Talon, there is NO RIGHT answer, it is all personal taste. My personal taste is that I prefer Adam's voice hands down to Freddie. You can not argue or persuade me out of that opinion just as I can't persuade you out of yours. Music is subjective. I don't take offense at your OPINION just as I hope you don't take offense that Freddie has never rung my chimes. I like their songwriting and I like Freddie but I get no visceral reaction. These discussions will never have a resolution
Of course you are right. I won't even try to persuade anyone
And I also won't be persuaded. I don't take offense at all...I wonder in awe but I don't take offense. What I take offense at are a few implications (not from you) that I keep hearing...
And I paraphrase as it is from multiple people:
a. If you don't like Adam, it's because you are jealous that he's better than Freddie. (i.e. you can't NOT like Adam. You must realize he is the greatest and the only possible answer is that you are jealous)
b. Anyone who has no interest in QAL is not a "true" Queen fan. Which I find laughable because some of those fans grew up with Queen and love everything about Queen...just they see Queen as FMBJ. QPR didn't really float their boat either, and neither does QAL. They are honestly much more excited about the upcoming News of the World box set! AND they would maybe go see QAL if they changed up the setlist instead of playing the same GH type setlist. I know a TON of Queen fans who never saw QAL who bought tickets on the strength of them adding the NotW album tracks to the set...yeah they aren't happy now as they feel they were sold something and are now being given something else...(and hell I get their point if I'm honest...I loved my show, and am excited about my second one - but I am annoyed that the 40th Anniversary Celebration of News of The World now has 3 NOTW tracks in the set, 2 of which are at every concert regardless.)
There's another point I want to make but I want to add it after the next quote which is a post I want to pick up and hug...
I am besotted with Adam's voice. It soaks into the core of my being. It makes me smile continuously while he is singing. It boggles my mind how it can sound so amazing and move me so deeply. I can think of no other male voice that so enchants me. I love Adam singing with Queen because their repertoire challenges Adam to use his voice fully and let 'er rip.
Freddie's voice sounds much different than Adam's, to me. It does not have a similar effect on me physically or emotionally. That is not a judgment of Freddie's voice or ability. It is an observation of my personal, visceral response. The fact is, not only do I not listen to Freddie sing while driving or relaxing, I rarely listen to any male singer other than Adam, because I find his singing so divine. (Why eat a tootsie roll when I have a gourmet chocolate truffle?)
As difficult as it is for me to imagine, I have come to realize that (many) other folks do not have the same all encompassing response to Adam's voice. They may admit that he has a good voice, unusually good for pop, but it does nothing for them. It leaves them cold. How that could be I cannot fathom, but I have to accept their truth as well as my own.
I imagine that staunch Freddie fans feel similarly about his voice, his singing, his performances as I do about Adam's. It does not mean that they are jealous, or threatened by Adam, or stubbornly clinging to the past, or homophobic, or set against Adam because he comes from reality TV, or resentful of the response QAL is getting, or think Brian and Roger are money grabbing gits who are somehow betraying Freddie's memory. I can believe that a majority of the ardent Freddie fans have nothing against Adam Lambert, per se. They just love Freddie's singing and his contribution to Queen, and miss him and mourn the loss of his talent and presence.
EXACTLY 110% correct. Except I (we) consider Adam the Tootsie roll
Freddie's voice hits my soul everytime. Adam's voice makes me think of a ton of great singers I've seen on Broadway, etc. AMAZING vocal talent. I like listening to it...but it wouldn't come close to what Freddie's does. And many Queen fans - even the most anti-QAL people will generally say Adam has a great voice.
And here is the crux of the problem and probably where the "jealousy" factor comes in to play. You see if we were simply talking Freddie's vocals vs Adam's vocals, it would be so much easier. We like Freddie. You like Adam. Okay. I think we wouldn't harp on it too much. But Adam singing Freddie's songs. The ones he wrote with blood, sweat, and tears...emotionally wrenching songs out of him. And songs that Brian wrote WITH Freddie in mind - so again personal songs. Ok so that makes it more personal for us as well. We grew up with these songs as well and OUR voice singing these songs. It's hard to put the shoe on the other foot, I know.,..especially since Adam doesn't really have 10% the catalogue Queen has. But let's say Adam has a monster 3 albums in a row, top of the charts, culturally significant and he realizes his dream. Then after he passes, some other great singer comes along and starts singing all of Adam's catalogue in concert... It's not jealousy. It's unease.
the fanbase (or rather the zealot portion of it).
You want to know the big differences in why PR was more accepted than AL? There are 3
1. Yes the AI stink. There was something to not wanting Queen involved in anything with reality voice contests...but that's pretty much done with now.
2. Paul definitely had some crossover appeal in the Queen circle. He was a classic rock legend of his own with his own classic rock hits that Queen fans probably enjoyed. I myself was a Bad Company fan, and a Free fan.
