NOTWMEDDLE 16.11.2004 22:16 |
I think MIH was a great album but the album was somewhat ignored here in the US when it was released despite the fact it went Gold. The album peaked at a dismal #51. However, in other countries, MIH hit #1 and was the band's best selling original material studio album. In the US, those honors go to NOTW and The Game each at 4 million a piece. Americans at the time of MIH's release(not counting myself and some real music purists) were big into faux rap like Cypress Hill, the Adult rock of Hootie and the Blowfish, and the angst-ridden grunge alt-rock of crap like Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains and The Smashing Pumpkins, AAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGH! I played some tracks of MIH when I did college radio like Mother Love, It's a Beautiful Day(Reprise), Too Much Love, the title cut and others. I think MIH was ignored as my fellow Americans were too angry and bowing down at the shrine of the loser Kurt Cobain and the rest of those loser grunge freaks! |
Daburcor? 16.11.2004 23:16 |
Yes, Yes it was. Atleast I didn't overlook it. ;) |
iGSM 16.11.2004 23:35 |
heh, too true. Smashing Pumpkins is teh suxxor. |
deakys ghost 17.11.2004 09:49 |
Think that Hollywood Records must share some of the blame as they are respnsible for distribution and marketing of Queen product within the USA. Can't recall if May or Taylor did promo work for the LP in the states as they did for Innuendo. |
Boy Thomas Raker 17.11.2004 10:00 |
Umm, because it sucked? |
Wouter 17.11.2004 11:46 |
BHM 0271 wrote: Umm, because it sucked?or because Americans suck ;-) Anyway, Queen hasn't been an American top selling band since 1980 (with the exclusion of BoRhap in 1992), so it's no surprise that MiH didn't really top the charts. |
k-m 17.11.2004 13:40 |
Exactly. |
NOTWMEDDLE 17.11.2004 13:46 |
MIH did manage to go Gold in February of 1996(three months after its release). Hollywood may have been Disney owned but had distribution by first Elektra then PolyGram then Universal. VH1 did some promotion for MIH by showing an edited version of then new documentary Champions Of the World plus edited versions of Live in Rio and Milton Keynes in December of 1995 so that helped sales somewhat. Other than that, my fellow Americans like what is the latest thing(I say hogwash). MIH was a great album but Americans were busy being force fed grunge, gangsta rap and those has beens Hootie and the Blowfish and Alanis Morissette whom both fell from grace! |
NOTWMEDDLE 17.11.2004 13:47 |
deakys ghost wrote: Think that Hollywood Records must share some of the blame as they are respnsible for distribution and marketing of Queen product within the USA. Can't recall if May or Taylor did promo work for the LP in the states as they did for Innuendo.Hollywood is the US and Canada. Even with Universal backing Hollywood, kids don't want Queen they want crap like Good Charlotte and what not! |
The Real Wizard 17.11.2004 14:04 |
NOTWMEDDLE wrote: Hollywood is the US and Canada. Even with Universal backing Hollywood, kids don't want Queen they want crap like Good Charlotte and what not!Sad, ain't it? One of my 11-year-old students is completely convinced that the guys in Good Charlotte, Blink 182, and Sum 41 are some of the best rock musicians ever. When he told me that, I didn't know where to begin. |
Daburcor? 17.11.2004 14:11 |
I do! Take his guitar away. ;) |
Giacco 73 17.11.2004 15:37 |
I think the USA never understood completely what Queen were/are. |
NOTWMEDDLE 17.11.2004 16:23 |
Sir GH<br><font size=1>ah yeah</font> wrote:Jeez. Sum 41 are the worst Canadian act since Avril Lavigne and like her are poseur punks. Good Charlotte's lead singer who is 25 is dating a 17 year old actress/singer Hilary Duff whom coincidentally shares the same record label as Queen in the US and Canada. Blink 182 is pop punk. I am 28 years old and have loved Queen since I stole a copy of the Elektra version of Greatest Hits from my older sister's friend in December of 1990. The first album I got was A Night at the Opera in March of 1992 when my dad bought me the CD. Since then, I have loved Queen and regretted not ever seeing them as I was only 6 when they did their last US tour.NOTWMEDDLE wrote: Hollywood is the US and Canada. Even with Universal backing Hollywood, kids don't want Queen they want crap like Good Charlotte and what not!Sad, ain't it? One of my 11-year-old students is completely convinced that the guys in Good Charlotte, Blink 182, and Sum 41 are some of the best rock musicians ever. When he told me that, I didn't know where to begin. |
Boy Thomas Raker 17.11.2004 16:25 |
"Why do you think it sucked?" Well... Brian said that the process involved the remaining members passing the material back and forth and making changes independently. Call me crazy but that's what the album sounds like, a recording made without a band dynamic. Second, the songs are incomplete or rehashed. Track 1 and 13 are unfinished. Mother Love was unfinished. Piece of my heart was unfinished. Three, the songwriting was weak. Everybody's opinion is different, but these songs sounded like throwaways dug up for the purpose of releasing product. Four, and most importantly for the US market, it was flat and boring. Queen was a rock band in the US, period. They were liked by the masses for AOBTD, but their creative and popular peak was when they were rockers. There is nothing resembling a rock song on the album, and don't say IWBTLY is a rock song. It's a synth tune with guitars (which sound contrived.) There are no amazing "Queen" moments. Five, it's beyond maudlin. Other than Mother Love for emotion, it's in Celine Dion cornball territory. If they had ended with the honesty of Innuendo, I think it would have been a perfect goodbye, but it reeks of a manipulative goodbye. Six, the covers are inferior to all of the others. And IWBTLY was unknown in the US, so who cared if was covered. To each his own, and I'm sure people on this board feel the same as ANATO, which is my favourite album. But I remember a station which supported (and still supports Queen) in Canada saying that the album was a nice tribute, too bad they couldn't have given him a farewell with some decent songs. My sentiments exactly. |
Mr Fred 17.11.2004 16:49 |
Yes, As sir GH said and many other, It really tears me up when people says that sum 41 and other wannabe band are the best muisc available. When I tells them about queen, they say that you must love the music of today, and so on. That made in heaven didn't hit that high in the states is boring. Maybe they didn't like the softer side of queen. Everybody knows that the artists that have sold the most records are those who can change there style of music without lose there roots. That the music industy is in panic is not hard to see. Just look on what kind of shit they give the audience. For myself, I'm waiting for something new from Brian. |
Serry... 17.11.2004 16:51 |
