Queen

A few years ago a relative of mine who I've only seen very occasionally throughout my life asked me if I was still a Queen fan. I was somewhat surprised by this question given I was a Queen fan for around a year or so around 1991/92. Maybe I saw them more regularly in 1992 than any other year.

Queens Greatest Hits album is the biggest selling UK album of all time selling 7 million. That means over 1 in 10 people in this country own it, not to mention those who had a copied tape like I did. Their final concert with Freddie Mercury was in front of 120,000 people in Knebworth which came a month or so after they did 2 nights at Wembley Stadium. Even without Freddie Mercury they're still popular enough to play The O2. Yet even Brian May and Roger Taylor will tell you, they've never been a cool band to like.

I first knew Queen the band in 1989 when they had a hit with "I Want It All". I'd heard other songs of theirs before without knowing who it was, my music memories begin in 1987 so their prior hit "Who Wants To Live Forever" would have been just before my time. To this day, "I Want It All" is one of my favourite Queen songs and is arguably their heaviest hit. What I found quite baffling was seeing a rock band where only one member had long hair.

It was the death of Freddie Mercury at the end of 1991 though which turned me into a Queen fan. None of my school friends shared the same sentiment though, I was ridiculed by many for liking them.

During my time as a Queen fan I recall a school assembly where the teacher was talking about music. I don't know whether he was talking from the perspective of a school boy or teacher in the 70s, he seemed a bit old to have been a school boy then. He said all the kids were into the Bay City Rollers, they were the cool band. There was however one person who bucked the trend because he was into Queen. A bit like me in 1992.

The people I knew who did like Queen were older people which makes sense given they were around before I was born. In another school assembly the Deputy Head said he liked Queen which wasn't something I wanted to hear. What really made me feel embarrassed to be a Queen fan though was learning the organ player at church liked Queen.

Aside from establishing that Queen were uncool, what really stopped Queen from being my favourite band was asking myself the question: Is Queens music better than Guns N Roses music? The answer was no and then I became a Guns N Roses fan instead. At the time I didn't consider it a possibility to like both, so I now hated Queen.

These days you can simply categorise Queen as being Classic Rock which is a generic term. They never really fitted any specific genre. You could just about say that "I Want It All" is hard rock, but follow up "Breakthru" certainly isn't. Given they never stuck to one style, their music is a mixed bag. 

As we entered 1993 and I was into the more modern rock music I started having piano lessons, well Guns N Roses do have Dizzy Reed. My teacher was the daughter of the church organ player who was maybe 18 or so. Turned out she was into the more modern rock music too, but this time I wasn't put off because she wasn't as uncool as one might expect a church organ players daughter to be. I think there's a lesson to be learned here.

Fat Bottomed Girls

 

A question I've been often asked in the last 20 years or so is "Why do you still buy CDs?". 

First we had the download era where you no longer needed a physical product clogging up your room and could have all the music you needed at the click of a button. You could even get it all for free if you knew where to look. Then for well over a decade we've been in an era where we can legally stream a music library much bigger than anyone's CD collection for free if we're happy to hear a few adverts, or for a small fee each month without adverts.

One big advantage of my big CD collection though is that it's guaranteed not to be altered by anyone in the name of "progression".

This is exactly what has happened to Queens greatest hits. The track "Fat Bottomed Girls" has now been removed because it's deemed too offensive for the 21st century.

When I was a kid I was a Queen fan. I had their greatest hits and remember being amused by "Fat Bottomed Girls". Never in a million years did I ever think it would be considered to be offensive though. What ultimately made me go off Queen in the end was when I started seeing it as uncool and music for old people. As I entered my teenage years I wanted to listen to music that offended old people. Now it seems to be the old people that are doing the offending whether they intended to or not.

I watched someone who backed the removal of the track give their point of view. They pointed out it was from the 70s, an era of Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter and we're now in the 21st century where its inappropriate for the kids to listen to material like this.

First of all what the hell has Jimmy Savile and Gary Glitter got to do with any Queen song? Secondly, is music of the 21st century so bad that we need to worry about them listening to music that came out even before some of their parents were born?

