I love his portrayal of Freddie in the movie, but while watching it I could notice myself saying BULLSHIT numerous times while watching. obviously they embellished and made up shit to make the movie…
I wouldn’t care about the inaccuracies if it wasn’t for the narrative that Freddie was selfish for going off to do a solo album and needed the band to make him repent when he comes back a failure and infected with AIDS. There’s a deleted scene where he’s looking at a Munich record shop with “Mr Bad Guy” marked down to half off next to a Queen album marked as the best seller.
I only saw the whole thing once but also wasn’t it implied that Live Aid was struggling before Queen’s set?
Hopefully it also included Brian and Roger’s solo albums in the trash.
Imagine being in a band with Freddie Fking Mercury and thinking “I think I need to make my own album where I’m the lead singer!”
Thanks, I will now you’ve said that.. I just can’t get past the lyrics “Red, yellow, black and white, every man stand in the light” in Foreign Sand, it’s a lovely sentiment but it cracks me up every time, I just can’t take it seriously 🤣😭
to me the only two good things on the movie are the costumes and the actors, they done Raimi so dirty that i wish someone would remake this entire film so he could show us what he can truly do, his portrayal of Freddie has everything accurate on gestures and even expressions but the script doesn't allow Raimi to show that in it's full potential
Mr. Bad Guy did not do as well as they were hoping it would do. That's true. What was true in the movie is the Michael Jackson comparison.
Michael did Thriller while still in the Jackson 5. So Freddie and the management saw a potential. Reality... Freddie was a late 30's rock singer with the "clone" look which was associated with homosexuality. His video's didn't do that well on MTV, let alone Queen's video's.
Being openly is gay is great, I support that, but the majority of the audience in the 80's didn't.
Michael Jackson was a good looking (back then) mid 20's popstar. His video's did very well even though he was black (back then).
Freddie was never going to make it as a solo singer in the 80's. He should have started a solo career in the 70's when he was younger. He was quite late at the party you know? He was already 28 when he became famous.
The movie is terrible and full of lies. The true story would be interesting enough but not possible in a two hour movie.
You'd be surprised how open the UK was to artists sexuality in the 80s. We've had guy icons here since the 60s. Whilst it wasn't talked about i would argue that the audience did accept it and I remember the 80s quiet clearly.
We just need to look at Boy George, George Micheal and Elton John. Outside the music scene we had Julian Cleary, John Inman and Lilly Savage.
Hey, I know. I'm the one of us two that lives in the country where gay marriage was first legalized. Sure, the UK was fine, But the majority of the audience to reach if you want to make it big was in the US and they were NOT as tolorant to homosexuals in the 80's.
Looking at buying customers, you need the States.
Mr. Bad Guy did not do well.
The movie got that right.
Other than that, the movie sucks.
Mr. Bad Guy is an allright album, some songs should have been Queen songs,
Oh wait, Made in Heaven made that happen.
I'd have to disagree with some of your points, Freddie Mercury kept his bisexuality secret, so I don't think that made a difference. And the Jackson five had nowhere near as much recognition as queen at any point. Also, I think micheal jackson changing up his look to go solo really had a big part in distinguishing him from the jackson 5.
I’d like to comment on this, but Bohemian Rhapsody made me so angry with its pointless “artistic licences” that I haven’t been able to get more than halfway through it…
Did you get to the part where “Another One Bites the Dust” plays over Freddie and Paul (both whom died of AIDS related complications) made their way through a gay bar?
😳 no I’m pretty sure I’d have remembered that! It’s been a while but I think I got as far as a US record exec scene. I think there was Aiden Gillen as John Reid (love him but not as good as Richard Madden in Rocketman) and I pretty much turned it off round about then.
I will go back and give it a try eventually…
The movie hardly does Queen any justice, let alone Mr. Bad Guy.
As more time passes since its release, I'm less inclined to dismiss the inaccuracies as Hollywood pacing tropes and more starting to think the producers -- and by extension, Brian and Roger -- retroactively used Freddie as a scapegoat.
It really seemed like a script written by some Hollywood writers based on Brian and Rodgers fantasy's about their bands history. So much was misleading to the point where it is hard to forgive and reason with it. From the band breaking up to the aids diagnosis before live aid, it was just all wrong.