If you want to stay popular in the States - your name has to be Frank or Elvis, no other way! |
Whisperer 17.11.2004 16:56 |
Here's one very different theory on why Made In heaven didn't make it in the USA. I never thought about this myself, but a friend of mine came up with this idea. Made in Heaven - most people will understand this as Freddie making music in heaven after his death. What will the typical American think when he sees a title like this? "No way that fag is in heaven. Homosexuality is a sin, he is in hell now. How can they even suggest that this kind of satanic music is made in heaven?" Sounds silly? Please remember that we are talking about one of the few countries in the world that didn't understand that the video for I Want To Break Free was sheer fun. |
Wouter 17.11.2004 16:57 |
I'm sure Frank Streisand and Elvis Springsteen will agree. |
Wouter 17.11.2004 17:02 |
Whisperer wrote: Here's one very different theory on why Made In heaven didn't make it in the USA. I never thought about this myself, but a friend of mine came up with this idea. Made in Heaven - most people will understand this as Freddie making music in heaven after his death. What will the typical American think when he sees a title like this? "No way that fag is in heaven. Homosexuality is a sin, he is in hell now. How can they even suggest that this kind of satanic music is made in heaven?" Sounds silly? Please remember that we are talking about one of the few countries in the world that didn't understand that the video for I Want To Break Free was sheer fun.still, utter stupidity can be no excuse for this. It seems hardly likely to me that someone, in a country that hasn't really supported Queen for over fifteen years, is thinking about buying an album, but decides no to, because the title might imply that homosexuals go to heaven. I think braindead people like that would shudder thinking about the idea of buying a record of a gay singer in the first place. Still, a nice theory, though. ;-) |
Gunpowder Gelatine 17.11.2004 19:26 |
Interesting theory, but I doubt people were looking that much into the title. The US didn't care about Queen at all after Hot Space and the release of Made In Heaven didn't attract any attention because of that. And plus, they were pretty much off the radar in favor of other music anyway. |
NOTWMEDDLE 18.11.2004 01:59 |
BHM 0271 wrote: "Why do you think it sucked?" Well... Brian said that the process involved the remaining members passing the material back and forth and making changes independently. Call me crazy but that's what the album sounds like, a recording made without a band dynamic. Second, the songs are incomplete or rehashed. Track 1 and 13 are unfinished. Mother Love was unfinished. Piece of my heart was unfinished. Three, the songwriting was weak. Everybody's opinion is different, but these songs sounded like throwaways dug up for the purpose of releasing product. Four, and most importantly for the US market, it was flat and boring. Queen was a rock band in the US, period. They were liked by the masses for AOBTD, but their creative and popular peak was when they were rockers. There is nothing resembling a rock song on the album, and don't say IWBTLY is a rock song. It's a synth tune with guitars (which sound contrived.) There are no amazing "Queen" moments. Five, it's beyond maudlin. Other than Mother Love for emotion, it's in Celine Dion cornball territory. If they had ended with the honesty of Innuendo, I think it would have been a perfect goodbye, but it reeks of a manipulative goodbye. Six, the covers are inferior to all of the others. And IWBTLY was unknown in the US, so who cared if was covered. To each his own, and I'm sure people on this board feel the same as ANATO, which is my favourite album. But I remember a station which supported (and still supports Queen) in Canada saying that the album was a nice tribute, too bad they couldn't have given him a farewell with some decent songs. My sentiments exactly.Well, Innuendo did well in the US. The first single from the album here in the US Headlong did superb on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart peaking at #1. The title cut hit Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart as well pushing Innuendo to Gold status in the US. The Show Must Go On was given tons of play on Album Oriented Rock in late 1991 before that loser Kurt Cobain made himself known. Americans have sad music taste and at times I am disgraced to be an American! It's OK to have a skank like Britney show cleavage and liplock with Madonna but having Queen dress in drag for Break Free was offensive! Don't give me the times have changed bit because "the more the things change, the more they stay the same"(Circumstances by Rush from 1978). Americans tend to be more towards what's the latest thing while places like Europe and Canada stick with legendary bands through the tough times but high and tight Americans want to be hip. I could give a monkey's about style. Queen were a great band and if Freddie were not dead I think Queen would still be making records today! |
Regor 18.11.2004 05:11 |
BHM 0271 wrote: "Why do you think it sucked?" Well... Brian said that the process involved the remaining members passing the material back and forth and making changes independently. Call me crazy but that's what the album sounds like, a recording made without a band dynamic. Second, the songs are incomplete or rehashed. Track 1 and 13 are unfinished. Mother Love was unfinished. Piece of my heart was unfinished. Three, the songwriting was weak. Everybody's opinion is different, but these songs sounded like throwaways dug up for the purpose of releasing product. Four, and most importantly for the US market, it was flat and boring. Queen was a rock band in the US, period. They were liked by the masses for AOBTD, but their creative and popular peak was when they were rockers. There is nothing resembling a rock song on the album, and don't say IWBTLY is a rock song. It's a synth tune with guitars (which sound contrived.) There are no amazing "Queen" moments. Five, it's beyond maudlin. Other than Mother Love for emotion, it's in Celine Dion cornball territory. If they had ended with the honesty of Innuendo, I think it would have been a perfect goodbye, but it reeks of a manipulative goodbye. Six, the covers are inferior to all of the others. And IWBTLY was unknown in the US, so who cared if was covered. To each his own, and I'm sure people on this board feel the same as ANATO, which is my favourite album. But I remember a station which supported (and still supports Queen) in Canada saying that the album was a nice tribute, too bad they couldn't have given him a farewell with some decent songs. My sentiments exactly.My sentiments exactly, too ! "Made in Heaven" is very difficult to love for me. Brian says, MIH was a labour of love, and I would never doubt that. Apart from the fact that I respect every decision the guys make, I must not like them all. So the following