No double pedal here, just great coordination, an inventive mind and intuitive musicianship (who would have use a Motown style beat to a rock waltz?). People slag this song for other reasons but musically it is always great to listen to.
Cheers
Not sure if Roger ever used double kick in any Queen song. There was a double kick drum set up in I Want It All vid but no double kick in the song itself.
LOVE Sweet Lady!
br5946 wrote: Interesting thread, since Roger himself said the Sweet Lady tracks were some of the most difficult drumming parts he ever did in his whole career.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And it's great to point out that he could easily have settled for playing something simpler and not as effective or challenging, but wanted to push himself to play what was right for the song, no matter how tricky he may have found it.
If only he's kept that mentality for The Works and A Kind of Magic!!!!
I really doubt Brian composed that drumming.
I think each band member is more responsible for their respective instrument parts than you give them credit for.
Not really. Roger described that in fact it was a bit hard to understand Brian when he (Brian) explained to him (Roger) what he wanted.
All four being very professional and meticulous musicians, they were into every aspect of the songs they wrote.
Brian did not have the ability to play a lot of drum parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Brian did not have the ability to play a lot of bass parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Freddie did not have the ability to play a lot of drum parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Freddie did not have the ability to play a lot of bass parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Freddie did not have the ability to play a lot of guitar parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
John did not have the ability to play a lot of drum parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
John did not have the ability to play a lot of guitar parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
John did not have the ability to play a lot of vocal parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
John did not have the ability to play a lot of keyboard parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Roger did not have the ability to play a lot of guitar parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Roger did not have the ability to play a lot of bass parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Roger did not have the ability to play a lot of keyboard parts, but he did have the skills to compose them.
Agree with both Liam and Sebastian. No way Brian "composed" that part. Guided, sure, but his knowledge of drums wouldn't be enough to "compose" the bit Roger plays. Sort of like Freddie "composing" the drum parts for One Vision in the Magic Years doc. He's in effect producing that bit. He heard what he felt was right, and tried to get a performance out of Roger that suited both of them. Back then demos were probably done with a click track or nothing, but the author (if not Roger who could put down drums for demos) more than likely would say, "I see this bit really pushing it forward, aggressive hi-hat, double time bass drum etc. Brian wouldn't have sat down and handed Roger "composed" music and had him playing, so it's semantics, but we all like that around here :)
His knowledge of drums is not enough to play that part, but more than enough to compose it. Likewise, Brian cannot play clarinet, but he could compose a clarinet solo and get somebody else to play it.
In the vast majority of rock bands, each person tends to arrange what they play. Some exceptions: Beatles, Kansas, Eagles, Queen. I can and do score music for string sections, though I can't play violin, viola or cello. I can also write guitar, bass or piano parts that I can't play (i.e. are way above my skills as a performer) and I can also write vocal parts way beyond my abilities. So of course Brian May, who's a waaaaaaaay better composer/arranger than I am, can also write things he can't play for instruments he's not an expert performer on. Same for Freddie, John and Roger.
Of course any string or brass or woodwind instrument would be written in a standard musical notation, which musicians would understand if they could read. Since Queen didn't write their stuff out in standard musical notation, they could hum or play it, and Fred could say "although you don't play cello Brian, could you put a cello and violin line in Love of My Life", and Freddie could hum it, or Brian could play it. I have no belief that Brian has ever played drums, and drums are written in a different notation than other instruments. I think Brian said here's how I'd like it played, and Roger played it. If that's composing, that's composing. If it's not, it's not.
I don't know if Brian ever played drums, but even if he didn't, it doesn't mean he hasn't got the skills to compose a drum part. Likewise, he can easily compose a trumpet solo even if he's never played trumpet.
It does help a lot to compose for an instrument you're very skilful at, but it's not 100% necessary. Every single guitar note on the Aranjuez Concerto was composed by a person who never mastered the instrument himself.
CruellaDeVille wrote: No double pedal here, just great coordination, an inventive mind and intuitive musicianship (who would have use a Motown style beat to a rock waltz?). People slag this song for other reasons but musically it is always great to listen to.
Cheers
=====
I think that's debatable. Certainly, the song would be considerably less annoying with different lyrics, but I can't say I find the melody (for want of a better term, as there hardly is one) or the guitar parts the least bit interesting or pleasant to listen to. Interesting structurally or percussion-wise, perhaps, but I don't think its great instrumentally (which is what you meant by "musically", right?).
I don't get why people dislike Sweet Lady. The song has a fantastic hard rock riff, a good bass, fantastic drums, changing tempo, powerful singing from Freddie and good lyrics. The lyrics are classic rock n roll stuff.