Agreed. I really don't feel that their lyrics were ever regarded like Dylan's, Townshend's, or Waters'.
I do feel Brian was capable of the most thoughtful lyrics. That he should also take the gong (by popular opinion, anyway...) for also having written some of the worst lyrics is no-never-mind to me.
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Posts in chronological order
If I had to choose only one it would be Brian.
I think I appreciated any lyrics that seemed to have come from a real personal experience.
Jealousy
Love of My Life
Too Much Love Will Kill You
You're My Best Friend
These Are the Days of Our Lives
Jealousy
Love of My Life
Too Much Love Will Kill You
You're My Best Friend
These Are the Days of Our Lives
about Freddie being the chief songwriter in the latter days: Yes, when it comes to Queen albums. But keep in mind that Brian was making a solo album at the time. Brian seemed to be very productive at the time, as well, but he wanted to release most of his stuff on his own album.
I think, the decision to credit everything to Queen suited very well to Brian. He could focus on his solo project. And still he'd get good share of royalties from the Queen albums, even though he had less input than in the earlier albums.
Anyway, I really can't tell who is the best lyricist. Since English isn't my native language, I think, I'll never get all the nyances, inter-textual references, etc. But I really like some of Brian's emotional stuff, so for me, it's probably Brian.
I think, the decision to credit everything to Queen suited very well to Brian. He could focus on his solo project. And still he'd get good share of royalties from the Queen albums, even though he had less input than in the earlier albums.
Anyway, I really can't tell who is the best lyricist. Since English isn't my native language, I think, I'll never get all the nyances, inter-textual references, etc. But I really like some of Brian's emotional stuff, so for me, it's probably Brian.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Sebastian wrote: [/QUOTENAME]About Freddie's input on other people's songs: That's correct. Still it was more related to melody, song structure and (perhaps) chords than lyrics.
About Queen's chart success: hardly related to lyrics in that case. They were good lyricist, but not remembered for that. 'Twas much more about melody and performance (guitar+vocals).[/QUOTE] Good point, I wanted to say that from the beginning. All four members of queen were good with lryics, but they were far from the best in rock.
About Queen's chart success: hardly related to lyrics in that case. They were good lyricist, but not remembered for that. 'Twas much more about melody and performance (guitar+vocals).[/QUOTE] Good point, I wanted to say that from the beginning. All four members of queen were good with lryics, but they were far from the best in rock.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]August R. wrote: [/QUOTENAME]about Freddie being the chief songwriter in the latter days: Yes, when it comes to Queen albums. But keep in mind that Brian was making a solo album at the time.[/QUOTE]
So were Freddie (Barcelona) and Roger (Shove It - Mad Bad...). Brian's batch of (released) songs between 1987 and 1992 were 7 solo songs, 3 co-written solo songs, 5 songs for Queen, 3 co-written songs for Queen (counting 'Bijou'), for a total of 15 (12 + 6/2), which isn't actually quite much for a six-year period: during 1973 and 1978 he wrote 24 numbers. Even adding what he wrote for Anita, he wasn't as active as before.
Same for Freddie: he co-wrote eight numbers for 'Barcelona' (including 'All God's People'), wrote 7 2/2 for 'Miracle' (counting 'Hang On In There' and 'Stealin', and 'New Life Is Born' as a separate track), 4 2/2 for 'Innuendo' (counting 'Innuendo' and 'Bijou' as half each) and 1 2/2 after 'Innuendo', for a total of 12 + 14/2 = 19. To that you could add some unreleased numbers and perhaps one or two things in 'Barcelona' for which he could have done both music and lyrics (and Mike "only" arranged the orchestra, a la George Martin), but still it wasn't even sort of close to what he composed between, for instance, 1973 and 1978: 27 tracks (even regarding 'Battle', 'Seven Seas' and 'Stone Cold Crazy' as pre-'73 things).
So actually neither was as prolific as in the early days. Of course Roger's another story...
So were Freddie (Barcelona) and Roger (Shove It - Mad Bad...). Brian's batch of (released) songs between 1987 and 1992 were 7 solo songs, 3 co-written solo songs, 5 songs for Queen, 3 co-written songs for Queen (counting 'Bijou'), for a total of 15 (12 + 6/2), which isn't actually quite much for a six-year period: during 1973 and 1978 he wrote 24 numbers. Even adding what he wrote for Anita, he wasn't as active as before.