is IMHO: It's a matter of taste of course, but I like a band's catalogue to be "clean": everything that can be released shall be - but no rehashing of things, or taking tracks people did not intend to be part of the respective bands work. Who knows if John Lennon ever wanted "Free as a bird" to be released in the first place ? (Sure Yoko Ono thinks she does... ;-) ) Not to mention it becoming a Beatles Track ? Just speculation, but come on, it's a "discussion forum"... I still don't really like the idea of "I was born to love you" and "Made in heaven" being "covered" by Queen, unless someones convinces me that Freddie intended those to be Queen tracks, when he wrote them back in the 80s. (Like "There Must Be More To Life Than This") And even if so, once he had recorded them, I doubt if he had liked the idea of them to be turned into rocktracks, as at the time of the recording he wanted them to be dance-orientated. It's a tribute by the boys, but would he have liked the idea ? Think of the liner notes in "Mr. Bad Guy": "Thanks to Brian, Roger and John for not interfering." Of course, they knew him, and they did that with the best intentions. And who am I to doubt the album ?! It's just a personal opinion ! Dunno what to say about "Heaven for everyone", as it is Rog's Track, and maybe even Fred tried to convince him to use it as a possible Queen-Track when he recorded it in '86 or '87, so I can't comment on that. It's still a rehash, though. But even worse is the inclusion of "My Life has been saved". A nice little track with a catchy hook-line, nothing less, but nothing more. It was the B-Side to the 5th and last single from "The Miracle", and endet up as albumtrack on the BIG one (as MIH was eagerly awaited)... again, it's up to everyones personal taste, but the briefness of the track and the repetition of the 1st v |
Mr. Scully 18.11.2004 10:14 |
What's the talking about the "necessary promotion"? Do Queen have to make a big tour to sell an album in the US? Made In Heaven was the fifth best selling album in the history of my country - with absolutely no promotion at all. People here very well know Queen recorded good music so they simply bought the album. Americans never really liked Queen so why the surprise? |
Boy Thomas Raker 18.11.2004 12:07 |
Excellent post Regor (and not just because we agree!) There was something disjointed about the album and I think it's the reasons you mentioned. As for the US sales Mr. Scully, it was simply a matter of nobody caring. Queen fans mention Freddie's moustache, look and the Break Free video as the reasons they lost America. It wasn't. Queen weren't a keyboard/synth band. The following singles were the big releases from The Game to The Works. Play the Game, Crazy, Dust, Body Language, Calling all girls, Radio Ga Ga. Was Brian in the band at this time? American's loved heavy Queen, guitar and piano based. Brian sounded totally recognizeable, as did their harmonies and Freddie piano was unique also. Once two of those elements disappeared, it was curtains for Queen. And as much as I like Hammer to Fall, by the time it was released it was too late. |
Jimi 18.11.2004 12:53 |
Overlooked or otherwise i agree with Regor and BHM. The bottom line is this is a cobbled together album of outtakes - some old some newish but very few of them ultimatley worthy of inclusion. I was a great beleiver after Innuendo that it should be the last studio album but alas more product followed in the shape of MIH. A classic case of the 'sum of the parts not equal to the whole'. Shame really but its been pretty much downhill ever since.The writing was on the wall i think. |
Rotwang 18.11.2004 14:01 |
As an American, I hold any country in high regard who still knows what music is about. American music is corporate and shit. Anyone can pick up a keyboard and drum machine and make the shit that is on the radio. That's why Queen lost their popularity here. The music rats told us what to like and we did. Shame!! |
Boy Thomas Raker 18.11.2004 14:48 |
Rotwang, with all due respect, nobody told American's what to like or dislike, or anyone else. Times change, and Queen changed with the times. Queen's early albums were marked with incredible innovation, complex musical/vocal harmonies, and a fire that comes from youth. In the 80s, the band changed personally (they couldn't get on), musically (dance, synth music) and emotionally. As a result, they became a different band for good or bad. There's no shame in it, but their musical consistency fell off drastically on the albums from '82 on. Isn't that the real reason America didn't care about them? |
kohuept 18.11.2004 16:43 |
Yes, AOBtD and CLTCL were huge here, but not many people knew who was singing them. As for us being told what to like, I belive that to be completely true. You don't always have to listen, but the push to like certain things is definitely out there. Little things like MTV and Rolling Stone (just 2 examples) push certain music (not *just* music, though) on someone who may be a weak minded member of society and he goes along with it. Enough of these people get sucked in to make it "cool" and it spreads. This affect slithers along until the "popular media" have everyone by the nuts buying what they want them to. On the flip side, though, there is a strong reaction against the "popular media". I know *many* people who don't even touch a product if it has *any* amount of hype behind it. In either case, people lose out on great things like MiH. Just my opinion, though - which, BTW, sounded much more clear and concise in my head before I started typing it. |
OgreBattleField1980 18.11.2004 18:25 |
So I guess Im horrible for becomming a Queen fan just for getting Classic Queen and The game when I was 11 years old , after seeing Waynes World? I think thats obsurd really , Classic Queen , after many years of listening to the tracks there. Then once i was able to get a job and work, buying Queens entire collection of albums. I realized just how much a pile of crap the Classic Queen compilation was... you realize how much crap it is just by listening to Under Pressure and Hammer To Fall and lets not forget The Miracle. Should they have made made in heaven? In my opinion , yes , for the new fans that got to like Queen from catching on whether it be from Waynes World or from the god forsaken Tribute Concert. Yes this was a good release. Now on the other hand , I still think along with the synths and lack of guitars. The Aids scare and homophobia had alot to do with Queens decline in the United States as well. I think that though this wasnt said by anyone here in America at all. You can kinda read between the lines. Honestly, I cant even find the Mr Bad Guy Album in stores , even when i was 15 and 16 trying to buy it , it was no where to be found. Im from Louisiana, wanna know what albums I saw in almost every record store I went to back in 1995 and 1996, for one Hot Space was a rare find here , I found Jazz , News of the World , A night at the Opera , Queen II, A day at the races , The Game , The Miracle and Innuendo and I saw this more than I saw any other album by Queen. None the less , i turn on the television and put it on VH1 during the broadcast of VH1 legends they showed an INFOMERCIAL advertising the Made in Heaven album with a 1800 number. The commercial itself was a load of crap and did nothing to show the best qualitys of this band or that particular album..I mean come on they coulda played A winters Tale or Mother Love but the commercial played Heaven For Everyone , but it was only a repeat of the intro .. shoving the words "This could be heaven" down our throats... that commercial alone was enough for me not to by this album till 2000 , in the mean time i enjoyed the other 24 albums including Innuendo which to me would have signified a rebirth for this band had Freddie not died from such a horrible illness. I will go all the way down to my bloody grave thinking and knowing that Queen didnt get the respect they deserved here in America , even when they got inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland Ohio , I taped that on VH1 , Roger himself posted a comment i dont remember an exact quote , but he mentioned that they never won a Grammy here in the US.. that brings my attention to one other thing ... if any of the songs from the Miracle or Innuendo albums are of any incling I believe that they should have won grammys for both I want it all and The Show Must Go On and Headlong. But that was then and we cant go back and change that now .. but to me , they woulda had my vote. These were four very talented musicians and their own right , and reguardless of taste i think people should realize that. Instead of listening to the garbage which is rap. Ya know what else .. since im getting highly upset now... i think along with 2pac and Biggie smalls and ODB that rap has been ultra magnified and had it not been without those three deaths rap surely wouldnt have become part of the mainstream ... its already infecting country music .. Nelly .. and Tim McGraw? you cant be serious *snickers* .. thats almost as bad as what Eminem did impersonating Michael Jackson ... kinda makes ya wonder what us Queen fans would have said had Eminem impersonated Freddie Mercury instead of MJ ... sorry to bother you with this little rant .. but i couldnt help myself. Yours Truely Ronald Joseph Silvey |
Jimmy Dean 18.11.2004 18:40 |
I'm from Montreal. At the time, in late '95 and early '96, Made In Heaven got some good airplay. Too Much Love Will Kill You was a major hit around here. And I Was Born To Love You, for some unbenknownst reason got very heavy airplay for a non-single (may have been released as a promo). However Let Me Live and You Don't Fool Me was nowwhere to be heard, and rightly so, since these were not radio-friendly for their time. I also remember on our local music TV station, Heaven For Everyone and Too Much Love Will Kill You were played quite frequently as well. |
death to ming! 18.11.2004 18:43 |
Hmm. You all like Queen because *you* like it, as an individual, right? Not because of success in a certain country, or because other people like it. So, what's the big deal? Just put on the headphones, forget about the charts and sales, and... bliss! |
NOTWMEDDLE 18.11.2004 21:28 |
OgreBattleField1980 wrote: So I guess Im horrible for becomming a Queen fan just for getting Classic Queen and The game when I was 11 years old , after seeing Waynes World? I think thats obsurd really , Classic Queen , after many years of listening to the tracks there. Then once i was able to get a job and work, buying Queens entire collection of albums. I realized just how much a pile of crap the Classic Queen compilation was... you realize how much crap it is just by listening to Under Pressure and Hammer To Fall and lets not forget The Miracle. Should they have made made in heaven? In my opinion , yes , for the new fans that got to like Queen from catching on whether it be from Waynes World or from the god forsaken Tribute Concert. Yes this was a good release. Now on the other hand , I still think along with the synths and lack of guitars. The Aids scare and homophobia had alot to do with Queens decline in the United States as well. I think that though this wasnt said by anyone here in America at all. You can kinda read between the lines. Honestly, I cant even find the Mr Bad Guy Album in stores , even when i was 15 and 16 trying to buy it , it was no where to be found. Im from Louisiana, wanna know what albums I saw in almost every record store I went to back in 1995 and 1996, for one Hot Space was a rare find here , I found Jazz , News of the World , A night at the Opera , Queen II, A day at the races , The Game , The Miracle and Innuendo and I saw this more than I saw any other album by Queen. None the less , i turn on the television and put it on VH1 during the broadcast of VH1 legends they showed an INFOMERCIAL advertising the Made in Heaven album with a 1800 number. The commercial itself was a load of crap and did nothing to show the best qualitys of this band or that particular album..I mean come on they coulda played A winters Tale or Mother Love but the commercial played Heaven For Everyone , but it was only a repeat of the intro .. shoving the words "This could be heaven" down our throats... that commercial alone was enough for me not to by this album till 2000 , in the mean time i enjoyed the other 24 albums including Innuendo which to me would have signified a rebirth for this band had Freddie not died from such a horrible illness. I will go all the way down to my bloody grave thinking and knowing that Queen didnt get the respect they deserved here in America , even when they got inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland Ohio , I taped that on VH1 , Roger himself posted a comment i dont remember an exact quote , but he mentioned that they never won a Grammy here in the US.. that brings my attention to one other thing ... if any of the songs from the Miracle or Innuendo albums are of any incling I believe that they should have won grammys for both I want it all and The Show Must Go On and Headlong. But that was then and we cant go back and change that now .. but to me , they woulda had my vote. These were four very talented musicians and their own right , and reguardless of taste i think people should realize that. Instead of listening to the garbage which is rap. Ya know what else .. since im getting highly upset now... i think along with 2pac and Biggie smalls and ODB that rap has been ultra magnified and had it not been without those three deaths rap surely wouldnt have become part of the mainstream ... its already infecting country music .. Nelly .. and Tim McGraw? you cant be serious *snickers* .. thats almost as bad as what Eminem did impersonating Michael Jackson ... kinda makes ya wonder what us Queen fans would have said had Eminem impersonated Freddie Mercury instead of MJ ... sorry to bother you with this little rant .. but i couldnt help myself. Yours Truely Ronald Joseph SilveyMy man. I had gotten into Queen because of my older sister having three songs from the band on tape. As a result, I stole her friend's copy of Quee |
