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Post by Ryan Newton on May 29, 2020 1:44:20 GMT
This thread serves as my own outlet to review, critique, and nitpick concerts throughout Queen's live career. I've always liked doing mini write-ups of shows for my YouTube descriptions, and people seemed to like it too since it gave an good rundown of what to expect. This will be a more detailed, song-by-song analysis of each show, and will hopefully give some obscure shows some more light, because there are some sleeper gigs out there that kick total ass.
As a basis of how I rate the shows, I try to objectively look at how each member performs and how I subjectively feel it impacts the performance as a whole. These are just my opinions, so feel free to critique what I have to say if you feel like it.
As far as the /10 ratings, go, here's how I would define each:
10/10 - Flawlessly performed with energy, passion and creativity. Ranks among the bands best performances of all time. I don't use these very often. Most "excellent" performances will get a 9/10.
9/10 - Generally a perfect performance on a technical level. May have minor issues that have little to no effect on my opinion of the performance, and is performed energetically.
8/10 - An above average performance that shows the band in great form. May have a slight error or two that doesn't cause major issues. Usually an exciting performance.
7/10 - An average or slightly above average performance. May have a few mistakes, or may not be as energetic as the above rankings. Usually a good performance regardless, and most performances will probably fall here.
6/10 - An average performance that will probably have some errors or mistakes that will be obvious to the average listener, or may not be performed with quite the energy that should be the standard. Still, usually a decent performance.
5/10 - A mediocre performance with issues that will be obvious to the listener, or may not be performed with as much energy as should be the standard. May be described as "flawed" or "boring", depending on the situation. Usually passable.
4/10 to 1/10 - All varying shades of bad. May contain severe flaws in the performance that hinder the listening experience, or may lack enthusiasm from the band that is vital for keeping your attention.
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Post by Ryan Newton on May 29, 2020 9:47:20 GMT
Stockholm, April 10th 1982
The Hero - About a standard version for 1982 mostly. This is a song that didn't vary too much and was pretty consistent. Brian does do a cool little lick in the middle that is a bit quiet on the audience recording, but it sounds nice. A solid rendition of the song, and what we should expect. 8/10.
Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie sounds very strong on this version of the song. This show in particular has has him fairly unstable (as we will see later in the show), but he sounds great right now. Curiously, after the first chorus, he sings "all your love tonight" as he should towards the end of the song, making the band play a four extra measures to get to the second verse. The band play fairly strong here with no noticeable mistakes. Very good version overall. 9/10.
Action This Day - First recorded performance of this polarizing Hot Space song has Freddie singing it very close to the record version in a lot of spots, but he fumbles most of the high notes tonight. The first six-or-so gigs of the tour kind of serve as Freddie's warm up, as he hasn't totally settled into his voice quite yet. Brian does an amazing solo on this one though. We also get to hear Morgan Fisher at the forefront of the sound for the first time on recording. Valiant effort from Freddie, but he needs some more practice with this one. Band is tight though. 6/10.
Play the Game - This is a nice version of the song. There are plenty of moments where Freddie sounds like he's on the verge of cracking, but he holds it together mostly and sounds pretty good despite a few issues. Brian is playing very melodically as well with some good phrasing through the song. This is definitely a unique version, and certainly enjoyable. 7/10.
Somebody to Love - Freddie sings well despite his unstable voice on this one. He plays it safe in many spots but he sounds great nonetheless. Brian's guitar does sound slightly out of tune in some spots, but perhaps this is just to my ears. It's not much an issue anyway. Vocal harmonies sound fairly in tune, and everything seems to go well otherwise. While not as masterful as some of the versions later in the tour, this is still a solid version. 7/10.
Staying Power - First version of Staying Power on recording has some issues. Freddie has some noticeable trouble with the high notes (particularly the high B's in the chorus), and there are some timing issues on the instrumental side of things. Brian also plays a really jarring bum chord during the bridge. They are also playing fairly slow here, not nearly as coked up as some of the later versions would sound like. Far from a total train wreck, but it's not clean, that's for sure. 5/10.
Get Down, Make Love - Fairly strong version for the time period. Although Freddie doesn't sing many of those chorus high notes anymore (as he would regularly do from 1977-1978), the raunchy guitar licks from Brian makes these still an interesting listen, even if it's inclusion in the set was mostly an excuse to show off their lighting rigs. 7/10.
We Will Rock You (Improv) - the first of a few setlist surprises tonight is an impromptu version of We Will Rock You led by the audience. It's a full step lower than it should be (D Minor instead of E Minor, I think), and it's only one verse, but it's a fun little extra that gives this show a great atmosphere. 8/10
Fat Bottomed Girls - A fairly standard version of Fat Bottomed Girls. Freddie sounds good, the band sound good, and everything runs smoothly, but nothing surprising. 7/10.
Love of My Life - Cuts out towards the end on the version I was listening too, but it sounds decent overall, and fairly standard for the time. Luckily, Freddie's voice is stable on this one. 7/10. Save Me - Famous version with a false start, Brian doesn't play as Freddie begins to sing. Freddie then quips "It didn't start off so ****ing well," and then they carry forward as normal. Overall a strong version with Freddie delivering the song very smoothly (a total contrast to some of his Japan 82 deliveries), and the band work here is great. Morgan has a slight flub during the keyboard solo (which I've never liked for this song in the first place), but besides that, this version is good. 7/10. Keyboard/Guitar Jam - Another oddity in the setlist and never to be played again, Morgan and Brian do a bit of a jam section together. I get heavy "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" vibes during some parts, and I think this should have been done more. It's really interesting to hear, and the keyboard provides a good accompaniment to what would normally be Brian ****ing around by himself. It's long enough to enjoy, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. I assume this was also played in Gothenburg the night before, but without a recording, this can't be confirmed. Definitely a highlight of the night. 10/10. Liar - Brought back into the set for only a handful of shows, Liar is a welcome addition to any show, and these 1982 versions always prove to be excellent. Freddie remains in good voice for this version, and the musicianship is on full display. They are definitely feeling it during this one. The only issue with this one is a slight timing issue during the final section of the song. Otherwise it's nearly flawless. 9/10. Not Fade Away - Yet another setlist surprise is an impromptu cover of The Cricket's Not Fade Away. Freddie doesn't exactly know the words, but it's a cool thing for them to do. For the spontaneity alone, this gets a solid 8/10, especially since it's not a botched cover like Immigrant Song in Berlin 1986. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The band let the audience choose the tempo for this one, and they make it a fairly slow version of the song. Brian ends his solo a on a bit of an odd note, but the ensuing jam at the end of the song is a tasty one. Great performance. 8/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie plays it a bit safe on this one, but the rest of the band are having fun with it. Brian gives a great solo, and Roger does some nice fills in this one. John hits a bum note towards the end of the rock section, and there are some timing issues, most notably being Roger coming in to the final section of the song a whole beat too early. Good version, albeit with flaws. 6/10. Under Pressure - A solid performance of their latest single. It's (presumably) only the fourth performance of the song, and they seem to have everything down, although Freddie is a bit unstable. This is another song that never gave the band much creative freedom on stage, and so most versions are fairly similar to one another. This is a good version with not too much to complain about. 7/10. Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - This medley was always a great spot for the band to show off their chops, and these versions from 1982 are no slouch. They would really take these songs into the stratosphere later into the Euro tour, but they sound great already. Tons of energy here, even if a bit slower than some of the other versions from this tour. The end of the medley cuts out, but most of it has been recorded. 8/10. Another One Bites the Dust - Decent version overall, although a bit more laid back than other versions I've heard. Freddie's voice sounds pretty weak though. 6/10. Sheer Heart Attack - Strong and energetic performance of Sheer Heart Attack. Nothing else much to say. Everyone sounds good on here. 8/10. We Will Rock You - Another fairly standard performance for the era. Solid, but nothing particularly noteworthy. 7/10. We Are the Champions - Again, Freddie sounds like he's having a bit of trouble with his higher register, but he makes the most of what he's got. Interestingly, Brian tries to do some of the studio guitar licks in the final chorus, something which he wouldn't finally get down until Live Aid and the Magic Tour. Roger's drumming sounds fairly powerful here too. Fairly interesting rendition. 7/10.
