Well, Michael Jackson became a recluse after 'Thriller' became the biggest musical phenomenon since The Beatles. Then the fame got all the way up to his head, and by 1991 when he self proclaimed "The King Of Pop" he'd probably would have said "NO", unless Liz Taylor got down on her knees and begged him to perform.
Besides, there are still those rumors circulating about MJ catching Freddie snorting coke when he was invited to his place, but once again those are just rumors.
Montserrat Caballe was actually asked to perform, but was already scheduled to perform at some event to promote Barcelona '92 or Expo Sevilla. I can't remember which one of those.
Rod Stewart could have been a great choice, though.
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I think Brian always kinda wanted to be viewed as a Pete Townsend type.The only thing is Freddie wasn't a figure head like Roger Daltry. Freddie was very creative in his own right and that's what made Queen such a great band and I'm sure Brian wouldn't have wanted it any differently cause he's a team player but he probably can't help feel a jealous deep.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]> For the simple reason that rock/pop bands have a tendency to play on stage more of their heavy songs rather than their more radio friendly material.
Then why on tours there were more songs by Freddie?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure there were people who tried to sing other Freddie songs at the tribute concert rehearsals. Robert Plant even said, "people are changing the keys of the songs because they can't do it Freddie". But from an emotional point of view, I don't think Brian would have been able to make it through a dozen Freddie songs. He paid tribute to Freddie, and rocked out most of the time, just so he could hold himself together. Clearly he was most emotional during the Freddie songs. Well, and TMLWKY... but understandably so.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Mr.Jingles wrote: [/QUOTENAME]How many Frank Sinatra and Elvis tributes have we seen, and yet almost every single one of "their" songs weren't written by them.[/QUOTE]
Good point!
[QUOTE]Set lists have been pretty split between Brian and Freddie, although their earlier set lists included more of Freddie's work.[/QUOTE]
That's just because Roger and John were writing more in the later years. Makes perfect sense to me.
[QUOTE]Well, let's take for instance who were Freddie's friends... Boy George, Billy Squier, and that dude from Spandau Ballet. Obviously Brian had the most famous friends out of the two, and they were picked instead of Freddie's because the Tribute will get a much bigger promotion with names like Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Robert Plant, and Roger Daltrey.[/QUOTE]
Your premise is correct, but we need to remember that the Freddie tribute was announced with no word on who was showing up. Everything was a secret until the day of.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]But Zucchero, Slash, Axl, James, Paul Young and Seal ... and Mike Moran was only given one song, where the spotlight was obviously for George Michael (what a voice!), and I do find it unfair considering that Mike was the biggest collaborator with Freddie's music during his last five years.[/QUOTE]
I think Brian's last concern was the egos of Freddie's friends, and weigh on a scale "time on stage at the concert" vs "how well they knew Freddie". Brian, Roger, and John wanted to put on a concert. A tribute for Freddie. Period. I'm really getting sick and tired of reading the crap that I'm seeing in this topic. All you people who are being overly critical of Brian seem to be so devoid of emotion, lacking in empathy for what Brian went through, and are just taking a few quotes so far out of context to prove that you're some kind of expert on what actually happened in 1991. Brian is by no means required to tell a full story of what happened. Freddie was his friend of 20 years. They were fully aware the any one time may be their last time writing music together. It's time for some of you to get some perspective.
Then why on tours there were more songs by Freddie?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure there were people who tried to sing other Freddie songs at the tribute concert rehearsals. Robert Plant even said, "people are changing the keys of the songs because they can't do it Freddie". But from an emotional point of view, I don't think Brian would have been able to make it through a dozen Freddie songs. He paid tribute to Freddie, and rocked out most of the time, just so he could hold himself together. Clearly he was most emotional during the Freddie songs. Well, and TMLWKY... but understandably so.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Mr.Jingles wrote: [/QUOTENAME]How many Frank Sinatra and Elvis tributes have we seen, and yet almost every single one of "their" songs weren't written by them.[/QUOTE]
Good point!
[QUOTE]Set lists have been pretty split between Brian and Freddie, although their earlier set lists included more of Freddie's work.[/QUOTE]
That's just because Roger and John were writing more in the later years. Makes perfect sense to me.
