Freddie's piano playing vs Brian's

Bohardy--

perhaps I didn't explain very well but the point(s) I am trying to make:

That pianist who's life is basically piano, and a virtuoso indeed...he was a LEARNED pianist, but not a natural, music-in-your-head, genius, whatever (im not saying all of those at once). In other words, he was technically brilliant, but he didn't have a true heart and soul to his music (whereas with Freddie I am saying that he DOES very much have a lot of heart in his piano, irrespective of his technical ability, or relative lack thereof). To this end technical ability is one thing (which can be learned and practised), sheer talent and genius is another.

My second point, sort-of related: (almost) anybody can learn music, and, become accomplished at that. So to this end, the idea that Freddie Mercury perhaps "lacked" some innate thing which those other far more learned pianists and musicians have, is not worth much. Freddie *could* have been a technical master (but he didn't need to be one to compose inspired masterpieces).

All I'm really trying to say is that technique and technical skill is learnt and practised - genius and sheer brilliance is a gift. Freddie certainly had the latter, and IMO that was more than enough.

To answer the question, Innuendo had a couple verses by Rodger but the music and the rest of the verses were Freddies. This is the same with These are the Days of our Lives (rodgers lyrics but John and Brians music) No offense Rodger is a good writer but just not able to write MUSIC (not lyrics) that complex.

Moet:

I agee with what you're saying, and I don't think we ever really disagreed; we were just talking at cross-purposes.

I never denied Fred's abilities as a musician, merely his technical prowess on the piano. Of course he was fabulously talented at creating amazing music on the piano, but those skills were far and above his skills as an actual pianist.

And undoubtedly you can be a virtuoso and lack soul, and likewise have oodles of soul but be technically a rank-amateur musician.

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Regarding the debate on the authorship of Innuendo, (and songs in general) lyrics are generally entirely secondary to music, and I think the idea that the person who writes the lyrics should have the song credited to them is disgusting.

There's no way Rog can be seen as the creator of Innuendo, because he merely came up with a few rhymes.

i'm sick and tired of people arguing who wrote what on the innuendo sessions. I'm a sebastion believer now because the old information said john wrote 'don't try so hard', but sebastion said freddie wrote that one. a new interview with brian confirmed sebastion was right, it's all freddie's. meaning sebastion is more accurate than the old sources. 'innuendo' was in fact moslty freddie. get over it already.

freddie's piano playing is fantastic, ' a night at the opera' and ' a day at the races' is proof of that. but obviously there's alot better. Elton john, billy joel, jerry lee lewis were slightly better, i don't think they blew fred away. vocally fred was the best of the bunch, and fred was still one of the best rock n roll piano players, top ten in rock n roll.

Yeah Mike...totally agree.

Someone up above said that "I have underestimated Roger as a songwriter"...

I disagree.
Innuendo can't be Roger's, as its too complex for him.

Compare BoRhap and March of the Black Queen of Fred's to .....Calling all girls, and Fun It.

Then play "Innuendo"....who does this compossition sound more like??

Roger writes some cool tunes, they just are simple...nothing wrong with that.

Any of Roger's songs that have any complexity to them at all where songs that were started by Roger....but the taken over by Freddie, ie: A Kind Of Magic, Radio Ga Ga..etc..etc

Bohardy wrote:

I agee with what you're saying, and I don't think we ever really disagreed; we were just talking at cross-purposes.

I never denied Fred's abilities as a musician, merely his technical prowess on the piano. Of course he was fabulously talented at creating amazing music on the piano, but those skills were far and above his skills as an actual pianist.

Well then, glad we can agree! :)

one name i forgot to mention as a tremendous piano player is 'tori amos' for those who don't know who she is, try 'toys for pele' or 'little eathquakes' she's one of the best i'v heard in rock n roll, might be even better than elton john as a pianist. anyway, i also think mike moran was a great piano player, listen to 'overture' on the barcelona album or the end of 'prowler', no question he could wail out on the piano more than fred, but obviously MR. Moran could never compose a song like 'love of my life,' and also 'seven seas of rye' (especially live) is brilliant, i don't think an average person could compose and play that one. the point is the man was tremendous in every aspect of his game.

brian played?