Same for Freddie: he co-wrote eight numbers for 'Barcelona' (including 'All God's People'), wrote 7 2/2 for 'Miracle' (counting 'Hang On In There' and 'Stealin', and 'New Life Is Born' as a separate track), 4 2/2 for 'Innuendo' (counting 'Innuendo' and 'Bijou' as half each) and 1 2/2 after 'Innuendo', for a total of 12 + 14/2 = 19. To that you could add some unreleased numbers and perhaps one or two things in 'Barcelona' for which he could have done both music and lyrics (and Mike "only" arranged the orchestra, a la George Martin), but still it wasn't even sort of close to what he composed between, for instance, 1973 and 1978: 27 tracks (even regarding 'Battle', 'Seven Seas' and 'Stone Cold Crazy' as pre-'73 things).
So actually neither was as prolific as in the early days. Of course Roger's another story...
It's tough to say.
Freddie had mysterious and ambiguous lyrics that were less specific in context, but more subjective. The words and ideas of which were often very strong, sometimes were not, and sometimes were just plain silly.
Brian wrote what I think are the deepest and most emotionaly powerful Queen lyrics of the catalogue(Save Me, Sail Away Sweet Sister, All Dead All Dead, Hammer To Fall, etc.), but he also wrote some of the crappiest and weakest lyrics as well.
Roger's lyrics are more specifically about something and are usually very simple and direct, but then like Brian, he had some lyrical duds as well(all four have at least had one or two songs with weak lyrics accompanying the song, but not too many.
In the end I'll go with John because like Freddie he uses some strong individual words, but he doesn't go straight forward like Roger, nor does he write the ambiguous ways of Freddie. He sort of straddles a middle ground in between, but what impresses me most is that he's the one whom I notice the lyrics the most with. He puts a little more emotion in his words, or at least I see it that way.
But in the end, I don't really care. Lyrics are to me less than one percent of the importance of a song. Most Americans put lyrics equal to instrumentation and overall sound impact, but for me it's Brian's guitar sound 1st and foremost, followed by Freddie's voice/piano, Roger's voice/drums, Deacon's bass, Brian's voice and all other sound production involved with the music.
Freddie had mysterious and ambiguous lyrics that were less specific in context, but more subjective. The words and ideas of which were often very strong, sometimes were not, and sometimes were just plain silly.
Brian wrote what I think are the deepest and most emotionaly powerful Queen lyrics of the catalogue(Save Me, Sail Away Sweet Sister, All Dead All Dead, Hammer To Fall, etc.), but he also wrote some of the crappiest and weakest lyrics as well.
Roger's lyrics are more specifically about something and are usually very simple and direct, but then like Brian, he had some lyrical duds as well(all four have at least had one or two songs with weak lyrics accompanying the song, but not too many.
In the end I'll go with John because like Freddie he uses some strong individual words, but he doesn't go straight forward like Roger, nor does he write the ambiguous ways of Freddie. He sort of straddles a middle ground in between, but what impresses me most is that he's the one whom I notice the lyrics the most with. He puts a little more emotion in his words, or at least I see it that way.
But in the end, I don't really care. Lyrics are to me less than one percent of the importance of a song. Most Americans put lyrics equal to instrumentation and overall sound impact, but for me it's Brian's guitar sound 1st and foremost, followed by Freddie's voice/piano, Roger's voice/drums, Deacon's bass, Brian's voice and all other sound production involved with the music.
there isn't much john is it?
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Saif wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<font color=brianJM>RollingBowieQueen wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Wow, I was ready to say Brian but you all raised some really good points. Towards the end of Queen's career with Freddie Roger became the best lyricist. TATOOL is just wonderful, but other than that Brian and Freddie together but for different reasons. Early Freddie's lyrics were fun, quirky and very daring and clever whereas Brians were beautifully poetic (not to say Freddie's weren't) and gentle.
But later on in the Eighties I believe that their lyrics started to sound similar in terms of emotion, that's Bri and Fred. I mean look at 'It's A Hard Life' full of emotion and then 'Who Wants to Live Forever' and they wrote Is This The World We Created together right? which I think symbolised a fusion in their styles in some way.
[/QUOTE]
^^What he said; except with a little more credit to Deacy[/QUOTE]
I'm a girl.
But later on in the Eighties I believe that their lyrics started to sound similar in terms of emotion, that's Bri and Fred. I mean look at 'It's A Hard Life' full of emotion and then 'Who Wants to Live Forever' and they wrote Is This The World We Created together right? which I think symbolised a fusion in their styles in some way.
[/QUOTE]
^^What he said; except with a little more credit to Deacy[/QUOTE]
I'm a girl.
