| Deakys Mushroom Trip 06.05.2019 14:57 |
Hi there. New to this forum so I wish you all hello. I am curious as to your opinions on Freddie's run of hits for Queen drying up virtually completely for the whole decade. In the UK the only Top 10 song he solely wrote was 'It's A Hard Life'. Even at the end of the decade when songwriting was shared, all the hits were written by other members. Despite modern rewrites of Freddie's solo career he managed three Top 10 hits (Four if you count the reissue of Barcelona) as a solo artist in the same decade. Obviously he had other major things going on in his life as that decade moved on but would love your thoughts. Did he tire of the Queen machine as a muically creative output for his songwriting? Did the poor sales of 'Hot Space', an album he pushed for make him lose interest? Neither my personal opinion but be good to know what you think. |
| DQ1 06.05.2019 15:33 |
The other members (especially Roger) got better in writing hit singles. Freddie always encouraged every band member to write songs. Besides his solo-project and illness, i think he proved himself during the 70's and let the other members write the hits during the 80's. Although he was always supportive and also contributed to popular 80's hits like 'A Kind of Magic and also Radio GaGa. His input and musical genius is noticeable as you compare the demo to the final versions of these songs in particular. |
| The Fairy King 06.05.2019 16:31 |
Don't forget The Great Pre....oh.... Barcelona? Not Queen, i know. But seriously... He had a knack for producing/arranging for the other guys, mainly Roger (Magic/Ga Ga) and John (Break Free). The Miracle was a minor hit. |
| bucsateflon 06.05.2019 17:23 |
...maybe in your village was a minor hit |
| Invisible Woman 06.05.2019 17:40 |
I don't care if some song I like was hit or not. Anyway, this world is big, musical affinities are different. |
| JomaDuckSoup 06.05.2019 19:20 |
DQ1 wrote: The other members (especially Roger) got better in writing hit singles. Freddie always encouraged every band member to write songs. Besides his solo-project and illness, i think he proved himself during the 70's and let the other members write the hits during the 80's. Although he was always supportive and also contributed to popular 80's hits like 'A Kind of Magic and also Radio GaGa. His input and musical genius is noticeable as you compare the demo to the final versions of these songs in particular.Exactly. Radio Ga Ga and AKOM would NOT have been hits without Freddie's input. |
| The Fairy King 06.05.2019 20:20 |
bucsateflon wrote: ...maybe in your village was a minor hitThe single peaked at 16 in The Netherlands. In the UK it didn't go past 21. A hit nonetheless. |
| Makka 07.05.2019 04:51 |
I think when you look at Roger's and Brian's solo work you'd have to think Freddie's input into their Queen songs was very important. I don't think Freddie tired of the Queen vehicle at all it's just that I feel he wrote his best music in the 70's. EDIT: Oh, and of course Cosmos Rocks is another classic example of Queen music written without Freddie's involvement. |
| Saint Jiub 07.05.2019 05:01 |
I seem to recall that Jim Jenkins ?? said to Freddie in '87 or so: Now that you've shaved off your mustache maybe you will write a decent song. |
| Dim 07.05.2019 05:29 |
He also arranged Under pressure, life is real and staying power are also great songs. Also his solo songs could have been big hits, songs like Love kills went top ten, I was born to love you and Made in heaven were good songs but the conditions were bad. I never understand why Princes of the universe lack of chart success. |
| mika251 07.05.2019 05:46 |
Saint Jiub wrote: I seem to recall that Jim Jenkins ?? said to Freddie in '87 or so: Now that you've shaved off your mustache maybe you will write a decent song.Actually it was 1984 when he shaved of his moustache for I want to break free video. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 08:19 |
