| Localboy80 18.01.2006 10:39 |
Hi People! What in your opinion was the best live vocal performance Freddie ever gave? For me personally, I would say :- - Somebody To Love - Live At The Bowl A close second would be :- - Radio Ga Ga - Live Aid Now I have not listened to all the Queen concerts out there, so I will certainly be interested to know what other people think. |
| Serry... 18.01.2006 10:42 |
I always like "White Man" from Earls Court '77... |
| Asterik 18.01.2006 10:50 |
Milton Keynes- Somebody To Love- brilliant technical performance Wembley- Tie Your Mother Down- I just love the way he barks the words out. Hammersmith '79- Let Me Entertain You- such agression in the dleivery. |
| Rik&Roll 18.01.2006 11:44 |
I would have to say; BoRhap, Newcastle 4-12-79. Some body I don´t know-but-is-one-of-my-best-friends-anyway uploaded that one some time ago, after a discussion about the best borhapperformance. It´s not only the best borhap, it´s the best FM did, I think. Magnificent! |
| kosimodo 18.01.2006 16:05 |
"Lap of the gods" wembley 86. It was so easy... |
| gem27 18.01.2006 17:22 |
save me at milton keynes was very good and also white queen from the rainbow 1974. |
| not that bad 18.01.2006 17:25 |
back chat mk 1982 |
| it was electric7 18.01.2006 17:51 |
HOW CAN I GO ON LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats the best!!! |
| stateside fan 18.01.2006 20:30 |
now im here from Hammy 1979 |
| rwon041 18.01.2006 21:09 |
Your welcome buddy! Though personally I think that the best live vocal performance by Freddie has got to be We Are The Champions at Live Aid. He belts it out, hitting all the notes too when he sings "We Are The Champions!" (whereas in every other concert he took the low end and Roger did the high stuff)
Rik&Roll wrote: I would have to say; BoRhap, Newcastle 4-12-79. Some body I don´t know-but-is-one-of-my-best-friends-anyway uploaded that one some time ago, after a discussion about the best borhapperformance. It´s not only the best borhap, it´s the best FM did, I think. Magnificent! |
| rwon041 18.01.2006 21:12 |
Incidentally I think that this has the potential to be an awesome thread! Somebody To Love at MK is NOT as good as Sao Paulo 20/3/1981. He's much better on that one. The only thing missing is the 'wooooaahhhh' that he often pulls out at the end. And as proof to back up my opinion he actually hits the note (i.e. like on the record) when he sings 'but EVERYbody is trying to put me down' at Sao Paulo whereas every other performance he takes it an octave lower. |
| Localboy80 19.01.2006 04:08 |
Hi rwon041! I agree that Sao Paulo, 1981 was an excellent version of 'Somebody To Love' but there are one or two 'cracks' in his voice so to speak. Very picky I know but Milton Keynes wins it for me. Saying that, though, if Freddie hit the high note for 'EVERYbody puts me down...', like in Sao Paulo, in the Live At The Bowl rendition of 'Somebody To Love', then it would have been the ultimate version! |
| sebaspedre 19.01.2006 05:54 |
IMPROPTU LIVE AT WEMBLEY, SOMEBODY TO LOVE MONTREAL 1981, ACTION THIS DAY 1982 MILTON KEYNES AND A KIND OF MAGIC LIVE AT BUDAPEST WHEN HE SAID I TOLD YOU =) |
| vinny2256_ 19.01.2006 07:04 |
Radio Ga Ga at Live Aid was superb as was we are the champs. Play the game at montreal 81 was superb. Under pressure MK was excellent |
| on my way up 19.01.2006 07:22 |
It's late:Copenhagen '78:incredible version Somebody to love:Milton keynes way better than Sao Paulo:his voice cracks several times in Sao Paulo! Save me and Bohemian and Liar: Newcastle 4/12/79 Spread your Wings:also Copenhagen '78 I want to break free:Brussels 24/8/1984 One vision:Budapest In the lap of the gods:I rfeally like that version from Hammy 75 Now I'm here:Hammy'79 Back Chat:milton keynes:great version Melancholy blues:Houston;-) |
| QueenNewcastle 19.01.2006 07:32 |
Tie Your Mother Down (Wembley '86) |
| Rotwang 19.01.2006 07:40 |
Definitely Radio Ga Ga from Live Aid You Take My Breath Away - Hyde Park Back Chat - MK There's so many to choose from. It would be cool to create a "Greatest Freddie Live" CD and post it. |
| Fenderek 19.01.2006 07:47 |
on my way up wrote: Somebody to love:Milton keynes way better than Sao Paulo:his voice cracks several times in Sao Paulo!Yep- but he's on the other hand more adventorous on that one! |
| on my way up 19.01.2006 07:51 |
