I like both eras. Just style wise they did fabulous in the 70s. They did turn kind of popy down in to the 80s but that's because Queen like to change and not sound the same. They say themselfs, "We get bored before everyone else does, we like change." - Roger Taylor.
I didn't mind there change. Hot Space isn't a bad album at all, it isn't one of my favourites though. It's A Kind Of Magic album was really popy but that was because it was all done for the movie Highlander and really they had to make music that fitted in well with the kind of movie they were making it for. Again It's A Kind Of Magic isn't really a favourite of mines but I don't hate it. I like all they're albums.
I LOVE A Night At The Opera and Sheer Heart Attack though.
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Well, I've always thought that Queen were one of those bands that used synths very appropriately in their songs. There are only a few songs that I can think of that sound corny or dated because of synths usage. But definitely no demise to speak of!
Peace,
Adam.
Peace,
Adam.
As someone who loves 70s Queen, and thinks it was their best period by a country mile, they had to change during the 80s, and that included adding synths to their sound. They'd already done multi-tracking and guitar harmonies to death, and they needed something fresh to excite them. I think that a bigger problem than synths is that they grew weary of each other as people for a while, and there wasn't the same 'all for one' as there was early on. As for the synths being their demise, they were a necessary evil, but Queen's most identifiable features were Brian's guitar, Freddie's voice and the vocal harmonies. When they went to synth heavy music, the synths sounded like any other bands as they were using the same instrument. Nobody's guitar playing sounded like Brian, and for me, they lost a bit of their uniqueness when synths entered the picture and guitar took a backseat.
What song with synths sounds like Radio Ga Ga? I disagree that they sounded like every other band because of their synth usage.
Peace,
Adam.
Peace,
Adam.
Okay, I've had enough. It's obvious that synthesizers have played a role in the evolution of Queen, but they did NOT cause the demise of Queen!
Queen did not die; they just faded here in the United States. Everywhere else around the world still liked them. Their albums went Top 20, Top 10, and even hit the #1 spot a few times. AKOM, Innuendo, The Miracle, The Works, they all did fine in the UK and other parts of the world, but in the US, they failed miserably.
Why, you ask. Why did this happen?
I'll tell you why. Music changes way too fast in this country. One minute we're dancing to the Macarena, the next we're singing (horribly) to the latest song by Ashlee Simpson. We are way too picky with our music, and only like the music that makes the big bucks.
Queen's so-called 'demise' was caused by change in musical taste. Take Michael Jackson for example (for lack of a better example). When he first hit it big in 1979 with Off The Wall, his music had the soft R&B/disco sound. By the time Bad came out in 1987, he had changed to an edgier sound with more attitude. That continued into the 90's, with pseudo-dance and rock tracks such as Black Or White and Dangerous. Obviously, he couldn't stick to R&B and disco tracks for the rest of his career. He had to change.
Much like how Queen couldn't stick with tracks such as WWRY and Bohemian Rhapsody throughout their career. Changes needed to be made, unfortunately. But even if those changes were bad, Queen still thrived and survived in the music businees, all the way to (and even beyond) Freddie's untimely death.
So, before you say "Queen died out in the 80's" or "synths caused the demise of Queen", think about it this way:
- Queen's music is STILL popular after all these years.
- We're STILL listening to and singing along with their best tracks from all decades (including the 80's).
- Queen is STILL the greatest band in the land.
Queen did not die; they just faded here in the United States. Everywhere else around the world still liked them. Their albums went Top 20, Top 10, and even hit the #1 spot a few times. AKOM, Innuendo, The Miracle, The Works, they all did fine in the UK and other parts of the world, but in the US, they failed miserably.
Why, you ask. Why did this happen?
I'll tell you why. Music changes way too fast in this country. One minute we're dancing to the Macarena, the next we're singing (horribly) to the latest song by Ashlee Simpson. We are way too picky with our music, and only like the music that makes the big bucks.
Queen's so-called 'demise' was caused by change in musical taste. Take Michael Jackson for example (for lack of a better example). When he first hit it big in 1979 with Off The Wall, his music had the soft R&B/disco sound. By the time Bad came out in 1987, he had changed to an edgier sound with more attitude. That continued into the 90's, with pseudo-dance and rock tracks such as Black Or White and Dangerous. Obviously, he couldn't stick to R&B and disco tracks for the rest of his career. He had to change.
Much like how Queen couldn't stick with tracks such as WWRY and Bohemian Rhapsody throughout their career. Changes needed to be made, unfortunately. But even if those changes were bad, Queen still thrived and survived in the music businees, all the way to (and even beyond) Freddie's untimely death.
So, before you say "Queen died out in the 80's" or "synths caused the demise of Queen", think about it this way:
- Queen's music is STILL popular after all these years.
