Innovating the Genre of Classic Rock-Queen
Queen
Queen. My favorite band, and biggest influence. Queen is home to considerably the most talented vocalist of all time, Freddie Mercury. However, vocals are not my forte. Most of my influence derives from the guitarists, Brian May.
Brian May
Queen was formed in 1970 by lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor. The band was later accompanied by bassist John Deacon. Queen was first signed by EMI and Trident in 1973, and continued to release their first album in that first year. It was a hit. This led to Queen going on their first major tour, and they only got bigger from there.
I vividly remember my first time listening to Bohemian Rhapsody. I was in about 4th grade, and my mom was dropping me off at school while it happened to be playing in the background. “This song is weird” I told my mom. And it is. Rock? Opera? Metal? I would never think to combine such genres together in a million years. However, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the greatest songs of all time. Being “weird” is what makes it so special. All of my favorite Queen songs have something in them that is most certainly out of the norm for the genre, but the bands combined musical genius just makes unnatural things sound natural. The band evokes so many emotions in every project. Love of my Life puts me in a trance state listening to all the layers of harmony and unique instruments, such as the harp. We Will Rock You fills me with an unprecedented level of confidence and excitement.
We Will Rock You Live Aid 1985
Queen has changed the way I play music in several ways. One of the biggest things is harmony. One of the best examples is the solo from Killer Queen on the Live Killers album. Brian May not only has 2 other harmony guitars playing standard harmonies in 3rds along with the track, but has those same guitars playing their respective harmony parts offset from the main part. It is unexpected, and breathtaking. I have attempted to recreate this when recording music on several occasions. Another technique I have picked up from Brian May is a way to change the sound of a lead lick. He tends to go up the scale, and on the resolving note, he will go down a half step and bend back up to the resolving note. The sound created allows you to get creative with it. I like to go into a Dorian-style lick directly after. This really changes the mood of the playing to something more stylistic.
It is safe to say that Queen owns the 70s, but they left a mark on music that is still with us today. Queen has been a great influence to me, but also many very well known groups such as Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Radiohead. Freddie Mercury challenged many social norms by embracing femininity and his sexuality. His stage presence was more similar to a theatre performance than a rock show, and that energy is one of the reasons Queen was so popular and influential. We are still experiencing the impact of Queen, and that isn’t likely to stop.
I feel like this post really tried to embrace how to reduce wordiness and experimented with creating rhythm in its sentences. Right off the bat, you introduce two quick sentences that introduce a common theme in this post. Your sentences, though shorter, seem to flow nicely together and gets right to the point. My favorite example of this was the sentence, “We Will Rock You fills me with an unprecedented level of confidence and excitement” as it expresses your emotions towards the song quickly and efficiently.
Queen is definitely on of my top three favorite bands. The vocals are amazing, and the band has left us with so many hits that I couldn’t count them on my fingers. I loved the section where you described how you incorporate some of Queen’s techniques into your own music. This part of your post really connected with me as it added a more personal approach to the band. I also enjoyed how much you had to say about their impact. Queen was definitely a band that challenged social norms which was interesting to explore.