I have listened to the Sao Paulo-gig from 1981 and altough I think it's a great gig it isn't freddie's best.His voice cracks during several songs.Save me,SOmebody to love are good examples.In my opinion this show is a bit overrated.I do like the intro to Keep yourself alive and great versions of AOBTD and Fat bottomed Girls but some other songs were better at other gigs |
| on my way up 19.01.2006 07:56 |
I understand what you mean and I agree with you,Fenderek.He did indeed do some very exciting adlibs during STL in Sao Paulo.That's very important.The emotion and expression in his voice are great aswell. |
| Fenderek 19.01.2006 07:59 |
I on the other hand agree that Sao Paulo gig wasn't THAT great. it's not about his voice cracking- wouldn't mind that. Even at Milton he did this wonderful "locality" thing ;) But the ad libs are second to none for me- I heard only few live songs with my jaw on the floor- and that was one of them. Maybe he got pissed off after Brian fucked up the solo? ;) |
| on my way up 19.01.2006 07:59 |
Actually,that's the fantastic thing about freddie:he has such a beautiful voice and he sings almost always in tune.I prefer a crack now and then above someone who has a great range but is of tune more easily.I hope this sounds logic:-) |
| Localboy80 19.01.2006 08:08 |
Hey Rotwang! If a compilation could be done of Freddie's 'Ultimate Vocal Performances', in the vain of a concert, then yes, I agree, excellent idea! |
| Fenderek 19.01.2006 08:14 |
MUSTAPHA at Wembley Arena 8-12-80. BRILLIANT. Whole nand absolutely mesmerizing. |
| Munchsack 19.01.2006 08:20 |
I would say H2F at LiveAid. On top form that day, and everyone is going on about Ga Ga, but I personally feel H2F was the best performance they delivered on the day. |
| deleted user 19.01.2006 10:37 |
Everything he did in Houston! |
| rwon041 19.01.2006 15:49 |
Localboy80 wrote: Hi rwon041! I agree that Sao Paulo, 1981 was an excellent version of 'Somebody To Love' but there are one or two 'cracks' in his voice so to speak. Very picky I know but Milton Keynes wins it for me. Saying that, though, if Freddie hit the high note for 'EVERYbody puts me down...', like in Sao Paulo, in the Live At The Bowl rendition of 'Somebody To Love', then it would have been the ultimate version!Yeah I agree with you on that. The MK version would indeed be the best version if he included that. Yeah he cracks when he sings "I got nobody left to believe in", but I actually prefer it with that 'crack' in it. Saying that, Freddie's voice is different than from say the 1977 concerts (Earls Court, Houston) it's hmmm... halfway between his Wembley voice and his 'young' voice so to speak. And I do prefer his voice from the mid 1970's. The Houston concerts are freaking awesome, the sound of his voice is superb. Smoking caused this difference methinks (plus maybe 5 years aging). I also wanna throw in a vote for Boh Rhap at Houston 77, this is superb! I prefer it to 04/12/79 Newcastle, it's a better recording so I can judge it better. The heavy part is absolutely fantastic! And right after 'right our of here......' he belts out 'come on!'. |
| rwon041 19.01.2006 15:49 |
Good thread localboy. Nice way to fill in my afternoon tea at work on a Friday afternoon (Lazing on a Friday/ Sunday afternoon). This it not really one of Freddie's best vocal performances in a song but as we are on the topic of Sao Paulo, it is absolutely magical and mesmerizing when Love Of My Life is played. The crowd sings it word perfect and go absolutely apeshit when Fred applauds them. Brilliant. Another One Bites The Dust on the We Will Rock You concert DVD is one of, if not the best live version of this song. It's NOTHING compared to studio but I've yet to hear any version of the song live come close to the studio version. Everything is an octave lower. |
| Localboy80 20.01.2006 14:57 |
I know what you mean with 'Another One Bites The Dust'. I actually think this may very well be the most 'altered' song live, due to the high notes. |
| forever 20.01.2006 15:53 |
I have not heard all of Queen's live concerts yet, but I love freddie at Hammersmith 79, and I would say somebody to love and save me from that concert. |
| john bodega 21.01.2006 04:01 |
Another One Bites the Dust at the Friday Wembley concert in '86 was pretty freakin' good. He hit that B near the start for one thing. Hammer to Fall at Live Aid is pretty damned amazing, he's on fire. Who would have thought he had a throat infection and all! I actually really dig his Death on Two Legs at Earls Court - at least towards the beginning of the song. Further into the track he starts to bone things up a little... but it's still a good performance. I don't see anybody mentioning the '82 SNL appearance :D |