Summary
This show is certainly one of the most unique listens you can come across. The setlist alone should make this a must-listen, and while Freddie sounds a bit off on a few songs, he's generally strong through the show. There is great musicianship on display through the night, and while sometimes they sound a bit slow, they are always focused on delivering a good show. I had always put this one off as many people told me this show sucked and that Freddie sounded awful, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's not perfect, but it's still an great performance from the boys. Definitely a recommended listen. Highlights - Tie Your Mother Down, Save Me, Keyboard/Guitar Jam, Liar, Not Fade Away, Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
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fcb101
Dragonfly Trumpeter
Posts: 179
Likes: 231
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Post by fcb101 on May 29, 2020 12:06:33 GMT
Thanks. I enjoy reading your reviews and then listening to the shows with your review in mind.
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Post by katydyd5 on May 30, 2020 0:50:26 GMT
Hey, I enjoyed that review. Thanks! I'd like to see more. I like details that open my eyes to things I probably missed.
You mentioned that you do this on YouTube. I sense that I should probably be aware of this already, but I'm not. Can you share a link? I'd like to take a look..
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Post by Ryan Newton on May 30, 2020 4:31:15 GMT
Hey, I enjoyed that review. Thanks! I'd like to see more. I like details that open my eyes to things I probably missed. You mentioned that you do this on YouTube. I sense that I should probably be aware of this already, but I'm not. Can you share a link? I'd like to take a look.. I recently had to private all my videos due to copyright strikes. If I manage to avoid a third one, all my concert uploads should be back up by August. |
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Ri
Politician
Posts: 578 
Likes: 594
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Post by Ri on May 30, 2020 9:04:03 GMT
Idk if this is slightly out of topic but I remember you once posted a survey on Google Forms to see everyone's pick of best Queen concert, have you ever released the result or discussed it?
I look forward to August... your videos have been my regular consumption and now I'm feeling the loss 😔
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Goldy
Satyr
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Likes: 45
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Post by Goldy on May 30, 2020 9:06:40 GMT
Idk if this is slightly out of topic but I remember you once posted a survey on Google Forms to see everyone's pick of best Queen concert, have you ever released the result or discussed it? I look forward to August... your videos have been my regular consumption and now I'm feeling the loss 😔 Feeling the same, used to listen to 'em all on the fly (my phone doesn't have terabytes on terabytes of storage for FLACs as you may know) |
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Post by staysweet on May 30, 2020 14:29:10 GMT
Some of us lazy people would love it if you could attach a link to the concert you review? Yup...that would be me!😊. A great read even without hearing the concert!
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Post by staysweet on May 30, 2020 14:32:57 GMT
Oops, and now I have revealed that I am also too lazy to read previous responses to find out if my question has already been asked and answered!😂. Are there any other sources for these concerts?
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Post by Ryan Newton on May 30, 2020 21:25:09 GMT
Idk if this is slightly out of topic but I remember you once posted a survey on Google Forms to see everyone's pick of best Queen concert, have you ever released the result or discussed it? I look forward to August... your videos have been my regular consumption and now I'm feeling the loss 😔 I thought it was already public. |
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Post by Ryan Newton on May 30, 2020 21:26:49 GMT
Idk if this is slightly out of topic but I remember you once posted a survey on Google Forms to see everyone's pick of best Queen concert, have you ever released the result or discussed it? I look forward to August... your videos have been my regular consumption and now I'm feeling the loss 😔 Feeling the same, used to listen to 'em all on the fly (my phone doesn't have terabytes on terabytes of storage for FLACs as you may know) Luckily, Greg still has his channel up. You can listen to most of the shows on his channel. |
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Post by thequeenfan08 on May 31, 2020 13:29:33 GMT
Ryan, why is your profile picture Tony Hawk
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Post by Ryan Newton on May 31, 2020 23:13:18 GMT
Drammen, April 12th 1982
The Hero - This one has a slight rocky start, as Brian's guitar doesn't cut in properly on the opening chord out of Flash. Freddie sounds good but already shows signs of that unstable voice that is characteristic of the early Hot Space shows, as he has a slight voice crack at the end. Not very noticeable, but a sign of things to come. These mistakes are so minor, they are barely worth knocking points for. 7/10. Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie sounds a bit exhausted here, but he's actually hitting the high notes on this one pretty cleanly and sounds generally good, which is surprising. Brian's solo is awesome on this one, and Roger hits the skins with a touch of more enthusiasm than normal. Also interesting to note is that because the audience recording is so clear, we can hear how little gain and distortion Brian's tone is compared to previous years. Sounds almost honky! Excellent version of the song. 9/10. Action This Day - Many of the early Hot Space gigs have Freddie totally flubbing the high B's in this song, and this one isn't really different. He is very unstable here, and this is generally how he would sound for most of this gig (hence why his performance on the previous song is such a shock). Morgan Fisher hits a small bum note during the arpeggios leading into the keyboard solo, but it's not really that bad. Brian's solo is fairly decent, but nothing really outstanding or anything. 5/10. Play the Game - Brian hits a bum note going into the bridge, but it mostly sounds like an intonation issue as the pitch fluctuates a bit. Freddie then hits a few wrong chords after "driving me insane" and it sounds super off. These few mistakes are offset by yet again an energized Roger Taylor, providing some great extra bits to the rhythm during not only the ensuing solo by Brian, but through most of the song. Brian's solo also goes without error and it sounds nice. This is more of a passion over perfection type thing. They sound into it and a few minor mishaps don't really affect my opinion when they sound the they are having so much fun. 8/10 Somebody to Love - Freddie sings this one greatly, far more willing to push himself compared to two nights ago on this particular song. The closest thing to an error in this one is a slightly run-off guitar solo, which is otherwise also excellent. 8/10. Staying Power - This one has the obvious detraction of Freddie sounding like a 14-year-old boy, but there is also a strange bit where Roger seams to miss a snare hit and then stops for a beat (when Freddie sings "catch on to the groove, make it move, make it move") to try to readjust. Then, after the "power, power" section of the song, Freddie comes in two measures late, and the band continue as they were, leading to an out-of-sync moment, followed by Freddie mumbling through the lyrics. It's an understatement to say this sounds unrehearsed. 4/10. Get Down, Make Love - The first verse and chorus are mostly cut on this one, so I can't really make a decent judgement. This song usually didn't have much meaningful change anyway. Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack/Guitar Solo - An oddity in tonight's set features Brian's solo integrated into this medley. The delay on Freddie's voice is way too fast to begin with, and it seems the sound tech just manages to fix it before they launch into the song. He still sounds like a prepubescent child through most of this, but I feel like that's obvious by this point. Brian and Roger engage in a great jam during Now I'm Here, and Roger rolls the band straight into Dragon Attack while Brian uses his guitar's feedback to great effect. They are beginning to really pick it up here. The band always knew how to do a good Dragon Attack, and the song was almost always performed excellently, as it is here. His regular solo is also nice, although not too much out of the ordinary besides its place in the set. 8/10. Under Pressure - Fairly standard performance, which is generally how Under Pressure goes. I think Brian hits a wrong chord towards the end of the "give love" section, but I can't really tell. Decent performance otherwise. 