Queen (Frieddle Mercary)Music

[vat_man]

Note that I said 'I find...'

When I say artistic merit, I guess what I'm getting at is that I feel their music breaks no new ground and there is no attempt to give fresh insight - it's a reasonably competent band with a reasonably competent singer singing comfortable, familiar songs - it just says 'middle of the road mediocrity' to me.

I appreciate some people enjoy it, and good luck to them.

 

[1X83Z]

'Good luck?'

 

[vat_man]

'Good luck' - as in 'insert meaningless well-intentioned platitude here'

 

[1X83Z]

Ah.

I thought you meant that Bon Jovi fans were set back already by their like of the group, so they need all the luck they can get.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
Ah.

I thought you meant that Bon Jovi fans were set back already by their like of the group, so they need all the luck they can get.

I would never be silly enough to articulate such a sentiment.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


I would never be silly enough to articulate such a sentiment.

Yeah right - you 'articulate such sentiments' all the time!

 

[vat_man]

Right - so you thought that on a predominantly middle-class white American forum, I was going to just blurt out that Bon Jovi fans are idiots for liking that band? No chance - zip, nada, zero, zilch, nothing.

 

[1X83Z]

Oh, sure, HOLD IT IN. We know it's what you're thinking.

As long as you haven't got anything against John Mellencamp...

 

[vat_man]

Let's not go there...

 

[1X83Z]

 

[vat_man]

Just stirring - does nothing for me (don't care for that style of music), but at least he writes from the heart, and that is something I do respect.

 

[1X83Z]

That's true.

I can't get over the fact that John's had more number ones in Australia than any other country. :haha:

 

[steve-o]

Originally posted by vat_man
I think the best song Freddie ever did was the collaboration with David Bowie, 'Under Pressure'.

One truely great song

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
That's true.

I can't get over the fact that John's had more number ones in Australia than any other country. :haha:

Well, he's at that crossover of country and rock - and country music is like a huge underground movement here. The sales figures never make the charts, but apparently the top selling country music regularly outsells the biggest selling pop and rock.

So, I guess he's appealling to both crowds.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


Well, he's at that crossover of country and rock - and country music is like a huge underground movement here. The sales figures never make the charts, but apparently the top selling country music regularly outsells the biggest selling pop and rock.

So, I guess he's appealling to both crowds.

True, he is appealing to both crowds (though his big gripe is that he can't attract black fans, and after going to a concert of his recently, I must agree).

Personally I consider the current popular music the 'downfall of music.' Britney Spears, for instance, doesn't play an instrument or write any of her songs. What a farce!

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
Personally I consider the current popular music the 'downfall of music.' Britney Spears, for instance, doesn't play an instrument or write any of her songs. What a farce!

Agreed - much of the top 40 is manufactured rubbish.

I much prefer something as heartfelt as Radiohead's 'Morning Bell', or Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'.

I've given this anecdote before, but I heard a great bootleg of David Gilmour playing live at an English music festival a few years ago.

He started with the very familiar opening cords of 'Wish You Were Here' and the crowd went nuts. He stopped, and said in a very controlled voice 'this song means a lot to me, so shut the **** up', and then restarted playing to a now silent crowd.

I doubt you'll here anything similar from Britney about 'Oops I Did It Again' in 20 years time.

 

[1X83Z]

Don't try to push your crap music on me!

Actually, I can't take Pink Floyd or Radiohead - just a bit too loud for me, plus the instruments aren't as predominant as they are in my favourite songs, though most of my high school friends went the Radiohead way, I prefer softer music.

Right - Britney's got no personal ties to any of her songs. I love that story about David Gimour! Incredible!

 

[Klostrophobic]

You don't like Pink Floyd OR Radiohead? What's next? You're gonna decide you hate Domo-kun? *gasp*

 

[1X83Z]

I would never dream of such a sin.

Klos: "Glory Days," Bruce Springsteen. Listen to it. Love it. Cherish it.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
I would never dream of such a sin.

Klos: "Glory Days," Bruce Springsteen. Listen to it. Love it. Cherish it.

Funny - I'm a big fan of Bruce, but I hate that song - I just find the instrumental backing really grating.

He's done some fantastic stuff - 'Brilliant Disguise' (why do people hate 'Tunnel of Love'?), 'Philadelphia', and 'I'm on Fire' would be one of the best short popular music songs ever written - and it kills me with the constant misinterpretation of 'Born in the USA' - it's like 'Born to Run' - a lot of people in the US (and here) don't seem to understand irony.

Now, describing Pink Floyd and Radiohead as 'loud'? I'm curious as to what you mean.