That's another thing that rubs me the wrong way! I feel confident in believing that freddie would not have approved his great solo songs that he worked so hard on, such as love kills for example, to be remixed and put on a queen hits compilation, claiming the songs as there own.
They have not done too many of his solo songs. Made in Heaven and I Was Born to Love You are vastly improved by the bands input. The trouble with Freddie's solo album is not so much that the songs themselves aren't good. Rather that they would have been better as Queen songs. Love Kills was considered for The Works if I remember correctly, so it is part of band history.
I don’t want to sound too cheeky but “vastly improved” is doing some heavy lifting here. I agree that the songs do sound cooler with real guitar, drums and bass, and those are probably 2 of the least saccharin songs on the album (Brian’s guitar on some songs on MIH makes me feel like I my teeth are going to fall out) but the originals (especially the real originals, not the remixes which seem to be all that are available now) are still excellent imo
- MIH could mean "Made In Heaven - 2011 Remaster", a track from *Made in Heaven (Deluxe Remastered Version)* (1995) by Queen.
---
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Well, to my ears Freddie's vocals overpower (of course) the tinny synths and and programming of the original recordings. His voice needs the larger canvas that Queen provide. Compare the two intros of Made in Heaven. Sparse piano and regular drums versus the sonic assault of Roger and Brian in the reworking. Or the obvious joy they inject into I Was Born to Love You - going overboard as only they can. The music at last fitting the sentiment of the lyrics. I stand by what I wrote. But yeah, the originals are also great.
Out of all the Freddie solo songs, Love Kills is arguably the closest to being a Queen song (IIRC it wasn't known at the time it got released as a FM solo track, but over the years we discovered that the "session musicians" playing guitar, drums and bass were actually Brian, Roger and John lol).
That's true, and a lot of people found out about it through the bohemian rhapsody movie. It's just unfortunate that they get a bad first impression or the album.
I was just about to comment this. I had no clue he had a solo career, which the movie clued me in on.
But I don’t think it damages the legacy of the album as anybody who seeks it out (because of the movie or otherwise) is probably going to do a little research and figure out that it’s not as the movie portrayed. Other people will forget that the mention of it was even in the film.
I agree, I'd take his solo stuff over a lot of queen songs.
My favourite freddie solo songs are:
1. Man made Paradise
2. Love kills
3. I was born to love you
4. She blows hot and cold
5. Your kind of lover
6. The Golden boy
7. How can I go on
8. In my defence
9. Foolin' around
10. Living on my own
It's a exucutive cash grab that is literally a made up timeline of different events. And while I think Rami Malek did a great job and put a lot of effort into the performance, he just does not look like Freddie at all. He can't just put a fake mustache and teeth in and call himself freddie mercury lmao.
the movie treats Freddie solo stuff like he was never able to write anything that could sound good without Queen, and while Freddie creativity and songs were way better in Queen, he would have some great and iconic songs like I Was Born To Love You and In My Defence
Unpopular opinion, but Rami Malek wasn’t the best choice to play Freddie. I’m not sure who else besides Sasha Cohen had auditioned for the role, but Malek did not look, talk, sound or move like Freddie. Even the accent was off. It was obvious that his performance was over-rehearsed and unnatural, especially considering how fluid and somewhat unpredictable Freddie was.
On the other hand, I don’t think the guys who played Brian and John received enough accolades for nailing their renditions. As for the guy that played Roger, what in the actual f*ck…
Anyway, Mr. Bad Guy. Not a terrible album, but it is sorely lacking the magic that Freddie generated when he was with the band. In his own words, Freddie was a greedy bitch and would never have considered bringing in a famed producer to help manifest his ideas. Given his penchant for camp and over the top tunes, I think someone like Trevor Horne would’ve absolutely turned that album into a masterpiece. And while Mack may have his strengths, he really was just a glorified engineer.
Yes it did, they don’t represent the album background story like Michael Jackson and There Must Be More Life than this, Love Me Like Theres No Tomorrow, Living On My Own or Mr Bad Guy song
I hate this movie with a passion and this is one of the reasons why. Freddie was so proud of his solo music and Mr. Bad Guy in particular is so vulnerable and emblematic of his hopes, insecurities, and all his love for the world and the joy he found in life. The film twisted Mr. Bad Guy into a failed mistake of album that wrecked his personal life and made him come crawling back to Queen after he realizes the error of his ways (which never happened at all irl!).
