Who wants to live forever?
May 13th, 2008No. Queen is not my favorite band. They’re not even in my top 20 of all-time.
However, I will say this. When they’re good, they’re really good.
Queen, for all their records, had only two that are listenable the whole way through - Night At The Opera, and Innuendo. Sadly, shortly after Innuendo was released, Freddie Mercury died.
His death didn’t hit me like a ton of bricks though because I had known about it for several years before he died. There were rumors at the time that Rob Halford, Freddie Mercury, and Perry Ferrell all had AIDS.
I dismissed the Halford and Ferrell rumors as rumors, but knew the one about Mercury was true. He had stopped touring for years and people actually had the decency to stop taking pictures of him, for he looked horrible. In his last year, I heard he rarely left his surroundings.
As for their music, when they’re good, they’re really good. Night At The Opera is without a doubt one of the best albums of all-time. I remember in the late 80s and early 90s, I’d be listening to the album and there was always some ass clown who would say “how could you listen to that? It’s just so weird!” Then after that stupid Wayne’s World movie came out, those same ass clowns would be saying “oh! It’s that song from Wayne’s World! I love that song!” You see why us pretentious critics sometimes look down on people’s taste in music?
The movie Highlander was everything that was right about the 80s. You had a hero that was genuinely cool, not some “reluctant hero” from the 90s who’s cynical and selfish, and only becomes a hero out of necessity. (As you can probably tell, I hated the 90s and everything about it).
Queen did the soundtrack and the songs on it were some of the best movie songs ever written. The song Who Wants To Live Forever? builds up into a huge crescendo, then Freddie Mercury tragically utters “our love must die.” It’s like you finally bed that person of your dreams and right after climaxing together, that person turns to you and says “it’s not going to work.”
Queen and Freddie Mercury have a way of pounding your heartstrings like no other band before them. Their music is timeless, and transcends perfectly into whatever time period you play them. They are without labels, and it’s a good thing. They’ve played literally dozens of types of music in their career.
I’m well-aware that they’ve reformed with a new singer, but just have no desire to see them in their current form. I’m sure the guy’s a good guy and a good fit, but I’d rather not have my memories of this band altered in any way. You simply don’t tamper with something that works.
So here’s to Queen, and the memory of Freddie Mercury. May he live forever.
I was under the impression that they only perform with Paul Rodgers at major events but have no intention of cutting records or touring as Queen with him. They perform with Rodgers because Freddie was a huge fan of his and had said he’s the only one who could replace him.
Courtney - All the reviews I’ve read have been positive. I actually like Paul Rodgers and have heard that the remaining members of the band love the guy.
It’s just this - my fave singers are (in order) Rob Halford, Freddie Mercury, and Ronnie James Dio. Seeing Priest without Halford didn’t feel right at all, and I know I’d get that same feeling seeing Queen without Mercury, no matter how spectacular Rodgers does.
I do wish them best and hope their concerts sell out when they play though.
I totally agree, Queen just isn’t Queen without Freddie. For me, it’s an easier pill to swallow knowing Paul’s the guy Freddie would have wanted.
Lovely tribute ZS.
I have been to a few funerals where a “ghetto blaster” has been taken to the graveside and Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever” has been blasted out at full pelt! Fantastic
Ah… there are a LOT of Queen songs that I love. Who wants to Live Forever is one. I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody (though Wayne’s World ruined that for me a bit), Crazy Little Thing Called Love… I could go on. He had such a great presence and a great voice.
Noooo thanks. I’m not the biggest fan either, but Queen without Freddy is like taste buds without a tongue. Or some other metaphor that makes more sense.
I like “Bicycle Race”, for some reason.
I think Freddy Mercury actually does live forever, reincarnating periodically to wreak havoc upon the world. For example, I’m pretty sure he was Jack the Ripper: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6164544.stm
I agree. Am not mad about Queen, but much of their stuff is dramatic and appealing. Queen isn’t Queen without Freddie. I too wish them well, but it ain’t Queen to me.
Nooo thanks. I’m not the biggest fan either, but Queen without Freddy is like taste buds without a tongue. Or some other metaphor that makes more sense.
I like “Bicycle Race”, for some reason.
I think it’s possible that Freddy Mercury actually does live forever, reincarnating periodically to wreak havoc upon the world. For example, if that picture Scotland Yard put out a couple years back is accurate, he was probably Jack the Ripper.
Courtney - True. I can appreciate that.
Miladysa - Thanks. And that’s a definite maybe for my funeral.
Laura - I hated that movie Wayne’s World, but what I hated more about the movie is it ruined that song. I can’t even listen to it any more. It’s sad because that song meant a lot to me before that stupid movie came out.
Bridget - No. Freddie wrote half their music too, and a lot of their best songs. Sure they all wrote, but Mercury was the best writer of the 4.