7/10. Love of My Life - Freddie and Brian completely stop to let the audience take over, after which Freddie remarks "Too much, too much. Now for the next verse." And then they continue. The audience obnoxiously clap along during Brian's solo, but they eventually stop and take over once more with their singing. Queen could control an audience like no other, and this performance alone is proof of that. 9/10, only missing the 10 due to the clapping. Save Me - Big cut in the middle of the song, but what's here sounds decent enough. Probably like an average 6/10 or 7/10. Fat Bottomed Girls - What is initially a fairly average version of the song turned into an ecstatic ending jam for the whole band. Definitely an 8/10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - This version is filled with funky licks from Brian. He gives a nice solo, the accompanying piano through the song sounds really good. Freddie sounds pretty good on this one. Only real issue is Brian hitting a wrong chord at the end of the song. 8/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie plays a bit of Death On Two Legs before this song, a nice little addition. Freddie's voice is not stable on this one at all, and his tone is strikingly similar to how it sounded on the Jazz Tour. If you played the rock section and told me it was some new tape from December 1978, I'd probably believe you, because Freddie sounds exactly like he did then. I guess it goes to show that his macho voice was entirely intentional, and not just a product of smoking or whatever people say. Instrumentally, the band sound great here, but Freddie has a hard time not cracking every two seconds. 7/10 Liar - This is the set closer tonight, something which was only done once with this song. As always, it's an incredible rendition of the song. Freddie keeps his voice in check for this one, and they rip through the song with total precision. Liar is a song you can always expect to have the band giving everything they have. 9/10, only missing the 10/10 because I feel like I need some headroom for other versions. As amazing as this performance is, they have done even better. Another One Bites the Dust - This one is also heavily cut, but they sound good. Probably a 7/10. Sheer Heart Attack - Freddie's sustains are all over the place on the choruses, but it eventually resolves to the chaotic jam that shows Queen can cross pretty much any genre and do it well. 7/10. We Will Rock You - Deacon does some great bass work as Roger begins to do the iconic drum beat, and soon Brian joins in, also adding to the verses as Freddie sings, which is always a welcome addition. Freddie does some more speak-singing in spots but sounds passable. 7/10. We Are the Champions - A fairly decent version. The band play well and Freddie sings pretty decently. 7/10. SummaryOverall, this is a good show, but as far as the Euro Hot Space Tour goes, this is probably near the bottom of the list of shows I would recommend. It's got its ups and its downs - certainly far more ups than downs - but the band still seem a bit rusty on some numbers and Freddie still has a fairly unstable voice. I would only really recommend this gig if you're on a mission to listen to every show, or if you want to hear a great version of Liar which the band only did a few times this month.
Highlights - Tie Your Mother Down, Dragon Attack, Love of My Life, Liar.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 1, 2020 6:57:18 GMT
Zurich, April 16th 1982
 The Hero - Totally cut from the recordingTie Your Mother Down - Freddie totally botches the lyrics in the first verse and pre-chorus, and his singing is a bit unique with kind of random phrasing through most of the song. It makes for a unique listen, and he's hitting some good high notes as he was in Drammen. Brian seems to be in a good mood on this one as well, offering up some spicy playing through the song. If you don't care about the random phrasing from Freddie (which I don't, I think it's fine), this is a great version of the song. 8/10. Would be a 9 if Freddie knew the correct words.Action This Day - Freddie gives this one a good effort but like the previous two shows, he's totally missing those high B4s, sometimes cracking them, sometimes hitting as high as C#5. Not as bad the previous two nights, but he still needs some work. Instrumentally, this is much tighter, and the band have quickened the tempo of the song, so it really drives now, as it should in my opinion. I think Brian could have done a bit more here during the ending jam, but everything still sounds good except when Freddie tries to go high. 6/10, which may seem low since I gave it a bit of praise but I can't help but laugh hearing Freddie squawk like a bird on every high note.Play the Game - Freddie sings with excellence, and Brian solos delicately with equal passion. Roger has a few good fills here and there as well. Great version. 8/10.Somebody to Love - Same comments as for Play the Game, although the song cuts out just before the final section of the song, curiously with a repeated echo. Seems like an intentional cut. Overall, probably an 8/10.Staying Power - Brian hits a slight bum note before the second chorus, and Freddie botches some lyrics in the third verse. Overall nothing too major, and this remains a great version of the song. Freddie hits most of the notes in the song even if they sound a bit forced. 8/10.Get Down, Make Love - Some great guitar work from Brian in the verse, although Freddie practically speaks the whole first chorus, until he bursts a high note on "you say it's enough." Rare, since he didn't go for those much after the News of the World Tour. Freddie then monotonously sings the second chorus, sometimes sticking to one note for a whole line. Obnoxious feels like too hard of a word, but that's how I feel about it. 6/10.Liar - I'll be damned if this isn't one of the finest performances of Liar ever. There is a small cut during the "mama I'm gonna be your slave" section, but most of the song is available. This version is fast and furious. Freddie's voice is strong as ever, and the band are doing some awesome work prior to the solo with good precision. Then the solo comes in and Brian kicks it up a notch and delivers nothing less than one of his finest solo's ever for the song, wiping the finish off his fretboard. Freddie tosses in Back Chat lyrics into the song during the "mama I'm gonna be your slave" section just after the song cuts back in, and then Brian continues to play some excellent riffs during what is usually a vocal and drum only section. Brian and Freddie almost get into a vocal/guitar duel at one point. Then the song closes out heavier than ever, showing Queen in 1982 were just as capable of rocking as they were in 1973. Easily a 10/10.Under Pressure - Under Pressure is a fairly consistent song. The band sound strong here, but it's never a song that allowed them to express themselves fully as the previous song in the set does. 7/10Love of My Life - Brian hit's a bum note at the beginning of the second chorus. The audience sing nearly the whole song here. Decent version. 7/10.Back Chat (Improv) - A little interlude in the set here includes Freddie singing Back Chat with the audience. It's not the actual song yet, but you can tell Freddie wants to play it! Good little addition.Save Me - Another fabulous performance from the band. Brian's playing has a lot of nuance to it here, and Freddie sounds good mostly, although he has a couple rough spots towards the end. Roger has some good drum bits too, particularly during he verses. 8/10.Fat Bottomed Girls - Just before this one, Freddie sings Mustapha, but in a much lower key than usual. Roger sounds like he gets a bit out of sync with Brian as the song begins where it's just the drums and the D chords. Besides that, this is a great version of the song. Freddie is in good shape and Brian throws in some good licks here and there. The ending jam fades out on the recording. 7/10.Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Freddie ad libs the songs melody to introduce it, and they kick it off immediately after. The resulting performance is a great one. Brian's soloing in the ending jam is excellent. 8/10.Bohemian Rhapsody - They do the intro to Death On Two Legs here again as they did at the previous show. Besides a slightly erratic solo, this is a great version of the song with Freddie sounding (mostly) great. 8/10.Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Yet another excellent performance. Everyone is in strong form. Brian does a great solo during both songs in the medley, and just before John kicks off the iconic bass line for this song, he does a funky thing where he does a slide down the neck a couple times, which I thought was cool. 9/10.Another One Bites the Dust - Generally strong throughout. Couple iffy moments from Freddie but besides that he sounds great and the band do good. 7/10.Sheer Heart Attack - A bit of a basic version. Not as messy and aggressive as the song should be IMO, and Freddie's singing is all over the place. The end of this one cuts with with an echo similar to Somebody to Love. 6/10.We Will Rock You - Freddie sings this one quite creatively! Phrasing is definitely out of the ordinary. Brian also nearly flops his solo but manages to bring it back and creates something nice out of it. Honestly one of my favourite performances of the song. 9/10We Are the Champions - Freddie sounds like he's getting a bit exhausted, but he still okay for the most part. Brian tries to do the studio guitar licks in the third chorus again like the past shows. Solid rendition. 7/10.Summary
