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Writer's Block: Killer Queen
Sep. 5th, 2011 08:01 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I'm seeing a lot of repeat answers on the main page under this question - Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust, We Will Rock You - with a smattering of some lesser known hits (though they are still, without a doubt, hits) - Don't Stop Me Now, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, etc. All for good reason, of course; these are seminal songs, several of which could arguably be called genre-defining (Bo Rhap may be the pinnacle of rock opera; We Will Rock You a classic stadium rock song).
But I'm kind of curious about people's lesser known favorite. The hits that never quite made it as hits on your side of the pond, the B-sides, the solo ventures, the "filler" songs. Some of them are really great, but they're all over-shadowed by the pomp and majesty and general outrageousness of their bigger hits.
I can contribute my Top Five, though I hope others out there can add their own:
1. Spread Your Wings, from News of the World. When I was in 7th grade, I would wake up in the morning before school and listen to this song over and over again - and this was on an LP, so it meant lifting up the arm and resetting the needle over and over and over again. This is just so classically, quinessentially Queen, thematically and musically. This may actually be my favorite Queen song, full stop. It was a decent hit in the UK, but never really made a dent over here, and that's so sad, because the whole point of the song is not selling yourself short, figuring out what's holding you back and saying, "to hell with it." ("Pull yourself together / Cause you know you should do better / That's because you're a free man.") NB: There are some albums that if you let me, I'd just list all half the damn tracks on the album. News of the World isn't one of them, but I thought I'd get that out of the way - and even it has a few great ones. "It's Late" is fantastic, "My Melancholy Blues" is unique and so very Freddie.
2. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos), off Sheer Heart Attack. No one seems to acknowledge that in addition to writing some amazing songs, Brian and Roger also sang some great ones - they weren't commercial hits, but they were good songs. She Makes Me was one of my favorite Queen songs through freshman and sophomore years of high school, and I often used lines from it as sig. lines in my Usenet (oh my God, I'm dating myself) postings. ("Who knows who she'll make me / As I lie in her cocoon // But the world will surely heal my ills / I'm warm and terrified / She makes me so.") The song ends with the sound of sirens and a desperate gasping for breath <3 Also of note on this album: "In the Lap of the God (Revisited)," which is perfectly lovely.
3. Love of My Life, from A Night at the Opera. If you have never had the privilege of seeing this sung in concert, do yourself a favor and look it up. If you are a fan, you know what to expect; if you are not, you need to see it. Even though I know the tradition, every time I see it happen, I still feel blown away. ("You will remember, when this is blown over / And everything's all by the way / When you grow older / I will be there at your side to remind you / How I still love you.") Other underrated songs of note on the album: "The Prophet's Song," which is an EPIC 8 and half minutes long, with some really ridiculously cool choral singing and layered vocals.
4. White Queen (As It Began), off of Queen II. This is the best of early Queen, at turns both ethereal and subdued and really over the top. This is just such a pretty song. ("How did thee fair, what have thee seen / The mother of the willow green / I walked alone // And 'neath her window have I stayed / I loved the footsteps that she made / And when she came // White Queen, how my heart did ache / And dry my lips, no word would make / So still I wait.") Also on this album: This is one of the albums where I could seriously name half the tracksm and with the exception of "Seven Seas of Rhye," none of them ever really made it big. "March of the Black Queen" is amazing and bombastic and fun, and "Father to Son" is very sweet and touching.
5. Sail Away Sweet Sister, a track off The Game. I have a soft spot for Brian's vocals... he always sings such sad songs. This one is to a sister he never had, but it's very catchy and sweet. I can't explain why I like it so much, and I know it's not a masterpiece; it's not even one of the best "filler" songs, but there's something about it, and I have adored it since the first time I heard it at 13 years old. ("Sail away sweet sister / Sail across the sea / Maybe you'll find somebody / Who'll love you half as much as me // Take it the way you want it / But when they let you down, my friend / Sail away sweet sister / Back to my arms again.") Also on this album: A "lesser known hit," at least in America, called "Save Me," a beautiful song.
Anyone else want to contribute?
I'm seeing a lot of repeat answers on the main page under this question - Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust, We Will Rock You - with a smattering of some lesser known hits (though they are still, without a doubt, hits) - Don't Stop Me Now, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy, etc. All for good reason, of course; these are seminal songs, several of which could arguably be called genre-defining (Bo Rhap may be the pinnacle of rock opera; We Will Rock You a classic stadium rock song).
But I'm kind of curious about people's lesser known favorite. The hits that never quite made it as hits on your side of the pond, the B-sides, the solo ventures, the "filler" songs. Some of them are really great, but they're all over-shadowed by the pomp and majesty and general outrageousness of their bigger hits.
I can contribute my Top Five, though I hope others out there can add their own:
1. Spread Your Wings, from News of the World. When I was in 7th grade, I would wake up in the morning before school and listen to this song over and over again - and this was on an LP, so it meant lifting up the arm and resetting the needle over and over and over again. This is just so classically, quinessentially Queen, thematically and musically. This may actually be my favorite Queen song, full stop. It was a decent hit in the UK, but never really made a dent over here, and that's so sad, because the whole point of the song is not selling yourself short, figuring out what's holding you back and saying, "to hell with it." ("Pull yourself together / Cause you know you should do better / That's because you're a free man.") NB: There are some albums that if you let me, I'd just list all half the damn tracks on the album. News of the World isn't one of them, but I thought I'd get that out of the way - and even it has a few great ones. "It's Late" is fantastic, "My Melancholy Blues" is unique and so very Freddie.
2. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos), off Sheer Heart Attack. No one seems to acknowledge that in addition to writing some amazing songs, Brian and Roger also sang some great ones - they weren't commercial hits, but they were good songs. She Makes Me was one of my favorite Queen songs through freshman and sophomore years of high school, and I often used lines from it as sig. lines in my Usenet (oh my God, I'm dating myself) postings. ("Who knows who she'll make me / As I lie in her cocoon // But the world will surely heal my ills / I'm warm and terrified / She makes me so.") The song ends with the sound of sirens and a desperate gasping for breath <3 Also of note on this album: "In the Lap of the God (Revisited)," which is perfectly lovely.
3. Love of My Life, from A Night at the Opera. If you have never had the privilege of seeing this sung in concert, do yourself a favor and look it up. If you are a fan, you know what to expect; if you are not, you need to see it. Even though I know the tradition, every time I see it happen, I still feel blown away. ("You will remember, when this is blown over / And everything's all by the way / When you grow older / I will be there at your side to remind you / How I still love you.") Other underrated songs of note on the album: "The Prophet's Song," which is an EPIC 8 and half minutes long, with some really ridiculously cool choral singing and layered vocals.
4. White Queen (As It Began), off of Queen II. This is the best of early Queen, at turns both ethereal and subdued and really over the top. This is just such a pretty song. ("How did thee fair, what have thee seen / The mother of the willow green / I walked alone // And 'neath her window have I stayed / I loved the footsteps that she made / And when she came // White Queen, how my heart did ache / And dry my lips, no word would make / So still I wait.") Also on this album: This is one of the albums where I could seriously name half the tracksm and with the exception of "Seven Seas of Rhye," none of them ever really made it big. "March of the Black Queen" is amazing and bombastic and fun, and "Father to Son" is very sweet and touching.
5. Sail Away Sweet Sister, a track off The Game. I have a soft spot for Brian's vocals... he always sings such sad songs. This one is to a sister he never had, but it's very catchy and sweet. I can't explain why I like it so much, and I know it's not a masterpiece; it's not even one of the best "filler" songs, but there's something about it, and I have adored it since the first time I heard it at 13 years old. ("Sail away sweet sister / Sail across the sea / Maybe you'll find somebody / Who'll love you half as much as me // Take it the way you want it / But when they let you down, my friend / Sail away sweet sister / Back to my arms again.") Also on this album: A "lesser known hit," at least in America, called "Save Me," a beautiful song.
Anyone else want to contribute?
Media Monday
Sep. 5th, 2011 12:52 pmI have a theme for today, actually, beyond simply "media consumed," but I will get to that in a moment. First, for those of you who know me, you know I adore Hyperbole and Half. And those of you familiar with Hyperbole and a Half have likely seen this post before (hell, if you're on Tumblr in any capacity, even if you DON'T know Hyperbole and a Half, you've likely seen some permutation of this post going around). But given how I've been trying to get my life in order for the billionth time, this post seems a particularly relevant one to share, because -- seriously, this is EXACTLY my life. Like, this is an honest-to-God FRIGHTENINGLY ACCURATE depiction of my life. If someone generous (*bats eyelashes*) ever buys me some extra icon space, I will icon the shit out of this post. But anyway, here it is: This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult
Now, as for today: September 5, 2011 marks Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday. I was thrilled beyond belief to log onto Twitter and see Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg posting tributes, then to log on to Tumblr and see my friends - ranging in age from their late thirties to mid-teens - posting Queen macros and tributes, and then to see UK's Google page had created a fantastic animated "doodle" set to "Don't Stop Me now." It was amazing. So, today's media will be Queen - and Freddie - focused.
First and foremost, check out Queen's Official YouTube Channel, which has a special playlist that includes some celebrity birthday wishes and some of their classic music videos, and also - very cool - a continuous stream of their famous 1986 Live at Wembley concert, which is definitely worth seeing if you've never seen it, and worth seeing again even if you have.
Then there is a lovely fanmade video made especially for today: Freddie Mercury Tribute 2011, a series of wonderful Freddie moments (most, if not all, of which will be very familiar to those who grew up as fans) set to the song "In My Defense," of his solo album "The Great Pretender."
The original MTV News report from the day of his death. Includes a nice, brief retrospective, though it's mostly notable because it's from the day of, and geared towards fans.
No One But You, Queen's own tribute to Freddie. Released in 1997, on the "Queen Rocks" album, a year following "Made in Heaven."
That's all for now, I think. Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! I have some housekeeping and grocery shopping to do, but other than that, I'm enjoying my last day before returning to work with the kids. Cheers.
Now, as for today: September 5, 2011 marks Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday. I was thrilled beyond belief to log onto Twitter and see Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg posting tributes, then to log on to Tumblr and see my friends - ranging in age from their late thirties to mid-teens - posting Queen macros and tributes, and then to see UK's Google page had created a fantastic animated "doodle" set to "Don't Stop Me now." It was amazing. So, today's media will be Queen - and Freddie - focused.
First and foremost, check out Queen's Official YouTube Channel, which has a special playlist that includes some celebrity birthday wishes and some of their classic music videos, and also - very cool - a continuous stream of their famous 1986 Live at Wembley concert, which is definitely worth seeing if you've never seen it, and worth seeing again even if you have.
Then there is a lovely fanmade video made especially for today: Freddie Mercury Tribute 2011, a series of wonderful Freddie moments (most, if not all, of which will be very familiar to those who grew up as fans) set to the song "In My Defense," of his solo album "The Great Pretender."
The original MTV News report from the day of his death. Includes a nice, brief retrospective, though it's mostly notable because it's from the day of, and geared towards fans.
No One But You, Queen's own tribute to Freddie. Released in 1997, on the "Queen Rocks" album, a year following "Made in Heaven."
That's all for now, I think. Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! I have some housekeeping and grocery shopping to do, but other than that, I'm enjoying my last day before returning to work with the kids. Cheers.