| icefire 21.01.2006 05:28 |
i am not sure why you guys forgot to mention hammy 75..mercury feel so free to use his voice and it doesn't cause him any struggle.. |
| Franck GAVARD PERRET 23.01.2006 07:17 |
Hi everybody, I think there's not only one best performance but several best performances. Of course Wembley 86 (11th and 12th July) and Live Aid are great. Freddie's voice was absolutly magic. And, I agree, Somebody to Love at MK Bowl is nice too. I personally like the whole performance at the Hammersmith Odeon on 26 december 1979. Freddie's voice was in a perfect shape. Listen to "Don't stop me Now" and "We Are the Champions" !!! "In the lap of the Gods... revisisted" at the Rainbow of London in 1974 is very pretty too, isn't it ? Anyway, although his voice wasn't always at its best (for instance, the Jazz Japanese Tour in 1979), even completely hoarse sometimes, Freddie was stunning and great every night on stage !!! He kept moving, dancing... and he played piano so well ! (I know it's quite hard to play an instrument and singing on the same time, as I'm both the bass man and the singer in my own band). Congratulations to Freddie ! God bless him. Franck |
| Localboy80 24.01.2006 10:18 |
Certain versions of songs stand out for me too. As of this time, the best version I have heard of 'A Kind Of Magic' is at Sweden, 1986 and the best 'later on' version of 'In The Lap Of The Gods' I have heard is also from the same concert. Freddie's voice sounded excellent at this concert and I think or I certainly believe there is a certain confidence coming from him. Although I do think he gets caught up in the moment now and again and tried too hard. If you listen to 'Who Wants To Live Forever', he really goes for it but really forces it out and hits a few bad notes, cracks etc... |
| Franck GAVARD PERRET 24.01.2006 10:48 |
Yes, you're right. Confidence is something important, that's true. Best regards, Franck |
| zaiga 24.01.2006 13:14 |
I like "See What A Fool I've Been" from Hammersmith '75. |
| deleted user 25.01.2006 09:49 |
Nobody has mentioned the Vienna and Leeds 1982 gigs, they were IMO better than Milton Keynes, especially Another One Bites The Dust from Vienna 1st night and "Fucking Power" (Staying Power) in Leeds. |
| Franck GAVARD PERRET 25.01.2006 11:07 |
I agree, the 2 nights in Vienna 82 are great, thanks to Freddie's voice which was in a very pretty shape. A nice "We Are the Champions" performance, don't you think so ? Moreover, the recordings are on the current market, and are quite enjoyable. Cheers, Franck |
| Localboy80 25.01.2006 14:09 |
Vienna 82 sounds as if that is worth checking out. I love the concerts I have listened to so far from 1982. So is this one of their best concerts? You say it is for sale as bootleg? |
| IlariaTaylor 25.01.2006 15:09 |
Love of my life from live killers.. |
| rwon041 25.01.2006 18:26 |
Love of My Life on the Live Killers album is nice but only in that the audience participation is excellent. Houston 1977 is better if you just wanna hear Fred sing it nicely. Hammersmith 79 has an excellent version of Somebody To Love. The 1982 concerts are nice, but the timbre of Freddie's voice has completely changed, he's a great singer still but it's not young and supple anymore. |
| john bodega 25.01.2006 21:54 |
"Houston 1977 is better if you just wanna hear Fred sing it nicely." I do! Thanks for the heads-up. |
| Teo_torriate04 26.01.2006 11:21 |
Spread Your Wings from Live Killers (whatever show that was pulled from) |
| rwon041 26.01.2006 15:32 |
Franck GAVARD PERRET wrote: I agree, the 2 nights in Vienna 82 are great, thanks to Freddie's voice which was in a very pretty shape. A nice "We Are the Champions" performance, don't you think so ? Moreover, the recordings are on the current market, and are quite enjoyable. Cheers, FranckOn the MK Dvd number 2 I there's a performance of Another One Bites The Dust which is not bad! but his 1982 voice vs late 1979? No comparison! 1979 wins hands down. |
| Franck GAVARD PERRET 30.01.2006 08:09 |