I can say for certain that this is one of Queen's most underrated shows. There are tons of special moments tonight. From a Liar that definitely doesn't get the recognition it deserves to several Back Chat improvisations, to unique performances of songs like We Will Rock You and Tie Your Mother Down, you can tell the band are really in their element on this night. Freddie sounds strong throughout although he cracks occasionally, and Brian is in incredible form. I don't think it's a stretch to say this is one of the best nights of the tour, and of the 80s. Highlights - Play the Game, Staying Power, Liar, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack, We Will Rock You
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Post by Doughnut on Jun 1, 2020 10:21:03 GMT
This thread serves as my own outlet to review, critique, and nitpick concerts throughout Queen's live career. I've always liked doing mini write-ups of shows for my YouTube descriptions, and people seemed to like it too since it gave an good rundown of what to expect. This will be a more detailed, song-by-song analysis of each show, and will hopefully give some obscure shows some more light, because there are some sleeper gigs out there that kick total ass. As a basis of how I rate the shows, I try to objectively look at how each member performs and how I subjectively feel it impacts the performance as a whole. These are just my opinions, so feel free to critique what I have to say if you feel like it. As far as the /10 ratings, go, here's how I would define each: 10/10 - Flawlessly performed with energy, passion and creativity. Ranks among the bands best performances of all time. I don't use these very often. Most "excellent" performances will get a 9/10. 9/10 - Generally a perfect performance on a technical level. May have minor issues that have little to no effect on my opinion of the performance, and is performed energetically. 8/10 - An above average performance that shows the band in great form. May have a slight error or two that doesn't cause major issues. Usually an exciting performance. 7/10 - An average or slightly above average performance. May have a few mistakes, or may not be as energetic as the above rankings. Usually a good performance regardless, and most performances will probably fall here. 6/10 - An average performance that will probably have some errors or mistakes that will be obvious to the average listener, or may not be performed with quite the energy that should be the standard. Still, usually a decent performance. 5/10 - A mediocre performance with issues that will be obvious to the listener, or may not be performed with as much energy as should be the standard. May be described as "flawed" or "boring", depending on the situation. Usually passable. 4/10 to 1/10 - All varying shades of bad. May contain severe flaws in the performance that hinder the listening experience, or may lack enthusiasm from the band that is vital for keeping your attention. |
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Post by Doughnut on Jun 1, 2020 10:21:23 GMT
This thread serves as my own outlet to review, critique, and nitpick concerts throughout Queen's live career. I've always liked doing mini write-ups of shows for my YouTube descriptions, and people seemed to like it too since it gave an good rundown of what to expect. This will be a more detailed, song-by-song analysis of each show, and will hopefully give some obscure shows some more light, because there are some sleeper gigs out there that kick total ass. As a basis of how I rate the shows, I try to objectively look at how each member performs and how I subjectively feel it impacts the performance as a whole. These are just my opinions, so feel free to critique what I have to say if you feel like it. As far as the /10 ratings, go, here's how I would define each: 10/10 - Flawlessly performed with energy, passion and creativity. Ranks among the bands best performances of all time. I don't use these very often. Most "excellent" performances will get a 9/10. 9/10 - Generally a perfect performance on a technical level. May have minor issues that have little to no effect on my opinion of the performance, and is performed energetically. 8/10 - An above average performance that shows the band in great form. May have a slight error or two that doesn't cause major issues. Usually an exciting performance. 7/10 - An average or slightly above average performance. May have a few mistakes, or may not be as energetic as the above rankings. Usually a good performance regardless, and most performances will probably fall here. 6/10 - An average performance that will probably have some errors or mistakes that will be obvious to the average listener, or may not be performed with quite the energy that should be the standard. Still, usually a decent performance. 5/10 - A mediocre performance with issues that will be obvious to the listener, or may not be performed with as much energy as should be the standard. May be described as "flawed" or "boring", depending on the situation. Usually passable. 4/10 to 1/10 - All varying shades of bad. May contain severe flaws in the performance that hinder the listening experience, or may lack enthusiasm from the band that is vital for keeping your attention. |
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Post by Doughnut on Jun 1, 2020 10:22:04 GMT
Stockholm, April 10th 1982
The Hero - About a standard version for 1982 mostly. This is a song that didn't vary too much and was pretty consistent. Brian does do a cool little lick in the middle that is a bit quiet on the audience recording, but it sounds nice. A solid rendition of the song, and what we should expect. 8/10.
Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie sounds very strong on this version of the song. This show in particular has has him fairly unstable (as we will see later in the show), but he sounds great right now. Curiously, after the first chorus, he sings "all your love tonight" as he should towards the end of the song, making the band play a four extra measures to get to the second verse. The band play fairly strong here with no noticeable mistakes. Very good version overall. 9/10.
Action This Day - First recorded performance of this polarizing Hot Space song has Freddie singing it very close to the record version in a lot of spots, but he fumbles most of the high notes tonight. The first six-or-so gigs of the tour kind of serve as Freddie's warm up, as he hasn't totally settled into his voice quite yet. Brian does an amazing solo on this one though. We also get to hear Morgan Fisher at the forefront of the sound for the first time on recording. Valiant effort from Freddie, but he needs some more practice with this one. Band is tight though. 6/10.
Play the Game - This is a nice version of the song. There are plenty of moments where Freddie sounds like he's on the verge of cracking, but he holds it together mostly and sounds pretty good despite a few issues. Brian is playing very melodically as well with some good phrasing through the song. This is definitely a unique version, and certainly enjoyable. 7/10.
Somebody to Love - Freddie sings well despite his unstable voice on this one. He plays it safe in many spots but he sounds great nonetheless. Brian's guitar does sound slightly out of tune in some spots, but perhaps this is just to my ears. It's not much an issue anyway. Vocal harmonies sound fairly in tune, and everything seems to go well otherwise. While not as masterful as some of the versions later in the tour, this is still a solid version. 7/10.