3. AND I think the biggest? The fanbase. I never saw an influx of Paul fans who ever implied anything near what some Adam fans did.Especially in the beginning....and that drove a lot of people to draw lines in the sand, saying "who the hell do these people think they are..people who barely know who Queen is, or barely know who Freddie was...that they can come in here and make these kind of judgments here in our home where we've been for 15-35 YEARS. Of course there was backlash. I have to be honest...there were times for brief moments, when I even hoped Adam would fail in his solo works to shut some of them up. I'd stop myself, and say that Adam doesn't deserve that. Adam is innocent and shows great love/respect for Freddie, and Queen, and the fans. Adam deserves all the success in the world. And I'd go buy the newest album to support him. And if *I* can be pushed like that - someone who is generally pretty level headed, and open enough to come here the first time for some positivity about the collaboration...imagine what it does to those who were hesitant in the first place?
There's a danger to fanbase when they get so insular with themselves. When you say you don't care what Queen fans think or what some reviewers think or etc. I get it. I also think you are absolutely right to a point. You know what you like. You aren't going to change your mind. Perfectly makes sense. However, sometimes when people have other (perhaps negative) opinions, it's a good thing to try to understand where they are coming from...otherwise it becomes head in the sand and people wonder "What happened?" when sales or spins or whatever don't measure up to what they want/expect.
And I think here is a big big and TRUE point. No one is going to change the other's opinion. But the best thing to do is let it go. And that also includes (to me) the Freddie moments. He's up there for a reason, whether you like it or not. I'm not going to sit here and begrudge them playing Two Fux. I don't particularly want them to because it's a slot that takes up room for It's Late and this gig is not about promoting Adam. This is a Queen gig. But I won't bitch and moan all over the place about it because I get it. B&R are gracious enough to help Adam promote his new single, etc. But at the same time - Adam fans shouldn't bitch at a couple of Freddie moments...especially since Adam seems to get it....
I don't remember where but I remember Brian saying that Adam had the best voice he's ever heard. Does anyone else remember where he said that? I remember because it jumped out at me.
Guess we'e gonna have to agree to disagree because I agree with Cassie's expertise on Adam's vocal abilities as compared to Freddie's.
He once said something like never hearing something like that before...and of course. Adam has a unique vocal ability. It's not a better than kind of thing though...AND something you should always take with a grain of salt...when Brian is in promotion mode EVERYTHING is exaggerated to the nines. He also said that Kerry Ellis has the best rock voice in Britain.
Really? Kerry Ellis? He knows that's not true. But he was trying to amp her up as a "rock chick".
There are also quotes from Brian stating that Paul Rodgers was "The Voice" whom everyone looks up to, etc. etc.
another thing that occurred to me recently with all the 'how much Freddie is the "right amount" ' while that question can never be objectively answered...I do wonder. If all Queen members are so equal in their contribution to the bands legacy what about Deacon? He gets one (?) mention by Roger (?) if I'm not mistaking...
btw. did Queen ever reveal what Bohemian Rhapsody is about?
take care ya'll!
Bo Rhap - No. Freddie said it was rhyming nonsense in interviews but he was always coy about his lyrics. Roger once said (perhaps tongue in cheek) that Freddie told him but he'd never say. It's a mystery that will never truly be solved.
As far as Deacon goes. That is a GREAT question. I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not during one of my recent posts but I thought it...for all that talk, I am EXTREMELY disappointed that there is not much about John. When Rog sang Days of OUr Lives there was a nice Queen montage and it included a lot of John. Also when Brian last introduced SYW he included a bit about John and I thought it was great....then they dropped the song the next night so there is NO mention of John now which is disappointing BUT may be a Deacon thing as well...With Freddie passed, it makes sense to make tributes...with John..."retiring" or whatever it's less clear. I know there was some dissension between Brian and John in the 80s and after Freddie passed...and I think that's partially what led to his retirement.
John can veto things supposedly now and that is supposedly the only time they hear from John now, when he wants to veto something. It could be that when they went on tour, he specifically asked for no mentions given that he's a bit of a recluse.
So there are some possibilities. If I'm BRUTALLY honest. While Queen is the four of them, and they all wrote #1 hits...if one member had ever left Queen and the 3 remaining would have pushed forward, I think John would have been the one to have been missed least...But that's just my opinion. And I love John. So there's that...whereas Freddie was the hardest to lose.
I had no idea really. I got that it was meant to be a joke - but didn't understand the joke - wasn't sure if it was a dig that I was trying to avoid telling you guys what I think for some reason lol. 
Freddie's voice hits my soul everytime. Adam's voice makes me think of a ton of great singers I've seen on Broadway, etc. AMAZING vocal talent. I like listening to it...but it wouldn't come close to what Freddie's does. And many Queen fans - even the most anti-QAL people will generally say Adam has a great voice.