 

[Klostrophobic]

Heh, that would be one of the last adjectives I used to describe Pink Floyd or Radiohead.

 

[Talentless]

Satisfaction is a great rock song? Uh, no.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by Klostrophobic
Heh, that would be one of the last adjectives I used to describe Pink Floyd or Radiohead.

Ah, yeah... - thanks for the insight.

- Apologies Klos - thought that was from M5Power...

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


Funny - I'm a big fan of Bruce, but I hate that song - I just find the instrumental backing really grating.

He's done some fantastic stuff - 'Brilliant Disguise' (why do people hate 'Tunnel of Love'?), 'Philadelphia', and 'I'm on Fire' would be one of the best short popular music songs ever written - and it kills me with the constant misinterpretation of 'Born in the USA' - it's like 'Born to Run' - a lot of people in the US (and here) don't seem to understand irony.

Now, describing Pink Floyd and Radiohead as 'loud'? I'm curious as to what you mean.

Finally - a Bruce fan! I still consider buying the album "Born in the USA" the best fifteen dollars I've spent in my life.

I can understand why you (or anyone) would think that song is cheesy, but I love it - I first heard it years ago when he preformed it on the Late Show with Dave Letterman. I taped that, and I've still got that tape - it has to be fifteen years old now. Next, it was used to mark the end of my favourite actor's (Mike Fox) years on Spin City.

"I'm On Fire"...oh, what a song - I think the reason I liked that song was because it was such a trememdous break from any other song on that album (though it was short - 2:45? - like you said). "Streets of Philadelphia" was a great song, too, but my all-time favourite is "Thunder Road" off Born to Run.

The attention "Born in the USA" (the song) got was pretty funny - Reagan said he loved the song and its meaning - apparenty he hadn't even heard it, because among the racist lyrics and rebellious attitude was nothing Reagan described! Bruce just liked the attention.

I've rambled on about the Boss for long enough. "Loud" is right - when I turn on the CD player in the car or Windows Media on the computer, I usually tune it out to some degree and pay attention to the music only. When Pink Floyd or Radiohead is playing, it nearly gives me a headache - like they're using all the available music power that they can. I don't like it at all!

 

[StevieMo]

Originally posted by vat_man


Agreed - much of the top 40 is manufactured rubbish.

I much prefer something as heartfelt as Radiohead's 'Morning Bell', or Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'.

I've given this anecdote before, but I heard a great bootleg of David Gilmour playing live at an English music festival a few years ago.

He started with the very familiar opening cords of 'Wish You Were Here' and the crowd went nuts. He stopped, and said in a very controlled voice 'this song means a lot to me, so shut the **** up', and then restarted playing to a now silent crowd.

I doubt you'll here anything similar from Britney about 'Oops I Did It Again' in 20 years time.

I was listening to Wish You Were Here at the exact same time I was reading your post

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by Talentless
Satisfaction is a great rock song? Uh, no.

I agree! But a radio station back in Denver a few months ago did a huge top 500 thing and Satisfaction was number two (followed by Stairway to Heaven). Personally, I loved it - Born to Run was nine, Jack & Diane was 110 or so...

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
I've rambled on about the Boss for long enough. "Loud" is right - when I turn on the CD player in the car or Windows Media on the computer, I usually tune it out to some degree and pay attention to the music only. When Pink Floyd or Radiohead is playing, it nearly gives me a headache - like they're using all the available music power that they can. I don't like it at all!

Curious insight - I think both bands have a wide range of variation in their music. I mean if you look at Pink Floyd's change in style in the 30 years they've been producing music, wow, can you even compare the early stuff with the later stuff?

 

[1X83Z]

Agreed. I'm surprised they still had the incredible fan base throughout it all. For most musicians, it's a bonus (especially to the fans) if they don't change style at all - take ugly-boy Tom Petty for example. Even with the wide variety of Pink Floyd's music, though, they still remained extremely popular.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


He's done some fantastic stuff - 'Brilliant Disguise' (why do people hate 'Tunnel of Love'?),

Just realised the answer to this. The reason no one liked Tunnel of Love is because it was missing Roy Bittan, Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa, Garry Talent, Steve Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg. And we know who they are!

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
Agreed. I'm surprised they still had the incredible fan base throughout it all. For most musicians, it's a bonus (especially to the fans) if they don't change style at all - take ugly-boy Tom Petty for example. Even with the wide variety of Pink Floyd's music, though, they still remained extremely popular.

I wonder how much of it has to do with the ongoing popularity of 'Dark Side of the Moon'?

Fair point on Petty - his stuff still sounds like the Heartbreakers. Much like Ben Folds, I think, in that he was probably the dominant force in the band, and that combined with a distinctive vocal style means similar sound.