| musicland munich 31.05.2015 00:36 |
Seriously I wouldn't give much about that song without Brian's lovely guitar play on it. Was it in danger of beeing dropped from "The Works " ? A more raw version of that song without Bri and his RS, would have been more suitable with one of Freddie's half-baked Solo efforts in my opinion. |
| tomchristie22 31.05.2015 01:44 |
The guitar is a big part of its beauty, but I imagine Freddie had written that sweeping middle section before Brian did the guitars for it - he might have even arranged the guitar lines, as he did for Bo Rhap. I think it would still be a good song, but those guitar sections are definitely the best thing about it. The chorus melodies are far from Freddie's best. |
| Estranged 31.05.2015 06:40 |
While the guitar tracks are indeed stellar, It' a Hard Life is still my favorite song from The Works and clearly in my top 10 80s songs. |
| Oscar J 31.05.2015 06:49 |
Boring song with cringeworthy lyrics. Only good thing about it, the intro, is apparently ripped off from a piece in Pagliacci. |
| RafaelS 31.05.2015 06:50 |
The beautiful lyrics of that song are somehow "eclipsed" by the video that was made for that song. Of course the solo is a plus value in the song but I don't think it "rescued" the song. It's a total package, but the video ruins the song. |
| Estranged 31.05.2015 09:00 |
I think the intro IS what ruins the song. Awful, cringeworthy, nearly dissonant. |
| MercurialFreddie 31.05.2015 09:07 |
It's one of the best and most recognized Queen ballads, hell, even Love Of My Life (which I rank higher than IAHL) seems to be forgotten when compared to It's A Hard Life. It's one of those tracks on The Works to which every band member contributed. John suggested the intro (from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci), I suppose that Freddie built the melody around the theme and generally composed and built in piano part and that specific piano theme before the guitar solo is one of a kind. I reckon that Freddie and Brian both worked on the intertwined parts of piano and guitar. Roger added nice drums here and there. It is sad that live arrangement had synths while the piano was lower in the live mix. In my opinion it made the track less "serious" and took away some of it's grandness. Overall, the song has Freddie signature all over it. One could say that the track is very Freddie (as Brian says when he use "Freddie" as an adjective). |
| Martin Packer 31.05.2015 09:07 |
He did it to set the tone that "this is opera" even though it isn't really. |
| mooghead 31.05.2015 09:45 |
Forget the stupid video and take away the ridiculous overblown beginning and imagine it starting with just the piano and it is a brilliant song. Brian's guitar compliments the song, it doesn't make the song. The best track from The Works by far. |
| Biggus Dickus 31.05.2015 09:47 |
I love the track and Brian's solo in it is one of his best. |
| noorie 31.05.2015 10:58 |
Brian's solo has more of the grandeur of classical music, so I think perhaps Freddie may have had a major part in the arrangement. |
| musicland munich 31.05.2015 11:01 |
RafaelS wrote: ..., but the video ruins the song.^ How is that possible when you listen to it on your CD Player or Vinyl ? |
| mooghead 31.05.2015 11:28 |
musicland munich wrote:The song brings up images of prawns.......RafaelS wrote: ..., but the video ruins the song.^ How is that possible when you listen to it on your CD Player or Vinyl ? |
| people on streets 31.05.2015 12:22 |
I've always liked the lyrics of the song. |
| CPL593h 31.05.2015 13:06 |
It's A Hard Life is maybe the only good and "classic Queen" track on The Works, featuring real instruments, quality singing and arrangements and... piano like it's the 70's! I don't give a sh*t if the video is bad. It looks OK to me, I don't care about videos, i grew tired of all this visual. If I was that much into videos, Katy Perry would probably be my favourite artist of all times. It's A Hard Life is a gem on an otherwise really poor album. As MercurialFreddie said, it's "very Freddie" and so is the guitar solo. So to answer the original question, I don't think Brian's guitar rescued the song because 1. it doesn't need any rescue and 2. it's one of these pieces where you can hear that Freddie composed the whole song, guitar part included. Of course, Brian is a virtuoso of extraordinary talent, but on this track, he gives his talent to Freddie's composition. The only really bad thing about this song is that it had to live with Tear It Up and Man On The Prowl as direct neighbours. Wow... I just wrote lines in the defence of a Works track! |
| Chief Mouse 31.05.2015 15:44 |
Here Brian talks about the solo a bit. For those interested - https://youtu.be/wkhmDEKeaBU?t=27m29s . |
| luthorn 31.05.2015 19:31 |
i like it better than Love of My Life and Is This the World We Created. can't fucking stand those two songs and always skip it on live recordings. |
| Pingfah 01.06.2015 05:18 |
I think this is a great tune, for me it was always the last song they did to have that epic 70s classic rock sound. |