Staying Power - First version of Staying Power on recording has some issues. Freddie has some noticeable trouble with the high notes (particularly the high B's in the chorus), and there are some timing issues on the instrumental side of things. Brian also plays a really jarring bum chord during the bridge. They are also playing fairly slow here, not nearly as coked up as some of the later versions would sound like. Far from a total train wreck, but it's not clean, that's for sure. 5/10.
Get Down, Make Love - Fairly strong version for the time period. Although Freddie doesn't sing many of those chorus high notes anymore (as he would regularly do from 1977-1978), the raunchy guitar licks from Brian makes these still an interesting listen, even if it's inclusion in the set was mostly an excuse to show off their lighting rigs. 7/10.
We Will Rock You (Improv) - the first of a few setlist surprises tonight is an impromptu version of We Will Rock You led by the audience. It's a full step lower than it should be (D Minor instead of E Minor, I think), and it's only one verse, but it's a fun little extra that gives this show a great atmosphere. 8/10
Fat Bottomed Girls - A fairly standard version of Fat Bottomed Girls. Freddie sounds good, the band sound good, and everything runs smoothly, but nothing surprising. 7/10.
Love of My Life - Cuts out towards the end on the version I was listening too, but it sounds decent overall, and fairly standard for the time. Luckily, Freddie's voice is stable on this one. 7/10. Save Me - Famous version with a false start, Brian doesn't play as Freddie begins to sing. Freddie then quips "It didn't start off so ****ing well," and then they carry forward as normal. Overall a strong version with Freddie delivering the song very smoothly (a total contrast to some of his Japan 82 deliveries), and the band work here is great. Morgan has a slight flub during the keyboard solo (which I've never liked for this song in the first place), but besides that, this version is good. 7/10. Keyboard/Guitar Jam - Another oddity in the setlist and never to be played again, Morgan and Brian do a bit of a jam section together. I get heavy "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" vibes during some parts, and I think this should have been done more. It's really interesting to hear, and the keyboard provides a good accompaniment to what would normally be Brian ****ing around by himself. It's long enough to enjoy, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. I assume this was also played in Gothenburg the night before, but without a recording, this can't be confirmed. Definitely a highlight of the night. 10/10. Liar - Brought back into the set for only a handful of shows, Liar is a welcome addition to any show, and these 1982 versions always prove to be excellent. Freddie remains in good voice for this version, and the musicianship is on full display. They are definitely feeling it during this one. The only issue with this one is a slight timing issue during the final section of the song. Otherwise it's nearly flawless. 9/10. Not Fade Away - Yet another setlist surprise is an impromptu cover of The Cricket's Not Fade Away. Freddie doesn't exactly know the words, but it's a cool thing for them to do. For the spontaneity alone, this gets a solid 8/10, especially since it's not a botched cover like Immigrant Song in Berlin 1986. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The band let the audience choose the tempo for this one, and they make it a fairly slow version of the song. Brian ends his solo a on a bit of an odd note, but the ensuing jam at the end of the song is a tasty one. Great performance. 8/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie plays it a bit safe on this one, but the rest of the band are having fun with it. Brian gives a great solo, and Roger does some nice fills in this one. John hits a bum note towards the end of the rock section, and there are some timing issues, most notably being Roger coming in to the final section of the song a whole beat too early. Good version, albeit with flaws. 6/10. Under Pressure - A solid performance of their latest single. It's (presumably) only the fourth performance of the song, and they seem to have everything down, although Freddie is a bit unstable. This is another song that never gave the band much creative freedom on stage, and so most versions are fairly similar to one another. This is a good version with not too much to complain about. 7/10. Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - This medley was always a great spot for the band to show off their chops, and these versions from 1982 are no slouch. They would really take these songs into the stratosphere later into the Euro tour, but they sound great already. Tons of energy here, even if a bit slower than some of the other versions from this tour. The end of the medley cuts out, but most of it has been recorded. 8/10. Another One Bites the Dust - Decent version overall, although a bit more laid back than other versions I've heard. Freddie's voice sounds pretty weak though. 6/10. Sheer Heart Attack - Strong and energetic performance of Sheer Heart Attack. Nothing else much to say. Everyone sounds good on here. 8/10. We Will Rock You - Another fairly standard performance for the era. Solid, but nothing particularly noteworthy. 7/10. We Are the Champions - Again, Freddie sounds like he's having a bit of trouble with his higher register, but he makes the most of what he's got. Interestingly, Brian tries to do some of the studio guitar licks in the final chorus, something which he wouldn't finally get down until Live Aid and the Magic Tour. Roger's drumming sounds fairly powerful here too. Fairly interesting rendition. 7/10.
Summary
This show is certainly one of the most unique listens you can come across. The setlist alone should make this a must-listen, and while Freddie sounds a bit off on a few songs, he's generally strong through the show. There is great musicianship on display through the night, and while sometimes they sound a bit slow, they are always focused on delivering a good show. I had always put this one off as many people told me this show sucked and that Freddie sounded awful, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's not perfect, but it's still an great performance from the boys. Definitely a recommended listen. Highlights - Tie Your Mother Down, Save Me, Keyboard/Guitar Jam, Liar, Not Fade Away, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. |
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Goldy
Satyr
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Post by Goldy on Jun 2, 2020 18:38:34 GMT
This thread keeps reminding me of how bad we need a server to host all of these amazing shows.. maybe one day.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 2, 2020 21:38:58 GMT
Zurich, April 17th 1982   The Hero - Deacon has some trouble with his bass at the beginning. Either his volume is way too low or he has a loose cable. Freddie also seems to take it a bit easy. Solid, but nothing special. 6/10. Tie Your Mother Down - Fairly good performance. Freddie takes it a bit easy with his voice, but the band sound fairly strong overall. 7/10. Action This Day - Fairly standard performance. Freddie has some obvious range issues here though, as he has had on this song for the past few gigs. Ending jam is nice but I've definitely heard better. 6/10. Play the Game - Freddie continues to have trouble with his voice. Cracks like every 15 seconds, and plays it very safe. Brian does some great hammer ons and pull offs during his solo with a great trill to start it off though. 7/10. Staying Power - Once again, Freddie has lots of problems with his voice on this one, failing to hit most of the higher notes. Brian and Morgan go out of sync just before the "power, power" section, but they get back together quickly. Roger and Freddie then sing different lyrics during the following verse. 6/10. Get Down, Make Love - Great playing from Brian in this one as always. Freddie speaks through the choruses though which is disappointing. 6/10. Back Chat - First performance of this song has Freddie squealing through various parts and sounding unstable as he generally does through this whole show, but you can tell the band love playing this one as they really sound energized here. Even though this is near the bottom in terms of Back Chat performances, it still probably gets a 7/10. Under Pressure - Once again, fairly standard besides Freddie not being able to sign without cracking every 10 seconds. 