You're right, Freddie's voice during 1979 tours in Europe and Japan was not at its best. Most of the time, he was hoarse and his voice cracked (especially during the Japanese leg in April 1979). Please notice it's hard to sing perfectly some songs just like Spread Your Wings, My Melancholy Blues (1977-1978) and - above all - Don't Stop me Now (1979). I think the music suddenlty became hard, powerful in 1977, until the end of the Jazz Japanese Tour. I think John and Brian's guitars suffered a lot (I'm sorry for them)! Listen to the fans were hysterics. There's a big gap between 1976 and 1977, concerning Queen's style on stage. But I've never said Queen was bad in 1976... With Mack, the music on stage by Queen suddently became absolutely more soft and clear (a bit to much in my view). Listen to several Tie Your Mother Down, Now I'm Here and We Are the Champions versions played in 1979 and 1982. The sound was great too during the Works Tour, until the end of the Magic Tour. Still soft, but quite powerful (We are the Champions at Wembley 86 for instance). To my mind, Freddie's voice was at its best during the Magic Tour. Cheers, Franck |
| stateside fan 30.01.2006 17:09 |
Question for collectors-are shows from the game tour not as readily available as i dont hear them metioned much but i saw 3 shows of that Tour and have never heard freddie better. |
| usher 04.02.2006 10:56 |
they are the best during the american part of the tour i mean if anyone has listened to los angeles 1980 that show is perfect in every way imaginable freddie hits every record note in somebody to love the guitar solo i would have to say is a little soggy but then again you have the greatest vocals plus no mustahce during the this one but any ways the shows in the game tour were all the best i must up until the late european game tour when freddies vocals became to slack of as he many others know he changed the tone of his voice to not have any cracks so the high knotes would be easier for him to hit but above all the game tour and the crazy tour were the best for me. |
| bohemian 11513 04.02.2006 11:07 |
usher wrote: ...plus no mustahce ...??? |
| Fraz 04.02.2006 16:19 |
i like we are the champions and hammer to fall wembley |
| The Real Wizard 05.02.2006 01:47 |
usher wrote: they are the best during the american part of the tour i mean if anyone has listened to los angeles 1980 that show is perfect in every way imaginable freddie hits every record note in somebody to love the guitar solo i would have to say is a little soggy but then again you have the greatest vocals plus no mustahce during the this one but any ways the shows in the game tour were all the best i must up until the late european game tour when freddies vocals became to slack of as he many others know he changed the tone of his voice to not have any cracks so the high knotes would be easier for him to hit but above all the game tour and the crazy tour were the best for me.Thanks for your contribution, and I pretty much agree with you. But please, next time, could you use some punctuation? It will make your posts easier to read. |
| lizardmaker 07.02.2006 13:46 |
Play the Game, Monteal 81. The weird thing about that concert is how the boring audience was sort of a help to Freddie's singing. He's not as hyped up as he would be with a really great crowd, so he has easier access to his full vocal range and technique. Save Me from MK is terrific, too. |
| Nummer2 07.02.2006 14:51 |
While you mention PTG – that song from the Sao Paulo concert 1981 was sung nicely, too. |
| mike hunt 08.02.2006 02:47 |
the whole MK show he was brilliant. and live aid of course. |
| tkokirrane 17.02.2006 08:33 |
Somebody to Love at MK was the best i have heard.where can one get copies of all the other live concerts etc??? |
| breakthru1989 19.02.2006 19:16 |
I go for knebworth park. they sound great and it is their final concert. that to me is special. |
| GOGU 22.02.2006 14:35 |
i say milton keynes's 82 and montreal's 81 somebody to love in the laps of the gods at budapest it's a hard life at rio 85 all those early live mustapha ones:so powerfull brighton rock from live killers vienna's 05-82 another one bites the dust we are the champions at wembley 86 all houston 75 and hammy 79 concerts le:and must say the best live under pressure:from budapest too |
| Ziggy_SD 22.02.2006 21:16 |
Live Killers has many outstanding Freddie performances, namely Now I'm Here, Love Of My Life, '39 and Spread Your Wings. Another One Bites The Dust from the Knebworth show is also superb. |
| GOGU 08.03.2006 14:47 |
i watched again on his performance at hammersmith odeon in '75.in the laps of the gods is really good, his both vocal and visual interpretation to that song are such expresive,awesome |