Perhaps the worst version of all time...yes worse than 4/25!! If you think that's there a version which sounds worse than this, please let me know!!!! Poor Freddie, though...But everyone has off days. link
4/28 and 4/30 are even worse! This has the absolute worst tone though! It also doesn't help if you a strained voice trying to go for G4s!
4/28 has random cracks to the 6th octave (and his voice gives out throughout), and 4/30 has the worst 1st and 2nd verse!
Check out 5/1 also (funny version as well)!
ALL ARE BAD!
I'm sorry Greg. I've agreed with you on many things, and I've disagreed with you on many things. And some of those things you've actually changed my mind on but this I'll refuse to agree with. I don't see how anyone can find 4/28 worse than 4/23. Just because John plays one wrong note and Freddie hits some "squeal" notes in the second verse it does not beat the harshness, roughness, soarness, cracks, straining, and note choices on 4/23. Have you ever heard the rock section and the ending? The rock section may tie with 4/25 but the ending is by far the worst ending I've ever heard of all time. At least at 4/28 he has more tone doesn't sound like someone raped his throat. On this song for 4/23 his voice has no tone and strained plus he cracks, drops notes, and airs them. It's like 4/28 and 4/30 but in every way worse .
To me the only thing I can see that is worse about 4/28 is the "life had just begun", but that's about it. The only worse at 4/30 is John Deacon's performance. Even if you don't just look at tone, 4/23 has the worst cracks ever at the end!!!
I can see why you think 4/23 is the worst: His tone is GONE (it's worse than 5/1 on this song), he strains to hit lower 4th octave notes, and the rock section is probably the worst on this tour (yes it's worse than 4/30). However, I look at each song on a technical analysis level (that includes phrasing, intonation, vocal shape, tone, breath support, note choices, etc): Here's my analysis:
4/23: He strains to hit the notes, has bad cracks at the end, tone is shot, but at least he TRIES to stay on key (unlike the other versions), and Freddie doesn't stop singing in the middle of phrases.
4/28: His tone is actually better, and goes for lower notes (which is better for this tour). That's the only GOOD things! On that version, he cracks to random 5th and 6th octave notes, actually hits multiple notes at the same time, and his voice gives out in the middle of sung words. The rock section is also BAD!
4/30: This is technically the worst. His tone is intact--that's it! Everything else is worse. He SQUEALS to 6th octave notes, cracks all the notes on the 1st verse, his voice gives out in the second verse, and he actually hits wrong notes, or "in-betweeners" (these are half a semitone off from actual notes). It also doesn't help that each member of the band screws up in someway on their instrument (another minus). The rock section is not as bad as some of the other versions--but even that can't save the song.
At face value (or to a causal listener), versions like 4/23 and 4/25 are probably worse (his tone mostly answers that), but to someone who pays attention to everything (and often overdoes it), and has listened to every single version of the song to compare, you'll find that 4/28 and 4/30 have more wrongness about them.
In my opinion, 4/25 gig sounds to me the worst from the tour. Freddie's voice is hell awful. It probably was the reason why they removed Love Of My Life from the setlist on that night.
Lostman wrote: In my opinion, 4/25 gig sounds to me the worst from the tour. Freddie's voice is hell awful. It probably was the reason why they removed Love Of My Life from the setlist on that night.
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Least at 4/25, he's on key! Check out 5/1/1979! That gig makes 4/25 sound like Newcastle 1979 (no joke)!
Gregsynth wrote: Lostman wrote: In my opinion, 4/25 gig sounds to me the worst from the tour. Freddie's voice is hell awful. It probably was the reason why they removed Love Of My Life from the setlist on that night.
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Least at 4/25, he's on key! Check out 5/1/1979! That gig makes 4/25 sound like Newcastle 1979 (no joke)!
Excuse me? How does 5/1 make 4/25 sound like Newcastle? His tone is ten times better at 5/1 and at least he sounds like Freddie and not like his vocal cords were raped.