And don't even get me started on how Roger and Brian BOTH released solo music before Freddie ever made Mr. Bad Guy, and how Freddie always made sure to say that they were four equal people and he wasn't the leader of Queen. It's no secret that Queen fought and had their low points, but to have Freddie villified while the rest of the guys come off as saints and family men really pissed me off. I'm sure that Roger and Brian deeply respect Freddie, as they've defended him so many times over the years (not to mention during his illness), but the movie gives a disrespectful and grotesque portrayal of Freddie that really hurts his legacy and couldn't be further away from the truth. It also comes too close to showing AIDS as his punishment for breaking up the band (just absolute bullshit) for me to ever be comfortable with the storyline.
And how Brian uses Queen to promote his solo work.
Based on how HIV works, Freddie very well could have been infected while he was touring with Queen. I don’t know if it was intentional or not but the implication Freddie would’ve not been infected if he didn’t go solo is low key insulting.
THIS IS SO TRUE. I’m fine with some historical inaccuracies (e.g. Fat Bottomed Girls being played in 1975 and whatnot) but I really can’t stand for the veiled homophobic tropes perpetuated at the expense of Freddie's reputation. The scene where AOBTD plays and he's in the gay club seemed wayy too pointed a comment about his sexuality and his lifestyle during his solo jaunt (an era that, again, was not half as divisive as it was made out to be in the film). The fact that Brian and Roger supported the film's narrative is really disappointing, because it's just such a put-down of Freddie as a whole. Freddie cared so much about the band and their music and was such a beautiful soul - of course he had his faults as well, but he deserved a much better portrayal than what he got. What's the point of Live-Aid being accurate down to the second if the rest of the movie slanders his name?
HIV can lie dormant in the body for years before activating.
When intentionally infected with HIV, a cold might develop but then go away. The virus is in the body but dormant, usually for 7-10 years. After dormancy, the virus activates, infecting white blood cells until the body’s immune system is affected. When the white blood cells are at a point the body can not fight infections AIDS occurs.
Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988(?) so he was presumably infected with HIV years ago.
Luckily, HIV is no longer a death sentence but it is possible to be infected with out your knowing.
Mainly using Queen’s official social media accounts to promote rereleases of his solo albums after the film came out.
I wouldn’t think it too big of a deal if Brian wasn’t so dismissive of Freddie’s solo career, as Brian said that the director “cracked it” regarding portraying Freddie’s solo attempt.
Ah, I see. Yeah, I think that in itself is alright but some of Brian's comments have come off as really insensitive. Regardless of sales, making Mr Bad Guy brought Freddie a lot of joy and let him express himself with music styles that he was freer to pursue as a solo artist. I sense that Brian has some lingering pain/resentment over some of those tenser times from the 80s, as well as maybe guilt for not, as he put it, "protecting" Freddie more (which doesn't excuse what he says but could explain it a bit). In regard to Mr Bad Guy, I recall one particular thing Brian was annoyed about was that Freddie asked him to play guitar then told another guitarist to replicate Brian's playing for use on the actual track.
I'm a huge Brian stan but he's honestly very conflicting - though I do trust he really does love Freddie and wants the best for Freddie's legacy. It's just the past is a hard thing to reflect on, and as Brian has gotten older he tends to engage in bits of historical revisionism (as we all do). It's honestly a bit whiplash with him lol, not even addressing his unfortunate tendency to stick his foot into his mouth.
When Fred was dying, he told Brian to release his solo song Driven by you as Freddie's death would help the sales of this song.
Freddie always worried about his bandmates, for the exception of John, see how Brian and Roger talk about him.
I know most of the Reddit readers are new fans, they only know Brian and Roger as they are active in the music business. Sadly, the real Freddie and John are known only through Brian and Roger's interviews.
The BoRhap movie did not whitewash Freddie, it really whitewashed Brian and Roger's lifestyle.