[QUOTE]Well, let's take for instance who were Freddie's friends... Boy George, Billy Squier, and that dude from Spandau Ballet. Obviously Brian had the most famous friends out of the two, and they were picked instead of Freddie's because the Tribute will get a much bigger promotion with names like Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Robert Plant, and Roger Daltrey.[/QUOTE]
Your premise is correct, but we need to remember that the Freddie tribute was announced with no word on who was showing up. Everything was a secret until the day of.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]But Zucchero, Slash, Axl, James, Paul Young and Seal ... and Mike Moran was only given one song, where the spotlight was obviously for George Michael (what a voice!), and I do find it unfair considering that Mike was the biggest collaborator with Freddie's music during his last five years.[/QUOTE]
I think Brian's last concern was the egos of Freddie's friends, and weigh on a scale "time on stage at the concert" vs "how well they knew Freddie". Brian, Roger, and John wanted to put on a concert. A tribute for Freddie. Period. I'm really getting sick and tired of reading the crap that I'm seeing in this topic. All you people who are being overly critical of Brian seem to be so devoid of emotion, lacking in empathy for what Brian went through, and are just taking a few quotes so far out of context to prove that you're some kind of expert on what actually happened in 1991. Brian is by no means required to tell a full story of what happened. Freddie was his friend of 20 years. They were fully aware the any one time may be their last time writing music together. It's time for some of you to get some perspective.
Okay, to put a fine point on this topic, Scott Mercury's premise is absurd, and while he raises a good point about Brian's ego, he's manipulating Brian's words to make the point HE wants to make. For the record, when Freddie died, the press release said that Queen had lost "our greatest member." Using Scott's logic, Brian probably only said that because it was the right thing to say after the death of a friend. Fair enough. But Brian is on record when Freddie was alive talking about how Roger, John and Brian played well at Live Aid, but Freddie took it to another level. In the liner notes for the Freddie solo collection, Brian puts Freddie in the company of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley as the great voices of 20th century music, and notes that Freddie was the only one of the 3 to write his one material.
I've read countless things where Brian diminishes his ability on guitar, recently saying when he played the Les Paul tribute that half the kids in the audience could play better than him. In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt, and that Jeff Beck makes him feel useless. Then again, maybe that's code for "I'm better than these kids'll ever be, and Nuno and Jeff Beck aren't worthy of carrying my sixpence." Freddie Mercury was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, a writer of songs that will endure forever, a singer with a voice equalled by few in the world of rock or pop, and a frontman who could win over any audience. He made Queen special. But he certainly would not have done it without the unique skills of Brian, Roger and John. Look at Mr. Bad Guy. Nice songs, nothing special, and the world would not be a worse place without Freddie's solo work. Can't say that about Queen's stuff.
I've read countless things where Brian diminishes his ability on guitar, recently saying when he played the Les Paul tribute that half the kids in the audience could play better than him. In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt, and that Jeff Beck makes him feel useless. Then again, maybe that's code for "I'm better than these kids'll ever be, and Nuno and Jeff Beck aren't worthy of carrying my sixpence." Freddie Mercury was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, a writer of songs that will endure forever, a singer with a voice equalled by few in the world of rock or pop, and a frontman who could win over any audience. He made Queen special. But he certainly would not have done it without the unique skills of Brian, Roger and John. Look at Mr. Bad Guy. Nice songs, nothing special, and the world would not be a worse place without Freddie's solo work. Can't say that about Queen's stuff.
1st paragraph sends out an idiot alert.
:O Brian is probarbly the most polite one out of Queen!
I quite agree with Sebastian and Scott Mercury. There is force in what you say, guys!
What I know for sure, is that Freddie was one who moved heaven and earth to light up our hearts and he perfectly managed it!
I also do not think the four members were equal. It's silly to think so! You're judging blindfold! It's obviuos that Freddie was the leader though he used to say he wasn't. But that just proves his modesty. In fact, all the members of the group are unique. Queen is unique!
Why do you fly into a passion when to someone Brian seems at times unfair? Isn't it possible that he's just a man with his own merits and demerits? So goes the world, my friends...
What I know for sure, is that Freddie was one who moved heaven and earth to light up our hearts and he perfectly managed it!
I also do not think the four members were equal. It's silly to think so! You're judging blindfold! It's obviuos that Freddie was the leader though he used to say he wasn't. But that just proves his modesty. In fact, all the members of the group are unique. Queen is unique!
Why do you fly into a passion when to someone Brian seems at times unfair? Isn't it possible that he's just a man with his own merits and demerits? So goes the world, my friends...