Oh, sorry. :( Silly me
.
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Who wrote Spread Your Wings? That's my favourite, and IMO it's the best. I REALLY wish Greatest Hits I & II disappear.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<font color="#FF00FF">its_a_hard_life wrote: [/QUOTENAME]All of them were good lyricists in their own way. [/QUOTE]
True, but they were also all guilty of some lyrics that made you cringe.
As an American, I can say that Brian's lyrics challenged me. Brighton Rock, White Queen, 39, All Dead All Dead (WTF is a farthing?), She Makes Me, Now I'm Here, Tie Your Mother Down, Prophet's Song and others contained phrases that I wasn't familiar with, but in context they taught me something new - either about REAL English, or about inventive ways to use language. He was also very adept at writing emotional lyrics that may have seemed cheesey if sung by someone other than Freddie, but with FM's delivery they were very effective (Who Wants to Live Forever, Las Palabras De Amore, Dreamer's Ball, Save Me, It's Late, etc.) His lyrics also contained depth that was not only unique in the group, but also in hard rock (White Man, Long Away, Father to Son, Leaving Home Ain't Easy, Sail Away Sweet Sister, etc.) And of course, when it came to writing a rocker, he didn't let his intellect get in the way (Tear It Up, WWRY, Dead on Time, Headlong, Son and Daughter, The Hero, Sleeping on the Sidewalk, Dragon Attack, etc.).
I could go on, but for a band that never seemed to display lyrics as a strength, Brian would stop me. I would consider him a great lyricist except for one thing - "You call me sweet like I'm some kind of cheese". OUCH!
True, but they were also all guilty of some lyrics that made you cringe.
As an American, I can say that Brian's lyrics challenged me. Brighton Rock, White Queen, 39, All Dead All Dead (WTF is a farthing?), She Makes Me, Now I'm Here, Tie Your Mother Down, Prophet's Song and others contained phrases that I wasn't familiar with, but in context they taught me something new - either about REAL English, or about inventive ways to use language. He was also very adept at writing emotional lyrics that may have seemed cheesey if sung by someone other than Freddie, but with FM's delivery they were very effective (Who Wants to Live Forever, Las Palabras De Amore, Dreamer's Ball, Save Me, It's Late, etc.) His lyrics also contained depth that was not only unique in the group, but also in hard rock (White Man, Long Away, Father to Son, Leaving Home Ain't Easy, Sail Away Sweet Sister, etc.) And of course, when it came to writing a rocker, he didn't let his intellect get in the way (Tear It Up, WWRY, Dead on Time, Headlong, Son and Daughter, The Hero, Sleeping on the Sidewalk, Dragon Attack, etc.).
I could go on, but for a band that never seemed to display lyrics as a strength, Brian would stop me. I would consider him a great lyricist except for one thing - "You call me sweet like I'm some kind of cheese". OUCH!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Scott_Mercury wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]chazz12345 wrote: [/QUOTENAME]in the early days freddie, later on brian...infact was freddie even in the band in the later days[/QUOTE]
Yep, he sure was... as a matter of fact he wrote 7 of Innuendo's 12 songs.
6 or 7 of The Miracle's songs...plus the "new day is born" beginning to Roger's Breakthru.
And correct me if I am wrong,Sebastian? ...but isn't 40-45% of Made in Heaven said to be Fred's as well??
In conclusion, Freddie ill with a terminal disease still = Queen's chief songwriter.[/QUOTE]
Well no offence, but what was queens love of my life of the 80's etc...
I don't think that keyboards are great, why didn't he play a real instrument.
He only wrote a handful of good songs in the 80's and 90's better but again the piano was missing and something else was too, some sound thing
Yep, he sure was... as a matter of fact he wrote 7 of Innuendo's 12 songs.
6 or 7 of The Miracle's songs...plus the "new day is born" beginning to Roger's Breakthru.
And correct me if I am wrong,Sebastian? ...but isn't 40-45% of Made in Heaven said to be Fred's as well??
In conclusion, Freddie ill with a terminal disease still = Queen's chief songwriter.[/QUOTE]
Well no offence, but what was queens love of my life of the 80's etc...
I don't think that keyboards are great, why didn't he play a real instrument.
He only wrote a handful of good songs in the 80's and 90's better but again the piano was missing and something else was too, some sound thing
I dunno... I think all were talented in their own rights, so I won't say who is the best 'coz I have a favourite song that each member wrote - if you know what I mean...
Keyboards are a real instrument too.