| splicksplack 01.04.2018 02:06 |
There doesn't seem to be much in the way of decent topics on here recently. Is everyone bored? Maybe we're reaching saturation point? The Q+AL gigs don't get many favourable reviews from original Queen fans, the product from QPL is, at best, dissapointing and there's precious little chance that QPL will release anything that won't earn them a great deal of money. Not so long ago there was still a lot of excitement about potential releases. But with so many 'no-shows' (e.g. where's the film, dropping the DVD Audio project, no sign of WWRY Musical 2, where's the Greg and Gary updated live book, no live re-masters etc, etc.) and blatant rip offs (NOTW box, Q On Air with 3 discs of radio interview), I think it is quite clear that QOL have actively DROPPED the real fans. They focus now purely on the general public. So what we believed to be something special, a band whose music, image and presentation we supported and loved has become primarily a big money making machine with no reciprocal loyalty to those who lifted them up. What now presents itself as 'Queen' is devoid of any artistry, integrity or loyalty to it's original bedrock of fans. |
| Jekaling 01.04.2018 04:50 |
Well said. |
| Kamenliter 01.04.2018 07:06 |
There have certainly been disappointments over the last few years, for sure, but there have been many great releases associated with the band in recent times, as well. Many long time Queen fans have enjoyed the Queen + Adam Lambert shows. I'd rather have them than nothing. Brian and Roger sound great and are having a terrific time, and that's awesome. They have brought the music to a new generation of fans, not to mention old time fans. It's still a thrill for me to see them in an arena that is singing along to Love Of My Life, with Brian at the foot of the stage. It's incredible to see, especially in the USA. Yes, they could have had a more varied setlist and I was very sad to see that Spread Your Wings and It's Late were dropped so early in the tour. That was a big let down, but we still got to see a great show. The NOTW box was disappointing in that it didn't include any video and/or a live show. That was a missed opportunity, for sure, but the Raw Sessions CD is AMAZING. Easily the greatest thing they have released in many, many years. It's frickin' incredible!! The rest of the box is very nicely put together. The book is cool, but I would have liked to see more text. Compared to box sets from some other bands, the contents are skimpy for the price..but that Raw Sessions disc....man it's great. Brian's Queen in 3D book is gorgeous. It features tons of unseen photos plus lots of text, straight from the doctor's mouth (mind?). A must have for any diehard Queen fan. The Queen Monopoly set is an interesting curio. It's very well put together and I think it's neat that it's out there. I haven't yet played it; I plan to meet up with some friends this Summer for a round or two. A shame, though, that it wasn't released in the US. On Air should have had the complete versions of the live shows it contains...but I think the idea of having a few discs of interviews is very cool. I've always loved interviews and collected many, alongside live shows over the years, so having this collection was nice. The only issue, really, was the edited versions of the live portions. 40 Years Of Queen - a terrific book from a few years back. Another must have as as Queen diehard. There have been a number of excellent photo and info books on Queen in the last few years. (from various sources). We had the Rainbow box, which was brilliant. Who the hell thought we'd be hearing a live version of Fairy Feller's? Surely, there are other ways they could have gone about the box (one being releasing both nights in their entirety) but we have to be grateful for what we did get. The Fan Club still produces 3-4 slick, well designed magazines a year. I've been a member for around thirty years now. So, I wouldn't say they've dropped the real fans. They have branched out and embraced new ones. And, at least going by On Air, they're not just releasing things focused on the general public or that will earn them a great deal of money, as I think that set was a bit of a niche product. Add to that, some new bits and bobs we get here and there, like Let Me In Your Heart Again which is a PHENOMENAL song...god, I love that track..what a revelation to hear that after all this time! I'm sure there are dozens more tunes in the vaults that if we heard them, we'd be blown away..not saying all new songs, but I'm sure there's all kinds of stuff in there..ideas for songs, alternate versions, home demos, live stuff from