- We're STILL listening to and singing along with their best tracks from all decades (including the 80's).
- Queen is STILL the greatest band in the land.
What are synthesisers?
I think that the sound of synths was not very good in the 80's and because of that they didn't sound so good as in the 70's but for example Innuendo has a lot synth's, with a much better sound, so that's why queen of the 70's fans like it a lot...
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]kdj2hot wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<font color=purple>Bijou in Queens Crown wrote: [/QUOTENAME]They can't just keep doing the same music every decade. They said they wanted to to different kinds of songs. And what's all this demise rubbish. Good God.[/QUOTE]
And they were wrong for that. It hurt the music. Ruined some friggin' good songs I reckon. Take "You don't fool me". Think of the 90's treatment it got on Made in Heaven. Got it in your head? Good. Now think of how it would've sounded on Hot Space....
My point exactly. (Before anyone say it I know it's debatable about the song on Made in Heaven. Oh yeah and if you need help picturing the song, think "back chat" no, maybe it would've been a tad faster.)[/QUOTE]
Actually, that kind of proves Freddie's old point... The version of "You Don't Fool Me" that we know was arranged in the style of a 90's dance song. In other words, the music still evolved -- and evidently you liked it.
And they were wrong for that. It hurt the music. Ruined some friggin' good songs I reckon. Take "You don't fool me". Think of the 90's treatment it got on Made in Heaven. Got it in your head? Good. Now think of how it would've sounded on Hot Space....
My point exactly. (Before anyone say it I know it's debatable about the song on Made in Heaven. Oh yeah and if you need help picturing the song, think "back chat" no, maybe it would've been a tad faster.)[/QUOTE]
Actually, that kind of proves Freddie's old point... The version of "You Don't Fool Me" that we know was arranged in the style of a 90's dance song. In other words, the music still evolved -- and evidently you liked it.
Well I thought The Game was a brilliant album, synthesisers or not. And what about all the hits they had in the 80s? Classics. I love Queen 70s, 80s and 90s.
Synthesisers are just a tool ,you sill have to have the material and lets face it the stuff they did in the 80's wasn't all that great, I mean there were some good songs but as a whole their work wasn't what Queen fans had come to expect.They started back on the right track with The Miracle and they nailed it with Innuendo.If Freddie was still around I think they would be doing some amazing stuff having learned the lessons they did in the 80's.
Not surprisingly, as I think you do it intentionally, you miss my point Adam. IMHO, the synths on Play the Game, AOBTD, Sail away sweet sister, Hammer to fall, Dancer, Body Language, Action this day, et al, are very generic, don't add much and are there solely for the sake of using synths. People didn't hear those sounds and say "ahh, Queen!" I did state that Brian's guitar was one of Queen's biggest signature sounds, and when it went missing at the start of the 80s, Brian acknowledged that he often felt like he wasn't part of the band during this time. This is why I felt in North America at least, Queen met their alleged demise. I didn't say that Queen were bad or wrong to use synths. It just changed what their sounds were like. If you're telling me that every synth sound the band used from the Oberheim and Fairlight are exclusive sounds to Queen as Brian's guitar was and is, I will stand corrected. To my uneducated ears, with the exception of Radio Ga Ga or Machines, I've heard those sounds from plenty of other bands.
I remember Brian saying something along the line of he wished he was in a band like AC/DC because at least he would know where he stands with his guitar playing.Syntheseisers did over shadow his guitar playing.
I agree,The Game is a great album and the synths seem to be very rare on that album.
Im taling about the works and a kind of magic which although seemed to be great albums when looked from a music standpoint but for the standards of Queen seemed below average and why?...Synthesisers.
Im taling about the works and a kind of magic which although seemed to be great albums when looked from a music standpoint but for the standards of Queen seemed below average and why?...Synthesisers.
Angelo it comes down to the songs ,you can through synths a kazoo and a Tennis racket in there if the songs aren't good it doesn't matter. I think it always comes down to material not instruments.
I was only responding to this BHM, "When they went to synth heavy music, the synths sounded like any other bands as they were using the same instrument".
Just because you use the same synths doesn't instantly throw you into sounding like other. The whole point of using synths is for effect and sounding like something other than what you already can do, .e.g the synth strings in Sail Away Sweet Sister. Not because you want to fit in, like others in this thread have claimed.
Btw, what do you mean about =doing it intentionally=? That above quote was what I homed in on. Didn't miss that point, then?
Peace,
Adam.
Just because you use the same synths doesn't instantly throw you into sounding like other. The whole point of using synths is for effect and sounding like something other than what you already can do, .e.g the synth strings in Sail Away Sweet Sister. Not because you want to fit in, like others in this thread have claimed.
Btw, what do you mean about =doing it intentionally=? That above quote was what I homed in on. Didn't miss that point, then?
Peace,
Adam.