It's the latter point where the real issue lies. Yes I'm old enough to hate anything modern, but if anything needs changing it's the music that's coming out today.

There's a Disney actress turned cheesy pop singer called Olivia Rodrigo. I guess you could say she's the modern equivalent of someone like David Cassidy. Should be perfect for the kids of today to listen to.

I can't say I know an awful lot about her, but any song of hers that I've heard has a significant amount of swearing in it. I'm not offended by swearing, I listened to my fair share of music with swearing in as a youngster. I even wrote songs with swearing in them. I'm talking about bands like Guns n Roses and Rage Against the Machine, aggressive rock music not some Disney singer.

That's the point, it's these modern pop singers who make music that isn't appropriate for the kids of today to listen to, not a rock band from 45 years ago.

UK Number 40s: Queen - Backchat (1982)

 

We have reached the 100th record to peak at number 40. This is by the 38th act to have scored both a number 40 and a number 1.

Queen had topped the charts less than a year prior to this with "Under Pressure". They had also topped the albums chart with their greatest hits. However, their album "Hot Space" which both this single and "Under Pressure" are on is often referred to as their worst album.

This song along with their prior two singles, "Body Language" and "Las Palabras De Amor" weren't included on their second greatest hits album. The latter did get included on the third greatest hits album, but this one was still left out.

It was written by John Deacon and is rumoured to be a diss track towards Brian May. Their wasn't originally going to be a guitar solo on there either. It's highly unlikely John Deacon is going to confirm or deny it though.

Queen Singles Rated

After last weeks post about Queen I thought it would be a good idea to rate each of their UK Top 40 singles. I'm just going to look at the 39 hit singles prior to Freddie Mercury's death, which means 40 songs as it includes a double a side.

1. Seven Seas of Rhye
I saw a live performance of this before I heard the studio version. The live performance was great, the studio version less so but I still like it despite the dodgy ending.
Verdict - Good

2. Killer Queen
A bit cheesy in my opinion, but not a bad song.
Verdict - OK

3. Now I'm Here
Can't say this one has ever had an impact on me, sounds like its trying to be heavy without really being heavy, but I don't dislike it either.
Verdict - OK

4. Bohemian Rhapsody
I've often been critical of this song. It is nowhere near the best song ever, it's not as ground-breaking as it's made out to be. At the same time though it isn't a bad song, just not a great one. 
Verdict - OK

5. You're My Best Friend
Love the intro to this one, definitely one of their best ones and much better than its predecessor!
Verdict - Good

6. Somebody to Love
If we want to talk ground-breaking Queen songs look no further. This to me is a song that pulls into different directions whilst keeping you interested. It's nearly as long as Bohemian Rhapsody too. Love the backing vocals on this too.
Verdict - Good

7. Tie Your Mother Down
A bit like Now I'm Here, a bit of a filler song that's ok but nothing special.
Verdict - OK

8. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
The lead song from Queens First EP, this is rather cheesy but not bad enough to call crap
Verdict - OK

9. We Are the Champions
Nice little money maker here, get this played at the big sporting events and their set for life. I'm tempted to say this is crap, but its fun to sing along to.
Verdict - OK

10. Spread Your Wings
This is more like it, the second lowest charting Top 40 hit for them which reached number 40 is quite possible their best one.
Verdict - Good

11a. Bicycle Race
Maybe there's a message in there somewhere, but this is just silly and annoying.
Verdict - Rubbish

11aa. Fat Bottomed Girls
The other side is also silly and annoying, and a bit boring at the same time. Not for me.
Verdict - Rubbish

12. Don't Stop Me Now
Brian May apparently hates this song and I can see why. The fact I would hear this at pretty much every "Cheese Night" I went to in my student days says it all.
Verdict - Rubbish

13. Crazy Little Thing Called Love Even when I was a Queen fan I always hated this one. Just sounds like generic novelty 1950s crap.
Verdict - Rubbish

