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The Doctor View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Future of Queen?
    Posted: June 04 2009 at 11:37
I've been listening to a lot of Roger Taylor's solo stuff the last couple of days, including some videos of Roger performing some old Queen songs, mostly his own songs like Radio Gaga and A Kind of Magic, but also including some others like I Want to Break Free and The Show Must Go On.  I also recently found out, which many of you may already know, that the relationship between Queen and Paul Rodgers has now ended.  This is something that I find very positive.  Unfortunately, I have also read something that Brian May said about maybe working with Adam Lambert.  I don't know Lambert at all, never having watched an episode of American Idol in my life, although I'm vaguely aware of the controversy surrounding him coming in 2nd place.  But, I hope Queen does not devalue itself by hooking up with an American Idol dude.  Dead
 
So my question is, what do you think will be the future of Queen and what do you think it should be?  I've come up with several alternatives, which may or may not come true (sorry, the pun was unintended).  Tongue
 
1.  Time to give it up guys.  Pack in the Queen name, call it a day, and have Roger go back to dentistry and Brian write more astronomy books.  Maybe release a solo album here and there and if you want to work together, don't call it Queen, but maybe something like May & Taylor, etc.
 
2.  Go for it! Keep the Queen name, and find a new singer.  Adam Lambert or some other dude who bears absolutely no relation to Queen and put him out front of your band.
 
3.  Realize that both Brian and Roger are accomplished composers and singers.  Work under the Queen name, maybe bring in a bass player and keyboardist (and let them write and sing a bit if they can), but Brian and Roger should be out front, writing and singing most of the new songs, and singing most of the old Queen classics (both Roger and Brian do a great job on old Queen songs that Freddie used to sing).
 
4.  Bring Timothy Staffel back into the fold, if he will do it, and change the band's name to Smile (if that's possible, I think there may be another band under the name Smile now).  If not possible, stay with the Queen name, but at least this way, you'll be bringing in someone who at least has some relationship to Queen. 
 
I'm partial to either option 3 or 4.  And quite opposed to number 2, and hope they don't do number 1, although more solo albums from them would be quite appreciated, moreso than another album with some singer who bears no relationship with Queen.   
 
Discuss.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 12:18
I go for option 1, as a Queen fan i think they should not use the Queen name anymore. No one would replace Freddie!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 12:24
I think they should call it a day - as they should have when Freddie died. Reforming the band with another singer (even one as good as Paul Rodgers) was a very bad idea, and a form of disrespect towards both the fans and the memory of their singer. They've had many their fair share of years in the spotlight, now it's time to do something else.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 12:53
Hasty thoughts, and this coming from a non-fan of Queen who doesn't know that much about their recent work/ line-up.

Hearing Adam Lambert sing, I thought he would be excellent in Queen, and that was before there was any news of him touring/ collaborating with Queen.  The guy was a pro before joining American Idol, and in a way I thought he was devaluing, or I'd say more like debasing, himself by being in American Idol.  I wouldn't expect the Queen name to retire as there's lots of money to be made, but ethically after losing Freddie Mercury, I think it would have been right for the band name to be retired for future releases.  They could still do some stuff, and concerts, but more like a tribute.  In fact, as happens with many bands that don't keep churning out new music, it becomes something of a tribute to itself (playing the standards/ classics).

I don't mind the remaining members doing some concerts with Adam Lambert, and release some tribute-type albums (rehashes of old material), but I'd like to think that they would retire the name and come up with some new material.  Adam Lambert would be a very good lead singer, but they also need a new good composer-musician.  Adam Lambert would probably want Monte Pittman (who worked with Madonna) as they collaborated on The Citizen Vein, but I don't know about having someone who did stuff for Madonna, and I don't think Queen needs a guitarist (maybe a cellist, bassoon, or oboe player.  Don't think they have a sax-man now.  Looking at the last release they didn't even have a pianist... Queen needs a pianist at least -- course they can hire one out as a session musician, but often pianists are good at composition).

Maybe they could rename what's left of the original band X-Queen, or Queen Mark II.


Edited by Logan - June 04 2009 at 12:57
Just a fanboy passin' through.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 12:53
I don't see any future for Queen. Like they said in the 80s: Who wants to live forever!

Queen died with Freddie Mercury ...


Edited by Mr ProgFreak - June 04 2009 at 12:53
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 13:17
Even though Freddie was the main vocalist, and in my opinion the best vocalist ever in music, and even though he wrote a lot of their songs, I've always considered May and Taylor to be the real core of the band, maybe because they were there before there was a Queen, or maybe just because I like their compositions in general better than those of Mercury or Deacon.  I could see them going on, but I think they are devaluing themselves by playing backing band to someone like Rodgers, Lambert or anyone else.  They are talented enough to front the band.  If they are going to continue as Queen though, they should not bring any other lead vocalists (aside from the previously mentioned Staffel).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 13:21
Its not the Queen I worry about its that poor old Prince Charles having to sit around waiting for her to snuff it or abdicate!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 14:00
Absolutely put the Queen trademark to rest, find a new vocalist partner and give the band a new name, whilst still playing old hits on tour.