OgreBattleField1980 18.11.2004 22:36 |
I'm with ya all the way NOTWMEDDLE , ta hell with em Long live Queen the torch will always be carried by us! And thanks again to all of you who post on this forum , ive read this forum for a long time before ever becomming a member and i find the info that you people provide to be much more knowlegeable than the acctual websites. The Websites to me dont provide enough of what we want to here. Im happy that you guys and gals do that for me. So cheers , and lets break out the champagne Freddie style! |
mike hunt 19.11.2004 00:47 |
made in heaven was overlooked in the u.s simply because the u.s never truly loved and understood Queen, so it was only natural. |
NOTWMEDDLE 19.11.2004 01:49 |
mike hunt wrote: made in heaven was overlooked in the u.s simply because the u.s never truly loved and understood Queen, so it was only natural.Yet surprisingly MIH went Gold with over 500,000 copies sold in the US. Many Americans were fairweather fans to Queen and yet they have sold over 32 million copies of their albums in the US. |
DrMay 19.11.2004 04:57 |
Personally, I love the album, but Queen's popularity was fading away by 1996, If Queen released the album around 1993 where Wayne's World was still in everybody's mind and Bohemian Rhap is still in the charts, Made in Heaven would have made it, and ofcourse there's that stigma of the "gay band"......I don't care what anyone says, I'll be blasting queen songs really loud in my car, and I get a kick everytime when I'm at a stop, the car next to me is blasting some rap music, and I'm in trance like state listening to high volume of "melancholy blues." |
OgreBattleField1980 19.11.2004 11:44 |
Ha , Dr May , I get the same feeling , just by playing Dragon Attack in my car watching the people in the car next to me looking at me like Im Crazy. Down here in Louisiana its way different too because rap has taken over a state which was widely dominated by bands like Lynard Skynard and R.E.O.Speedwagon and even Styx and Queen. Im a Taxi driver , do you know just by playing Queen in my car , I get more tips this way alot of my customers remember Queen as a great band , but this doesnt happen everyday. In the neighborhood I live in all you can hear comming down the street are these souped up cars with these sound systems blaring Eminem or Dr Dre. I feel like im the only guy on my block who knows who either Queen or Boston is. |
drwinston 19.11.2004 14:38 |
I think BHM 0271 and Regor are spot on. As a big (American) Queen fan at the time of their popular peak here, the band continued to pull one "headscratcher" after the other. Flash was their followup to the Game? For a band that had boasted 'no synthesizers' for years, they release an album that is almost all synths. Hot Space? I wanted my money back. Radio GaGa? *cringe* I Want to Break Free? *cringe again* A Kind of Magic? A great rock band had turned into a singles band, and we didn't buy it. By the time Freddie died, the band had fell into the nostalgia act category here. Made in Heaven was more singles, none of them particularly special, and in my opinion it got the attention it deserved. An album for the diehards, but better forgotten in the grand scheme of things. Also, realize that Queen didn't tour the states after 81, and this also contributed to their losing momentum. Their live shows were legendary here, but as the old saying goes, out of sight out of mind. As far as I'm concerned, when Queen deserved attention, they got it from America. |
bitesthedust 19.11.2004 15:10 |
Regor wrote: As you said, BHM 0271, MIH fails compared to "Innuendo". I would never ever doubt the guys' caring and loving intentions, and I thank them for that tribute and for giving us the possibility to hear the last ever recorded tracks with Freddies wonderful and magical voice. But it's not a group effort as the albums before - and how could it be with one vital part missing ? I am sure they did their best to recreate the creative group-feeling in the studio. But it's a tribute, not a genuine album. Again, only in my opinion, it's patchwork.Personally I like the MIH album - I agree it's not a complete group effort with Freddie not there to finish the album off, but the purpose of recording after Innuendo was finished was for the rest of the band to work on another album after his death. The rest of the band knew this and did the best they could with the material that had been started with Freddie there. Brian sings the last few lines of Mother Love because Freddie didn't get the chance to finish it. Let Me Live was a Queen demo which Brian & Roger helped finish off and make into a Queen song. All of what had been recorded with Freddie had to be finished off after his death, that was the whole point of the album. I wouldn't call it a "tribute", as Freddie had done his bit when still alive. |
mike hunt 26.11.2004 18:01 |
that's the biggest crock of shit i'v ever heard, we never gave songs like who wants to live forever a chance. |
mike hunt 26.11.2004 18:42 |
I feel made in was sadly overlooked cos it was a very mellow album, and a bit serious by queen standards. queen never took themselves so seroiusly, but the real reason is they simply lost their popularity in the states, especially with grunge in it's prime. |
Whatinthewhatthe? 26.11.2004 22:03 |
Some of my fellow Americans here have probably forgotten this, but in 1995 VH-1 had a Queen Week that heavily promoted Made In Heaven (I taped it). It was great...Champions of the World, Live in Budapest and videos...nice to OD on Queen for a week, and great teaser for the album, because after watching COTW (with its snippets of songs from the album in the last 30 minutes of the program), I wanted to hear the rest SO badly! Then, a nice friend of mine gave me an advance vinyl copy on white vinyl two weeks before it was released and I WAS in heaven! The first listening of the album had shivers going up and down my spine, especially when Mother Love played, with those nice concert sounds added. Side Two started out joyously and ended on a triumphant note (the "yeah" in the middle of the last song made me weep) and it was as if Freddie was saying things were okay, he was happy where he was (sounds weird but that was my impression). When the CD came out with the nice "hidden track", I had fun listening to that as well. It tends to lull you into a half-sleep, almost trancelike, really peaceful feeling....then you hear Freddie's voice clearly..."Are we running?"...and you JUMP out of your skin!! OOH, nice touch Brian!! But I dearly love it, and play it for patients in my clinic. They like it too and more than a few have ended up buying the CD just for that track -- but I'm sure they've listened to the rest of it as well. |