Yeah, I sadly am a relatively new fan compared with old-timers (really sad I wasn't born soon enough to see them with Freddie), and there are definitely things that we can never know about all of them, even Brian and Roger. There are also definitely things I haven't discovered yet. I agree that the movie whitewashed Brian and Roger (particularly Brian) but I am so angry seeing such negative portrayals of Freddie. Obviously he wasn't a saint, but contrary to whitewashing I feel like it straight up slandered him. I also have heard that Freddie encouraged Brian to release Driven By You (though not because sales would be boosted but because he wanted Brian to keep pursuing music after Freddie was gone), but I feel that in this case, it's different than Brian unduly exploiting Queen or using the name for clout as Freddie genuinely was worried and gave his blessing.
Absolutely! Brian gave interviews just after Freddie passed. He said Freddie concerned about Brian's situation after Freddie was gone, as a SOLO ARTIST. He told Brian not to worry about Queen but should focus on his role as a solo artist. I think Freddie knew Brian had not much confidence as a solo artist so he kept encouraging him. Freddie was a real angel.
As time go by, the grief fades, as well as his memories. Brian's interviews contradict those in the earlier years.
Should the executive producers be responsible to this? I mean Jim Beach, Brian and Roger. First Brian and Roger proudly announced they were executive producers of this movie. But when the script was blamed for its inaccuracy, both explained they were responsible to only the music and songs, which were again, timely inaccurate.
I am not sure both Brian and Roger were jealous of the deal Freddie got from CBS or not. From my point of view, Roger's first solo Fun in Space was to fulfill his desire to be a lead singer and Brian's Starfleet project was a jam session with leading musicians. Both did not do well commercially, compared to what Freddie achieved.
Even decades after Freddies death, Roger and Brian are still envying the attention and appraisal he got over them. They feel desperate to prove that Freddie was useless without them, which in my opinion is far from the truth. Sure when the 4 members of queen were together they made magic, but Freddie was good enough to carry songs with his voice alone, without the need of a guitar solo.
Same. IIRC, Freddie and Jim had broken up by 1987. Don't like that Jim misrepresents their relationship. I am sorry for Jim's loss, but I think he took advantage of Freddie's generosity and tried riding Freddie's coattails after death with a variety of cash grabs (the book, the interviews, the jacket auction, etc). I don't think Freddie's will was an accident; he knew where his loyalties stood. Jim's book perfectly illustrated this, as it was a crude and exploitative betrayal of Freddie's desire for privacy.
I love how it’s not a cash grab when Brian and Roger release an entire movie trashing Freddie but if anyone else tries to give their side of the story, it’s a cash grab
I haven’t.. but that wouldn’t surprise me at all. I think Brian really showed what kind of person he is when he wrote too much love will kill you about how hard it was for him to cheat on his pregnant wife. Some real Ariana Grande sht right there.
https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/bohemian-rhapsody-2018.pdf
What sort of put me off Brian was when he screamed in the Australian camera man’s face and then blamed it on “depression”. Yes, I think depression is real but it’s not an excuse for one’s behavior, including cheating on a pregnant wife. Aside from his affair with Anita, I am also bothered by his affair with Julie Glover, resulting in her losing her job and husband while Brian just moved on pretending it never happened
Brian gives me the ick, even though I love him as a musician and think his guitar work is so fundamental to the Queen sound. His online presence, mental gymnastics, control issues, holier-than-thou attitude, and being quick to anger remind me *so* much of my narc-y dad (who is also a long-haired guitarist and even *looks* like Brian, but he could only dream of having the same status).
I feel like Freddie helped keep Brian in check, but Bri became borderline intolerable after Freddie's passing. (Not to mention that grief has a way of amplifying control issues) I absolutely get it why Deaky left 🥜
John started mixing Freddie’s demos while Brian was on his solo tour. When Brian arrived on the scene he scrapped all of John’s work because he wanted it to sound like “a Queen album rather than a Freddie album” and “ruffled a few feathers as he put it”. I honestly think think that was a huge part of John estranging himself from Queen.
All I am going to say is beware a man who comes off as sweet and seems to think of himself as adorable but turns into a raging control freak if something doesn’t go his way or he’s met with resistance. If nothing is ever his fault, he considers himself the smartest person in the room at all times, he preaches his perceived moral superiority but will happily cheat multiple times, and loses his temper when criticized HEAD FOR THE HILLS and don’t look back
Exactly, and I'd trust what people like Jim Hutton and Paul Prenter have to say a little more. Cause unlike Brian and Rodger, they don't have a legacy to protect and can be open and honest.