> I'm sure there were people who tried to sing other Freddie songs at the tribute concert rehearsals.
To be fair, and omitting the point that I disagree with much of the performers' choice to begin with, I doubt they were Queen experts. So perhaps, for instance, Seal could have thought WWTLF was a song by Fred or whatever. I know Elton did think Mercury had written the lyrics to Show Must Go On.
>Well, and TMLWKY... but understandably so.
I loved that one. And I know Freddie liked it as well so it's just fair.
> Good point!
Let me put it this way: if Brian had been the one who had died, and in the tribute to him Fred filled it with Boy George, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minelli and Peter Striker, and his own compositions outnumbered May's, it'd have been unfair. Same case here.
> when he played the Les Paul tribute that half the kids in the audience could play better than him.
And that's most likely true.
> In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt
And it's absolutely right.
> and that Jeff Beck makes him feel useless.
I wouldn't say useless, but Beck's much better guitar player, yes. Not a better musician though.
> Look at Mr. Bad Guy.
Again, it sounds poppy and non-Queen-esque because Fred wanted it that way, not because he couldn't make it otherwise.
To be fair, and omitting the point that I disagree with much of the performers' choice to begin with, I doubt they were Queen experts. So perhaps, for instance, Seal could have thought WWTLF was a song by Fred or whatever. I know Elton did think Mercury had written the lyrics to Show Must Go On.
>Well, and TMLWKY... but understandably so.
I loved that one. And I know Freddie liked it as well so it's just fair.
> Good point!
Let me put it this way: if Brian had been the one who had died, and in the tribute to him Fred filled it with Boy George, Aretha Franklin, Liza Minelli and Peter Striker, and his own compositions outnumbered May's, it'd have been unfair. Same case here.
> when he played the Les Paul tribute that half the kids in the audience could play better than him.
And that's most likely true.
> In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt
And it's absolutely right.
> and that Jeff Beck makes him feel useless.
I wouldn't say useless, but Beck's much better guitar player, yes. Not a better musician though.
> Look at Mr. Bad Guy.
Again, it sounds poppy and non-Queen-esque because Fred wanted it that way, not because he couldn't make it otherwise.
My point with those quotes, Sebastian, is that if Scott is correct that Brian is trying to use his words to come off as the leader of Queen or the guy who kept Queen together or something, it sure doesn't fit in with the Brian who is absolutely self-deprecating when it comes to his talents. In addition, and I'm not going to search for it, I remember Brian talking about his playing on The Mirale, and he said it was a miracle he was even a part of the album as he had so much upheaval in his life which was known (his fathers' death, his marriage unravelling) and unspoken (he obviously knew of Freddie's condition at this time.) So, playing amateur lawyer, there is no track record in Brian's past of making himself to be something that he's not. Scott is speculating on quotes to spin a story that isn't there.
Brian is evil.
^ Yeah, he tried to stab Freddie in the back with a knife. Bad Brian!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<font color=336600>ChinesedogTorture wrote: [/QUOTENAME]^ Yeah, he tried to stab Freddie in the back with a knife. Bad Brian! [/QUOTE]
Yes, Brian you naughty boy!! ;)
Yes, Brian you naughty boy!! ;)
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME] when he played the Les Paul tribute that half the kids in the audience could play better than him.
And that's most likely true.
> In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt
And it's absolutely right.
[/QUOTE]
Please explain what you mean, rather than just stating, "that's mostly true" or "it's absolutely right". We don't all know what this means because it's about stuff some of us are not familiar with.
Peace,
Adam.
And that's most likely true.
> In an interview in Guitar magazine, he said he was a hack guitarist compared to Nuno Bettencourt
And it's absolutely right.
[/QUOTE]
Please explain what you mean, rather than just stating, "that's mostly true" or "it's absolutely right". We don't all know what this means because it's about stuff some of us are not familiar with.
Peace,
Adam.
Some people above point out the fact that Brian is often self-deprecating. There is some truth to that. At the same time, I feel like he goes from one extreme to another. At one point, he puts himself down in a stange way. The next mintute he goes off on some ego trip. The evidence for these ego trips has been well documented not only on this thread, but on other threads as well. It is as though he is supressing his ego a little too hard during interviews in which he states that half the kids in the audience are better than he is. The next minute, he walks out of an interview or falsely implies that Freddie Mercury told him, "Just write anything, and I'll sing it." BIZARRE!