Regor 01.12.2004 07:26 |
BHM 0271 wrote: Excellent post Regor (and not just because we agree!) There was something disjointed about the album and I think it's the reasons you mentioned. As for the US sales Mr. Scully, it was simply a matter of nobody caring. Queen fans mention Freddie's moustache, look and the Break Free video as the reasons they lost America. It wasn't. Queen weren't a keyboard/synth band. The following singles were the big releases from The Game to The Works. Play the Game, Crazy, Dust, Body Language, Calling all girls, Radio Ga Ga. Was Brian in the band at this time? American's loved heavy Queen, guitar and piano based. Brian sounded totally recognizeable, as did their harmonies and Freddie piano was unique also. Once two of those elements disappeared, it was curtains for Queen. And as much as I like Hammer to Fall, by the time it was released it was too late.Thanks for your comments - just had to geht this "MIH"-thing out of my system somehow ;-). It seems a lot of people became Queen-Fans after buying this album, and I'm fine with that, it's nice to see more people and even teenagers get into a band like Queen in these musically very diverse times. But as mentioned, this album was and is difficult for me. Nice to see I am not alone... ;-) |
iGSM 01.12.2004 07:37 |
It's always the case. To make 'it' in America. The make or break sector. |
pouria 01.12.2004 09:13 |
I think that Queen is ignored in US maybe because the American Queen publicists perform relly bad. I mean u don't read any review from Queen material in The Rolling Stones or u don't see any single from new Queen materials being released. U don't see Queen on MTV. U don't see any Queen ad in the papers. U know other bands like U2 or others that r so overrated do this shit and they get more than what they deserve but Queen and specificly Brian , Jim and Roger don't do shit. I think Queen has to get more active publicists in US. this is what i think, i don't know if u guys agree with me. |
Hank H. 01.12.2004 09:15 |
If I had the time and energy, I would have liked to say exactly what Regor said. |
NOTWMEDDLE 01.12.2004 15:26 |
MourningElektra wrote: Some of my fellow Americans here have probably forgotten this, but in 1995 VH-1 had a Queen Week that heavily promoted Made In Heaven (I taped it). It was great...Champions of the World, Live in Budapest and videos...nice to OD on Queen for a week, and great teaser for the album, because after watching COTW (with its snippets of songs from the album in the last 30 minutes of the program), I wanted to hear the rest SO badly! Then, a nice friend of mine gave me an advance vinyl copy on white vinyl two weeks before it was released and I WAS in heaven! The first listening of the album had shivers going up and down my spine, especially when Mother Love played, with those nice concert sounds added. Side Two started out joyously and ended on a triumphant note (the "yeah" in the middle of the last song made me weep) and it was as if Freddie was saying things were okay, he was happy where he was (sounds weird but that was my impression). When the CD came out with the nice "hidden track", I had fun listening to that as well. It tends to lull you into a half-sleep, almost trancelike, really peaceful feeling....then you hear Freddie's voice clearly..."Are we running?"...and you JUMP out of your skin!! OOH, nice touch Brian!! But I dearly love it, and play it for patients in my clinic. They like it too and more than a few have ended up buying the CD just for that track -- but I'm sure they've listened to the rest of it as well.I remember that week myself. They also aired Queen at Rock in Rio and Milton Keynes in hugely edited form. Also had an 8 Track Flashback episode devoted to Queen. On the latter, they had a unique clip for BoRhap as they played an alternate video version with some alternate camera angles before segueing into the conclusion from the We Will Rock You film. |
Whatinthewhatthe? 02.12.2004 12:35 |
I wish they would repeat that week someday. It would have been a great tie-in last September with the US premiere of the musical, wouldn't it? But nobody thought of that...sadly! |
kohuept 02.12.2004 14:07 |
I remember that week... I had to explain to a friend in school (I was in High School at the time) that it really was his hair and NOT a wig - of course it was Brian. Ahhh, fond memories of enlightening people about Queen. |
mike hunt 07.12.2004 01:19 |
i agree with above, U2 came out with a new album, it was all over the t.v, and radio, they even had a commercial of their newest single, Queen never went to those extremes to make a hit album, i remember when innuendo came out and they pluged that album but nothing the way U2 do. i think they were on their way back when he died because innuendo was in the top 30 with no tour, obviously if they announced a tour, innuendo makes the top ten or fifteen, also the single i want it all would have hit the top forty, people get excited about tours. |
Criss3287 19.07.2005 15:55 |
I don't know if you know that, but DoRo made a Queen documentary for the German/French channel arte by 1996 with interviews of the band, Gerry Stickells and Jim Beach and Gerry Stickells said, that Bri and Rog wanted to tour and told Gerry that he had to convince Freddie of touring. He agreed on a European Tour and an American Tour only, if they would've had a big hit single in the States. That never happened, must have been by around The Works. That's another reason why Queen were kinda let down by the States, I guess. MIH is a great album, I got it for Christmas in 1995 but discovered it in the shelf accidentally and listened to it, everyday I came home from school when my mother was still at work. I loved it. I was 8 then. Especially the more rockin' tracks like IWBTLY and A beautiful day (reprise). But nowadays I love every little thing about it. It's fantastic. back then there was one page sort of review in our daily news with the headline "King Commerce buys Queen". I read that article and didn't understand it, I read it a few years later and got it. Just happened to find a vinyl copy of Mr Bad Guy by that time around and compared the mentioned tracks. Last year I finally got a copy of Scandal and compared that track, you know. I still love MIH and wasn't upset about it nor am I. It was my first Queen album. In 1993 my was listening to Queen and I asked her what it was. She told me that it was Queen and made me a tape, which I really loved and played all day long, don't dare to play it now...and my other aunt gave me the Gold Package of GH I & II for Christmas in 94 (along with some woodfeller shirts(right word? know what I mean?)...haha...had never heard of Kurt Coabin at that time...he was a great Queen admirer, especially NOTW...) and then I fell in love with Queen. Still my all time favourite band along with Led Zeppelin. Not to mention The Beatles...they're kind of my religion, you know, bigger than Jesus...;-) ahmm...yeah...that's what I've wanted to say, for my friends are not interested in music like me...at parties when I'm complaining about the music, they put on We Will Rock or We Are The Champions and think I'll be alright, but I hate it when they do that, because they only know and only like those songs and that's pissing me off...love this forum! |
