Happy Music Monday! There was no front man like Freddie Mercury. There will never again be a front man like Freddie Mercury. For a big chunk of his life, Freddie Mercury wasn’t even Freddie Mercury! That mustached rock god didn’t turn up until well after Queen was an established band, but now? How could he have been anything else? Today Scott’s paying tribute to a true rock-n-roll hero. Happy Belated Birthday, Freddie. This post’s all about you.
Yeah, this long-haired metal king IS the same guy who’d be singing fond ballads near the end of his life! And it IS an incredible song! The best part about Freddie Mercury is that he could sell almost anything. A rock song about a water gun might get laughed off the stage today, but with Queen? People are throwing devil horns and singing along.
More tribute, after the jump!
Freddie always made his songs feel happy, but still a little bit sad. Listen to this entire list of how he can’t be stopped, and how great he is, and how incredible life is going… and then note how he asks you not to stop him yet. Why would a guy that great really need your permission? It could just be my imagination, but in every one of Freddie’s songs, you can kinda hear how he’s reaching out to the fans, to make sure they know their opinion matters too.
Queen - Radio Ga Ga, Wembley Stadium
Then there’s this. People as far as the eye can see, warmed up by hours and hours of great music, simulcast globally… and Freddie just walks up to the edge of the stage and says CLAP YOU GUYS and they do it. And he’s still not done with them! If ever there was a perfect set, Queen’s Live Aid performance was it.
Now, as a solo project, the bar goes down a bit, right? Look at the Mick Jagger records and the Arcadia stuff to see what you can get when a band walks away from each other for a bit. And yet… this is pretty good, right? It at least could have been a solid little known b-side for a Queen record. Freddie wasn’t one of those singers that the rest of the band carried on their backs. He brought it just as much as the rest of them did.
Queen - These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Even as he was going out, Freddie still gave as much as he could. This video was released on September 5th, 1991, making it the most appropriate one to close things out here. Freddie would pass on just a few months later, but you’d never know it from that smile at the end.
Post your love for Freddie Mercury freely. If you didn’t like Freddie Mercury, you’re wrong and should watch all these videos and reconsider your live. Either way, see you next week.