the early days, etc....that I would SO love to hear one day on a box set of some kind. Maybe one day we will. If they've gone as far as playing some of those tracks at Queen conventions and the Innuendo studio visit, then that gives hope they will endeavor to release them officially at some point in the future. There are other things they're working on, like you mentioned, the updated live book, the book of memorabilia, but there's only so much time for everything. The WWRY sequel is not something I'd put on the top of a list of most wanted Queen stuff. More importantly, we've got a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE to look forward to!!! That's insane, that there's going to be a Queen movie. I'm hesitant about Rami Malek, but I'm sure willing to wait to see how it all comes together. I'm super excited about it..let's hope it's great. Or at least good! Many bands don't have anything to the degree that Queen have in terms of book, CD, video and other product. To say that Queen now is devoid of any artistry or integrity or loyalty is really taking it too far. Things could be better, sure, but we've been pretty lucky overall. And there's always more to come! |
| dysan 01.04.2018 08:08 |
I'm not sure what they can do. Considering their position they're doing ok. I think the problem is with the fans tbh. And I say that as a fan. |
| BETA215 01.04.2018 09:21 |
dysan wrote: I'm not sure what they can do. Considering their position they're doing ok. I think the problem is with the fans tbh. And I say that as a fan.Fuck, the reply turned out blank, and my browser didn't saved the comment, trying to reconstruct it: I think we're like some frustrated girlfriend: we expect too much out of the situation. Used to that old Queen grandiosity, we have to get used to these new releases; where Mercury and Deacon are absent, and Bri&Rog do whatever they can (first), and then whatever they prefer. And that shocks us a bit like every time they release something, because if both were present, those products would have that missed Queen chemistry which made them so famous; music-wise and as a business, as four people that push boundaries to his side, making richer things in consequence (lots of times). Brian and Roger are old, let's face it. They can't be in everything they were when younger. The DVD-Audio 5.1 remix project started in early 2000's, now its 2018! Brian fights with a disease, Roger with consequences of his touring life (as Brian). They do what their bodies and minds allows them. And, as OP said, this whole situation calms down a lot the fanatism (in terms of passion). That's why we feel there's not much enthusiasm, or even pessimism, about lots of events related to Queen. Maybe unconciously, that makes us realize we're not eternal, neither our idols, nor our loved ones. And that frustrates us. Except when Greg Brooks makes a post, then everybody loves Queen and is as passionate as always; because then, is when we have a tangible, not so uncertain, target. |
| dysan 01.04.2018 19:47 |
Yep |
| musicland munich 02.04.2018 00:01 |
Yes, yes i am bored. Is Ricky Gervais a Queen fan ? Would be a great roast on QUEEN imo. Must be that "Queen Fatigue" someone mentioned a while back on here. |
| matt z 02.04.2018 03:27 |
Well put. But second poster. I had no idea the fan club still mailed magazines. That cool. Maybe i should've joined 25 years ago instead of just buying their stuff and beingon top of things by being an active member here Maybe it would've held my familiarity and structure intact instead of becoming a free radical |
| dysan 02.04.2018 08:22 |
The fanclub sent me 1 mag and some very very badly printed stickers in 1989. And then nothing *shakes fist at fanclub* |
| dysan 02.04.2018 08:23 |
I don't think I ever got over it. |
| dudeofqueen 02.04.2018 08:55 |
dysan, re: >The fanclub Is that still going? Nothing more than an excuse for a 'ligger' and her family to make a living out of a band and nicely sort out a holiday at a Butlins. |
| dysan 02.04.2018 09:03 |
link |
| MercurialFreddie 03.04.2018 13:03 |
Maybe they're still deciding what to release ? Since GB stopped posting on here we're not that aware of what can be in the pipeline PS. Is there any way to check how well the NOTW box-set sold ? |
| dudeofqueen 03.04.2018 13:04 |
re: >Since GB stopped posting on here we're not that aware of what can be in the pipeline We never were..... |
| The Fairy King 07.04.2018 09:25 |
