley", one will wonder whether it is the same man who is singing in both concerts or not...
Freddie's voice's decline is not that spectacular in the studio, but it is obvious in concerts after 1982 and the hot space tour.
But in concerts during the 84-86 period, sometimes he didn't even sound like Freddie Mercury at all ! If one compares his voice in "Live Killers" and in "Live at Wembley", one will wonder whether it is the same man who is singing in both concerts or not...
Freddie's voice's decline is not that spectacular in the studio, but it is obvious in concerts after 1982 and the hot space tour.
I have to differ on some points:
1) Vocal cords, not chords :P LOL
2) Freddie never sang anything above Middle F# chestvoiced. As far as I have heard, his highest chestvoiced note is a Middle F in 'Barcelona' in the "IF GOD'S WILLING" part. Above Middle E, until High E, pure headvoice.
1) Vocal cords, not chords :P LOL
2) Freddie never sang anything above Middle F# chestvoiced. As far as I have heard, his highest chestvoiced note is a Middle F in 'Barcelona' in the "IF GOD'S WILLING" part. Above Middle E, until High E, pure headvoice.
Best studio performance 'You Take My Breath Away'
Best live performance 'Spread Your Wings' from Live Killers.
Best live performance 'Spread Your Wings' from Live Killers.