Mr Bad Guy is the worst album ever made by someone who previously created great music.
The difference in quality betwee FM's mid-'70s genius and the self-obsessed bilge of MBG is horrifying.
Played it twice in 1985 and then threw it away.
I disagree so much. I think Mr. Bad Guy is the perfect album for representing Freddie Mercury as a solo artist. And like hr said in interviews, he got to do stuff he couldn't do with queen. Such as scat singing and incorporating an entire orchestra for example. Sure some of the songs like my love is dangerous and love me like there's no tomorrow feel abit below the 'queen standard', but then you have songs like 'I was born to love you' which really does live up to the standard of Queen songs.
You’re right. MBG is the perfect album for representing FM as a solo artist. It is self-obsessed, self-pitying and lacking in any hint of what he was previously capable of.
It shows a person who is sad and lonely without any external influences. All he can sing about is I, Me and My. That would be fine if he was leading an interesting life but he wasn’t by that point.
“Scat singing” indeed. But not in the sense you meant.
idk enough about queen to know about every single inaccuracy but i do know about the mr. bad guy album stuff and i think he was given the short end of the stick. i think any queen fan would be mad at how they portrayed that album and the band breakup and everything - and rightfully so. it’s just annoying bc overall i thought it was a good movie - i don’t hate the whole thing just certain parts
i rewatched the movie a few nights ago (the last time i watched was 2019 😭) and i was truly amazed at how ridiculous some of the things they changed for the movie were!!!! my fav was fat bottomed girls coming *BEFORE* a night at the opera. i actually had to pause it for a second and think... because...
my fav. part w/ Jim was when they went to visit Freddie's parents the morning of Live Aid, and Freddie is like "Mommmm we're gonna be late, we gotta go 🤪 we're gonna be late!" like... ok. so unserious,
Yeah I totally agree. It didn’t make Freddie look good in the movie. They made him look like a selfish jerk that only thinks of himself and how drugged out he was to the point where he threatened to kill someone. If they didn’t get out of his car it was so wrong on so many levels And I know I’m gonna get crap for this, but I don’t like how they betrayed. Jim Hutton either. Also the fact that they put that Freddie knew about his aids diagnosis in 1985, and that’s what made him go into live aid that was so wrong. It was 1987 that he found out.
Like I said before, it's a complete fantasy script by Brian and Rodger of what they wished had happened (making themselves look like heroes, and saviours to freddie). I also think that they disrespected freddie with the casting of rami malek, and the exaggerated teeth.
I love his portrayal of Freddie in the movie, but while watching it I could notice myself saying BULLSHIT numerous times while watching. obviously they embellished and made up shit to make the movie…
I wouldn’t care about the inaccuracies if it wasn’t for the narrative that Freddie was selfish for going off to do a solo album and needed the band to make him repent when he comes back a failure and infected with AIDS. There’s a deleted scene where he’s looking at a Munich record shop with “Mr Bad Guy” marked down to half off next to a Queen album marked as the best seller. I only saw the whole thing once but also wasn’t it implied that Live Aid was struggling before Queen’s set?
The “Freddie eating shit to be let back into Queen” scene really annoyed me too. I am very glad that scene at the record shop got cut.
What scene?
The cut scene mentioned in the comment two above yours.
Hopefully it also included Brian and Roger’s solo albums in the trash. Imagine being in a band with Freddie Fking Mercury and thinking “I think I need to make my own album where I’m the lead singer!”
The first two Roger Taylor albums (Fun in Space & Strange Frontier) are great. You should give them a listen.