splicksplack wrote: There doesn't seem to be much in the way of decent topics on here recently. Is everyone bored? Maybe we're reaching saturation point? The Q+AL gigs don't get many favourable reviews from original Queen fans, the product from QPL is, at best, dissapointing and there's precious little chance that QPL will release anything that won't earn them a great deal of money. Not so long ago there was still a lot of excitement about potential releases. But with so many 'no-shows' (e.g. where's the film, dropping the DVD Audio project, no sign of WWRY Musical 2, where's the Greg and Gary updated live book, no live re-masters etc, etc.) and blatant rip offs (NOTW box, Q On Air with 3 discs of radio interview), I think it is quite clear that QOL have actively DROPPED the real fans. They focus now purely on the general public. So what we believed to be something special, a band whose music, image and presentation we supported and loved has become primarily a big money making machine with no reciprocal loyalty to those who lifted them up. What now presents itself as 'Queen' is devoid of any artistry, integrity or loyalty to it's original bedrock of fans.Oh put a cork in that whine splicksplack. Who cares QÃL gigs don't get favourable reviews from "Original" Queenfans. They're the most whiney bunch of kids on the face of this Earth. You should count your lucky stars May and Taylor are still active and kicking ass on stage by this point. Savour it. Regarding the QPL releases...you are partially right. I didn't get the overpriced NOTW boxset, but i absolutely loved the Raw sessions (albeit a bit of a copy-pasty affair). The Roger and FM boxsets were real gems. They are scraping the barrel at this point. I bet there are still some nice releases in the pipeline a la Rainbow, but don't hold your breath. For a dead band they are still pretty hands on. On Air wasn't bad either. People forget they are in a business and they have to answer to a big recordcompany. And even the record company chooses to release stuff based on their contract. They have to deliver. If there's nothing to deliver, they have to compromise. In conclusion, i bet we all have ideas how we would release Queenproducts. That's where the initial disappointment comes from. We regard it as our baby and we are proud of the past releases and the high quality of those releases. When we see pisspoor artwork or shoddy mistakes in printed text or even incomplete tracklists, it gets to us. Hell it gets to me.Freddie was the art department and John would correct mistakes. It's clear they've lost a lot in that department with Freddie and John gone. |
| earwig 07.04.2018 12:46 |
I’m still looking forward to the Brian solo box set..... or at least a proper DVD (or upscale Blu-ray) of his Brixton gig..... And of course GVH3 with 5.1 remixes.... I can dream haha!!!! |
| Rami 07.04.2018 14:14 |
What a great post, Kamenliter! I totally agree. |
| Kamenliter 09.04.2018 08:17 |
>What a great post, Kamenliter! I totally agree. Thanks, Rami. |
| Killer_queenIII 09.04.2018 15:23 |
Well while I still appreciate the band, I get bored now and again. I drop by here every now and then lately just to see if any new recordings come out. |
| Dr Magus 10.04.2018 09:41 |
The mega anthology box sets will happen but it'll be our as yet unborn children who'll get to enjoy them. |
| pittrek 10.04.2018 11:52 |
Well we've been given boring products for decades, so we should be used to it, right? The "problem" is that we've been told that when they switched their record company back in 2011, everything will change and both the exhibition and the Days of Our Lives documentary has shown us that they have archives filled with exciting stuff. But what did we get? 2011 - Days of Our Lives documentary - great for watching once, and a good teaser of what we can get in the future. The special features were much more interesting than the actual documentary to be honest 2 disc album reissues - great for listening once. The only interesting thing was the bonus discs, and they featured how many? 4 new tracks? 5 new tracks? On all 15 albums all together? Wembley - well at least we got the almost complete first night. So again, the bonus disc was more interesting than the main feature. 2012/2013 - did they actually release something interesting? 2014 - Rainbow package - the good thing is that after decades of waiting we finally got more of Rainbow, but why the hell did they cut 2 concerts together instead of giving us one complete night, or even better - 2 complete nights? And we got the March gig, which was great, but technically it was again a bonus disc, so another case of a bonus being much more exciting than the actual main thing. We also got 2 songs from the March show, but why the hell was the quality so bad? Especially since we know that both the Swedish TV whose name I can't remember now, and even the BBC have MUCH better looking prints? 