bryans permed poodle 15069 19.07.2005 17:20 |
NOTWMEDDLE wrote: I think MIH was a great album but the album was somewhat ignored here in the US when it was released despite the fact it went Gold. The album peaked at a dismal #51. However, in other countries, MIH hit #1 and was the band's best selling original material studio album. In the US, those honors go to NOTW and The Game each at 4 million a piece. Americans at the time of MIH's release(not counting myself and some real music purists) were big into faux rap like Cypress Hill, the Adult rock of Hootie and the Blowfish, and the angst-ridden grunge alt-rock of crap like Alanis Morissette, Alice in Chains and The Smashing Pumpkins, AAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGH! I played some tracks of MIH when I did college radio like Mother Love, It's a Beautiful Day(Reprise), Too Much Love, the title cut and others. I think MIH was ignored as my fellow Americans were too angry and bowing down at the shrine of the loser Kurt Cobain and the rest of those loser grunge freaks!Americans have no taste. But they are happy to export their rap and R&B shit. |
Suigi 19.07.2005 17:53 |
Let's sum it up like this: After Freddie Mercury died, music - for the most part - has gone to shit. People became corrupted by the fact that new music was garbage, regardless of genre, and thus had to adapt to the new music scene. Thus, the large profusion of emo/grunge and rap/crap artists. Oh, and Japanese Torture? You are absolutely correct, my friend. Just enjoy. And as for Track 13, it is rather haunting. But if you turn up the volume loud enough to hear the music, the "are we running" winds up being earsplittingly loud. Or at least, it was for me. Curse you, ambient noise!!! |
AlexRocks 21.07.2005 20:07 |
I still think "Made In Heaven" is phenomenal. Whoopty doo if it is different, not hard, synth driven and more pop than the first few l.p.s? I think it is one of their saving graces from not just being the same all of the time. It helps bring the public into their other stuff, helps in the sales department which will help them to stay around longer in theory, AND artistically they don't remain the same but change. Here is the good news for someone like me and who ever thinks the U.S. strongly prefered the harder rock stuff. They can always return to doing all of that again! I think they will too. It doesn't mean they won't do more pop in the future but it also doesn't mean that they can't do more rock stuff whether in the harder category or bluesier stuff. I hope that they do all of the above and cover new ground with both Paul Rogers on a couple of new studio l.p.s and whoever else in the future down the road. There actually is much truth in the post about what the U.S. were interested and not with Queen. The only thing is when they did their first l.p.s and eventually starting becoming popular here in the U.S. they could never really break through because they were considered gay. Of course remember this is their best selling studio l.p. with international sales of TWELVE MILLION copies! As it is I always viewed it if not a good-bye l.p. for Queen then at least a good-bye l.p. for Freddie Mercury and that is why I find it appropriate while some find it not so because they did have to stuggle to put it together yet many people found it to be quiet good. |
Suigi 22.07.2005 08:50 |
Enjoy it for what it is: Freddie Mercury telling us it's a beautiful day up in heaven, and that everything's cool now. ^_^ Everytime I hear that track, I feel totally motivated to do something important in the world. |
Erin 22.07.2005 09:09 |
NOTWMEDDLE wrote: Americans at the time of MIH's release(not counting myself and some real music purists) were big into faux rap like Cypress Hill, the Adult rock of Hootie and the Blowfish,Hootie is from my town..HOOOOOTIIIE..*lol* I read a few posts up there was some sort of Queen week at the time of the release.. I can't remember. The only thing I do remember is seeing the album in the Best Buy sale paper..:-S And that was it. |
Winter Land Man 19.09.2005 20:38 |
Sorry for the reply in such an old thread, but it's a great thread. Has anyone noticed Smashing Pumpkins copied Queen? Queen released Heaven For Everyone's video first, and the Smashing Pumpkins video for 'Tonight, Tonight', came out later in the year, and was practically the same thing! |
Winter Land Man 19.09.2005 20:54 |
OgreBattleField1980 wrote: kinda makes ya wonder what us Queen fans would have said had Eminem impersonated Freddie Mercury instead of MJ ... sorry to bother you with this little rant .. but i couldnt help myself. Yours Truely Ronald Joseph SilveyNever would of happened. Queen is Eminem's favorite band. |
Winter Land Man 19.09.2005 21:01 |
Mrs Doyle wrote: I wish they would repeat that week someday. It would have been a great tie-in last September with the US premiere of the musical, wouldn't it? But nobody thought of that...sadly!Sadly VH1 doesn't have anything to do with Classic Rock anymore. VH1 Classic (another program owned by VH1) plays Queen videos in the USA, but, they don't have LEGENDS (no legends show of any band, when regular VH1 had legends, Queen LEGENDS documentary was played weekly), but now it's all music videos. There's music videos by Queen, even songs that didn't chart (such as Breakthru and solo stuff), but no documentarys or other things. I think Wembly was on there last summer though. |
stateside fan 19.09.2005 22:21 |
Would someone explain to the 18,400 people in NJ and the 17,000 people in LA that Queen is forgotten in USA.I dont know if you all pay attention but big bands have played theatres and small outdoor sheds.Selling out arenas is a major deal.This country never forgot what this band is but were dissapointed in the crap they released in the 80's.You UK folks could not sellout 2 dumps in that shit hole Ireland so stop giving shots to USA.Still the place where Queen has sold the most.period. |
EraserHead 20.09.2005 01:59 |
I dont give a rats ass whether the US likes Queen or not. There are tons of brilliant bands that never make it anywhere that always get overlooked so I reckon Queen did pretty damn well. Also people fail to take into consideration that gay hating was in its prime in the 80s especially in ignorant, backwards minded america. So of course Queen is going to ignored in favour of less talented completely straight rock bands. |
Tero 20.09.2005 02:07 |
stateside fan wrote: You UK folks could not sellout 2 dumps in that shit hole Ireland so stop giving shots to USA.Why would UK folk go the Irish show(s), when they had half dozen shows in their own country? And just to confuse you with statistics... Out of 5 million Irish people, approx. one in thousand went to see QPR. The same percentage of Americans would be around 280,000. |
