| Day dop 19.07.2011 21:53 |
I always find the start of 'Love is the hero' really impressive, along with a lot of the studio material from The Works album. I think his voice was at its best around this period too, or in the studio at least Although, this may sound odd, but - in contrast to that, his voice wasn't quite as great on The Works tour, and even the Magic tour as it was previously on the Hot space tour, or at the same time in the studio IMO - I think by the early to mid 80's, his voice had really developed in the studio.... more than the 70's - although I am probably more a fan of Queen's 70's material in general. The Game is a good track to display his singing ability I think, as well as Save me, as mentioned - Love is the hero, and then there's that higher note in The Show must go on - "...I've never given in.....The shooooooooooooooow.... (must go on)" .... although his voice on Innuendo at times, did sound a little lighter I thought - more apparent slightly later on songs like You don't fool me, Mother Love - NOT that I am complaining at all, hell no - he was still the most amazing singer even though he was incredibly ill, and it was wonderful of him to do so for us all. So please don't think I'd be complaining there. Also, the stuff from The Barcelona Album.... and I think - Was it all worth it - would also be another good show of his ability.... What do you think? I'm finding it hard to decide on a particular song, but yes - The Works would be my choice of album as a great example, followed by The Game... Have a banana. |
| Gregsynth 19.07.2011 22:52 |
A Kind Of Magic has to be one of Freddie's best vocal albums: He sounds amazing on every song, and some of the songs are often featured on the DDD Music Forum in his top 20 studio performances (Gimme The Prize and Who Wants To Live Forever are prime examples). In My Defense is awesome, and that intro on Love Is A Hero is orgasmic (gotta love that 7 second B4 sustain)! |
| Gregsynth 19.07.2011 22:55 |
I think The Show Must Go On has to be Freddie's best studio vocal: 1. Done in one take 2. Features awesome high note control and sustain 3. Excellent head voice singing 4. He was dying while doing all this The stuff from Barcelona (as well as the outtakes), is also highly acclaimed material. |
| mike hunt 20.07.2011 00:21 |
Queen as a band obviously the 70's, and freddie of course was already one of the best of his generation. I have to admit that he did get better in the studio in the 80's....The Game his voice was great....But overall, his voice peaks on Hot Space, he could do no wrong vocally on that album....The works his voice is good, but don't think the best. I must say that Hammer To Fall is one of the best vocal performces ever in a rock song. I was listening to Queen rocks the other Day, and Noticed a huge difference between his Vocals on Stone cold crazy/tie your mother down and Hammer To Fall. the older songs are better IMO, but his vocals are clearly stronger on Hammer To fall. Say what you will about A Kind Of Magic, but every song his voice is strong...amazing how Brian and roger went downhill musically at this point, but freddie was stronger than ever. One year of love is a great vocal performance. Barcelona might be his best vocally....Even better than Hot Space, and Mr. Bad Guy. Not crazy about his Miracle voice..... |
| Rick 20.07.2011 04:21 |
Don't Try So Hard. The falsettos are amazing, especially the ending gives me shivers. |
| aber 20.07.2011 04:35 |
Guide Me Home _ How Can I Go On (Alternate Version) from Solo Collection - link |
| malicedoom 20.07.2011 09:41 |
For me, The Show Must Go On. |
| tcc 20.07.2011 09:56 |
I remember one expert's verdict is Don't Stop Me Now. |
| Day dop 20.07.2011 10:21 |
That's an amazing tune, also - How can I go on. |
| brENsKi 20.07.2011 10:47 |
somebody to love nevermore my melancholy blues |
| Wijnand 20.07.2011 14:02 |
abercjusz1 wrote: Guide Me Home _ How Can I Go On (Alternate Version) from Solo Collection - link Listened to this last week.... shivers everywhere.... AMAZING! |
| jamster1111 20.07.2011 23:52 |
Bohemian Rhapsody and Somebody to Love. Not just because they are hits but because of the amount of emotion put into them. |
| LAP 21.07.2011 01:23 |
In the 80's...'I wan't it All' hands down, pure aggression and the rumble in his tone is very heavy! Similiar to Roger Daltrey however, Mercury just demonstrates the so many styles he was capable of mastering! |
| dysan 21.07.2011 09:58 |
Cool Cat |
| Silken 21.07.2011 10:29 |
Another One Bites The Dust is quite impressive. |
| malicedoom 21.07.2011 10:43 |
I love the fact there are so many different replies to this question. And it's easy to see (well, hear) why... |
| Djdownsy 22.07.2011 16:37 |
'In My Defense' for me. I mean, come on people, he achieved that in ONE TAKE!! |
| Thistle 22.07.2011 17:27 |
I love the beginning of "Rock It" and also a lot of his vocals on the AKOM LP.....but have to agree, songs like "In My Defence" and "The Show Must Go On" are among his best. Let's not forget "Mother Love" either! |
| Fat Bottomed Queen 11.09.2015 17:28 |
"Yeah". |
| Estranged 11.09.2015 17:29 |
The Golden Boy. |
| TheAdmiester 11.09.2015 18:08 |
Gregsynth wrote: I think The Show Must Go On has to be Freddie's best studio vocal: 1. Done in one take 2. Features awesome high note control and sustain 3. Excellent head voice singing 4. He was dying while doing all this The stuff from Barcelona (as well as the outtakes), is also highly acclaimed material.I agree that TSMGO was a fantastic performance in every way, but was the final version really one take? There's a point in the second verse where it sounds like a clear cut between two different takes. I suppose it's entirely possible (and still technically holding the truth) that he did multiple "one take takes" and they edited between the best bits, but it does sound like there's a cut. |
| Sebastian 11.09.2015 21:02 |
