I'll bring this over from yesterday -
I hesitated here but figure - it's kind of my role here - to provide the alternate perspective. So please note, I will try to be respectful about this, and keep in mind what I read here and DON'T comment on. And furthermore, note that despite some of the things I say, I fully support AL in his QAL role. I think there are few singers out there that could legitimately approach the full Queen catalogue. I've gone to 3 QAL dates in the past, going to at least 2 in the future and have even bought each AL album as a measure of support, when in reality FYE was the only music that was really up my alley. The others has a few selections I like but overall, the dancey EDM thing is not for me, but out of thanks for not only allowing me to see B&R again, providing me with an awesome time that I have and do look forward to.
I am obviously as noted above a Freddie devotee...and no cassie I'm not going to shoot you for your opinion, just as I hope I don't get drawn and quartered for mine
I think Adam has an awesome voice...especially when he sings the power ballads. My favorite Adam moments of the past 5 years was The Show Must Go On in Hammersmith 2012 2nd day, and his take on Who Wants To Live Forever (which has been one of the only time any vocalist singing a Queen song has approached Freddie in my eye), Save Me, and Somebody To Love (from 2014 on).
But when I read here about his amazing charisma and how people can't understand why people think Freddie is so charismatic in comparison, I find myself shaking MY head with shock and confusion...and saying to myself, the same things I read here, just the opposite direction. ***
I just don't get it...
I don't see it.*** I mean I've seen Adam in person, and just a video of Freddie to me, let alone having never seen him in concert makes it no contest in my eyes. And maybe the difference...is exactly what cassie said - the niceness, the Adam being one of you kind of thing, inviting you along, alluring, playful. I get that. TO me Freddie was more of a general. And to me that made him much more charismatic as a frontman. You went where he told you to go. Freddie commanded you. He got up in front of a non-Queen crowd at Live Aid and MADE the audience do the Radio Ga Ga claps. He made people from Elton John, to Bob Geldof the organizer, and pretty much everyone there say "Damn it man you just completely stole the show".
You might want to hang out with Adam at a party more and have a great time with him, and with Freddie you'd want to be AT the party with him, but perhaps you would be intimidated to try and talk with him...but you'd still be mesmerized by whatever he did. (which would be a fallacy anyways since from all accounts, off stage Freddie was a *COMPLETELY* different person, full of laughter, mischievousness and wanting to make everyone feel special and at ease). Adam is your extremely talented friend who you cheer on when he's tackling a big undertaking and feel so proud of him and you love watching him succeed as you know he will. Freddie was someone you watch because you don't know what he's going to do next. You're afraid to miss it.
Now earlier on in his career, he was more shackled to the piano, yes it's true - which made his charisma even MORE amazing. He could sit at a piano and yet still people to this day would talk about he commanded an audience.
And maybe partially it's the composing aspect...the fact that he could write a #1 hit in 10 minutes while sitting in his bathtub (Crazy Little Thing), that kind of creative spark of music where his songs become immediately timeless and here we are 25 years after his death and his songs are still well known overall, even if it's only subconscious. That has to add to his charisma I think.
And I'm not trying to say Adam needs to write songs to have charisma - but I do think he needs a song of his own to really make it that way. I mean as a musician in thirty years, will the general public have any idea what he sang? They might remember Adam as a great singer, but you're not going to have a young amazing singer touring Adam's songs in the same way...at least at this point....(I would love to see it if only to see you all on the other side of the spectrum, lol) If he gets THAT song or a few, he has his own standard set for anyone else to try and reach. Now granted he's such a good vocalist that he actually can take songs that aren't his and reach new heights for a lot of songs, but when approaching a legend's songs it can be different.
Now I'm not like the troll Queen fans who will say Adam has no stage presence or charisma. Or that he has no business being up there with B&R. I think he is a great vocalist, and he handles the frontman role well AND he has improved with time...I think he's far more comfortable today than he was five years ago certainly. He knows his own audience very well and knows what works with them. QAL is very successful in large part to Adam's contribution. It's the Queen catalogue, and B&R & team are consummate professionals, but you need a strong vocalist, frontman to pull it off.
But I don't see what you guys see. I see a good frontman. Not a legendary one - at least not yet. I know a lot of people I would consider a good frontman though. There are even some who could front Queen and I'd probably enjoy it quite a bit. B&R chose Adam so it's who they want and I'm certainly not upset with the choice obviously....He makes them happy so that makes me happy. He does a damn good job, and I have highly enjoyed my time with Adam as frontman.
