IMO the heavy old version is anyway Brian's idea...but people with time try to see things in a different way, and slowing down the song can of course be an idea Brian had through the passing of time. Since Queen used to indicate the owner of the song in their albums, i don't see how Freddie could have insisted too much in make it rocking when it was a ballad....
so...i like the two versions, and it's good to have a slow one sung well by Paul!
there's also an instrumentsl version made by Brian in 1998, some b-side of something i think...of the slow/fast Hammer to fall..someone will confirm that.
;)
cheers
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Brian also did this to Tie Your Mother Down and we know the story about that. Brian wrote it on an accoustic guitar and presented it to Freddie and he loved it - even the non-sensical makeshift chorus.
Plus, the fact that the H2F riff is present in a '79ish guitar solo convinces me that the song is almost all Brian. I'm sure other band members had various amounts of input, though.
As a sidenote, I have never heard anything about Freddie disliking Brian's ballads and wanting to change them, so, while it doesn't make any sense to me, it is not my place nor my intention to try and prove that story untrue.
Plus, the fact that the H2F riff is present in a '79ish guitar solo convinces me that the song is almost all Brian. I'm sure other band members had various amounts of input, though.
As a sidenote, I have never heard anything about Freddie disliking Brian's ballads and wanting to change them, so, while it doesn't make any sense to me, it is not my place nor my intention to try and prove that story untrue.
An instrumental of Hammer to Fall Brian did in 1998?
Hmm I really don't know
Hmm I really don't know
This song was good on the works album. It filled out side 2 nicely. The solo is brillant! On the works tour he played it same as on the record w/ the hammer-ons. After that on the magic tour & his 93 BTTL tour he omitted the first half of the solo including the hammer-ons. I haven't listen to my 98 Hamburg show in a while so I can't rememebr if he played that part. But I did like the slow version much better. Now on this 05 tour he cuts out that part of the solo again & I can't understand why. That screaming guitar opening the solo & then the hammer-ons is the best part by far of that solo. I just don't understand why he doesn't play it. Without that part it just doesn't do it for me at all. It's almost like, "This is to hard. I won't play it!" I'd rather have a total slow version w/out that solo.
apparently Brian's idea is that by slowing down the song, people will pay more attention to the lyrics. at least that's what he said on his soapbox about the songwriters' hall of fame version of WWRY.
Also, if Freddie changed it, why did Brian play it as a heavy song on Live At The Brixton Academy?