It's not to dissimilar from other artists writing arcs and certainly nothing too worrying. Look at Syd Barratt. He had basically written all the material on the 3 and a half albums he made with Floyd and solo before the band had even released anything. Just a big spurt of creativity. Bowie was the same - even by '73 / '74 he was filling albums with covers / songs demoed way before and generally relying on his constantly changing musicians to create for him by proxy. Constantly shifting the goal posts so he wouldn't stagnate. I think the same can be said of Queen. Freddie had a fantastic 70s - but even then the whole band was relying on left overs from earlier sessions or writing spells. It's interesting that their biggest post ANATO creative times were effected heavily by external influences. Jazz due to the move to Europe, Flash / AKOM due to commissions to write for films, HS due to embracing tech and new recording processes and of course their last great seam of creativity when they new their days were numbered. Perhaps the overarching truth is that RT and JD's Queen material was more in keeping with the tastes of the 80s and allowed the other two to indulge their focuses. Sufficed to say that's why Queen are so versatile and long lived. |
| Dim 07.05.2019 11:02 |
As I said before Freddie wrote some really good songs like Life is real, Staying power and some of his solo songs could have been major hits if the things were little different. It is worth to mention that his input on Flash Gordon is Superb. Football fight In the death cell, the kiss are great themes. Especially the demo of the kiss sounds like comes from Queen II. A very interesting is that has the same total time with Lilly of the valley. I never understand why Princes of the universe never became hit. |
| aristide1 07.05.2019 11:34 |
Queen was greater than the sum of its members. Taking them individually may be interesting, but in the end is disappointing. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 11:58 |
Aye. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 11:59 |
And largely, thy were sensible enough to realise this. Lesser bands don't. |
| matt z 07.05.2019 13:40 |
And two hard boiled eggs. ....though I'll of never understand why princes of the universe never became hit. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 14:17 |
Not releasing it in UK: MISTAKE The video was fucking amazing. |
| Vocal harmony 07.05.2019 14:50 |
Makka wrote: . . . . EDIT: Oh, and of course Cosmos Rocks is another classic example of Queen music written without Freddie's involvement.Yes and no. . It featured two Queen members and a third writer. Paul Rodgers approach to song writing and singing is more straightforward than most of what Queen produced. As such his artistic input would have changed what both Brian and Roger would have done on their own or with another singer. I don't think The Cosmos Rocks is a pure example of a collection of Queen songs without Freddie. |
| aristide1 07.05.2019 15:07 |
The lyrics prevented < princes of the universe > to become a hit. Outside the movie context they produce a wrong meaning. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 15:31 |
Um... Flash? |
| Sebastian 07.05.2019 20:02 |
Frederick didn't write 'Flash'. Brian did. |
| dysan 07.05.2019 20:26 |
Reread the exchange for more information. |
| ANAGRAMER 08.05.2019 06:22 |
In the 80s Freddie's writing was more diverse than previously and time was not on his side Songwriting while dealing with his issues was probably difficult He did write some beauties, they just weren't hits. Two solo albums where chock full of great songs but didn't reach the market unfortunately Think of La Japonaise, How can I go on, Don't try so hard..classics! |
| bucsateflon 08.05.2019 09:33 |
creating lyrics and making songs are two distinct things Freddie's 80's lyrics were garbage, he cared about the melody and instrumental, words were secondary too him. |
| Chopin1995 14.05.2019 16:41 |
Dim wrote: Especially the demo of the kiss sounds like comes from Queen II. A very interesting is that has the same total time with Lilly of the valley.Great to see some love for this demo! |
| mariah carey 28.05.2019 11:37 |
I love Freddie's lyrics and songs from the 80s, they are more relatable and fun |
| dysan 28.05.2019 12:00 |
After puberty, you will connect more with the emotion expressed in his 70s work. |
| bucsateflon 28.05.2019 19:11 |
Thank God they cared more about the music and not the lyrics |
| pittrek 28.05.2019 19:38 |
Well Freddie in the 70's was a hard working man constantly improving his art. Freddie in the first half of the 80's was a party animal spending most of his time on coke and in gay clubs. Freddie in the second half of the 80's was a "clean" man ("living like a nun") trying to concentrate on the music again. The 70's Freddie wrote masterpieces. Early 80's Freddie wrote crap. Late 80's Freddie wrote most of the songs on Barcelona, and wrote or co-wrote some really great songs on The Miracle and Innuendo. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not, the only person who could be sure died in 1991 |
| HelloDelilah 07.07.2019 03:49 |
