QueenZone discussion #1327870

Sam99 wrote: Thanks for reply guys, much appreciated. Always thought Montreal version sounded good, is it overdubbed?

Gregsynth wrote: link This is the definitive version. This version is about as close to the studio version as we're going to get (unless new recordings surface). Freddie aces the vocals (including hitting the B4 on "Ohhhhh Save Me"), and he nails the song's soft tone. The only real fault with this version is that John Deacon flubs one bass note! Montreal's is good, but Freddie doesn't use the vocal dynamics as well (he doesn't sing soft as much), and he nearly forgets the lyrics (though he does recover by speaking through them)!

Holly2003 wrote:

Gregsynth wrote: link This is the definitive version. This version is about as close to the studio version as we're going to get (unless new recordings surface). Freddie aces the vocals (including hitting the B4 on "Ohhhhh Save Me"), and he nails the song's soft tone. The only real fault with this version is that John Deacon flubs one bass note! Montreal's is good, but Freddie doesn't use the vocal dynamics as well (he doesn't sing soft as much), and he nearly forgets the lyrics (though he does recover by speaking through them)!

Being close to the studio version isn't necessarily how I define a good live version of a song. Queen did some interesting variations on stage of songs like Dreamers Ball and 39, for example.

Gregsynth wrote: Then you'll get songs like "Now I'm Here" where the studio version PALES to the live versions from the Crazy Tour-onwards (the song sounds much more energetic, and Freddie sings the song with that awesome developed voice). The versions from the early tours (Sheer Heart Attack, Opera, etc) do sound close to the record version--but it comes off as boring live (since the song was too slow, and Freddie sang it very "bland").

Gregsynth wrote: "In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited" didn't work live from 1975-1977 (because Freddie didn't hit the falsetto, sang it blandly, and the band harmonies weren't always clean), but the song sounded so much better on the Magic Tour (because Freddie sang the song properly and the harmonies were tighter). .

tomchristie22 wrote:

Gregsynth wrote: Then you'll get songs like "Now I'm Here" where the studio version PALES to the live versions from the Crazy Tour-onwards (the song sounds much more energetic, and Freddie sings the song with that awesome developed voice). The versions from the early tours (Sheer Heart Attack, Opera, etc) do sound close to the record version--but it comes off as boring live (since the song was too slow, and Freddie sang it very "bland").

I have to disagree here - I think the earlier live versions of Now I'm Here were more melodious, and paid more attention to the vocal harmonies, which were largely omitted completely for later versions. The versions from roughly 79-86 seem fast paced to the point where they sound rushed to me, and the melodic intricacies of the song are lost in favour of mindless chugging a la Sheer Heart Attack, which, for me, makes the later version more bland, and the early version more layered and colourful. Of course that's just me, and that isn't to say I don't like both renditions of the song, I just prefer one to the other.

Gregsynth wrote: "In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited" didn't work live from 1975-1977 (because Freddie didn't hit the falsetto, sang it blandly, and the band harmonies weren't always clean), but the song sounded so much better on the Magic Tour (because Freddie sang the song properly and the harmonies were tighter). .

In that sense the Magic Tour version was a great improvement of the 75-77 versions, but it was ruined for me by the fact that Freddie didn't play the piano part and they went straight to the 'whoah whoah lalala' coda after the first verse, which omits a whole first chorus and second verse (the second verse being my favourite part of the song). Sorry to spend an entire post in disagreement.

Sam99 wrote: As far as I know, this should be the same version that's on youtube: link Sorry to be a pain, but the link doesn't work for some reason, can anyone advise me how to work this?

master marathon runner wrote: While we're on the subject, here's my photo of Brian, at Newcastle City Hall on 4th December '79, playing piano after introducing 'Save Me' as the next single. Great memories! Bonus feature: One of Wor Freddie as well.

Mr.QueenFan wrote: Can ou share the video too? :-)

tomchristie22 wrote: Ah, I completely forgot he joins in on the piano later into the song. I should really have known that since I saw Budapest recently.. My mistake! That's all just my opinion anyway, and yours is probably much more qualified, with you being more knowledgeable with this than I am. I also forgot about the vocal improv being part of Now I'm Here, can't go wrong with that.

Sam99 wrote: As far as I know, this should be the same version that's on youtube: link Sorry to be a pain, but the link doesn't work for some reason, can anyone advise me how to work this?

Yeah, it's giving me server errors too when I try to follow links on here. Copying it into the address bar should work fine though.

Q NUT wrote:

Mr.QueenFan wrote: Can ou share the video too? :-)

Does he really have video of Newcastle 79?

tomchristie22 wrote: Montreal '81 - Brian plays piano for the first portion of the song then switches to electric guitar. Brian electric guitar and Freddie piano in the first instrumental break.link Milton Keynes '82 - Morgan Fisher plays piano throughout, Brian plays electric guitar throughout. First instrumental break has the synth and clean guitar part, which is much closer to the studio version.link

tomchristie22 wrote: Montreal '81 - Brian plays piano for the first portion of the song then switches to electric guitar. Brian electric guitar and Freddie piano in the first instrumental break.link Milton Keynes '82 - Morgan Fisher plays piano throughout, Brian plays electric guitar throughout. First instrumental break has the synth and clean guitar part, which is much closer to the studio version.link