But who knows...maybe the missing ingredient for me is the sex-appeal- thing. Lord knows as a straight male, I don't care about sex appeal at a Queen concert, lol. I don't think either are sexy
This may have been a tough read for some and for that I do apologize, but I'm always trying to be truthful - respectful but truthful. Obviously this is only my opinion and I've read quite a few opinions here the last few days about how Adam is superior to Freddie in people's eyes. I'll never call you wrong because it is something that is quite subjective. I will simply be confused and not understand it, but still hope you all are enjoying your time with Adam and with B&R now...and that you'll remain patient at least with the good intentioned Queen/Freddie fans that just love Freddie the way you love Adam.
With that said...bring on San Jose (one step closer to getting a chance to witness him in person myself again in Boston!)
Dear talon,
thank you for your honest words.
While i am a huge Fan of Adam and see him as more inviting Frontman for Queen now, than Freddie in his time, that is my and a lot of Adam fans first perspective.
!!Like i said more inviting, not better!!
They are completly different in their work with a concert crowd.
Like you said, Freddie was the General commanding his army of adoring , worshipping and (near overpowered) fans.
Adam is, as you said more inviting the fans, we as Fans feel of him as more openly a seducer, a Charming and openly enjoying Beau du jour,a sometimes giggling Player of the adoring crowd's heat (and for quite a few fans also lust), than a commander of the crowd's energy.
I am sure , no one will deny it, but some people find more Charisma in the General and some more in the Lover.
I never had the pleasure to even see Freddie live, much less to know him of course, but we all know that the time and situation when Farouk Bulsara grew up and the time when Freddie Mercury stepped out of the Shadows and become know to the world, was different than the time and situation when Adam Lambert grew up in a quite liberal Family and become known to the world through an TV show, where a lot of people still had problems with him and his difference but also a lot of people opened their Heart and made it loudly known.
This openly step into the Spotlight is something that might be also part of the different handling of the crowd situation.
Of course Freddie had often played Camp with Queen, it was more often mixed with an part of positive Aggression and Commanding, while Adam knew since he stepped away from Idol and made through the little Scandal of AMA, that some people might not ever get him, but a lot of other people absolutely loved his Playfulness in every single different way.
He had his not overly huge, but big enough to carry him, Fan Community.
The Glamberts love him.
He might loose some, he might win some, he is not the biggest Seller of Albums or tours as big as the Pop Girls/Teen Boys/Rap Superstars, but he still made a good living.
Queen is a bonus for him.
A really Royal, wondrous, one Chance in a Lifetime Bonus, bigger than Life Bonus.
Still a Bonus.
Adam grew up in Theater, he worked Ships, Theater's,Musicals, Topless Show's (Snigger hehehe) and TV.
He knows how to find work, if this Popstar/Band Business doesn't work out.
Adam seems to me, that he enjoys his Playfullness in a Concert way more than Freddie did his Commanding.
But dear Talon, this is my humble and Glambert first opinion. based on watching a lot of old Videos Of Queen and Freddie in his glorious might as the best Frontman of Rock.
I, as Glambert and also for ever loving Fan of the Original Band Queen, openly feel that Adam just seems to enjoy his Concerts with Brian and Roger more often and a lot more carefree, than Freddie did in a lot of his hightime, judged only through the watching of the old Videos of course.
Freddie seemed often as somebody, because in private he was shy, that in Front of a Crowd, HE JUST NEEDS TO BE A LEADER.
Adam likes to play different.
Like I said, Dear Talon, some find more Charm and Charisma in that way, and some more in this.
I think i speak for most of us Glamberts, when i say that noone of us would ever say, that Freddie had no Charisma or Charme.
Because he had.
Billions of Tons of it.
But Adams different Kind of Charisma and Charme is more felt by us, easier and warmer and with more joy.
Different Ways for different people.
Freddie is the one, that shaped Queen with Brian, Roger and John.
He was the Face and Voice of Queen then and most of the Time now.
But Adam is the Person, that starts to be known as the Face and Voice of Queen for now and the near Future, without ever to forget of the past.
Just my humble Opinion of Course.
Don't feel angry with us Glamberts, just because we love Adam more and see him as the best.
It is just impossible for us not to feel this way.
Just like it is Impossible for you not to feel this way about Freddie.
I hope you still will enjoy the Concerts.
Love col