Live Aid is probably the definitive version (at least vocally), but some excellent versions such as Stuttgart 1984, Tokyo 1985 (any of them), Vienna 1986 (1st Night), and Barcelona 1986 deserve some love!
Agreed that Live Aid is vocally, but I was always bemused by Brian putting those little 'twiddly' bits into the main riff through the first verse!
Budapest is good but Brian rather strangely doesn't play that elongated second solo and just plays the chords with Spike; that solo is great on Wembley!
One of those Q+PR gigs. Best way to present the song and it's depth was the way they did it that tour. I imagine Brian was thinking about its portrayal with the young audience and thinking "let's do this in a sing along style"...
Like others have said about preferring Brian's "fragile" treatment of TMLWKY ...HTF was better with the slow beginning
See..everyone has his opinions..thats great.
Greg my friend I love knebworth Hammer To Fall by how its mastery played..raw and heavy and extended.. Freddies voice isnt like Live Aid or Stutgart but only one thung my friend Greg that I must tell you is that if Freddie doesnt sing so well in that song it doesnt mean its crappy song and not on the list of very best.. I know you rate live queen songs by how Freddie sings not how the band played..
Now lets not make this post offence to you or anyonehere..
You are great and good person Greg with lots og bootlegs I listen..so youre cool dude to me... cheers
Mr.Mouth wrote: See..everyone has his opinions..thats great.
Greg my friend I love knebworth Hammer To Fall by how its mastery played..raw and heavy and extended.. Freddies voice isnt like Live Aid or Stutgart but only one thung my friend Greg that I must tell you is that if Freddie doesnt sing so well in that song it doesnt mean its crappy song and not on the list of very best.. I know you rate live queen songs by how Freddie sings not how the band played..
Now lets not make this post offence to you or anyonehere..
You are great and good person Greg with lots og bootlegs I listen..so youre cool dude to me... cheers
He doesn't sound bad on Knebworth's version at all! I just named a few versions off the top of my head that I've seen ranked highly!
The thing is, Roger and John pretty much always played perfectly, especially by that point in the band's career. It's only Freddie and Brian's performances (and Roger's vocals in a small way) that really impacted if a performance was great or not.
EDIT: Of course, Roger and John still had exceptional nights too
cmsdrums wrote:
Agreed that Live Aid is vocally, but I was always bemused by Brian putting those little 'twiddly' bits into the main riff through the first verse!
Budapest is good but Brian rather strangely doesn't play that elongated second solo and just plays the chords with Spike; that solo is great on Wembley!
Working from memory - I got those solos the wrong way round! (he plays the first solo on Budapest but not Wembley, but a killer second elongated one at Wembley but not Budapest!)
matt z wrote: One of those Q+PR gigs. Best way to present the song and it's depth was the way they did it that tour. I imagine Brian was thinking about its portrayal with the young audience and thinking "let's do this in a sing along style"...
Like others have said about preferring Brian's "fragile" treatment of TMLWKY ...HTF was better with the slow beginning
What in the hell means TMLWKY? Tell Mister Lonely We're Khan Yoko?!
Live Magic was the first live one I heard (actually, the first place I heard the song ever) so it's difficult not to think that's the definitive version for me. Same with pretty much all the tracks on there. Great album.
dysan wrote:
Live Magic was the first live one I heard (actually, the first place I heard the song ever) so it's difficult not to think that's the definitive version for me. Same with pretty much all the tracks on there. Great album.
From memory, that's the 12th July Wembley version?