Rider32 23.10.2005 08:20 |
Overlooked? R.E.M. s recent albom debuted at number 12 and it still not certified so if queen can debute at number 54 and still get certificed that's vary good for a 70s rock band. |
Winter Land Man 23.10.2005 15:34 |
EraserHead wrote: I dont give a rats ass whether the US likes Queen or not. There are tons of brilliant bands that never make it anywhere that always get overlooked so I reckon Queen did pretty damn well. Also people fail to take into consideration that gay hating was in its prime in the 80s especially in ignorant, backwards minded america. So of course Queen is going to ignored in favour of less talented completely straight rock bands.What about Boy George? He was big in the states. |
Winter Land Man 23.10.2005 15:34 |
Rider32 wrote: Overlooked? R.E.M. s recent albom debuted at number 12 and it still not certified so if queen can debute at number 54 and still get certificed that's vary good for a 70s rock band.] What do you mean by 'certified'? |
NJQueenFan 23.10.2005 23:07 |
As an American let me just say this, don't ever use popularity in the USA as a barometer for how good a band is. In just about every category of music, American taste is awful, just awful. The most popular musical style here is Rap/R&B, which is simply shit. Other popular music is crap like Birtney Spears and Hilary Duff, people who have NO talent and almost no involvment in the making and production of the actual music. And if you think you can find an escape from this garbage in rock and roll, I'm sorry to tell you that it's just not going to happen. There is almost ZERO originally in rock anymore. Green Day (they're not bad just vastly overrated, and I personally have a grudge against them for their butchering of WATC at Live 8), Taking Back Sunday, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte...ugh, do I have to go on. They may not be awful, but compare them to what I grew up on...Queen, U2, Floyd, Led Zep...it's not even close. Then you got underground, which is a bunch of talentless emo/screamo bands that serve as merely an escape for the depressed teens of America. It's really sad anymore, though there are some bands that come along, try their own thing and really do something great. Coheed and Cambria, a little to punkish for my tastes at times, but you got to admire their concept and originality. "Welcome Home" by Coheed is an incredible song. is Jet, great sound. Foo Fighters, Goo Dolls, another couple good ones. If you want to find good music coming out of America though, your gonna have to look and swim through a sea of crap to find it. I think England still holds the crown and rock haven of the world. I especially love The Darkness. They really have to get another album out. Permission to Land, IMO, is the best album to be released by ANYBODY since...well...a long damn time. If you haven't listened (I'm sure most of you have) please do. That band just flat out ROCKS. |
abe 24.10.2005 07:15 |
Its very interesting to hear about "Made in heaven"success/ lack of, being discussed. Here in Australia there has always been a strong following of Queen, they have been my fav band since 1992 when I was 15, I just couldnt get enough of them when I first heard of them, I couldn't compare them to anyone else, everyone at High School was into Metallica, Gun's n Roses and Nirvana. Australia and America are considered very alike, however in regards to Queen, for some reason the popularity is very different. Queen has never had a down period here from 1974 to the present, and yet they only did two major tours here, 1976 and 1985, (any Aussie's reading this, discount the Sunbury shows in 1974, means fuck nothing) I too have read numerous readings on Queen's downfall in the USA, and to me, even as as Australian, I do take into a bands success by what they achieved in the USA, compared to the rest of the world, Queen made it big in the USA from 1976-1980, then fell away for many different reasons. Queen were more of an international band, and Roger has even said they had become so big elsewhere, they kinda forgot about America, thats coming from him. SOngs like "I want to break free" was a flop in the States, but number 1 here, and Radio Ga Ga was top 5 here as well. "I want it All" " One Vision" and "Kind of Magic" were top 10 hits here too. They were considered tough/macho songs here, ...obviously the States thought otherwise. I thinks what didnt help Queen's cause in the mid to late 1980's in the States was that Queen probably sounded too Euro, I have read this being said before, Euro music then was very synth sounding, however its a shame that Queen did dissapate in the States from 1982 onwards (last USA tour) I think has Queen taken the Magic tour there in 85/86, word would of got around and they would have grabbed some great attention for there shows, even though they may have not been abl to play places like Madison Square Garden or the Forum. Well this is just my perspective anyway, im not trying to make a point, just wanted to have some input into this interesting topic. By the way Made in Heaven was an ok album, its been 10 years since its release (top 10 here in 1995) |
Rider32 25.10.2005 17:26 |
Certified 500 000 or more sales. |
g2000 26.10.2005 05:42 |
ive read all the posts and i think everyone is missing the point. the charts anywhere in the world isnt about how good the music is, its how good your marketing is and whether it fits into the mtv demographic. if it was all about the music the charts would be very very different. unfortunately there time had come and gone. nothing to do with the quality of their music at all, just their time had passed. david bowie, rolling stones, living legends but cant buy a hit. doesnt mean that they arent hugely respected by their peers though, and getting a no1 hit single doesnt validate how good your music is either. Eventually there comes a time when its over. |
Boy Thomas Raker 26.10.2005 12:22 |
Excellent point g2000. Queen had their time as all time legends making some of the greatest music the worl has ever seen. That didn't last their entire career, and they did a better job than any band in diversifying. Unfortunately, in the eyes of North America, Abe hit the nail on the head when he correctly stated that mid to late 1980's Queen probably sounded too Euro. North America likes guitar rock and is a fragmented marketplace. Pop Queen did well with the broader public (single success of CLTCL & AOBTD) but they lost the rock audience. Queen fans can't accept that they are different in North America and Europe. Legends in both places, but Queen were effectively done as a force after 1980 in North America. They had a nice five year run and were pretty much an afterthought until Freddie's death. Their smooth keyboard based stuff didn't catch on well here. |