6/10. Love of My Life - Brian hits a slight bum note during his guitar intro. Freddie then counts in the vocals and lets the audience take over. Otherwise this is about what you'd expect from this song. 7/10. Save Me - Freddie sings Mustapha before this song. This is a fairly decent version. Freddie once again has issues with his upper range, but besides that, they play good. 7/10 Fat Bottomed Girls - A song which is also fairly consistent, the band do a great outro jam here. No real weak points on this one. 8/10 Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Brian hits a small bum note during his solo, but no real issues through the performance. 7/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie cracks many times through this version. Instruments are played very well, but I come to expect that, and having your vocalist sound like he's going through puberty a second time is not great. 6/10 Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Following a very solid Now I'm Here, the jam leading into Dragon Attack has some very good riffs from Brian. Dragon Attack is great, including a blistering solo from Brian, and the transition into the reprise also sounds excellent with more great stuff from Brian. John can also be heard very clearly on the better of the two audience recordings and he does some funky bass work. Freddie keeps his voice fairly stable on these tracks too and he sounds quite good. All around a great performance. 8/10. Another One Bites the Dust - Standard version of Another One Bites the Dust, with a few "bite the dick" lines, as Freddie would usually toss out. Decent, but not really a special performance by any means. 6/10. Sheer Heart Attack - Fairly good version of Sheer Heart Attack. About what you should expect from this song in 1982. 7/10. We Will Rock You - This one is a surprise. After fairly standard or even weak performances by Euro 1982 standards, this version of We Will Rock You totally kicks ass. The added guitar during the verses sounds excellent, and Freddie even hits one of the verse A4s on this one, something which only happened twice on this tour (the other time being the night before). Definitely a killer rendition. 9/10. We Are the Champions - Freddie sounds mostly good on this one but struggles to nail those top sustains ("I've come through!"). Brian continues to attempt those third verse studio licks and they actually sound fairly good here, not like they would sound on the Magic Tour, but it's cool to hear him doing it these few times on the early Euro Hot Space Tour. Solid overall. 7/10. SummaryWhile still not a bad gig, this is probably the weakest show of the Euro Hot Space Tour. While nothing catastrophic happens, most of the performances are just average, and Freddie sounds pretty bad on some songs. The vocals wouldn't sound out of place on the Japan tour, and what helps even less if the lackluster setlist. While Back Chat is included (which I love), Liar and Somebody to Love are both out, two fan favourites. Brian also doesn't have his solo spot tonight, so it comes up as a short gig. Regardless, if you're a completionist, check it out anyway. Highlights - Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack, We Will Rock You
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 7, 2020 3:55:03 GMT
Paris, April 19th 1982
 
The Hero - Sounds like a fairly standard version of the song, although Freddie speak-sings a line in the second verse and sounds fairly tired already. This won't be an easy show to review since the only source sounds like it was recorded with a plastic water bottle outside of the venue, but I'll try my best. 6/10. Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie sings the wrong lyrics in the second verse (instead of "take your brother swimming with a brick," he sings "lock your daddy out of doors, don't need him nosing around" a second time). Besides that, this is a solid version, although nothing special. 6/10. Action This Day - Another concert, another version of Acton This Day where Freddie goes for high notes he can't hit. He's cracking on pretty much all of them. The quality of the recording slightly improves during the jam section though, which makes my life slightly easier. Brian sounds like he's in good form here. 6/10 Play the Game - Freddie sounds quite nice during this song and sings creatively through the song. Brian's first solo sounds nice but the audience scream over top of him so it's not easy to hear. His second solo sounds incredible though and it serves as a nice way to close off the song (with Roger doing a nice drum fill in the middle of it). Great performance here. 8/10. Staying Power - There is some good energy on this performance. It's performed with great speed and precision from the whole band, and Freddie sounds pretty strong. 8/10. Somebody to Love - Freddie's vocal intro on this one sounds amazing, but he ends up singing most of the song fairly conservatively. He then does this unique little piano thing during his vocal solo before the ending jam. The ending jam itself isn't anything to get excited about but it's not bad. Just average. 7/10. Get Down, Make Love - This is the final performance of the extended live cut of the song. After this, it would shortened to one verse and one chorus. Freddie does his monotonous speak-singing in the chorus, but Brian does some dirty bends during the verses that give the song life, which is about all you can really hope for this song in 1982. 7/10. Under Pressure - Good version. Nothing else really to say. 7/10. Love of My Life - Like many versions of the song this year, The audience totally takes over and it sounds great. 8/10. Save Me - Standard affair for 1982. No mistakes, and everyone sounds good. 7/10. Back Chat - Oh boy, this is definitely one of the worst versions of Back Chat. Freddie doesn't know the lyrics at all and he has zero control of his voice during some of the higher parts. It's not horrible, as the band still sound fairly tight, but jeez... Freddie really botches this one. 5/10.
Fat Bottomed Girls - Wow, this is a great recovery from the last song. Freddie sounds very good on this one, and Brian delivers a ripping performance during the outro jam with some great licks scattered through it. One of the very best. 9/10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The audience leading the song in, the great piano accompaniment, Brian doing some really nice guitar work on this one, and Freddie having a stable voice make this an excellent performance. It's got a cut on the recording, but it's fairly small. 8/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie sings Mustapha before this song. He would often sing the song in various places in the set through the tour. Bohemian Rhapsody itself is an ok version. Freddie has some strain and instability in his voice but it's far from the worst thing I've ever heard. Band is solid but nothing particularly noteworthy. 6/10. Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Freddie continues to have problems with his voice here, but musically the band sound strong here. The build-up to Dragon Attack is very slow and almost ominous, but it works very well. Dragon Attack here is nothing really to rave about but it's decent enough. 7/10. Another One Bites the Dust - Freddie displays more issues with his higher range here. Band don't really play around much with this one either. Bit of a let down. 5/10. Sheer Heart Attack - Brian does some good feedback stuff in this one. Freddie sounds half decent too. 7/10. We Will Rock You - This is a very heavy version of We Will Rock You. I'm not sure if it's the recording quality that gives me that feeling, but they sound really powerful here. Otherwise it's fairly typical 1982, but that guitar roars. 7/10. We Are the Champions - Brian tries to do those studio licks again, although he seems to hit a nasty bum note towards the end. Overall, not bad, but it could have been better. Freddie sounds ok but not amazing. 6/10. SummaryDefinitely not one of the stronger gigs on the tour. Some of the performances are fairly bland (or sloppy, e.g Back Chat), and Freddie is still having range issues that wouldn't start to resolve until the Brussels shows. The piss-poor recording also probably makes this one of the least popular gigs on the tour. It's not a bad performance, but given the standard that some of those May-June shows set, this is definitely one of the last shows to seek out. Highlights - Fat Bottomed Girls, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
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Post by queen1970s on Jun 7, 2020 10:37:53 GMT
Thanks for the reviews they're fantastic. can you please review Queen's Early years concerts?