What @pittrek said. ^^^ Freddie wrote amazingly creative songs in the 70s. Masterpieces. He was hungry for success. It's a sad realization that his lifestyle in the early 80s most likely killed him. :( |
| mariah carey 07.07.2019 07:55 |
HelloDelilah wrote: What @pittrek said. ^^^ Freddie wrote amazingly creative songs in the 70s. Masterpieces. He was hungry for success. It's a sad realization that his lifestyle in the early 80s most likely killed him. :(Freddie was doing everything what every other rockstar did back then, the biggest difference was that his partners were men and he just got unlucky. |
| Mark_Glasgow 08.07.2019 13:55 |
Freddie wrote just as good music from 80-85 as he did from 75-80, but his style had changed over these time periods to reflect what was happening in music generally. Whilst he may have had less hits (in the UK anyway, in the US none of them had many hits as the US lost interest), his songs were still of a high quality. If he had been writing the same kind of songs as he did in the 70s, Queen would have disappeared or slowly faded through the 80s. |
| HelloDelilah 08.07.2019 21:01 |
Hi Mark, you’ve got a good point. They did need to change their style to keep up with the times. And you’re right about the US losing interest in the 80s, which was unfortunate for us. I don’t remember Queen being as popular with the younger folks during that time. So many new and up and coming bands were formed. Queen went to other parts of Europe and the world like South America, South Africa and Japan, and never came back. :( |
| MisterCosmicc 09.07.2019 19:11 |
“Freddie's 80's lyrics were garbage, he cared about the melody and instrumental, words were secondary too him.” I disagree. I think Freddie’s 80’s songs were more realistic, and far personal to him. |
| bucsateflon 09.07.2019 19:51 |
realistic, but simplistic. As for songs were "personal to him"....it doesn't matter |
| MisterCosmicc 09.07.2019 20:48 |
What makes a better song.. a bunch of noise or real emotion? |
| Toozeup 10.07.2019 01:33 |
Coke is a very uncreative drug. The more Freddie did, the more lacklustre his songwrting became. He essentially stopped playing piano for leisure and by his own admission, he struggled with writers block im the 80's. Imagine if Freddie had done acid instead, we would probably have had some freaking amazing Queen records in the 80's. |
| dysan 10.07.2019 06:53 |
I think on the whole, coke music is more commercial than acid music. Even their drug choice was made from an accountant's viewpoint :D |
| bucsateflon 10.07.2019 07:11 |
MisterCosmicc wrote: What makes a better song.. a bunch of noise or real emotion?A bunch of good quality "noise", which in turn stirs up emotions. thats for a musical ear, which is not a given for everyone, so the more tone deaf, the more you turn to the whishy washy lyrics for emotions. |
| MisterCosmicc 10.07.2019 22:02 |
While I can understand your obsession of the earlier stuff, I’ll disagree that Freddie’s 80’s music lacked thought. The 70’s songs were aimed at being sophisticated. A deliberate attempt to be sophisticated, to be original. It worked well, and it sounded great, but that doesn’t mean they are better songs than Queen’s 80’s output. |
| The Real Wizard 11.07.2019 04:42 |
Being original is precisely what makes for great art. Following trends does not. This is why ANATO will be seen as a great album a century from now and The Works will not. |
| Dim 11.07.2019 19:35 |
In terms of writing Freddie did some genius work in the 80s but not as innovative as was in 70s. If it wasn't the Greatest Hits II the works album could have outsold News of the world. I am watching Queen sales and the Works had great numbers up to 1991-92 after those years lower sales, however 2018-2019 it did very well. Also if it had more songs like I go crazy, beautiful dreams, love kills and There must be more to life than this it could have been one the best Queen albums. So in 80s Queen did some odd choices and decisions, their music spirit was very good. |
| Sebastian 12.07.2019 12:28 |
Sales don't necessarily reflect quality, otherwise Britney Spears outsings Anna Netrebko. |
| Dim 12.07.2019 13:09 |
The works is a good album, Brian and Roger seems to appreciate it, during last year's they used machines intro before one vision, they played Tear it up, also in 2009 it's a hard life. Now more songs. What I said it is a good album to n terms of music, if it had few more songs, it would have different atmosphere. and it could be a classic. Nevertheless it's songs attract more audience than many 70s albums, which leads many buyers to dig deeper into QUEEN catalog. |