Fred was a great pianist. I play a lot of his stuff and yes i can play it, but can i match the feeling? - no chance!

It's impossible. In terms of style as well he was amazing. It's not only class to be able to play his music, but to see it being played is even more spectacular. I mean Bo rhap. play that and to someone who has never heard a song at the piano will think its like rocket science. A great free flowing composer, who might not have been extremely technical, but came up with great strong compositions

<font color="#009933">grapefruit</font> wrote:

I think I hear a similarity between Freddie's voice and his pianoplaying. And between Brian's voice and pianoplaying. I don't excacly know how to explain that.. but it is true.. Freddie has a great and extraordinary voice, and also extraordinary piano playing. He might not be the best pianoplayer.. i bet he couldn't take some hard sheet music by Mozart or something and play it technicaly perfect.... But he has something that is more rarer and more important than any techinic in the world. He gives his sole to the piano and people can feel that.
That's what I'm taught in my piano class... Feel the music. You don't have to do all the things that is writtin.. just feel it and think about it. And the audience will feel it too.
Music can be a mirror of the player's soul.

And I've never heard anyone who has that much of this talent as Freddie.

Brian is a good pianoplayer.. but it seem like he can't show his emotions that much like Freddie as he shows it in his guitar. But he has also a little bit of that talent in himself.
It's just like his voice... smooth and easy, but not extraordinary.

I totally agree with you.
I've always thought that what make his music stunning and extraordinary are his vocal as well as pianoplaying. Indeed, in terms of technique there have been many excellent pianoplayers being superior to Freddie, but what makes his pianoplaying superb and outstanding is his playing style, in other words, expressing his emotions. About that point, I feel much difference between Freddie and other pop pianoplayers. imo, he might think his piano to be another vocal. And in my childhood, I was also taught from my pianoteacher many times to feel music, to think about it and to reflect it into my pianoplaying and if not, music would be monotonous. I remind myself about that. He was superb in showing his soul in his pianosounds which would touch our heart strings. That's why we have been always moved through his music and that's why his music is immortal.

My Melancholy Blues wrote:

He was superb in showing his soul in his pianosounds which would touch our heart strings. That's why we have been always moved through his music and that's why his music is immortal.

Beautifully said.

Some short points:

- If lyricist = songwriter then Is This The World would be Fred only, but for some reason it's credited to both.

- John & Brian weren't deeply involved in DOOL. The music of that one is indeed Roger's.

- Show Must Go On's music is 95% Roger's & John's

> Compare BoRhap and March of the Black Queen of Fred's to .....Calling all girls, and Fun It. Then play "Innuendo"....who does this compossition sound more like??

To be fair, Innuendo isn't "that" similar with Bo Rhap or Black Queen imho. In fact I think it's got more common details with Action This Day than with either one of them. Besides, imo, the comparison is unfair, for that matter let's compare I'm In Love With My Car (step modulation, uneven meter) with Man On The Prowl and we would have Roger as being way more complex than Fred.

Sebastian,

You are contradicting everything you post on your own site.

I am not saying that "Innuendo" is similar in composition to BoRhap, or March of the Black Queen.

What I am saying is that if you listened to "Innuendo" 10 times.... then someone said I am going to play you these 5 songs from one composer:

1) BoRhap
2) March of The Black Queen
3) We are the Champions
4) In the Lap of the Gods...revisted
5) Liar

Then played 5 from the second composer:

1) Action this day
2) Calling All Girls
3) Rock It
4) Coming Soon
5) Don't lose your head

....Then played Innuendo that 11th time, and said "Who would you guess wrote this song??" Composer 1 or 2??

Sebastian, on your website Freddie is the complex genius, and Roger writes simple "all major diatonic" songs.

Now Roger is Beethoven to you?

Make up your mind on where you stand, then get back with us.