B. Thomas Cooper - Editor
Band Reviews: Queen
It’s difficult for me to imagine seventeen years could have passed since the death of Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury. When I close my eyes, I can still hear him singing ‘Lilies of the Valley, as if he were standing right in front of me. His contributions to Rock n’ Roll can only be measured in broad, grandiose strokes, of creative genius. His loss will be measured in the pure poetry of time.
When Freddie passed, he left behind an insurmountable legacy. It seemed unlikely the remaining members of Queen would continue without him. Ultimately, a replacement has been found in the form of Paul Rodgers, himself, one of the greatest male vocalists in the history of Rock music. Rodgers, vocalist from ’Free, and later ’Bad Company, prospered in the music industry for five decades before joining forces with Brian May and Queen. Having now toured together throughout the world, this line-up will soon release an album of all new material, under the combined title, ‘Queen + Paul Rodgers. Look for it to be out soon. Queen also has a collection of classic Queen material available on I-Tunes.
Queen, known for their extraordinary harmonies, and breathtaking anthems continue to awe throngs of mesmerized fans with this new line-up. The Band was originally formed by Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon in London, England back in 1970. The ‘seventies were good to Queen. The band released a number of successful albums, including the seminal ‘Night at the Opera, containing the incomparable opus, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody. Although popularity of the band dropped off somewhat during the mid eighties, Queen arguably stole the show with their adrenaline fueled performance at ‘Live Aid In 1985.
Today, the band continues to perform many of the hits that made them famous, including ‘One Vision, The Show Must Go On, We Will Rock You, and of course, the anthem of all Rock ‘n Roll anthems, ‘We are the Champions. Indeed, they are. John Dean has since retired, but his contributions to Queen are obvious. Roger Taylor remains in the band, and the addition of Paul Rodgers is a better mix than one may readily expect. I must admit, I am looking forward to the new queen album with great anticipation. It may not be the Queen we left behind with the tragic death of Freddie Mercury, but it’s a fresh sound and a fresh start for one of the greatest bands in the history of modern music. Queen, you are indeed, the champions. Long live ‘Queen.
B. Thomas Cooper - Editor
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