SME - “Bicycle, bicycle, I want to ride my bicycle.”
Hmm…Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar so I don’t think Jack the Ripper would have reincarnated as him. Now Posh Spice, I could see. Jack the Ripper - Posh Spice. Pretty close.
Dan chiming in here. (Sorry, stupid blogger wouldn’t let me sign in.)
So, yeah Queen huh? Wow, only one album you can listen to all the way through? Really????
No Sheer Heart Attack? Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Stone Cold Crazy don’t get it for you?
A Day At The Friggin Races, News of the World (top 5 album covers ever…go.), and Jazz are all eminently all-the-way-through-listenable.
And what about the Flash Gordon soundtrack? Come on, that album is fun!
Even though Freddie is responsible for writing what is possibly the worst hater line ever, “Jaws was never my scene and I don’t like Star Wars”, I still love the man and his music.
Paul Rodgers was great friends with both Brian May and Freddie from back in his days with Free, and he’s one of the few singers still alive that have Freddie’s vocal range. And it still took Paul years before he could stand in Freddie’s shoes, even though he had the man’s blessing.
Weird side note… Courtney has this bizarre Queen Karma. Every time we get in the car a Queen sing will come on within minutes, and on the off chance it doesn’t, we’ll get a Queen song while shopping. It’s positively freakish… and kinda frightening.
Dan - Actually, there are two - Night at the Opera and Innuendo. There would be 3, but technically, there never was a soundtrack made for Highlander. I bought the mp3s for the four songs from the movie - A Touch of Magic, Hammer to Fall, One Year of Love, and Who Wants to Live Forever? and love all four. I was actually blasting them in the car the other day and that’s when I decided I have to do this post.
I didn’t like Jazz at all. Had the record, and I think I only liked one or two songs on it. Flash Gordon was cheesy, but good cheese. Not something I’d run out and buy, but when someone has it, I’ll pop it in. The song Stone Cold Crazy is awesome! Love that song, and couldn’t stand Metallica’s version of it.
One of these days, I should buy Day at the Races. Yeah, I know. I just never got around to it. I heard it’s a great album, but I have literally hundreds of mp3s I’ve bought that I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet.
By the way, I have to agree with Freddie. I thought Jaws was disgustingly overrated and I just liked Star Wars, didn’t go crazy over it like the rest of my generation did.
i really don’t think i could go see queen without freddie mercury. it wouldn’t be right.
my oldest has loved queen for years. i remember her being about 13 and saying, ‘i LOVE freddie mercury! he’s a genius1 i’d marry him!…well, if he was still alive…and liked girls instead of boys…and i was uh, older and uh, had any chance of ever meeting him…yeah, like then…i’d totally marry him then.”
Exactly. Posh Spice. My theory makes sense now, doesn’t it?
;D
The soundtrack from Flash Gordon was great too! Oops, Dan already said that. GREAT taste Dan! Killer Queen too…EXCELLENT!
Highlander is one of our all-time favorite movies. Then they went and ruined it with the sequel and TV series.
“We will, we will ROCK YOU!”
Aww… I have Queen as part of my “workout” mix on my iPod. Like you, they’re not my favorite band, but they do have a place in my music library. My favorite Queen song is “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.
Lime - Heh. I have an Aunt who was in love with Liberace as a little girl. Is only she had known…
SME - Sure does now.
Tshsmom - That sequel was one of the most evil acts perpetrated on the human race ever.
Notta - I like that song. It’s kind of a Freddie Mercury does Elvis.
I think darn near my entire family saw the Queen tour with Paul Rodgers. Mom was disappointed because they did too many Paul Rodgers’ songs.
Queen is my little brother’s favorite band and when Freddie died, he put on the Queen albums and cried. I’m actually pretty proud of my little brother for admitting that.
I like all the Queen CDs (and have them all since my older brother went born again and can’t listen to them anymore because they’re the devil’s music, or something), but I’m a huge Highlander (the TV series) fan and the song “Who Wants To Live Forever” damn near makes me cry every time I hear it.
Oh yeah, I didn’t get to the Queen concert. My only memory of Queen that’s not from an album is the tribute concert they did at Wembley.
Kathleen - Queen is the Devil’s music? Heh, would love to hear that one explained. Actually, I take that back. I don’t think I want to hear that.
And I’ve never seen Queen live. They stopped touring with Freddie long before I got into them.
Brian May’s tone and his brief, tight, pop solos… sublime… built his own guitars, didn’t he?
Bo - I think he did.
May’s amazing. He’s one of the guitarists that I consider to be among the most underrated.
Off topic, but what are you using for comment spamming?
Thanks,
Bo
Bo - I’ll answer on your blog just to make sure you get it.
I like Queen and I like that movie The Highlander.
Kate - Love that movie Highlander. One of my favorites.