QueenZone discussion #1429960
Comparing the Rainbow shows
| HighWideandHandsome 30.04.2015 18:45 |
At some time in the past few days, I made a point to listen to the two different versions of "Liar" from the Rainbow Theatre shows in March and November 1974 for the purpose of comparing them and finding which one I liked better (setting aside the pitch corrections made in the studio). I decided that even with the missing lyric in the March version ("from Mars to Mercury"), I preferred it over the November version, as it seemed much more energetic. The rendition in November, even with its extended improvisation (e.g. the "Great King Rat" reference), seemed to drag a bit, especially in the intro. So this got me thinking...what songs do you prefer from each of the Rainbow shows? I mean, of course, the songs that were played at both: "Father to Son", "Ogre Battle", "Son and Daughter", "White Queen", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll", "Jailhouse Rock", and "Liar". P.S. I am aware that the November release was a merge of the two nights' performances. |
| BETA215 30.04.2015 19:24 |
I prefer the March version of all the repeated songs. LOL |
| dysan 01.05.2015 01:41 |
Yeah I agree! |
| Biggus Dickus 01.05.2015 02:02 |
March concert has a great guitar sound, November concert not so much. Just listen to the first guitar chord coming in on Rhye. It sounds great and heavy, on November gig Brian's sound is just wrong imo. By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me. |
| master marathon runner 01.05.2015 02:36 |
Well there's folk who have posted here, claiming they knew of someone who caught the 74 tour and remember fairy feller being performed. |
| Viper 01.05.2015 03:19 |
I prefer from the March show: Father to Son, Seven Seas of Rhye, Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, Jailhouse Rock. the November show: White Queen, Keep Yourself Alive. I really don't care: Ogre Battle, Son and Daughter, Liar. I actually prefer November's show guitar sound. |
| Oscar J 01.05.2015 03:51 |
Definitely prefer the March versions of most of the songs. As has been said, the guitar sound is better, the mix is much less muddy, Freddie goes for more high notes with a less strained approach, and the band seems to be more "on it" that night in general. And I completely agree with November's Liar being slightly sluggish. |
| Nitroboy 01.05.2015 05:25 |
March wins everything in my book. |
| dysan 01.05.2015 05:50 |
When the guitar comes in, it sounds EXACTLY like Rebel Rebel that was actually in the charts at the time. Curious. |
| dysan 01.05.2015 05:50 |
(on Fairy Feller BTW) |
| cmsdrums 01.05.2015 07:09 |
Biggus Dickus wrote: March concert has a great guitar sound, November concert not so much. Just listen to the first guitar chord coming in on Rhye. It sounds great and heavy, on November gig Brian's sound is just wrong imo. By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me.Is that bit definitely Freddie, and not Roger caught somewhere between his low and high voices? |
| Mrmarioanonym 01.05.2015 08:20 |
I suspect the same about Fairy Feller. Hell, there could even be an alternate take edited in there. |
| hobbit in Rhye 01.05.2015 13:29 |
I prefer White Queen from November gig. Quite a beautiful piano track. It's not the same on any other date of White Queen. Or is it? |
| Chief Mouse 01.05.2015 13:44 |
I gotta say White Queen from March gig is amazing. I mean, the notes that Freddie went for and Brian's unique solo. |
| people on streets 01.05.2015 15:23 |
March |
| Oscar J 01.05.2015 16:28 |
March's White Queen is one of Queens best live performances ever in my book. Damnit, now I've got to listen to it again. |
| Jekaling 02.05.2015 00:04 |
I agree Fairy Feller doesnot fit. The vocals and the guitars sound so much different than all the other songs from this concert. Freddie's voice sounds too good. |
| Biggus Dickus 02.05.2015 03:10 |
cmsdrums wrote:It's Freddie alright.Biggus Dickus wrote: March concert has a great guitar sound, November concert not so much. Just listen to the first guitar chord coming in on Rhye. It sounds great and heavy, on November gig Brian's sound is just wrong imo. By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me.Is that bit definitely Freddie, and not Roger caught somewhere between his low and high voices? |
| tomchristie22 02.05.2015 09:19 |
Biggus Dickus wrote: By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me.To go as far as saying it's a studio creation is conspiracy theory level stuff - complete conjecture. More likely is that the falsetto phrase was just loudened, and perhaps doctored a bit, to compensate for it being fairly weakly delivered. EDIT: Plus, do you really believe Brian completely faked his whole introductory spiel - 'We'd like to do something for you which we don't often do - It's especially for you. This is off the second album ... features Freddie on jangle-box again. It's called the Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke'. Note also that the sonic quality of his voice & mic are exactly the same compared to him saying 'Do you like our new arrangement' after Great King Rat, about 10 seconds before he starts talking about FFMS. Furthermore, the piano on Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke shares the same sort of plasticky quality that it does for the entire March album, e.g. on Seven Seas of Rhye. Basically, everything about the recording and its consistency with the rest of the March concert shows that either you're wrong, or they made a precise and ridiculously extensive effort to make sure it sounded consistent. |
