Some of the purists will be wincing. This wasn’t really rock and roll. It was spectacle. It was pop. No edge. Overproduced.
Fair enough. All I know is that I loved, and still love, Freddie Mercury and Queen.
I had a hard but rewarding day and, when I got home tonight, I instinctively turned for relaxation to this excerpt from Queen’s July 13, 1985 Live Aid concert appearance at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Freddie Mercury — an original, a character, and one of the greatest stadium performers ever. In fact, this specific peformance has, in several polls of rock critics, been voted among the greatest live performances ever. Did any of you ever see him perform live? I didn’t.
This excerpt from the concert includes Bohemian Rhapsody and Radio Ga Ga.
Freddie Mercury 1946 – 1991
MEDIA AND MAYHEM 
Wincing here. Call me a purist. I’ve never liked Queen, still don’t. I switch the station the moment I hear an inkling of one of their songs. I especially find Freddy Mercury’s voice grating, like fingernails across the chalkboard.
I used to think highly of guitarist Brian May, because I thought he was the composer of ‘The Road Warrior’ film score. It turns out it was another Brian May.
I want to say that Queen is an acquired taste, but I won’t because I have no immediate plans on acquiring it.
Welcome to the Blogosphere – and from a fellow fan of Freddie Mercury. Just recently I went to YouTube and watched several hours of Queen; then fell into a state of contemplation on a life cut short and what could have been if Mercury had lived to a ripe old age. I don’t know why he affects me the way he does, his personal life isn’t one I’d have any part in, so I think it must be his musical genius and ability to mesmerize with his soaring vocal range and raw emotion. He embodied every aspect imaginable of zest & passion for life. And I really don’t think there will ever be a more spectacular artist/performer/vocalist than Mercury. I can still weep at the thought of his flame being forever extinguished. For me there’s nothing better than a performer who sings full voice, fueled by gut emotions; it goes from being almost perfect technically to a place where you can hear the soul of both music and vocal instrument. It’s this sound what reaches into the listener’s gut, grabs the heart and brings it up and along that invisible chord attached to the furtherest regions of the heavenly.
(I can hear you laughing now.. the hyperbole is sickening, it is! My son’s a performer so it’s part of my ‘thought’ repertoire. sorry 🙂 Good luck – and have fun blogging. Long live the memory and music of Freddie Mercury!!
Sickening? The hyperbole is right on! It ain’t even hyperbole. I’m with you on every point.
Tell you a funny story. I went to Germany last summer with a bunch of other professors. We were of different ages and different areas of study and different political leanings.
One night at dinner, though, we somehow discovered that we all shared one thing: Freddie Mercury.
His picture has a place of honor on my door at the University.
And my daughters joke that sometimes I actually think that I AM Freddie Mercury.
I did watch the Live Aid performance on television, but never saw Queen in concert.
When he sits down at the piano at Wembley and plays the first notes of Bohemian Rhapsody………………wow.
Thanks for your good wishes. Back at you.
Hi again, Steve. Last night I was working on my other blog – I’m Bloggomio, too – and tonight I’m signed in on my most active blog, Poetmeister…on the road to Parnassus. I didn’t have time to write this last night, and to tell you the truth I didn’t want to mention another great vocal artist I love, because Mercury deserves his own post..:) However, I should also tell you (full disclosure, heh heh) that I also love Van Morrison and listen to him almost every day while blogging. If you have the time and inclination, I’ve written a mini-tribute to Morrison on my poetry site. His is the easier of the 2 men of music I want played on my death bed, funeral even, I think.. *snort* Anyway, I like the idea of your blog and I’ll probably pop up here frequently as either Bloggomio or Janet Leigh. I have another blog, but that’s for another time. Wishing you a perfect day!
Oops. I meant to write, “..I’ve written a mini-tribute to Morrison on my poetry site. His is the easier of the 2 men of music to write a tribute to..writing one for Mercury is going to take a bit more mental aerobics, I’m afraid, because how does one write something small as a haiku for such a man as Mercury? Van and Mercury will be with me to the end, both of them, I want played on my death bed, funeral even, I think..”
I hope that clears it up for you..:)
I’m already off on a moondance………Ill be back for a landing later.