70s Queen were perfectionists. When producer Mack came into the fold, he immediately taught the band how to be more economically efficient in the studio. Plus, the studio in Montreux, being next door to that club the band frequented started to feel the need to produce songs that sonically sounded good over their sound system. This, in my opinion, just snowballed into more synths, less guitar, no drums, no bass, etc. Even Freddie couldn't be bothered with playing piano anymore.
I feel that their songwriting became more economical too. Spending less time at home coming up with any ideas, leaving all that for the studio work.
There were some exceptions, but while 80s greatness was sparse in comparison to the perfection the band put out from 1973-1978 is GARGANTUAN!
In the 70's they were inventive and explored different directions.
In the 80's they had become a main stream singles band and (most) of their output reflected that. Also after The Game, they began to retread som formulas.
It brought mass appeal, but lost something of what they used to be.
like everything in life, when you start out something, you are hungry, have originality, work so hard to make it. Once you make it to the top, you always go back down. With their lives for the most part, music was their backbone, their soul. Once you get older, you find different interests, have families, grow in other aspects and outlooks in life change. Look at Tiger Woods for example, all he cared about was golf, being the best. Then he got married, cheated and now i belive enjoys hils life more instead of just being all golf and nothing else.
like everything in life, when you start out something, you are hungry, have originality, work so hard to make it. Once you make it to the top, you always go back down. With their lives for the most part, music was their backbone, their soul. Once you get older, you find different interests, have families, grow in other aspects and outlooks in life change. Look at Tiger Woods for example, all he cared about was golf, being the best. Then he got married, cheated and now i belive enjoys hils life more instead of just being all golf and nothing else.
I like 70s Queen for the originality in the songwriting, and the pushing to the limits of the recording techniques. They were very creative and imaginative, hugely talented, and musically untouchable (although there were others who were definitely their equals, they were unsurpassed).
I like 80s Queen for the powerhouse sound, the big hits, Freddie's soaring voice, the kind of rock and roll writ large in primary colours, the way they knew how to tour and really play an audience.
I like 90s Queen (well, they did one and a half albums with Freddie in the 90s) for the return to that originality of the 70s, a new creative period, and the sheer beauty of tone in Freddie's vocals that was even better than anything he had done before (with the exception of A Night at the Opera and Barcelona)
Michael Scapp wrote:
Plus, the studio in Montreux, being next door to that club the band frequented started to feel the need to produce songs that sonically sounded good over their sound system.
Wasn't it next to a casino or something? Moreover, didn't some people complain that there were no clubs (or very few) in Montreux? They partied hard in Munich, that's for sure, but not so much in Montreux. It was more of a quiet little town as far as I know.
Sebastian, isn't where the casino is in Montreux now where the studio live room used to be? I've only been to Montreux once and it was before Freddie tourism took hold.
miraclesteinway wrote:
I like 70s Queen for the originality in the songwriting, and the pushing to the limits of the recording techniques. They were very creative and imaginative, hugely talented, and musically untouchable (although there were others who were definitely their equals, they were unsurpassed).
I like 80s Queen for the powerhouse sound, the big hits, Freddie's soaring voice, the kind of rock and roll writ large in primary colours, the way they knew how to tour and really play an audience.
I like 90s Queen (well, they did one and a half albums with Freddie in the 90s) for the return to that originality of the 70s, a new creative period, and the sheer beauty of tone in Freddie's vocals that was even better than anything he had done before (with the exception of A Night at the Opera and Barcelona)
I'd add A Day At The Races and News Of the World, but nevertheless I wholeheartedly concur :)