No, not one take. I think the confusion stems from a (mis?)quote where it was implied that had been the case for the middle-eight, and then it was assumed the rest of the song had also been one take and it became part of pop-cultural osmosis, just like the 14 times Kenny allegedly played Bo Rhap... you know, the song with 180 vocal overdubs which happened to have been the first music video and which was edited down from a much longer version and for which recording sessions began on the 24th of August... except that absolutely none of that was actually that way. |
| t3eh3e 12.09.2015 00:18 |
How Can I Go On (Alternative Version) The Show Must Go on as well... |
| miraclesteinway 12.09.2015 11:13 |
The show must go on is an awesome vocal, so is Mother Love, so is Winter's Tale. So is Killer Queen though - it's so beautifully seductive, and so effortless - these notes he just floats up to, and his use of falsetto, and the way he floats between that and his normal register without so much as flinching. You're My Best Friend is an equally beautiful vocal - those top Cs, even the notes over the break seem very smooth. A Night At The Opera when I think about it, has some of the most beautiful sounding Freddie vocals - not necessarily his most macho sounding, nor his most stadium-esque powerful, but this is him at his purest I think. The Game is a stunning example too, everything about the album is pretty slick and his singing is wonderful. The opening to Rock It and the opening to Love is the Hero are quite similar in some ways and gives us a good comparison between the two time spots in his life. For me though, the piece de resistance with Freddie's vocal, is In My Defence. Really, though there are very few things that Freddie sings in the studio where is vocal is not good. I find it hard to pinpoint something. Yes, there are some bad songs, but the vocals are usually on point. I would say the only time I think he is vocally week in the studio is in Made In Heaven. The song doesn't show him at his best, and I think there's something funny about the key it's in, I think he could have dropped it a semitone down, or composed it in such a way as to have had fewer of the top A-flats which start to grate on me a little. I mean, I couldn't sing it - I'm comparing a good performance to great performances by the same singer here. |
| Gregsynth 12.09.2015 11:47 |
Sebastian wrote: No, not one take. I think the confusion stems from a (mis?)quote where it was implied that had been the case for the middle-eight, and then it was assumed the rest of the song had also been one take and it became part of pop-cultural osmosis, just like the 14 times Kenny allegedly played Bo Rhap... you know, the song with 180 vocal overdubs which happened to have been the first music video and which was edited down from a much longer version and for which recording sessions began on the 24th of August... except that absolutely none of that was actually that way. Was this the quote? link From the way it was written - it looks like a double meaning. Like just the middle eight was one take or the whole song. |
| Oscar J 12.09.2015 12:40 |
link Somebody To Love might be his best vocal performance, all things considered. It has everything - lots of falsetto, and full voice singing ranging from airy to soaring and with that fantastic ring and resonance he had in his high notes in the mid/late 70's. And then the performance, the delivery itself is just so much more charismatic than anything he'd go on to do in the 80's. Sure, he did some great singing in his last years as well, but theres often this nasal tone to his voice. Barcelona has some insane singing, but I just can't stand how strained some of his closed vowels sounded, especially the "oohs" as in "you". |
| Gregsynth 12.09.2015 12:49 |
Oscar J wrote: Barcelona has some insane singing, but I just can't stand how strained some of his closed vowels sounded, especially the "oohs" as in "you". That's definitely done on purpose - he uses stylistic distortion throughout his career (It's Late has it as well) for effect. If you want non-distorted short vowels - Hot Space has tons of them (like that long D5 on Staying Power). |
| Chief Mouse 12.09.2015 13:40 |
Gregsynth wrote:Oscar J wrote: Barcelona has some insane singing, but I just can't stand how strained some of his closed vowels sounded, especially the "oohs" as in "you".That's definitely done on purpose - he uses stylistic distortion throughout his career (It's Late has it as well) for effect. If you want non-distorted short vowels - Hot Space has tons of them (like that long D5 on Staying Power). I also think so. And to be honest, I like it. |
| Gregsynth 12.09.2015 13:45 |
Chief Mouse wrote:Gregsynth wrote:I also think so. And to be honest, I like it.Oscar J wrote: Barcelona has some insane singing, but I just can't stand how strained some of his closed vowels sounded, especially the "oohs" as in "you".That's definitely done on purpose - he uses stylistic distortion throughout his career (It's Late has it as well) for effect. If you want non-distorted short vowels - Hot Space has tons of them (like that long D5 on Staying Power). I like it as well - although I can understand if some people aren't a fan of that style. |
| Oscar J 12.09.2015 15:31 |
Yup, Hot Space has really good ones! But can you find any examples from 1985 - 1989? I think his voice in Hot Space still sounded quite youthful compared to Barcelona. It's not that I don't like distorsion. It's that slightly nasal sounding strain I can't dig. He sounds like an old man with a sore throat. |
| Costa86 12.09.2015 16:39 |
The Show Must Go On, Barcelona, Mother Love, Somebody To Love and Don't Try So Hard are the obvious contenders. There are a few less obvious ones, like Who Wants To Live Forever - the "oh oo woh, when love must die" part is spine chilling. |
| Invisible Woman 20.06.2017 04:45 |
Killer Queen,Great Pretender,The show must go one,Love kills... |
| dysan 20.06.2017 06:45 |
Another vote for Hot Space. Cool Cat is just nuts. |
| cmsdrums 20.06.2017 06:47 |
You Take My Breath Away, Cool Cat, Somebody to Love, Let's turn It On...... |
| craigob11 20.06.2017 11:12 |
Flick of the Wrist Liar March of the Black Queen It's Late Mustapha Jealousy...to name a few. |