| Freddie's #1 Fan Forever 22.11.2005 18:49 |
Here is my review of ROTC that I wrote for link. I think that the thing has already sunk way down in the charts, so I'm not sure why I even bothered to write it. But I somehow felt the strong need to defend Freddie on this one! Well, here it is: Title: You big disgrace! Reviewer: Queen Fan (USA) Although I own every single album that Queen ever put out (including "Hot Space" and the "Flash Gordon" soundtrack), this cd/dvd is not worth getting. There are so many problems with it that I don't even know where to begin. In the first place, Paul Rodgers is by no means an acceptable replacement for Freddie Mercury. On a purely objective level, he lacks Freddie Mercury's extraordinary vocal range. But on a deeper level, there is something even more fundamentally wrong here. Although he is a talented singer, Paul Rodgers neither inspires the listener nor does he stimulate the imagination in the way that Freddie Mercury did. On the contrary, Paul Rodgers is really quite dull. A band that, under the guidance of Freddie Mercury was campy and funny and amusing and brilliant is now just one huge snore. Watch Freddie Mercury's performance at Live Aid and you will see something extraordinary and larger than life. In fact, there was almost something god-like about Freddie Mercury, almost as though he would embody the spirit of some Roman god. All of this is missing with Paul Rodgers. Without Freddie Mercury, "Queen" has been reduced to nothing more than a boring blues band. I also found it deeply offensive that Freddie Mercury's mother would be forced to watch this terrible concert. What was she supposed to do or say after seeing her brilliant son replaced by this vastly inferior substitute? Again, I am not saying that Paul Rodgers is a horrible singer or that he sucks. He's just not Freddie Mercury. I also wonder about what happened to so many of the great Freddie Mercury songs. What happened to "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Under Pressure", "Somebody to Love", "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Seven Seas of Rhye" etc. etc? Indeed, the most beautiful Queen songs have been replaced with the less original Brian May tunes "I Want it All" and "Tie Your Mother Down". This alone is pretty disrespectful. I cannot image Freddie Mercury's mother walking away and feeling good about this. Perhaps the best thing about this concert(like the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert) is that it really illustrates what a great entertainer and singer Freddie Mercury was. The world of music is somehow just not the same without him. |
| Wiley 24.11.2005 12:13 |
Crappy, pointless and useless review. It's not really a review but a rant (nothing new about it, by the way) and has nothing to do with the actual record. The songs were chosen to fit the new lineup in someway and Under Pressure was actually played but not included in the album. JCW |
| Knute 24.11.2005 12:48 |
Yawn |
| Knute 24.11.2005 12:49 |
EDIT |
| Brianmay1975 24.11.2005 17:03 |
Zarathustra II wrote: Here is my review of ROTC that I wrote for link. I think that the thing has already sunk way down in the charts, so I'm not sure why I even bothered to write it. But I somehow felt the strong need to defend Freddie on this one! Well, here it is:I don't know either why I bother to review your crappy review. But I somehow felt the strong need to defend Paul Rodgers, the DVD... and, last but not least, a band called Queen. (+ or - Paul Rodgers :P) Title: You big disgrace! Reviewer: Queen Fan (USA)Or maybe just a Freddie fan?! Although I own every single album that Queen ever put out (including "Hot Space" and the "Flash Gordon" soundtrack), this cd/dvd is not worth getting. There are so many problems with it that I don't even know where to begin.Well, then, just don't get the DVD. Leave the other fans make up their minds by themselves whether they want to buy it or not. And, btw: *Hot Space is great - been into it again lately and it surely rocks; very different, but great. *Flash Gordon is a fine soundtrack album *I Can Hear Music / Goin' Back sounds terrific for such a young band (nah, I know you didn't mention this one, but it is currently labelled as "crap") In the first place, Paul Rodgers is by no means an acceptable replacement for Freddie Mercury.Well, at least, it's the best one so far whatsoever. AND... he's NOT a replacement (do I need to go on on this one? I guess this has been talked about countless times on this forum). On a purely objective level, he lacks Freddie Mercury's extraordinary vocal range.Actually he's got a fine vocal range and his vocal improvisations are great. For a man almost in his 60s, he's kept his voice at a top level. But on a deeper level, there is something even more fundamentally wrong here. Although he is a talented singer, Paul Rodgers neither inspires the listener nor does he stimulate the imagination in the way that Freddie Mercury did. On the contrary, Paul Rodgers is really quite dull. A band that, under the guidance of Freddie Mercury was campy and funny and amusing and brilliant is now just one huge snore.I do agree with you on the idea that Freddie was unique. I bow down to his amazing stage performances. But... he's not with us anymore and none of us can bring him back. On the other hand, Paul Rodgers is far from being a dull singer. First of all, he's brought a new feel to the songs, which is nice to hear. And then, he moves in a stylish way and frequently interacts with Brian. Man, these guys are almost in their 60s, what do you expect them to do? Jump around on stage?!! Do you think Freddie would have been doing that nowadays, had he lived?!! Watch Freddie Mercury's performance at Live Aid and you will see something extraordinary and larger than life. In fact, there was almost something god-like about Freddie Mercury, almost as though he would embody the spirit of some Roman god. All of this is missing with Paul Rodgers. Without Freddie Mercury, "Queen" has been reduced to nothing more than a boring blues band.Blues band? Huh? Tie Your Mother Down, Fat Bottomed Girls, Hammer To Fall, I Want It All, We Will Rock You, I'm In Love With My Car, Another One Bites The Dust... never noticed before these are boring blues bits :) I also found it deeply offensive that Freddie Mercury's mother would be forced to watch this terrible concert. What was she supposed to do or say after seeing her brilliant son replaced by this vastly inferior substitute? She was NOT forced to attend the show. Where did you get that? What did she say after the show? Well, according to Paul that's what she said: "His mum, sister, niece and nephew came to a show in Sheffield, and that was one of the highlights of the w |
