Haven't got access to a scanner at the moment but here's a set of 3 pics from my phone for now; I've had this article from new when I got the magazine and it's been languishing in my memorabilia and cuttings box ever since!
The article is from 'Making Music' magazine, issue 22 from Jan '88
This is very fascinating, as I believe that this article gave birth to the rumour that 'Heaven For Everyone' originated from the AKOM sessions, which is a logical inference if you consider the Joan Armatrading connection.
"There's no point in working full tilt at Queen. They've done a lot, so there's no point working at it."
And this just makes me sad. How many members of famous bands have spoken so disparagingly of their bandmates and progress, and ultimately the fans?
He might as well have said "Yeah, it's a cash cow so we just don't really care anymore." And this is a mere two years after Live Aid, when they were completely rejuvenated. Clearly it didn't last long.
And here he was trying to fill the void with an act that was no better than a bar band had he not been in it. It's news to me that he auditioned musicians - hundreds of them. And that's the best he could come up with?
It makes one wonder what would've happened to Queen had Mercury not fallen ill. It looks like they would've just kept making mediocre records and touring to pay the bills.
It's funny how people give Brian and Roger a hard time today. Queen were a business long before Mercury died.
Oh, to have a chat with John Deacon about this in, say, 1999.
"Aren't you worried that the record will be heard as just Queen playing around?"
"I don't care. It's my song and I'll do what I like with it."
Yup - and that's why the band went nowhere. He wanted a side project, but he couldn't get far enough from Queen because he knew it'd be nothing without it.
Kids, this is what happens when you become too big. You won't listen to anyone - just the yes men.
This is literally the most depressing music interview I've ever read.
He had given an interview with a a german magazine as well around that point.. In that he said that "Queen are too lazy" in his opinion...
Anyway... Thanks for this.
Thanks a lot, cmsdrums! Very interesting. Very revealling, indeed, but I think we need to read it with a pinch of salt. Roger hás always been a little blasé and also he felt he needed to promote The Cross.
On a side note, I just love an Android app called Cam Scanner. It almost made my table scanner obsolete.
Cheers,
Ogre-
Don't see the problem with what Rog is saying. The gap between AKOM and Miracle must be one of the longest between Queen albums. Similar to between HS and Works they had a lot of conflicting tastes and interests. Freddie did a fair bit of solo stuff during this period as well as Roger. The waited until they were ready to do proper Queen again.
AlbaNo1 wrote:
Don't see the problem with what Rog is saying. The gap between AKOM and Miracle must be one of the longest between Queen albums. Similar to between HS and Works they had a lot of conflicting tastes and interests. Freddie did a fair bit of solo stuff during this period as well as Roger. The waited until they were ready to do proper Queen again.
Of course.
But there's a difference between having other interests and declaring your main band a cash cow that no longer requires effort. He could've marketed his new band without the apathy.
But if this is him toning it down for the press, then one can only imagine how blase things had become by then.
Or it may have been Mercury calling the shots - now that he knew he was ill, perhaps he just wanted to do his opera album more than anything and the other band members felt a bit shot down?
The things we'll probably never know.
Interesting interview. It gives an insight into where his head was at the time, knowing that Queen were unlikely to ever tour again.. Cheers for sharing it.
moonie wrote:
Interesting interview. It gives an insight into where his head was at the time, knowing that Queen were unlikely to ever tour again..
Not sure if that's the case. Mercury certainly hadn't told the band about his condition yet.
Methinks they were just taking a break to do their own things.
Glad to see this being debated - as it was in a magazine sold to musicians it was not as widespread as the 'standard' music press, so I did think that it may not be overly common.
I can see why Roger would play down the importance of Queen and that he was far more hungry for his new band to be publicised and taken seriously, but it is stark to see his apathy and lack of warmth about 'the Mothership' down in black and white.
i think I still have my copy of that somewhere, at the time I was very sad about his comments about spending less time with Queen but in hindsight you can see that Freddie's situation had changed everything for the band.
i liked his comments about the Yamaha drums, but I still struggle to understand why he chose them? if they sounded rubbish unmic'd I'm surprised he went on to even test them mic'd for a whole tour, but I have to agree, yamaha kits do sound very dead compared to the old 70's Ludwig kits that just ring out and resonate, sadly newer Ludwig kits dont do the same, but I can see what he meant.
Everybody talks about how Live Aid revived Queen, but the "A Kind of Magic" album was not that good and the Magic tour was a struggle for all 4 members. Queen was popular, but the band was falling apart.
At the time of this interview with Roger the Miracle recording sessions hadn't started yet and the future of Queen was unclear.
Somewhere in '88 the band regrouped, soon they would discover they had limited time left together.