| Gregsynth 02.05.2011 02:55 |
There's hundreds of them: I've seen songs from the Crazy Tour get mentioned, Live Aid, 1981 gigs, etc. The question is: What is Freddie Mercury's absolute best live vocal performance? In other words, if you had to show someone a live performance of Freddie, which would you pick? This is the song I nominate: This has to be the best version I've heard (and probably a top Freddie live vocal overall). |
| spandan 02.05.2011 07:58 |
For me it's "We are the Champions" at Hammersmith (26th December 1979). Just love the passion with which Freddie sings the song, particularly that part after he leaves the piano. |
| mooghead 02.05.2011 08:53 |
Gregsynth wrote: There's hundreds of them: I've seen songs from the Crazy Tour get mentioned, Live Aid, 1981 gigs, etc. The question is: What is Freddie Mercury's absolute best live vocal performance? In other words, if you had to show someone a live performance of Freddie, which would you pick? This is the song I nominate: This has to be the best version I've heard (and probably a top Freddie live vocal overall). I am lookin but I aint seein |
| kosimodo 02.05.2011 12:01 |
Yup, RGG, Live Aid 85. Best song of Live Aid. Band behind Him was great and in form to though!! |
| john bodega 02.05.2011 13:03 |
His last breath. |
| Over the Field 02.05.2011 13:18 |
We Are the Champions (Live Aid) and Bohemian Rhapsody (Rock Montreal) |
| Holly2003 02.05.2011 13:23 |
Don't know (or care) about technically greatest but Save Me from Milton Keynes is one of my favourites. |
| jamster1111 02.05.2011 16:17 |
I say either Radio Ga Ga from Live Aid or BoRhap from the Champions shoot. |
| koldweather123 03.05.2011 11:51 |
Hmmm a tough one!! Liar from Newcastle 1979 is immense... Somebody to love from Sao Paulo (amazing imrpvo opening, pretty much all the high notes, multiple C5's at the end) WATC from Live Aid--- I mean he gets the C5 PERFECTLY, nails the chrous parts and sounds downright beastly overall, plus its the setting, to have the guts to go for that High C is impressive in that context. Gaga is good...BUT there are a fair few versions out there that aren't that much worse then the Live Aid version...IMO there is no version even close to Live Aid's WATC... |
| Sith 03.05.2011 13:40 |
WOW, there are lots of faves for me. My Top 3 3. WATC at Live Aid 2. Bo Rhap Hammersmith (mainly for his passion) 1. Sombody To Love (From Rock Montreal) My favorite vocal improvs are after they performed White Man Live from Madison Square Garden Feb 5,1977 and Houston Dec 11, 1977 and his SCAT singing during the 1986 Budapest show. |
| Gregsynth 03.05.2011 19:41 |
Here's some other performances that could be nominees: -Save Me (Newcastle 1st night) -Need Your Loving Tonight (Oakland 1980) -Under Pressure from the first Montreal concert (Why Saul Swimmer threw that away blows my mind) -Back Chat from Leeds 1982 (Love the guitar solo + the vocals are ace) |
| jamster1111 03.05.2011 19:56 |
Gregsynth wrote: Here's some other performances that could be nominees: -Save Me (Newcastle 1st night) -Need Your Loving Tonight (Oakland 1980) -Under Pressure from the first Montreal concert (Why Saul Swimmer threw that away blows my mind) -Back Chat from Leeds 1982 (Love the guitar solo + the vocals are ace) And Somebody to Love from Rock In Rio first night. Flawless and full of passion. |
| Gregsynth 03.05.2011 20:54 |
That STL from Rio is the best version from the whole Tour! |
| smilebrian 11.05.2011 06:31 |
I always show Queen newbies Somebody To Love Montreal. Freddie just nails it, drives into the piano, out front just singing his lungs out. The band is right at their peak too, grooving hard. Awesome. |
| Gregsynth 13.05.2011 02:31 |
Somebody To Love seems to be one of those songs that everybody's gotta share to someone (it's one of those quintessential Freddie songs--along with Bo Rhap). There's so many good versions out there, it's hard to pick one! |
| Rick 13.05.2011 03:23 |
A Kind Of Magic, Leiden 1986 (first night). Magical. |
| Gregsynth 13.05.2011 11:56 |
Rick wrote: A Kind Of Magic, Leiden 1986 (first night). Magical. ================= Probably the best version live of that song! The 2nd Leiden is on par as well! |
| Rick 13.05.2011 14:07 |
Gregsynth wrote: Rick wrote: A Kind Of Magic, Leiden 1986 (first night). Magical. ================= Probably the best version live of that song! The 2nd Leiden is on par as well! -------------- Very true. Proud to be Dutch :P |