| Joeker 24.11.2005 22:56 |
actually, Paul Rodgers is a very good singer. And he's not Freddie Mercury, He's Paul Rodgers. And you know what? I honestly think that Paul Rodgers does a better live version of "Another One Bites The Dust" and I stand by that. I also think the slow version of "Hammer To Fall" is better than the old live versions that Freddie sings. And one more thing, Brian May does a great job with "'39." And when "QP" comes to Portland, Im gonna go see them and enjoy it all! |
| Lester Burnham 24.11.2005 23:44 |
Well, I will agree that it is a rotten review. |
| motbq 25.11.2005 01:36 |
try a little harder bro. Another one bites the dust on ROTC is weak, the worst version of that song i ever heard. Also "IWTBF", "I want it all and magic" are weak. It's actually a pretty average live album at best, it's at times good but also at times boring. I can't say i agree with everything the original poster said but it's not right killing the guy for an opinion. The slow version of "Hammer to fall' is good but, with each listen i'v grown tired of it. Listen paul is a great singer, but remember if it wasn't for the original line up we wouldn't be here on a queen forum, also i'm not gonna pretend (like some of you) that i'm a die hard paul rodger's fan all a sudden just because he's working with brian and roger. |
| motbq 25.11.2005 01:43 |
I also think if brian died a band of freddie and roger + slash would have blown the original queen away, that's because slash is a better guitar player than brian. |
| quicksilver mercury 25.11.2005 02:45 |
motbq wrote: I also think if brian died a band of freddie and roger + slash would have blown the original queen away, that's because slash is a better guitar player than brian.Slash is an average and derivative guitarist. Brian is an original, unique among guitarists. |
| motbq 25.11.2005 07:19 |
of course your gonna say that, this is a queen forum. Check out any rock forum and slashes name comes up alot more than brians, actually no one even brings up brian, he's totally overated by queen fans. |
| Fenderek 25.11.2005 08:01 |
get laid- you realy need it. desperately... |
| MadeInMadhouse 25.11.2005 08:13 |
I respect what you are telling but... I am disagree that Slash is better guitarrist in Queen than Mr Brian May, The guitar The Red Special, is the sound of Queen... About Mr. Bad Company, I desagree, I love his songs Like Seagull and Alright now and others But definitelly he dont fit on Queen Band, So Roger and Brian are so OBSESSED with this man. so what we gonna do? |
| Brianmay1975 25.11.2005 08:14 |
kingarthur wrote: I honestly think that Paul Rodgers does a better live version of "Another One Bites The Dust" and I stand by that.I do agree with you on this one... that's what I think too. Well, maybe the AOBTD from ROTC might not be the better version of this tour. I find the Cardiff and Birmingham versions absolutely great, while the ROTC one is good, but not really astounding. However, it sounds way gloomier and darker and more impressive than, say, the Wembley86 or the MK82 versions (to stick to DVDs only). |
| motbq 25.11.2005 12:23 |
I also think paul is a great singer, Free and bad company were great, but the queen + paul thing is what it is, three old men playing very old songs. It's nothing new or exciting. I seen them on this last tour and i liked it, A few highlights like freddie on the big screen and "let there be drums" but also some boring moments. |
| motbq 25.11.2005 12:37 |
this is coming from a average queen fan, I'm not a die hard queen fan, but i am a die hard rock fan. Brian may is great and original, but "page" and "beck" slash and many others are slightly ahead of him. Roger taylor though is the jam, great drummer and voice. Roger is truly underated. |
| teleman 25.11.2005 15:01 |
motbq wrote: this is coming from a average queen fan, I'm not a die hard queen fan, but i am a die hard rock fan. Brian may is great and original, but "page" and "beck" slash and many others are slightly ahead of him. Roger taylor though is the jam, great drummer and voice. Roger is truly underated.Sorry but I gotta disagree. Slash is okay but nothing groundbreaking. I think he technically is similar to Brian May. Page was technically sloppy but at times brilliant. Jeff Beck has always in a league of his own and has continued to evolve(he was my motivation for picking up the guitar) but he acknowledges Brian's talent. There are a number of guitarists who technically are "better" than Brian but Brian has a style which noone has been able to duplicate. The best thing about Brian and Rger is there ability to add something to the music of Queen. Without any of Freddie, Brian, Roger or John there would not have been the music that we are so familiar. |
| motbq 25.11.2005 15:53 |
Queen were great musicians, but their biggest talent was "songwriting" if you compare a band like queen with Iron maiden man for man with their playing only "maiden wins" but Queen are the better band by far, It's their songwriting ability that seperates the men from the boys. Queen had four great songwriters and maiden didn't. |
| jasen101 07.12.2005 18:20 |
can someone just ban this stupid bitch already? Richard?? |