| KJ 01.06.2015 05:25 |
The intro is wonderful, very dramatic. What follows is a slighty better than average song. And the video....I used to hate it but now I can appreciate it. It is like Fred arranged it all, including the costums for Brian, Roger and John. He probably laughed for hours when they got out their dressing rooms. |
| Martin Packer 01.06.2015 08:54 |
I wonder if John suggested this opera piece to impress his "mentor" and Freddie, flattered, couldn't say no. |
| Oscar J 01.06.2015 09:19 |
I'll tell ya one song rescued by its guitar solo: "Dancer". |
| hobbit in Rhye 01.06.2015 14:48 |
Dancer, checked. I can think of several other songs rescued by Brian's guitar (solo or rhythm), in my very own opinion: Back Chat, A Kind of Magic, You're My Best Friend, Friends Will Be Friends (and any other Friend that John can come up with), I Want To Break Free, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race,... And to a certain extend, We Will Rock You. Don't take me wrong, the verses are fresh and tight on their own, but without the guitar solo coming out of nowhere raising the song to another level, it wouldn't probably have been that popular. Actually it'd be nice to have a new thread about Which songs are rescued by the guitar? Which songs are rescue by the vocal? (One Year of Love) Which songs are rescue by the piano? Which songs are rescue by the drum? Which songs are rescue by the bass? etc. |
| k-m 01.06.2015 15:36 |
A potentially interesting topic there ^ Anyway, no Brian did not rescue it, because it never needed rescuing. A very nice, heartfelt ballad, possibly the last with that "classic Queen" sound , as many pointed above. "Dancer" is a much better example of a song rescued by the guitar... It certainly comes to life once the Red Special kicks in. |
| tomchristie22 02.06.2015 08:18 |
I was perhaps too harsh on Hard Life earlier. I do like the lyrics in the sense of the character arc that's present. Queen songs tend to be brilliant in that sense - unlike plenty of pop songs, they capture a progression rather than a single feeling or impression. Granted, 'It's a hard life to be true lovers together, to love and live forever in each others hearts' isn't Freddie's best lyricism, but it still works out nicely when it's wrapped up at the end - 'But I'll always live for tomorrow - I'll look back on myself and say I did it for love'. The simple, perhaps cliched lyrics shimmer with the hopefulness and resolution that the song's conveying at that point. But yeah, that middle section, largely guitar driven, elevates the song tremendously. Without it, Hard Life would be much like a less musically beautiful Play the Game, in my view. |
| Viper 02.06.2015 10:36 |
the song is great in itself! |
| Martin Packer 02.06.2015 15:08 |
"true" or "two"? I always heard it as "two". But I like it anyway. |
| KJ 02.06.2015 15:08 |
in the Hard Life video at 3:38, he has a little evil smile where he says "fuck you all, I want this video" |
| tomchristie22 02.06.2015 18:21 |
I just assumed it was 'true'. The Works 2011 remaster's booklet says 'true', also. |
| Martin Packer 03.06.2015 04:36 |
You're probably right. Not sure whether Freddie's lyrics are necessarily supposed to make sense. :-) |
| ggo1 03.06.2015 10:48 |
I like Its a Hard Life, and I absolutely love the 12" Mix where the backing vox are brought to the front like a vocal solo. Queens 12" mixes off The Works were quite bland, but It's a Hard Life they gave an extra dimension. |
| liam 09.06.2015 04:37 |
Brian rescued YMBF...what a joke. One of Queen's most beautifully produced songs, absolutely love it. |
| matt z 09.06.2015 23:23 |
hobbit in Rhye wrote: Dancer, checked. I can think of several other songs rescued by Brian's guitar (solo or rhythm), in my very own opinion: Back Chat, A Kind of Magic, You're My Best Friend, Friends Will Be Friends (and any other Friend that John can come up with), I Want To Break Free, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race,... And to a certain extend, We Will Rock You. Don't take me wrong, the verses are fresh and tight on their own, but without the guitar solo coming out of nowhere raising the song to another level, it wouldn't probably have been that popular. Actually it'd be nice to have a new thread about Which songs are rescued by the guitar? Which songs are rescue by the vocal? (One Year of Love) Which songs are rescue by the piano? Which songs are rescue by the drum? Which songs are rescue by the bass? etc.To a certain EXTENT no. First of all. .. I WANT TO BREAK FREE = FRED MANDEL on the KEYBOARD solo. WWRY isn't rescued neither is YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND. other songs can be nearly rescued in that enhance it in quite extraordinary ways. You don't Fool Me is a good hook. It's a great delivery but it's ENHANCED incredibly by Brian's solo. Same for RAIN MUST FALL. But friends will be friends. .mm it's not much without Brian .... not just talking about the solo. Dunno where ya get that a FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS is dependent upon Brian's solo. That's ludicrous |