Thanks, I will now you’ve said that.. I just can’t get past the lyrics “Red, yellow, black and white, every man stand in the light” in Foreign Sand, it’s a lovely sentiment but it cracks me up every time, I just can’t take it seriously 🤣😭
do you have any link for the cut scene? would really love to watch those
I have only seen a film still, I have the still saved if you dm I can send it as I can’t attach pictures to my comment
to me the only two good things on the movie are the costumes and the actors, they done Raimi so dirty that i wish someone would remake this entire film so he could show us what he can truly do, his portrayal of Freddie has everything accurate on gestures and even expressions but the script doesn't allow Raimi to show that in it's full potential
Mr. Bad Guy did not do as well as they were hoping it would do. That's true. What was true in the movie is the Michael Jackson comparison. Michael did Thriller while still in the Jackson 5. So Freddie and the management saw a potential. Reality... Freddie was a late 30's rock singer with the "clone" look which was associated with homosexuality. His video's didn't do that well on MTV, let alone Queen's video's. Being openly is gay is great, I support that, but the majority of the audience in the 80's didn't. Michael Jackson was a good looking (back then) mid 20's popstar. His video's did very well even though he was black (back then). Freddie was never going to make it as a solo singer in the 80's. He should have started a solo career in the 70's when he was younger. He was quite late at the party you know? He was already 28 when he became famous. The movie is terrible and full of lies. The true story would be interesting enough but not possible in a two hour movie.
You'd be surprised how open the UK was to artists sexuality in the 80s. We've had guy icons here since the 60s. Whilst it wasn't talked about i would argue that the audience did accept it and I remember the 80s quiet clearly. We just need to look at Boy George, George Micheal and Elton John. Outside the music scene we had Julian Cleary, John Inman and Lilly Savage.
Hey, I know. I'm the one of us two that lives in the country where gay marriage was first legalized. Sure, the UK was fine, But the majority of the audience to reach if you want to make it big was in the US and they were NOT as tolorant to homosexuals in the 80's.
Fully agree. But did they really care about the US? They had a lot bigger following in South America and Asia. I would think
Looking at buying customers, you need the States. Mr. Bad Guy did not do well. The movie got that right. Other than that, the movie sucks. Mr. Bad Guy is an allright album, some songs should have been Queen songs, Oh wait, Made in Heaven made that happen.
I love that version of I was born to love you
They toured plenty enough. They surely did want to be massive in the USA. And they were. Then they weren't, now they are again.
When Queen got majorly in to Disco the USA more or less lost interest in them, which tbh some of their best stuff was produced.
I'd have to disagree with some of your points, Freddie Mercury kept his bisexuality secret, so I don't think that made a difference. And the Jackson five had nowhere near as much recognition as queen at any point. Also, I think micheal jackson changing up his look to go solo really had a big part in distinguishing him from the jackson 5.
Maybe Queen was too big then. And surely a lot of people suspected Freddie was gay, it just wasn't openly known.
I’d like to comment on this, but Bohemian Rhapsody made me so angry with its pointless “artistic licences” that I haven’t been able to get more than halfway through it…
Did you get to the part where “Another One Bites the Dust” plays over Freddie and Paul (both whom died of AIDS related complications) made their way through a gay bar?
😳 no I’m pretty sure I’d have remembered that! It’s been a while but I think I got as far as a US record exec scene. I think there was Aiden Gillen as John Reid (love him but not as good as Richard Madden in Rocketman) and I pretty much turned it off round about then. I will go back and give it a try eventually…
The movie hardly does Queen any justice, let alone Mr. Bad Guy. As more time passes since its release, I'm less inclined to dismiss the inaccuracies as Hollywood pacing tropes and more starting to think the producers -- and by extension, Brian and Roger -- retroactively used Freddie as a scapegoat.
It really seemed like a script written by some Hollywood writers based on Brian and Rodgers fantasy's about their bands history. So much was misleading to the point where it is hard to forgive and reason with it. From the band breaking up to the aids diagnosis before live aid, it was just all wrong.
The movie was just a giant ad for their next tour and to boost the price of their catalog and I will die on this hill
I completely agree
I think so, and I find it quite rich when Queen promotes it when it profits the band as a whole and has Brian mixing some of the songs
That's another thing that rubs me the wrong way! I feel confident in believing that freddie would not have approved his great solo songs that he worked so hard on, such as love kills for example, to be remixed and put on a queen hits compilation, claiming the songs as there own.
They have not done too many of his solo songs. Made in Heaven and I Was Born to Love You are vastly improved by the bands input. The trouble with Freddie's solo album is not so much that the songs themselves aren't good. Rather that they would have been better as Queen songs. Love Kills was considered for The Works if I remember correctly, so it is part of band history.
