Freddy Is Everywhere Today
I think the ghost of Freddy Mercury is watching me today. Or maybe just following me.
First, there is that Mika song, "Grace Kelly". As of this writing I like the tune but I can also see a not too distant horizon where I will hate it. A lot. Somewhere though I think Freddy Mercury is smiling over this one because the song just drips of him. The only thing about "Grace Kelly" that saddens me is that there are probably younger generations of listeners that have not had their fair share of Queen or heard enough of who I believe to be one of the top 3 vocalists of all time -- in any genre. But maybe those who get into Mika will read enough articles or reviews that always point to the obvious Queen/Mercury influence and go check out some of the Queen archives. That is what happened to me when I was younger. Read enough name-droppings of an artists influences and eventually you get curious. (For the record, thank you Def Leppard for the name dropping of Thin Lizzy and, to a lesser degree, to Guns `n Roses for praising Hanoi Rocks who, though a mixed bag, had their moments.)
There is also just a little Queen-ism in a song on the new Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers CD. Now, RCPM are definitely not a band with a Queen influence but there is a little moment on one song where the background vocals have this operatic vibe, just shouting out the word "Love!" It is so unmistakeably Queen inspired. It sounds out of place but it works. An it was Freddy Mercury that brought all those oddities to the Queen cannon; and the Queen cannon continues to find it's way into the oddest of places.
Finally, there is a new All-American Rejects song called "The Future Has Arrived" on the soundtrack to the upcoming movie Meet The Robinsons. AAR collaborated with Danny Elfman on it and it is a mild departure for the band -- which is nice to hear, especially in the context of a soundtrack. One part of it is that great, slickly produced rock/pop thing AAR are so good at it but there are some nice Queen-ish flourishes going on with the arrangement and the background vocals. More often than not soundtrack songs are throw away tracks or leftovers. This one sounds like a real effort. Nice work, boys.
Maybe all of the above isn't Freddy Mercury's ghost. Maybe I just miss him.
J
First, there is that Mika song, "Grace Kelly". As of this writing I like the tune but I can also see a not too distant horizon where I will hate it. A lot. Somewhere though I think Freddy Mercury is smiling over this one because the song just drips of him. The only thing about "Grace Kelly" that saddens me is that there are probably younger generations of listeners that have not had their fair share of Queen or heard enough of who I believe to be one of the top 3 vocalists of all time -- in any genre. But maybe those who get into Mika will read enough articles or reviews that always point to the obvious Queen/Mercury influence and go check out some of the Queen archives. That is what happened to me when I was younger. Read enough name-droppings of an artists influences and eventually you get curious. (For the record, thank you Def Leppard for the name dropping of Thin Lizzy and, to a lesser degree, to Guns `n Roses for praising Hanoi Rocks who, though a mixed bag, had their moments.)
There is also just a little Queen-ism in a song on the new Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers CD. Now, RCPM are definitely not a band with a Queen influence but there is a little moment on one song where the background vocals have this operatic vibe, just shouting out the word "Love!" It is so unmistakeably Queen inspired. It sounds out of place but it works. An it was Freddy Mercury that brought all those oddities to the Queen cannon; and the Queen cannon continues to find it's way into the oddest of places.
Finally, there is a new All-American Rejects song called "The Future Has Arrived" on the soundtrack to the upcoming movie Meet The Robinsons. AAR collaborated with Danny Elfman on it and it is a mild departure for the band -- which is nice to hear, especially in the context of a soundtrack. One part of it is that great, slickly produced rock/pop thing AAR are so good at it but there are some nice Queen-ish flourishes going on with the arrangement and the background vocals. More often than not soundtrack songs are throw away tracks or leftovers. This one sounds like a real effort. Nice work, boys.
Maybe all of the above isn't Freddy Mercury's ghost. Maybe I just miss him.
J