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Post by GiacomoPiro on Jun 7, 2020 22:09:21 GMT
thank you ryan, im always enjoying your reviews same like on your youtube videos! i will need a txt file in every concert folder  |
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cmi
Politician
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Post by cmi on Jun 8, 2020 10:58:39 GMT
Excellent thread! Very nice reading.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 20, 2020 3:49:36 GMT
Lyon, April 20th 1982 The Hero - Freddie has some noticeable instability kicking off the show. As far as the past few gigs have gone, this isn't unexpected. 6/10. Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie squeals on a couple lines and he sounds super worn out, even speaking through some of the lyrics. Brian does a nice lick at the beginning of the end jam, but that's all this version has to offer. 6/10. Action This Day - This is the first version of the song where Freddie isn't squealing all the notes, because he's actually not even going for most of them. He has obvious troubles with his voice tonight and plays it very safe. Overall this version is still fairly solid still with great, driving energy. Brian does some pretty cool riffing towards the end. 7/10. Play the Game - Great piano intro by Freddie. He sings fairly lazily on this one though, as he has for the past few songs. Brian's solos are great (the first one in particular is really nice), but again, Freddie really sounds tired. 6/10. Roger's drumming in the second half is great too. Staying Power - The band are very together on this version and are basically flawless. Only thing I can complain about is Freddie straining his voice a ton (although he doesn't sound half bad on this one). John's guitar is very high in the mix on the audience recording, so you can hear that those bright chords really clash with the rhythm section. 8/10. Somebody to Love - Fairly standard version with Freddie playing it safe again, although Brian does some great melodic bends right at the end of the song that really lift the song up a bit more. 7/10. Get Down, Make Love - This is the first of the truncated versions of this song. Freddie speaks the chorus (as he has been doing for most of the Hot Space shows up to this point. Brian does his standard raunchy guitar licks but nothing really interesting. All this song really serves as is a spot for Brian's guitar solo, and to show off their lights. 5/10. Guitar Solo - Great melodic arpeggios right at the beginning. About half way through, Brian hits a pretty nasty bum note, but as he once said (paraphrasing) "the great thing about delay is that you can pretend to know what your doing." He recovers well and doesn't overstay his welcome (something which, in my opinion, often did happen live with his solo spots). 8/10. Under Pressure - A song that is already pretty much the same night-to-night is not aided by Freddie's fumbling voice. 6/10. Love of My Life - Atmospheric could describe any version of the song from 1982. Good version, although the tape has a cut in the middle of this song. 7/10. Save Me - Freddie sounds fairly good on this one, using alternate melodies to get around his vocal issues. Brian nearly fumbles the beginning of his solo but manages to keep it together. 7/10. Fat Bottomed Girls - Freddie does a call and response with the audience to get this song going. Otherwise a fairly standard version of the song. 7/10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Sounds like Brian breaks a string during his solo with the telecaster, leading to a few awkward seconds. Good version besides that, with some good piano from Morgan in the outro jam. 7/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie plays Death On Two Legs before this song begins. Brian has some trouble with his guitar around the "carry on" part (sounds like he hits a bum note). Also noting the obvious that Freddie does not sound very strong here. Good solo from Brian with some nice drumming from Roger though. 6/10 Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Now I'm Here is fairly strong although Brian's guitar seems to be cutting out during his guitar solo a lot. Freddie sounds fairly ok although he doesn't sound like he's trying at times. Brian solo starts off quite nicely, and he ends on some beautiful chords before they launch back into Now I'm Here. 7/10. Another One Bites the Dust - They really don't sound like they are into it much here. Freddie is just kind of going through the motions since he has little range through the show, Roger's backing vocals don't seem too energetic, and the improv section is like 15 seconds long, maybe less. 5/10. Sheer Heart Attack - This version is fairly solid. Freddie has his regular issues, but the end jam is nice enough. 6/10. We Will Rock You - Very unique guitar riffing from Brian at the beginning. He then starts his feedback a several measures early but keeps it sustained until his solo. Speaking of which, this is one of a handful of times where Brian plays the solo note-for-note like the studio version. He would usually do some embellishments to spice it up, but here he keeps it like the record. Good version. 7/10. We Are the Champions - Freddie is exhausted, band is fine. Basically sums up this whole gig. 6/10. SummaryThis is another hit-or-miss type Hot Space gig. These early nights on the tour all have their ups and downs, and this one kind of falls flat. There really aren't any standout performances from this show, with the concert peaking early during Staying Power and remaining rather dull for the rest of the night. This isn't a bad show, but like the past two nights, it's far from what the band were capable of on this tour and is not one of the top shows to seek out. At least the recording is listenable unlike Paris 4/19. Luckily, the tour really begins to pick up the pace in Brussels, the next set of shows.
Highlights - Staying Power
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Dimitris
Politician
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Post by Dimitris on Jun 20, 2020 5:53:01 GMT
Great topic thanks Ryan and your YT channel is great too, since the chin's channel was stopped in 2018 by copywrite stupid reasons, your channel is a the best archive for live concerts.
I think some bootlegs don't justify the vibe and the atmosphere of the concert. Despite the bad days of Freddie voice or bad - sloppy playing here & there.
I have been in many concerts where the singer was in bad shape vocally but the deliver was great. That's is the case which many fans state for 1984 concerts.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 20, 2020 10:16:46 GMT
Great topic thanks Ryan and your YT channel is great too, since the chin's channel was stopped in 2018 by copywrite stupid reasons, your channel is a the best archive for live concerts. I think some bootlegs don't justify the vibe and the atmosphere of the concert. Despite the bad days of Freddie voice or bad - sloppy playing here & there. I have been in many concerts where the singer was in bad shape vocally but the deliver was great. That's is the case which many fans state for 1984 concerts. Yep. My opinion doesn't override what people who were there felt. I'm just stating what I hear, and whether I would recommend the show as an audio listen. I too have heard tons of praise from people who attended Works Tour shows. |
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jul 10, 2020 9:36:23 GMT
Brussels, April 22nd 1982
This is about the third time I've tried to post this and I'm kind of pissed off at this website right now, so this write-up may be a bit half-assed if I'm being honest but I just want to get things rolling again so excuse this one if it's a bit poorly written.The Hero - Freddie clearly sounds much better at this show than he has for the past three. Roger's drumming is a bit sluggish to begin with but perhaps that's just me. 7/10.Tie Your Mother Down - Freddie's vocals on this one aren't as creative and off the wall as some of the earlier ones on the tour but he does sound fairly decent here. The rest of the band sound good. 7/10Action This Day - This is the first version of Action This Day where Freddie can actually sing the high notes in the verses without squealing, and that's great. Morgan Fisher sounds a bit lost during the intro to his keyboard solo but this is otherwise a fairly good performance. 7/10.Play the Game - Again, Freddie delivers a strong performance, but the star here is Brian. His solos here are fantastic and he uses a lot of trills within some pretty melodic phrasings. Excellent from Brian here. 8/10.Staying Power - Freddie sounds alright here and the band sound pretty decent, although I've heard better. 6/10Somebody to Love - Freddie is finally landing some high notes again in this song, and god knows it needs it. Great vocal intro in particular on this one, and Brian again delivers some great solos. Roger and Freddie have some great vocal interplay near the end of the outro jam, and Brian adds some joyous licks to the mix as well. Overall a great version of the song. 8/10.Get Down, Make Love - You know the drill. This song sounds the same as every other version. Freddie speaking the verses doesn't help it's case. 5/10Guitar Solo - I'm not totally sure what to make of this. It's mostly a pretty standard Brian May solo section, but towards the end when he tries to do a descending scale with the delay to harmonize with himself, he hits not only one wrong note, but a few, and it sends the whole arena into an array of cacophony. Really hurts the ears there. 