14. Save Me
An improvement over the last few hits, but a bit of a nothing filler song really.
Verdict - OK

15. Play the Game
It has it's moments, but not quite good enough to be considered good.
Verdict - OK

16. Another One Bites the Dust
It is basically a rip off of Good Times, but different enough to not be considered plagiarism. Still, I like it, good bass line and good sing-along music even if it did get played to death on the Gladiators in the 90s.
Verdict - Good

17. Flash
Can't say I like this one, this music just seems to repeat itself and the talking from the film is just irritating.
Verdict - Rubbish

18. Under Pressure
I remember hearing this for the first time and being particularly impressed with how the vocals came in. I do like the noises as opposed to words being sung throughout it too. This is definitely one of their better ones.
Verdict - Good

19. Body Language
When I was a Queen fan I didn't actually know this one as it never made it onto the Greatest Hits. I can see why, I think even the most die hard Queen fans think this is crap.
Verdict - Rubbish

20. Las Palabras De Amor
Another one which didn't make the Greatest Hits but I did know it when I was a Queen fan via some TV footage I'd seen. Can't say I like this one either.
Verdict - Rubbish

21. Backchat
This also didn't make the Greatest Hits so took a while for me to hear. This only just made the Top 40 but this was because it wasn't good enough rather than not commercial enough.
Verdict - Rubbish

22. Radio Gaga
Probably my least favourite Queen song of all time. I've never been able to tolerate this song, it's just awful.
Verdict - Rubbish

23. I Want to Break Free
A song that's better remembered for the video rather than the song itself. I quite like this song though, it has a certain groove to it.
Verdict - Good

24. It's A Hard Life
On paper this seems more of a filler, but I like it.
Verdict - Good

25. Hammer to Fall
This was one of my favourites back in the day, its dropped down the rankings since then but still good enough to be good.
Verdict - Good

26. Thank God Its Christmas
There are very few Christmas songs I can genuinely say I like and this is no exception. However its good to sing along to and as far as Christmas songs go it's one of the better ones.
Verdict - OK

27. One Vision
It has its moments, but just doesn't quite get there. Good build up to the intro, but that's about it.
Verdict - OK

28. A Kind of Magic
Can be a bit irritating but it's not too bad really.
Verdict - OK

29. Friends Will Be Friends
This was always one of my favourites and still is as far as Queen songs are concerned. I like the bit where he sings "its so easy now".
Verdict - Good

30. Who Wants to Live Forever
This is also one of the better ones, great build up and doesn't disappoint at the end.
Verdict - Good

31. I Want It All
Where it all began for me, good song. Once saw it on a karaoke list and decided to sing it, or should I say shout it. Unfortunately it wasn't available but the DJ offered me Bohemian Rhapsody instead... 
Verdict - Good

32. Breakthru
Not as good as I Want It All, but still good enough to be good. 
Verdict - Good

33. Invisible Man
A very odd one, but I like it. All about the groovy bass for me.
Verdict - Good

34. Scandal
This one never made the Greatest Hits but I remember it being a hit at the time. I like it.
Verdict - Good

35. The Miracle
Another good one, that's 7 in a row which I consider to be good. Seems like I discovered them at the right time.
Verdict - Good

36. Innuendo
Some say this is Bohemian Rhapsody part 2. I say this is miles better than Bohemian Rhapsody. They do seem to have gone for the same concept admittedly but I guess the "keep on trying" part of this is so much better than the "mama" part of Bohemian Rhapsody. 
Verdict - Good

37. I'm Going Slightly Mad
Big disappointment this one, the title suggests it should be much more than it is. Perhaps the most boring Queen song.
Verdict - Rubbish

38. Headlong
Can't say I like this one either.
Verdict - Rubbish

39. The Show Must Go On
I do like this one though, it had just left the charts when Freddie Mercury died so I must have considered this good enough to become a Queen fan for the next year or so.
Verdict - Good

So I consider 18 of the 40 hits to be good, 11 to be ok and 11 to be rubbish. That's not bad, take 40 random songs of anyone and there would be rubbish ones in there.

I've always found most bands/artists no matter how crap they are have at least one good song. To have 18 is quite an achievement. I guess the point is that they have a load of crap too, and its often the crap like "Don't Stop Me Now" which is celebrated rather than the good stuff like "Spread Your Wings".