7.4.14 Adam News and Info, Happy Birthday USA

Sometimes I think we forget that the human brain is hardwired to look for difference. It was designed to scan enormous amounts of sensory input to work out quickly what is 'different' from the norm to assess any degree of threat. This inherent tendency is then reinforced at school by endless 'compare and contrast' essays, that ask us to draw judgements about what is 'better or worse'. This is all filtered, of course by the personal preferences we develop and it depends on our natures how fixed we become in our views.

It's just human for the Freddie/Adam comparison to happen at one level. At another level, he was also the frontman for Queen and the clear focal point. But there are levels of sophistication about how comparisons are drawn, and that's really been the problem for me. Like marketing tag lines. So mindless. We have a dead icon, this is what you say about an icon. Repeat, repeat, repeat. In fairness, we are also reading multiple reviews; the intended audiences would only read one or two, so they wouldn't get the impression of endless repetition in the way we do.

I feel disappointed every time I read someone's opinion here where it is qualified with a disclaimer of any sort. I know this is a fansite, but it is a fansite for adults. We are discussing a human being, after all, between human beings. Cassie, I find your essays and critiques fascinating just as they are. I also don't find every Adam performance perfect or everything about him absolute perfection. But he is pretty damn close a lot of the time.

I am loving this collaboration, but it is also because I really want to hear Queen's music live again. I would want to see Queen with anyone they were collaborating with, really. The fact that it is Adam is a dream come true for me. Adam has stolen my heart in a way no one else ever has, so I completely understand Talon's perspective and many other people who feel the same way about Freddie.  Conversely I don't see why you should ever feel defensive about preferring Adam's vocals or interpretation.

Queen have a delicate balance to tread, both with song selection and interpretation for the audience they are now playing to. I think they have been spectacular so far. Adam has been spectacular, as I expected because it is a match made in heaven and it shows on their faces every performance. That type of joy, that type of inspiration can't be faked. I've only had a couple of quibbles about song interpretation which are really quite minor. Stone Cold Crazy is one of my top 5 favourite rock songs of all times - the tempo seems slightly slowed down to my ear, but maybe my ears have slowed down . I don't like any glory run at the end of We Are the Champions, which has been discussed here before, but take STL to church and it is brilliant.

My heart skipped a beat at the discussion of changing up Bohemian Rhapsody a couple of pages back. This is one song that I really want to hear as it was recorded and I think the audience being able to sing it together as it was recorded at the end of the concert is an important component in the whole emotional journey of the concert. I feel it would interrupt the momentum - it is the 'climax' after all .  I'm also really relieved that Adam is now singing the melody in Bohemian Rhapsody in the third part of the song. His riffing on, "Oh baby ..." used to irritate me.

Adam is not singing his own music, he is interpreting someone else's music. Beautifully and brilliantly. Much as I am enjoying this, and it is an experience of a lifetime for him, I really can't wait for A3.