6/10.Under Pressure - Freddie's voice is pretty agile here, but again, it's Under Pressure, and it's not a song that will differ from night to night. Still good performance though. 7/10Love of My Life - Freddie actually ends up singing a fair bit here, but inevitably, the audience does take over. Good version of the song with Freddie singing it very smoothly. 7/10.Save Me - This is a real killer version of Save Me. Freddie still has a few unstable moments but it's Brian who shines here. During the middle-eight, he goes a bit out of his comfort zone with a bit of spice to his arrangement (whether this was intentional is up for debate. I choose to think it wasn't, but it sounds nice anyway). Then during his main solo, he again goes a bit out of his normal playing and changes it up a bit. A strong band makes a strong version of the song here. 8/10,Fat Bottomed Girls - Brian really shows off his drop-d tuning during the outro, but this is otherwise a standard version of the song. 7/10Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The band are really locked into the swing groove here. They are fast and sound energized. On top of that, Brian delivers yet another great solo (particularly the last two measures of the telecaster solo), and the band sound great. the ending jam also rocks hard. 8/10.Bohemian Rhapsody - Freddie's voice is a bit unstable here but he sounds generally ok. Nothing too major, but I did notice that the tone on Brian's guitar really cuts like a knife. Perhaps the venues acoustics help that, but this is a fairly standard version of the song. 7/10.Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Brian nearly hints at It's Late during the intro with a few chords, but he chooses to begin Now I'm Here before then. Freddie speaks a few lines but he sounds generally strong through Now I'm Here, but Roger and Brian really stand out during the solo with some great work from both of them. Dragon Attack also sounds fairly great tonight, again with Freddie having a few unstable moments but a strong instrumental section through and through. Again I have to mention Brian, because he does a few good rhythm chords during the second verse that sound really great. Very good performance of these joint songs. 8/10.Another One Bites the Dust - Fairly standard version of the song. Freddie sounds surprisingly good here though. 7/10.Sheer Heart Attack - Brian hits a really nasty bum chord during the second verse, but this is also a fairly standard version of the song. 7/10We Will Rock You - This one is really odd. Instead of Brian, Roger, and John all doing a jam during the intro to We Will Rock You, Freddie leads them and the audience by singing the chorus a few times. But then when Roger kicks in, there is no jam, just straight into the verses. Then you can literally here Brian tuning his guitar in the middle of the god-damn song a few seconds later, and as he comes in for his solo, it's far from perfect. I'm not sure what happened but the Brian that was here for most of the night was definitely not present during this song. Very odd version of the song. 4/10.We Are the Champions - Freddie has a bit of trouble with some of the vocals but he sounds fairly good here and they finish fairly decently, although I cant say this is a really noteworthy version of the song. 6/10.SummaryThis is where the Hot Space Tour really starts to get good. Freddie sounds far better at this gig than he had for the past several shows, and Brian is beginning to really kick into high gear, as he's on fire through most of this show (obviously we're excluding whatever the hell We Will Rock You was here). Freddie will only get better through the Euro tour, and the band would get even tighter. This is where they really get off the ground. Highlights - Save Me, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jul 11, 2020 7:39:15 GMT
Brussels, April 23rd 1982 The Hero - Good version to kick off the show. Nothing much else to say. 7/10. We Will Rock You (Fast) - The audience is very loud and sing with much enthusiasm, so this one gets bonus point for that. During the breakdown with John's bass solo, Roger goes missing, so it also loses points for that. He does get in some nice fills during the jam, and Brian also makes his guitar scream. Solid. 7/10. Action This Day - Freddie has a few squeaks here and there but nothing too major and he sounds fairly strong through the song. The song is much faster than it was a week ago and really has that driving energy that made the Hot Space songs sound so much better live. The jam isn't too interesting though. 7/10. Play the Game - Fantastic vocal delivery on this one with some great melodies from Freddie. Instrumentally it's also very nice with some good soloing from the guitarist. 8/10. Staying Power - This version of Staying Power is nearly perfect. Freddie nails the vocals to the song and the band are so clean, with the only real fumble being Brian, as he cuts out for about a second just before the last chorus. Regardless, this is one of the best performances of this song. 9/10. Get Down, Make Love - This is a fairly solid version with some good licks from Brian. Freddie does a bit of speak singing but he actually comes up with some nice melodies in the chorus. 7/10. Guitar Solo - Like last night, Brian hits a pretty bad bum note while trying to harmonize, but this time he manages to recover. This is actually great solo with tons of flashy stuff happening. 8/10. Under Pressure - Very strong Under Pressure. You can tell the band are in great form even here. Freddie in particular sounds excellent. 8/10. Liar - This song is always a highlight in a 1982 setlist. This is a great performance, although there are a couple spotty moments. Freddie goes for the high B4 on "Liar, you're lying to me" but cracks it, and Brian's solo is a tad messy, as he seems to get caught doing some other stuff. For the first 20 seconds or so, he really has trouble getting his fingers in the right spot. Freddie does more Back Chat improvs during the "Mama I'm gonna be your slave" part, and following that, Brian does some really nice chords to segway the band into the end of the song. Even with the sloppy parts, this is still a great performance. 8/10. Love of My Life - Lively audience tonight. Perfect example of how Queen could control an arena (in this case, about 9000 people). 8/10. Improv - This is a nice little jam Freddie does with the audience while Roger keeps a beat. Mostly just Back Chat references. Good and groovy though. Save Me - Strong performance in which the band sound very heavy and the audience continues to fill the room with their singing. Freddie sounds generally strong through the song with a few spotty voice cracks here and there. 7/10. Fat Bottomed Girls - Good performance. Freddie's a bit flat on his "this locality" embellishment, but I'm nitpicking, and it's certainly better than what he did at Milton Keynes! Good ending jam too. 8/10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Another energetic performance from the band, although compared to last nights rendition, this one isn't quite as tight and fluid. 7/10. Bohemian Rhapsody - A fairly standard version of Bohemian Rhapsody. 7/10. Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack - Very ecstatic performance from the band. Freddie sounds great and Brian goes wild during his solo in Now I'm Here. The build up to Dragon Attack continues with more of Freddie's R&B-esque improvs and they never lose a bit of momentum going into it. Dragon Attack is fairly standard but still rocks hard. Very strong overall. 8/10. Tie Your Mother Down - At this point, an alternate source is used for the remaining of the recording which sounds marginally worse. It cuts in mid way through the first verse. Brian's solo on this one is very unique and the band sound great. 8/10. Another One Bites the Dust - Just after the second chorus, Brian hits a really strange note. I think he fretted the wrong string or something. The middle section is quite short tonight. Freddie gives a good vocal performance though. 7/10.
Sheer Heart Attack - Fairly standard version but still lots of energy here. 7/10. We Will Rock You - Like last night, Freddie sings the chorus of the song to lead it in. John seems to try to initiate the jam by playing a couple low E notes, but Freddie goes right into the first verse. Brian turns in a better solo tonight too. 7/10. We Are the Champions - Decent closing to the show. Brian seems to give the studio licks one last shot here, but he doesn't really get there in time and it's a bit jarring. He wouldn't try it again until Live Aid, where he would have it mastered. Not bad though. 7/10. SummaryThis is a band in full force. The audience at this show is fantastic and the band are thriving off of it as noted by the improvs throughout the show. Freddie has nearly gotten his voice back and he sounds great tonight, and the rest of the band are in their element. Brian has another great night at the office like last night. This is definitely an underrated gig and I would highly recommend this show. Highlights - Play the Game, Staying Power, Under Pressure, Liar, Now I'm Here/Dragon Attack
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Post by Mustapha Ibrahim on Jul 11, 2020 22:58:38 GMT
I think you forgot to put a rating for the Improv.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jul 11, 2020 23:57:34 GMT
I think you forgot to put a rating for the Improv. Nope. I chose not to. It's such a short segment and it's not really something that could make me feel worse about the show. Those moments are always a 10/10 for the novelty alone. |
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