Great bands can survive the loss of one legendary singer, but two????
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 14:20

Two?  They've only lost Freddie to my knowledge.  Confused

I don't think they need to find a new vocalist.  And hope they don't.  Whether they go under the Queen moniker or otherwise.  Don't care too much about what name they use.  I will buy their albums anyway, but hope they give up on finding a "replacement" for Freddie, as that's just not possible.  The two of them are probably the closest they're going to come to Freddie for vocals.  I guess lots of people were fans of Rodgers, but I never was.  Either way, Rodgers fronting Queen, Lamber fronting Queen, hell, Peter Gabriel fronting Queen.  Thumbs Down
 
Brian or Roger should front Queen. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 04 2009 at 18:05
I would go for option 1 or 3. I would like to see Brian and Roger up front.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 02:01
Originally posted by The Doctor The Doctor wrote:

 
Brian or Roger should front Queen. 


Agreed. They're both outstanding and charismatic musicians. And singers.

Perhaps that would bring John Deacon back, the man I'm missing the most.

Even if they call themselves "Queen -", I don't care.

I don't see why they wouldn't be able to record something at last half as enjoyable as "Back To The Light", which I like a lot.

 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 05:23
There was only one replacement for Freddie..............George Michael. Sadly it never happened. Leave it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 05:25
Originally posted by clarke2001 clarke2001 wrote:

Originally posted by The Doctor The Doctor wrote:

 
Brian or Roger should front Queen. 


Agreed. They're both outstanding and charismatic musicians. And singers.

Perhaps that would bring John Deacon back, the man I'm missing the most.

Even if they call themselves "Queen -", I don't care.

I don't see why they wouldn't be able to record something at last half as enjoyable as "Back To The Light", which I like a lot.

 
John Deacon - sadly underrated yet probaly understood Freddie the most.ClapClap
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 05:48
i always wonder why John Deacon never made a solo album .he is a great bass player and he wrote fantastic good songs with queen
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 06:21
I go for option 3

with both Roger and Brian sharing vocal duties.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 05 2009 at 07:17
Originally posted by martinprog77 martinprog77 wrote:

i always wonder why John Deacon never made a solo album .he is a great bass player and he wrote fantastic good songs with queen
 
John essentially had to be told by the other guys to start writing (originally for financial reasons, because they thought his bank account was not filling up as fast as the others). I don't think he sees himself as a songwriter.  I'm thinking these days he's living as a great family patriarch, fiddling on some old transistor radios and amps in the garage with a bunch of grand kids (although I have no ideas how many grandkids he might have, but he did have 6 children of his own).
 
He's also been b*tching a lot about what the music industry has become, and that's part of the reasons he doesn't want to get back in the game, I'm assuming.
 
As a lifelong Queen fan (and mainly "Mayniac"), I've come to terms with the idea that Q+PR could fold, even if I'm quite sorry to have missed them live. I'd been hoping for a North American leg of their tour for the past year, and well, I guess it's not going to happen.
 
Both Brian and Roger have proven themselves worthy "solo" act (although Roger's The Cross was also pretty good)  and I'd be more than happy to hear a new release by any of them. I'd also be happy to see them touring together sharing vocal duties, but I suspect just the 2 of them might not fill auditoriums as fast as them with PR or any other famous singers. I would be a big step down for them.
 
But I WILL be sending a lot of hatemail if they ever decide to tour with Adam.


Edited by June - June 05 2009 at 07:19
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2009 at 20:39
Option 1 for me. I might be willing to settle for them using Queen if they can bring John Deacon back on board, but we all know that's not happening. Brian and Roger both are great musicans, and I think it's great that they still play thier stuff, but Freddie was what made Queen. It's just never going to be the same Queen without him, so let the name have a peacefull retirement.

Edited by Morakthesage - June 12 2009 at 20:39
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2009 at 17:10

Freddie was (the) Queen.

His compositions were always the strongest - and in the early days, among the wildest, next to May's stunning guitar-driven pieces (and not so stunning soft ballads).
 
His presence on stage was what made the band in the live environment (which is where it counts) - OK, May's guitar tone and dexterity defined the rest of the Queen sound, but Taylor and Deacon were just their buddies, not outstanding contributors like Bulsara or May. Those two guys were very Important in keeping the band together, but musically, they were relatively unimportant.
 
Queen without Freddie is like the Jimi Hendrix Experience without Jimi or the Doors without Morrison. Competent musicians, but the entire raison d'etre is gone.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 14:53
Retire the name. The new Queen album was mediocre at best. Though Paul Rodgers is a good singer, nothing on that album had the feel of Queen. It felt like a mix of Bad Company, Van Halen and a bunch of simple songs.
 
May and Taylor should form a new band. Find a great bassist and keyboard player and write some new material, hopefully in the style of the early queen albums. A proggy Queen would be cool and I know they could do it if they tried.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 15:56
I think in order to call it Queen, they at least have to have John Deacon in there, which I'm not ruling out at this point.  If May and Taylor got Deacon back, and heck, let Adam Lambert sing lead for them, I think the result would be just fine.  Freddie was a magnetic front man, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him irreplaceable.  The other three had plenty of compositional input throughout their history.
 
Not that I'd buy any of their albums.  I haven't bought any since "A Kind of Magic", and I don't see any reason to pick them up again.  
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