| tomchristie22 02.05.2015 09:20 |
White Queen from March > November, for sure. March version is absolutely inspired. |
| tomchristie22 02.05.2015 09:29 |
Jekaling wrote: I agree Fairy Feller doesnot fit. The vocals and the guitars sound so much different than all the other songs from this concert. Freddie's voice sounds too good.Freddie's voice doesn't sound too good by any means - well at least, where it does sound good, it also sounds distinctly doctored. His falsetto line is airy and fairly weak, and as we all know, his voice nearly cracks on 'ploughboy', masked by what's widely assumed to be a 2014 digital correction. All this isn't to say that he was singing badly on the night - on the contrary, it seems that he was soaring for most of it. But it simply can't be said that his lead vocal for Fairy Feller sounds too perfect to be true, with in mind that much of it's been refined in Pro Tools. Also, Freddie's voice, in terms of proximity, tonal quality, the shape his voice was in on that particular night, is utterly consistent based on comparison between Fairy Feller and the sections of White Queen where he's using the vocal mic at the piano. |
| The King Of Rhye 02.05.2015 10:38 |
tomchristie22 wrote:Exactly..........often the simplest explanation is the right one! (as with a lot of those 'conspiracy theories'........)Biggus Dickus wrote: By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me.................... Basically, everything about the recording and its consistency with the rest of the March concert shows that either you're wrong, or they made a precise and ridiculously extensive effort to make sure it sounded consistent. |
| Biggus Dickus 02.05.2015 12:18 |
tomchristie22 wrote:I've never said I believe it was recorded in soundcheck or in the studio. I've been reading other people raising those questions and asked if people on this forum have any evidence to prove one way or another.Biggus Dickus wrote: By the way, was it ever established if they really played Fairy Feller during the March gig, or was it just some soundcheck/studio creation? Freddie's falsetto delivery on the 2nd line of the verse sounds highly suspicious to me.To go as far as saying it's a studio creation is conspiracy theory level stuff - complete conjecture. More likely is that the falsetto phrase was just loudened, and perhaps doctored a bit, to compensate for it being fairly weakly delivered. EDIT: Plus, do you really believe Brian completely faked his whole introductory spiel - 'We'd like to do something for you which we don't often do - It's especially for you. This is off the second album ... features Freddie on jangle-box again. It's called the Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke'. Note also that the sonic quality of his voice & mic are exactly the same compared to him saying 'Do you like our new arrangement' after Great King Rat, about 10 seconds before he starts talking about FFMS. Furthermore, the piano on Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke shares the same sort of plasticky quality that it does for the entire March album, e.g. on Seven Seas of Rhye. Basically, everything about the recording and its consistency with the rest of the March concert shows that either you're wrong, or they made a precise and ridiculously extensive effort to make sure it sounded consistent. |
| Ale Solan 02.05.2015 20:43 |
The only evidence that Fairy Feller's it's a studio creation is sound itself. And sound tells me that it's absolutely live and taken from March's gig. Heavily doctored? Of course, like the rest of Queen live releases from scratch to now. |
| Ale Solan 02.05.2015 20:45 |
Or a complete audience recording from that nite which it never occured so far. |
| tomchristie22 03.05.2015 08:25 |
Biggus Dickus wrote: I've never said I believe it was recorded in soundcheck or in the studio. I've been reading other people raising those questions and asked if people on this forum have any evidence to prove one way or another.Point taken - I was mistaken to direct my retort at you. |
| Biggus Dickus 03.05.2015 08:33 |
tomchristie22 wrote:No problem. I only wish that the people who are involved with these releases will spill the beans one day.Biggus Dickus wrote: I've never said I believe it was recorded in soundcheck or in the studio. I've been reading other people raising those questions and asked if people on this forum have any evidence to prove one way or another.Point taken - I was mistaken to direct my retort at you. |
| Mrmarioanonym 04.05.2015 09:17 |
maybe they played it in concert and then heavily altered it for the release with little of the actual live performance remaining? |
| Ale Solan 04.05.2015 11:20 |
Mrmarioanonym wrote: maybe they played it in concert and then heavily altered it for the release with little of the actual live performance remaining?Why having the whole gig in excellent quality and only Fairy Feller's being "bad" quality in part? |