Hope this is OK to post here. One of the male figure skaters at the Olympics, Paul Parkinson from Italy, skated to a symphonic version of the music of Queen. I really loved it and went and downloaded the symphony. Just wanted to share in case someone else might also love it.
Argh! I missed it. I haven't gotten to see much of the Olympics. It's just been too busy a time for me. I love this symphonic version of Queen's music. There have been many attempts to do something like it but this is the one that worked best. A very nice piece of work. I'll have to see if I can find it!
It is sad that the die-hard fans do not support Queenbert, but, if I understand it correctly, they don't really support anyone or anything done under the "Queen" name. They are not interested in seeing Brian and Roger continue to perform the Queen repertoire without Freddie either. They prefer to retain the "Queen with Freddie" memory pure and pristine under glass. The fact that they are performing as "Queen" with a reality TV star half their age "replacing" Freddie just makes it a little more egregious. (In their defense, I don't think I would have accepted someone else stepping into John Lennon's shoes to continue the Beatle's performances, or someone from the X Factor replacing Mick Jagger in the Stones if he passed. I kinda get it.)
I also totally understand Brian and Roger wanting to continue performing the excellent music they created and which was such a huge part of their lives. And, not calling the group "Queen", when they ARE Queen as much as Freddie was, and they are still alive and enjoying life doesn't seem fair, either. Musicians rarely ever retire. My musician sister just did two gigs Saturday in the retirement community she was visiting in Florida. These "retired" musicians somehow find each other and form a "group" to perform wherever they are. For pay or just for the joy of performing.
If the die-hard Queen fans are uninterested in seeing Brian and Roger or in hearing their music performed by the originators (who still have the chops to do it up right!) then the fact that it is Adam singing with them is probably just an irritant, not the determining factor in their decision to stay home and watch Queen on their TVs and computers. The fact is there are many other folks who remember Queen songs from their youth with great fondness (either because they were young in the 70s and 80s or their parents played the music when they were at that impressionable age, like Adam), and they will buy tickets to hear it and see it in all its glory in 2014. So will many Adam fans. And fans of great live rock concerts in general. I am glad that Brian, Roger and Adam decided to give all of us one more opportunity to see something very special: the collaboration of musical geniuses at their finest. With great theatrics thrown in to boot. Can't wait.
Yeah thanks for bringing it over too. Sometimes when I play catch up I forget that it's already a day or two old
And I think in general you are correct. It's hard for many to see Queen with anyone. To them, Queen is Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John. Anything else is incomplete so why bother? I*DO* think that many would be open to a show (like a VH1 storytellers type or something similar) where Brian and Roger perform a bunch of Queen tracks themselves. If Brian and/or Roger are singing it's okay cause it's still...in family so to speak and Bri and Rog have sung lead on Queen tracks prior. AND if you look back at QPR & QAL to them it was always the sections where Brian and Roger were singing that were the best accepted even if they didn't have to pure voice of Paul or Adam.
So getting over that was a major first step and when Paul stepped in - that was HIS first hurdle. Now beyond that is the second hurdle that Adam has to overcome that Paul didn't. When you get someone who has a hard time accepting anyone in Freddie's place, they could rationalize (and some of them did only after the Paul phase was done
) that at least Paul was someone who came up the same way they did, played the same stages, his career trajectory was similar and he had years of his own hits to draw from - someone who has stood on his own for his music for quite a long time AND someone who was SO different from Freddie categorically speaking, so it actually seemed less like Brian and Roger being Queen and trying to replace Freddie and more as if it was the remnants of Queen meeting the singer of Free/Bad Company in the middle to create a new group - it was an attempt to be creative (in their eyes). AND they kind of knew Paul was (at least more of) a stronger voice in what was happening. Paul could say no to Brian and Roger and that creative tension would only make the group stronger...remember that the four bandmembers always said they fought like cats and dogs but it made their music better.
To then go to a reality show contestant (and like it or not in the rock world - reality shows are all that is wrong with music so anything to do with them is evil). Then a reality show contestant who (rightfully or wrongfully) seemingly has come out of nowhere, has had 1 hit, and who is far closer to Freddie categorically...well to them it almost reeks of Brian and Roger....giving up in a way and selling out. To them (again rightfully or wrongfully) it seems as if Brian and Roger are just going through the motions to make a buck and get a closer to Freddie "replacement" to sing the dinosaurs of Queen's Greatest Hits. It no longer appears to be a creative attempt - it's just a brand.