2015 - Hammersmith Odeon 75 - well, it's OK I guess. The only thing which made me happy was Freddie saying "Merry Christmas" one more time than on the available bootlegs. I wish I was joking. Unfortunately the sound mix was worse than the radio mix. 2016 - On Air - well it's OK I guess. But the ONLY thing I was happy about were the announcer comments between the tracks. Again, I wish I was joking. Also, it's not like an important and huge concert took place 40 years ago or something. 2017 - NOTW 40th anniversary - this was a giant insult. Yes, the raw sessions disc was interesting, but again, I heard it twice and I don't really plan to listen to it for the third time any time soon. The documentary was such a missed opportunity :-( Again, they have shown us what they've got and edited stuff, which could be fantastic into a 1 hour long documentary. On DVD. On NTSC DVD. Even though 90% of material was shot on film, cleaned up and transferred to HD. It's like they don't understand that just the Bob Harris stuff could be easily released as a 16Blu-ray box set and people would buy it. And no Houston? Shame on you. So yes, before 2011 I was hugely disappointed by their releases. In 2011 I was very optimistic. After 2014 I was hugely disappointed by their releases. It's like they have no clue what the fans would like to have. |
| RS_Protos 10.04.2018 13:23 |
Perfectly said and 100 percent agree ^^^^^ |
| cmi 10.04.2018 13:49 |
2012 - (almost) complete Budapest '86 show - ok release. 2013 - Fun On Earth / The Lot - good album / weak amateurish box set production. >Yes, the raw sessions disc was interesting, but again, I heard it twice and I don't really plan to listen to it for the third time any time soon. I actually don't understand what you want from QPL if you review Raw Sessions CD with such words... I think EACH album needs to have such extra CD as one of integral partS of possible Deluxe Edition. And this is what I want from QPL to do with proper album reissues. |
| pittrek 10.04.2018 14:33 |
cmi wrote: 2012 - (almost) complete Budapest '86 show - ok release. 2013 - Fun On Earth / The Lot - good album / weak amateurish box set production.I absolutely forgot about Budapest, yes, it was nice to have it finally on Blu-ray, but I think that from the fact that I completely forgot it existed you can clearly tell the impact the release had on my life. Fun on Earth - I don't consider it to be a Queen product. >Yes, the raw sessions disc was interesting, but again, I heard it twice and I don't really plan to listen to it for the third time any time soon. I actually don't understand what you want from QPL if you review Raw Sessions CD with such words...My main problem is that those are basically just fan mixes, not real demos. They were OK to listen to as an interesting alternative, but it's not something what would make my pants wet. I think EACH album needs to have such extra CD as one of integral partS of possible Deluxe Edition. And this is what I want from QPL to do with proper album reissues.Speaking for myself - no, thanks. I bought each of the albums at least 3 times on CD (some of them 4 or 5 times), plus I have most of them on MC, some of them on LP... Maybe I would buy new re-re-re-re-re-re-re-releases if they had some interesting bonus discs, I don't know. |
| on my way up 11.04.2018 12:31 |
I have a very mixed feeling. The releases have not been bad the last few years BUT... The biggest frustration is that these releases have learned us that there's tons of exciting stuff in the archives they're just not releasing: - the FILMED WATCH CONCERT - audio recordings from US'77 - studio outtakes, demo's, ... They're making OK products while they're able to give us MINDBLOWING stuff. With the FM box they did a near perfect job (those 3 rarities discs are sensational!!!). I just don't get it how they hesitate so much to release such boxes from Queen, especially since they have even more (live shows on video and probably MANY on audio) |
| Nitroboy 13.04.2018 21:55 |
@Pittrek - 2013 also saw the Barcelona re-mix. Another botched job if you ask me. Plus what was the point of scanning the film material for the music video in HD, only to have that only be available in HD on YouTube... To answer the thread - I'm bored with Queen, yes. The only time I listen to Queen these days is when they're on a radio channel I'm incidentally listening to. I've stopped buying their products more or less, and won't see their live shows again either. The chapter is over, and the book has been closed. They used to be my favourite band, a couple of years back when it seemed like they gave a shit. |