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[Marvin]

The 24th of November this year marks the 20th anniversary of Freddie Mercury's death. I must admit that i am a fan of Queen and was wondering how many on here liked Queen. Freddie for me was an entertainer and boy could he sing. Bohemian Rhapsody goes down as one of the greatest songs ever written but Queen were so much more than one song. We Will Rock You , A Kind Of Magic, I Want To Break Free, We Are The Champions are just some of the songs that made them great for me. What do you think?

[Mr Mustard]

My 17 year old son is the Queen fan in our house, we have many a good natured Beatles (me) versus Queen (him) debate. I do like Queen though. It was a very sad day when Freddie Mercury left us. He was undoubtedly the "star" of the group, a phenomenal singer (only the great Roy Orbison could rival him as a "pop" singer of quasi operatic standards) and, of course, a consummate showman. I prefer Queen's 1970s material, never cared so much for their 80s stuff.

I think it's a bit pathetic that Brian May and Roger Taylor still appear as "Queen". No one, however good, can replace Freddie Mercury... at least John Deacon has accepted that their great days are behind them and retired gracefully from the spotlight. Brian and Roger were the original two band members, when they were known as "Smile". If they want to keep touring perhaps it should be under their original name. I'm sure word would still get around that Smile were in fact the lead guitarist and the drummer from Queen.

But "Queen" without Freddie Mercury is as unthinkable to me as "Beatles" without John Lennon.

[Ovi]

I prefer Queen's 1970s material, never cared so much for their 80s stuff.

Same here. And I agree with your whole post. Queen are not among my very favourites but I like to listen to them once in a while.

[Marvin]

I can't argue with the above posts but i do quite like some of their eighties stuff. I can't believe Freddie has been dead almost 20 years though where has the gone?

[Jai Guru Deva.]

Oh, now here's a thread I can enthuse in   
Queen are my second fave band, almost tied with The Beatles to be honest.  It was another childhood thing; my mum was a Queen nut and my Dad a Beatles one, so they were always played throughout my childhood.  When I was young, I used to think Queen were just amazing - I couldn't understand how they could come up with such beautiful and complex music time and time again, and the harmonies just bowled me over.  I will always be a huge Queen fan, and not in a 'greatest hits' way, either...  pretty much everything they've done is golden to me!  I do rather enjoy Queen at their earliest, though, Queen and Queen II period.  The photoshoots they did during that phase were just gorgeous.
On the subject of early Queen, anyone enjoy Smile?  I certainly do.   

xxx

[Bongo]

I became a Queen fan thanks to a girl I met during my sophomore year in high school. It was 1978 and just before school started I had gone to see Black Sabbath. I was raving about how great the show was when this girl tells me that I haven't seen anything like a Queen concert. I thought yeah right. I liked a few of their songs but that was about it.

They were coming to town in November so she invited me. Let me tell you that they came out and my jaw hit the floor. They were spectacular. What a great live band they were.

[glass onion]

great,great band.however,i do think roger and brian should still go out as queen.everybody knows what happened with the band,they were massive,headline news.all the fans know the story-why not still use the name that is so rightfully theirs and tour as queen?roger and pete are still the who,aren't they?at the end of the day they can't go out as the full band anymore and through no fault of their own.one of those things.

[Mr Mustard]

why not still use the name that is so rightfully theirs and tour as queen?

Because the man who joined Smile (the name which IS rightfully theirs) and turned them into Queen (being the epitome and focal point of "Queen" and having come up with the name himself) is dead and gone.

roger and pete are still the who,aren't they?

No!!

at the end of the day they can't go out as the full band anymore and through no fault of their own.one of those things.

That's a fair point but I think when half the group is absent it's a bit of a sad joke to cling to the name to be honest. Dave Hill and Don Powell still tour as "Slade" but come on now...without Noddy Holder? I mean that's just ridiculous... like having The Stones without Jagger....

Page and Plant don't pretend to be Led Zeppelin.

How would you feel if Paul & Ringo toured as "The Beatles"?

[emmi_luvs_beatles]

I honestly love Queen, they are in my top 5 at least for favorite bands, and they are right up there with The Beatles and Chameleon Circuit (my other 2 favorites.) Freddie Mercury is really an inspiration to me vocal wise, he can take his operatic voice and make it into a rough rock sound when he wants to, and that's personally what I wish to do, make my calm and quiet voice rockin' sometimes. My other favorite member is Roger Taylor, he was the quiet one but he could really pound out a song when he wanted to (ie I'm In Love With My Car) and they are such a good band, I hope they go down in history.

[KelMar]

I was a big fan of Queen in high school. I still give them a listen every once in a while. I agree that Freddie had an amazing voice. Sad that he's gone.

