Queen + Paul Rodgers revisited

[Brue]

A couple months ago I expressed my dislike of the collaboration of the two.

The biggest problem is that Paul is just not right for the role of Freddie.
We are the Champions Live is terrible.

The new album is out.
This is not Paul poorly doing freddie or doing bad covers.
The first 2 songs I heard I kinda like.
Still sounds queen-ish but it has something new to offer.

Willing to give the rest a listen and replay these tunes a few times.

A friend of mine knowing i like Queen said to check out MIKA - I did. You have to listen to "Grace Kelly" he is freddie-esque and even references freddie.

[MIB41]

I've been a big fan of Queen since the mid-70's and honestly even if they could find someone close to Freddie's range, it still would not be Queen for me. The story behind the band and how so many of those songs...correction...ALBUMS were created are just as classic as the band themselves. We use to skip school the day a Queen album would come out just so we could be the first to listen to it. It was like watching an artist fill a blank canvas with an incredible piece of art as you heard each new song. Queen did for the 70's what the Beatles did for the 60's. You can't replace that. Now, of course, Paul Rogers isn't even in the same zip code with Freddie vocally, but I do respect him and the fact the surviving band made a key distinction on the new record by calling it Queen WITH Paul Rogers. I think Freddie was due that respect.

[Hector]

I didn't know about MIKA, Brue, thanks for pointing that out...he does sound like Freddie, heck, he's built like him...and even moves like him, lol.

YouTube - Mika - Grace Kelly

Paul Rodgers ain't no Freddie, but he's doing a decent job with Queen, no hate from me.

[Gorn Captain]

Yeah, I would have given my collection of MM cards to have Mika doing the vocals.
He's a big fan (hence the line "so I tried a little Freddy" in the song Grace Kelly).
But he felt uncomfortable being compared to his idol.
Freddy was unique, right?

Paul Rodgers? I'm sorry, it does NOT work for me.
His voice is not good enough, he has no stage presence, and Queen needs something spectacular. Flamboyant!

To be honest, George Michael did a wonderful "I want to break free" with Queen years ago, and he was great. And considering his current life style, maybe a more appropriate choice.

To be honest, the way it is now, I'd prefer Queen with May and Taylor as vocalists...

[Hector]

George Michael would have been a waaaaaaaaay better choice than Paul Rodgers...

YouTube - Somebody to Love


I wonder if Brian May and Roger Taylor even approached Michael about joining them...and if they did...I wonder if Michael turned them down.

[huedell]

George Michael would have been a waaaaaaaaay better choice than Paul Rodgers...

YouTube - Somebody to Love


I wonder if Brian May and Roger Taylor even approached Michael about joining them...and if they did...I wonder if Michael turned them down.

"May/Taylor/Deacon/Michael" would have come across as a perfect
"New Queen" to me----anything else is just some "fun wacky" experiment,
and they don't even have Deacon now
(so that's why I'm perfectly fine with Rodgers as a replacement).

No one else matches Michael in range, tone...or more abstractly "demeanor" or "star power" as a replacement for Freddie.

Writing-wise, things would've obviously changed more than other things
---but other than that---wow---what a choice Michael would've made.

I always wondered what the real reason was George Michael did not
succeed Freddie in QUEEN.

[Gorn Captain]

From what I remember, but I might be wrong, he didn't want to go from a star in his own right, to being part of a band.
The way things are now, unfortunately, his career is now where his main audience is, in the toilet...

[huedell]

From what I remember, but I might be wrong, he didn't want to go from a star in his own right, to being part of a band.
The way things are now, unfortunately, his career is now where his main audience is, in the toilet...

If you're referring to his busts yeah----but the guy can still fill a large size
venue if he chooses to tour, so...

[kingdom warrior]

George Michael would have been a waaaaaaaaay better choice than Paul Rodgers...

YouTube - Somebody to Love


I wonder if Brian May and Roger Taylor even approached Michael about joining them...and if they did...I wonder if Michael turned them down.

Damn straight!!! He totally rocked that set and even they said he was right up there with Freddie......From what i know they never did.....even George knows no one but no one can ever replace Freddie.

[huedell]

Damn straight!!! He totally rocked that set and even they said he was right up there with Freddie......From what i know they never did.....even George knows no one but no one can ever replace Freddie.

Semantics aside, still I would like to know why he didn't and Rodgers did.

[kingdom warrior]

George Michael is battling a serious drug problem right now. George also just finished a world tour that he's been on for close to three years.........