Posted on 08/25/2015 5:46:21 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
I remember exactly where I was when I first heard “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The radio–a Juliette multi-band on my dresser–was tuned to Winnipeg’s CFRW on a weekday winter’s evening. The DJ–I wish I remember who–came on and said “This next one is kind of weird. You’ve probably never heard anything like it, so sit back and take a listen.”
After the first two lines, my young teenaged brain locked up, a metaphorical beachball spinning somewhere slightly beyond the auditory cortex. Something didn’t compute. What IS this? Is it a joke? Some novelty song? A rock opera? They can’t be serious, right?
Queen, however, was deadly serious. But no one–and I mean no one–could have ever predicted that this goofy multi-movement mini-symphony would became one of the most beloved classics of all time.
How did this happen? The BBC takes a look.
Forty years after it was recorded, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody still sounds bonkers. That it continues to reign as a work of wigged-out genius rather than a dated gimmick testifies to its go-for-broke attitude – one that has resonated across generations.
Hear it now, and you’re immediately transported to Wayne and Garth’s car in Wayne’s World, head-banging and slapping the dashboard as Brian May’s power chords kick in. Or you’re bellowing “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?” along with Freddie Mercury in your best opera-diva voice.
The prog-rock pocket operetta has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. It’s one of the biggest-selling rock singles of all time. It was a top 10 hit twice, 15 years apart, even though it was – at nearly six minutes long – twice the length of the typical hit single.
Thanks for the link.
For your consideration;
Son Seung Yeon - Bohemian Rhapsody -live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bH43sQOLq8
I always thought it was his cathartic railing against AIDS, or it was a musical, ‘apology’ to the others he infected along the way to his own death, sentencing them to die as well.
‘Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
[Pulled my trigger,] now he’s dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away.’
He wrote it before the age of AIDS
The surfeit of overdubs wore the oxide off the tape to the point where it became translucent.
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me . . .
Ironically, Mercury was not gay. He was a bisexual.
I think that’s just a coincidence. I read “Scaramouche” recently in aid of planning my daughter’s Theater History curriculum. Scaramouche is one of the stock characters of Italian comedy and has a lot of associations.
I’ll go for the ping list, if you don’t mind.
Truly magnificent live performance, and a truly gifted lead singer. Excellent adaptation and arrangement. So cool to see Queen joining in. Thanks for sharing this.
Oh no it explains why: because they could.
That’s pretty much what their producer said on VH1s Great Albums series. Anybody that heard Black Queen or Ogre Battle knew this was coming.
When this came out I was listening to Queen I and II and a group called White Witch, from Florida, along with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, Captain Beyond, Uriah Heep and a ton of others. A couple of friends were album maniacs, one had over 500 albums...Oh yeah and everything Pink Floyd had done at the time, which was up to Dark Side of the Moon. Listened to Wish You Were Here the day it hit the record stores, grabbed my guitar and started learning songs...
So it was no surprise to me when I heard Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen was already borderline opera, and other groups were also getting into some pretty well orchestrated music, like Yes and King Crimson. I was a big fan of that general type of stuff, having played sax in high school and guitar since age 5. Learned every other instrument in the band room too...
Queen was one of several bands going for really intense, heavily orchestrated music. Close to the Edge, by Yes and Tales From Topographic Oceans, both had some rather eclectic tunes, considering it was early 70’s, and quite impressive for a rock band without all the digital and electronic capabilities of today. “Court of the Crimson King”, by King Crimson, was one of my all time favorite albums. Somewhere close was Brain Salad Surgery, by ELP. Electric Light Orchestra was also doing a lot of great music, and some very classical based and intricate rock songs, “Hall of the Mountain King” is one to look up.
If you like Queen, look up White Witch. More like Uriah Heep, but a very good rock group. I think I still have their 1st album on vinyl...
Captain Beyond - The first actual supergroup. Rhino and Lee Dorman, from Iron Butterfly, Bobby Caldwell - drummer for Johnny Winter, and Rod Evans, Deep Purple’s 1st vocalist (Hush). Got ignored by the producers, who were pushing southern rock...ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers...their 1st album has “Dedicated to the memory of Duanne Allman” printed on the back cover.
And also remember, Queen had the line “Look Ma, no synthesizers” printed on Queen I and II if I remember correctly, and didn’t use them on this song either. It was all actually played by the group. They were pretty proud of the fact that they used no synths.
This was also about the time Michael Olfield recorded “Tubular Bells”. Most people just recognize the small sample used in the movie “The Exorcist”, I still listen to the entire album on CD. Incredible, Olfield played everything on it himself except for some drums and his wife’s vocals, he also did another album around 74 called “Hergest Ridge”. Just as impressive as this, especially since it was all done by one person.
There were also some other pretty impressive accomplishments in the same time period not many people know about. McCartney, for example, did everything on his 1st solo album himself. “Maybe I’m Amazed” is one he did by himself, I think “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” too but not sure about that one. (but with Linda on vocals) I heard, but never confirmed, Tommy James did “Crimson and Clover” by himself. Ian Anderson, of Jethro Tull, was also doing songs by himself, I’m not sure which ones though. I think “Fat Man” is one, but not positive. (I’m also a big Tull fan).
A bit of trivia...know where Jethro Tull got their name? Jethro Tull was an 18th century agronomist who invented the seed drill, for planting seed. Tull changed their name weekly when they first started, they were so bad they would change their name to get hired so the club managers wouldn’t know they were the same band they had fired the week before...(comment made by Ian Anderson himself)
So let’s see how much further off topic can I get...lol
We got rain in Texas today YAAAY!!
Am I booted yet??? hehe
You’ve been added :)
Thanks. I could have done without the “beatbox”, but this girl really nailed it, as did her backup singers.
It’s hard to beat the original, but this is a pretty outstanding cover.
I truly marvel at how many great entertainers there are in Korea.
Then, never mind. :)
WOW.
Here’s a sample of the stuff I like and you may too.
Jethro Tull Ian Anderson Locomotive Breath Classical
Ian plays with The Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHoeXnIgZVg
They also perform
Ian Anderson / Jethro Tull / - Bouree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGyiPrCF2Q
And to the original post
Lucia Micarelli - Bohemian Rhapsody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKL0TAliz50
And here doing
Lucia Micarelli Aurora-Kashmir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVWq8Wptnw
I doesn’t hurt that she is drop dead gorgeous.
Queen II was a masterpiece, particularly “Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke” and “Nevermore.”
‘“Bismallah, We will not let you go!”
(Once you recite the bismallah, you are in for life)’
‘Bismallah’ is just misunderstood for the real words, “Bris Milah’ (Ashkenaz dialect) or in the Sephardic dialect, “Brit Milah,” which is Hebrew for ‘circumcision.’
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