[Marvin]

I honestly love Queen, they are in my top 5 at least for favorite bands, and they are right up there with The Beatles and Chameleon Circuit (my other 2 favorites.) Freddie Mercury is really an inspiration to me vocal wise, he can take his operatic voice and make it into a rough rock sound when he wants to, and that's personally what I wish to do, make my calm and quiet voice rockin' sometimes. My other favorite member is Roger Taylor, he was the quiet one but he could really pound out a song when he wanted to (ie I'm In Love With My Car) and they are such a good band, I hope they go down in history.

Roger Taylor I'm in love with my car is a great track

Queen - I'm in Love With My Car

Freddie with opera singer

Freddie Mercury - Barcelona

For some reason I've always loved the video from A Kind of Magic.



 Queen - A Kind of Magic (The video's owner prevents external embedding)

[Marvin]

Brian May could also sing this is my favourite of his solo stuff

BRIAN MAY: Driven By You

[Marvin]

The only song I have ever liked performed by queen without Freddie is Somebody to love sung by George Michael. This really surprised me at the time because i am not a George Michael fan but he did a fantastic job with it

Freddie Mercury Tribute (10)- George Michael & Queen

[KelMar]

The only song I have ever liked performed by queen without Freddie is Somebody to love sung by George Michael. This really surprised me at the time because i am not a George Michael fan but he did a fantastic job with it

I was pleasantly surprised by that too! This is probably my favorite Queen song and he did a nice job with it.

[Jai Guru Deva.]

Recently I keep remniscing about when I saw the 'Queen + Paul Rodgers' show.  I was about 14 then, and despite the whole hoohah about bands not being any good because of original members not being there and all that, it was actually amazing.  What I enjoyed most about it, and pretty much anything Brian and Roger do, is that they weren't trying to be Queen with new members.  Everyone knows you can't replace Freddie, and subsequently John.  They did it more like a tribute to Queen, not being Queen, which seemed to make everyone more comfortable with it.  There was such a unified atmosphere at the gig, and people cried with both sadness and joy all the way through.  To be honest, I was just completely flabberghasted that I was actually seeing and hearing Brian and Roger in real life, rather than through a TV screen the way I was used to.  I felt pretty lucky knowing that I was seeing this at only 14.  Especially Brian; I know it's not great to favouritise, but...  well I do have a certain soft spot for Brian.  Since I was about 10 years old, to be honest.  *Blushes furiously*
But anyway!  I find it interesting knowing the reactions of people who were there when Queen were at their best.  My mum saw them at Earl's Court in 1977, when they'd just released News Of The World.  She said they were just mindblowing, and at first she was hesitant to see Queen + Paul Rodgers because she felt it would ruin the little haven she had in her memory - I guess it would make Freddie's passing more real.  But she knew how much it mattered to me, so like the amazing parent she is, we went, and she was surprised at how much she enjoyed it.  Although we both had a horrible moment near the end when the band went offstage for a costume change and the beginning of Innuendo started to play, with Freddie's vocals.  Somehow it triggered a longing for him, we wanted him to just stride out onto the stage like it had all been a big joke and nothing had ever happened to him.   
In fact, my mum has actually met ALL of Queen, which I'm inexplicably jealous of.  Apparently Freddie was the most wonderful; she was walking into the Queen fan club in London and Freddie and Roger were coming out.  Roger just gave her a grin and walked past, and when Freddie saw her looking starstruck, he just said "hello darling" and held the door open for her, and then wafted away in a cloud of women's perfume.  ENVIOUS!   

xxx

[KelMar]

Apparently Freddie was the most wonderful; she was walking into the Queen fan club in London and Freddie and Roger were coming out.  Roger just gave her a grin and walked past, and when Freddie saw her looking starstruck, he just said "hello darling" and held the door open for her, and then wafted away in a cloud of women's perfume.  ENVIOUS

What a great story!

[Jai Guru Deva.]

What a great story!

Tell me about it!  I'd love to meet Roger and Brian...  shame I wasn't around earlier when there was more of a chance. 

xxx

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

I remember that I liked Queen when I was a teenager, even before becoming a Beatles fan. I had the greatest hits vol. 1 & 2 and listened to them a lot. But I grew up and my music tastes changed.

[KelMar]

I remember that I liked Queen when I was a teenager, even before becoming a Beatles fan. I had the greatest hits vol. 1 & 2 and listened to them a lot. But I grew up and my music tastes changed.

Yep, kind of the same thing here. I hadn't listened to them in a long time then a few years ago I happened to hear "Play the Game" and it was nice to remember how much I had enjoyed their music when I was younger.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Yep, kind of the same thing here. I hadn't listened to them in a long time then a few years ago I happened to hear "Play the Game" and it was nice to remember how much I had enjoyed their music when I was younger.

Though I don't listen to them anymore, I acknowledge that I've spent good times listening to Queen.