| Gregsynth 13.05.2011 16:45 |
Alot of Queen's best concerts were in Dutch countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, etc). Any show in Leiden was guaranteed to be superb! |
| john bodega 13.05.2011 22:05 |
"Alot of Queen's best concerts were in Dutch countries" What a waste! |
| Dusta 13.05.2011 22:49 |
I've got to go with the norm and cite the Montreal, "Save Me," and the MK, "Somebody To Love." Early versions of Liar were fairly impressive, as well, for me. |
| Rick 14.05.2011 08:11 |
Zebonka12 wrote: "Alot of Queen's best concerts were in Dutch countries" What a waste! --------------- Hey, watch it! ;-) |
| Gregsynth 27.07.2011 22:27 |
I'm restarting this. I still think that the Radio Ga Ga from Live Aid could be considered his best live vocal (or one of them). I've heard all the available versions from the Works and Magic tours--there's plenty of great ones--but at Live Aid, he totally nails the song: He sings it exactly like the record, does the correct phrasing, and doesn't "mute" parts of the "had your time" lines. If you guys can find one that could beat this one--I'm all ears--I just can't find it! Some really underrated performances are from the German Hot Space gigs (Hamburg, Kassel, Munich, etc). Freddie is very creative with his phrasing, and I never get tired of hearing those gigs. I actually find some of them to be better than the UK performances (Leeds, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, etc). |
| jamster1111 27.07.2011 22:33 |
Gregsynth wrote: I'm restarting this. I still think that the Radio Ga Ga from Live Aid could be considered his best live vocal (or one of them). I've heard all the available versions from the Works and Magic tours--there's plenty of great ones--but at Live Aid, he totally nails the song: He sings it exactly like the record, does the correct phrasing, and doesn't "mute" parts of the "had your time" lines. If you guys can find one that could beat this one--I'm all ears--I just can't find it! Some really underrated performances are from the German Hot Space gigs (Hamburg, Kassel, Munich, etc). Freddie is very creative with his phrasing, and I never get tired of hearing those gigs. I actually find some of them to be better than the UK performances (Leeds, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, etc). You really gotta add Bohemian Rhapsody from the Champions Shoot of 1977 and Dust from Montreal 1981 (the one from rock montreal). It's honestly the best performance of Dust and he has this precision in his voice that i've never heard him really have life before. |
| i-Fred 27.07.2011 23:39 |
... his first word |
| Gregsynth 28.07.2011 00:54 |
The champions shoot Bo Rhap is the best "medley" version from the 70s. I'll find a place on the live list for it. As for Montreal--as great as it is, I think there's a couple other versions that may edge it out (some Magic Tour versions, Brussels 1980, Vienna 1982), because Freddie's improv was more creative. Plus on the Magic Tour, Freddie always nailed that song well (even on his worst gigs). |
| frederick you are the one 30.07.2011 19:55 |
I agree with the topic's author... There are thousands of hundreds of really great performances, but there's one that particularly put my hair on end... link -- |
| frederick you are the one 30.07.2011 19:58 |
Oh, I don't know why the video is not open... But my favourite performance is in Rock in Rio 85 for Rock in Rio Blues. |
| CosmosTales 31.07.2011 17:44 |
Improvisations and Impromptus do not count :) |
| Queenfan2011 23.04.2016 16:22 |
Save Me, Queen Rock Montreal... Beautiful |
| MercuryArts 25.04.2016 14:59 |
I still say Somebody To Love from M K. I have been listening to that since I recorded it off MTV back in August 1983. I still think its the best representation of that song as well as Freddie's live performance. |
| Sue Dounim 27.04.2016 06:38 |
Somebody to Love in Milton Keynes 82. I legitimately shed a tear towards the end it was so good |
| 7cees 28.04.2016 14:12 |
I'd go with most of those... I like Son and Daughter from Rainbow. OK so maybe not the best "vocal" performance but I just like the rawness of it all... Also Save from Montreal... Worth watching the DVD/BLU-RAY with Audio Commentary and hearing what Brian and Roger think... |
| 7cees 28.04.2016 14:12 |
Save ME (Obviously) |