Now to me that is a cynical viewpoint. But I am in the minority. To me, I understand all of those feelings, I really do. I just don't think Brian and Roger are as cynically and financially driven as some seem to think. I think it was an organic thing...they heard Adam sing, they want to perform as Queen, they don't think they can do it on their own, they like Adam and his voice so they figure fuck it, we can have a good time, we can play to our fans still and not worry too much about it.
But one more point related to how they came to accept Paul easier than Adam. Many Queen fans view Adam as a yes man to a degree. And they have a point. Paul COULD step up against Brian. Again rightfully or not, and I don't think Adam would do anything to sacrifice his own career, I think Adam is probably much more deferential to what Brian (and Roger - but my gut says Brian is really in control) wants...and that's not a knock on Adam. Adam SHOULD be more deferential to someone like Brian at this stage in his career. BUT the idea is that to be a good musical force, Brian (and Roger) need a good counterpoint to make it creative.
AND thirdly? Adam is American. For a surprisingly large niche of fans, Queen is such a UK institution that it is important for them to be Brits. So to have an American singer betrays who the band is (*shrugs* Maybe since I am an American I care less about this
)
SO with that being said, it's true that most fans think no freddie/john no Queen. BUT I do think there are other singers who they would accept more willingly for the above reasons...For example some singers I think would be more accepted?
George Michael (And this is unfortunate - I don't see it at all. He did do a bang up job on Somebody To Love (and sorry but imo better than Adam) BUT I can't see him doing half the Queen catalogue, but on the strength of that one number and how nostalgic that moment is - I think he would be better accepted.
Matt Bellamy - Lead singer of Muse - Muse is VERY well respected within the Queen fandom, and since Muse is big in the UK, it would be two very successful acts merging.
Tom Chaplin - Lead signer of Keane. Another UK success story with another one-off very successful performance with Queen.
So while it is true that most would prefer Queen without any +, it is not quite true they wouldn't accept anyone, BUT if they had to choose they'd have a list of requirements of said +:
1. Successful career of their own (and by that they mean long term, many albums, hit singles, etc.)
2. From the UK
3. Amazing voice
4. Someone to challenge Brian & Roger a bit
5. Someone from the "rock" world is far preferable
So in their eyes? Adam has one of those.
So to sum up - there is quite the hiearachy:
1. FANS WHO THINK NO FREDDIE - NO QUEEN - Adam can never win these guys over. No one can. All they want is the Anthologies or the dusted off Freddie tracks. That's probably 1/4 of the fans.
2. FANS WHO COULD ACCEPT SOMEONE WHO FITS THE REQUIREMENTS - Adam has a chance to win some of these over but it would be very difficult. That's about 1/2 the fan base.
3. FANS WHO JUST WANT TO SEE BRIAN AND ROGER PERFORM AND THEY DON'T REALLY CARE WHO IS WITH THEM - That's me...and probably another 1/4 of the fans...Of course this group makes up both the least passionate fans (the eh...whatever - I get to sing Radio Ga Ga - a fun night out rather than staying home) AND a portion of THE Most passionate (will accept anything Brian and Roger does - Stepford fans). Nobody in this group are very vocal. The ones who don't care, don't care enough to argue, the ones who are more stepford types don't really see the point in arguing. The good news is Adam can completely win this crowd over.
Ok that's enough rambling for me. Hopefully I made at least a little sense
) that at least Paul was someone who came up the same way they did, played the same stages, his career trajectory was similar and he had years of his own hits to draw from - someone who has stood on his own for his music for quite a long time AND someone who was SO different from Freddie categorically speaking, so it actually seemed less like Brian and Roger being Queen and trying to replace Freddie and more as if it was the remnants of Queen meeting the singer of Free/Bad Company in the middle to create a new group - it was an attempt to be creative (in their eyes). AND they kind of knew Paul was (at least more of) a stronger voice in what was happening. Paul could say no to Brian and Roger and that creative tension would only make the group stronger...remember that the four bandmembers always said they fought like cats and dogs but it made their music better.