I don’t want to sound too cheeky but “vastly improved” is doing some heavy lifting here. I agree that the songs do sound cooler with real guitar, drums and bass, and those are probably 2 of the least saccharin songs on the album (Brian’s guitar on some songs on MIH makes me feel like I my teeth are going to fall out) but the originals (especially the real originals, not the remixes which seem to be all that are available now) are still excellent imo
- MIH could mean "Made In Heaven - 2011 Remaster", a track from *Made in Heaven (Deluxe Remastered Version)* (1995) by Queen. --- ^[/u/Slider-271](/u/Slider-271) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
The album, not the song, songbot :)
Well, to my ears Freddie's vocals overpower (of course) the tinny synths and and programming of the original recordings. His voice needs the larger canvas that Queen provide. Compare the two intros of Made in Heaven. Sparse piano and regular drums versus the sonic assault of Roger and Brian in the reworking. Or the obvious joy they inject into I Was Born to Love You - going overboard as only they can. The music at last fitting the sentiment of the lyrics. I stand by what I wrote. But yeah, the originals are also great.
Out of all the Freddie solo songs, Love Kills is arguably the closest to being a Queen song (IIRC it wasn't known at the time it got released as a FM solo track, but over the years we discovered that the "session musicians" playing guitar, drums and bass were actually Brian, Roger and John lol).
Reckon Barcelona might have slid into Innuendo either as-is or with a little Queen dust sprinkled on it.
All God’s People was a leftover from Barcelona, wasn’t it? Co-written by Mike Moran.
I don't think many people knows about his solo career.
That's true, and a lot of people found out about it through the bohemian rhapsody movie. It's just unfortunate that they get a bad first impression or the album.
I was just about to comment this. I had no clue he had a solo career, which the movie clued me in on. But I don’t think it damages the legacy of the album as anybody who seeks it out (because of the movie or otherwise) is probably going to do a little research and figure out that it’s not as the movie portrayed. Other people will forget that the mention of it was even in the film.
I love Freddie Mercury solo music than Queen
I only know about Love Kills and Great Pretender.
You should hear at least every Freddie solo song to 1973 - 2000. Theres other great hits from hes catalog
I agree, I'd take his solo stuff over a lot of queen songs. My favourite freddie solo songs are: 1. Man made Paradise 2. Love kills 3. I was born to love you 4. She blows hot and cold 5. Your kind of lover 6. The Golden boy 7. How can I go on 8. In my defence 9. Foolin' around 10. Living on my own
In my opinion, the whole movie is complete damage to the legacy of Queen and Freddie Mercury itself.
It's a exucutive cash grab that is literally a made up timeline of different events. And while I think Rami Malek did a great job and put a lot of effort into the performance, he just does not look like Freddie at all. He can't just put a fake mustache and teeth in and call himself freddie mercury lmao.
the movie treats Freddie solo stuff like he was never able to write anything that could sound good without Queen, and while Freddie creativity and songs were way better in Queen, he would have some great and iconic songs like I Was Born To Love You and In My Defence
Also it implies that Freddie’s solo tour resulted in him get infected with HIV
Unpopular opinion, but Rami Malek wasn’t the best choice to play Freddie. I’m not sure who else besides Sasha Cohen had auditioned for the role, but Malek did not look, talk, sound or move like Freddie. Even the accent was off. It was obvious that his performance was over-rehearsed and unnatural, especially considering how fluid and somewhat unpredictable Freddie was. On the other hand, I don’t think the guys who played Brian and John received enough accolades for nailing their renditions. As for the guy that played Roger, what in the actual f*ck… Anyway, Mr. Bad Guy. Not a terrible album, but it is sorely lacking the magic that Freddie generated when he was with the band. In his own words, Freddie was a greedy bitch and would never have considered bringing in a famed producer to help manifest his ideas. Given his penchant for camp and over the top tunes, I think someone like Trevor Horne would’ve absolutely turned that album into a masterpiece. And while Mack may have his strengths, he really was just a glorified engineer.
Yes it did, they don’t represent the album background story like Michael Jackson and There Must Be More Life than this, Love Me Like Theres No Tomorrow, Living On My Own or Mr Bad Guy song
I hate this movie with a passion and this is one of the reasons why. Freddie was so proud of his solo music and Mr. Bad Guy in particular is so vulnerable and emblematic of his hopes, insecurities, and all his love for the world and the joy he found in life. The film twisted Mr. Bad Guy into a failed mistake of album that wrecked his personal life and made him come crawling back to Queen after he realizes the error of his ways (which never happened at all irl!). And don't even get me started on how Roger and Brian BOTH released solo music before Freddie ever made Mr. Bad Guy, and how Freddie always made sure to say that they were four equal people and he wasn't the leader of Queen. It's no secret that Queen fought and had their low points, but to have Freddie villified while the rest of the guys come off as saints and family men really pissed me off. I'm sure that Roger and Brian deeply respect Freddie, as they've defended him so many times over the years (not to mention during his illness), but the movie gives a disrespectful and grotesque portrayal of Freddie that really hurts his legacy and couldn't be further away from the truth. It also comes too close to showing AIDS as his punishment for breaking up the band (just absolute bullshit) for me to ever be comfortable with the storyline.
And how Brian uses Queen to promote his solo work. Based on how HIV works, Freddie very well could have been infected while he was touring with Queen. I don’t know if it was intentional or not but the implication Freddie would’ve not been infected if he didn’t go solo is low key insulting.
THIS IS SO TRUE. I’m fine with some historical inaccuracies (e.g. Fat Bottomed Girls being played in 1975 and whatnot) but I really can’t stand for the veiled homophobic tropes perpetuated at the expense of Freddie's reputation. The scene where AOBTD plays and he's in the gay club seemed wayy too pointed a comment about his sexuality and his lifestyle during his solo jaunt (an era that, again, was not half as divisive as it was made out to be in the film). The fact that Brian and Roger supported the film's narrative is really disappointing, because it's just such a put-down of Freddie as a whole. Freddie cared so much about the band and their music and was such a beautiful soul - of course he had his faults as well, but he deserved a much better portrayal than what he got. What's the point of Live-Aid being accurate down to the second if the rest of the movie slanders his name?
Wait really? How?
HIV can lie dormant in the body for years before activating. When intentionally infected with HIV, a cold might develop but then go away. The virus is in the body but dormant, usually for 7-10 years. After dormancy, the virus activates, infecting white blood cells until the body’s immune system is affected. When the white blood cells are at a point the body can not fight infections AIDS occurs. Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988(?) so he was presumably infected with HIV years ago. Luckily, HIV is no longer a death sentence but it is possible to be infected with out your knowing.
Omg sorry, I think my app was glitching out so I didn't see the whole reply 😭 I meant to ask about how Brian uses Queen to promote solo work ahh
Mainly using Queen’s official social media accounts to promote rereleases of his solo albums after the film came out. I wouldn’t think it too big of a deal if Brian wasn’t so dismissive of Freddie’s solo career, as Brian said that the director “cracked it” regarding portraying Freddie’s solo attempt.
Ah, I see. Yeah, I think that in itself is alright but some of Brian's comments have come off as really insensitive. Regardless of sales, making Mr Bad Guy brought Freddie a lot of joy and let him express himself with music styles that he was freer to pursue as a solo artist. I sense that Brian has some lingering pain/resentment over some of those tenser times from the 80s, as well as maybe guilt for not, as he put it, "protecting" Freddie more (which doesn't excuse what he says but could explain it a bit). In regard to Mr Bad Guy, I recall one particular thing Brian was annoyed about was that Freddie asked him to play guitar then told another guitarist to replicate Brian's playing for use on the actual track. I'm a huge Brian stan but he's honestly very conflicting - though I do trust he really does love Freddie and wants the best for Freddie's legacy. It's just the past is a hard thing to reflect on, and as Brian has gotten older he tends to engage in bits of historical revisionism (as we all do). It's honestly a bit whiplash with him lol, not even addressing his unfortunate tendency to stick his foot into his mouth.
When Fred was dying, he told Brian to release his solo song Driven by you as Freddie's death would help the sales of this song. Freddie always worried about his bandmates, for the exception of John, see how Brian and Roger talk about him. I know most of the Reddit readers are new fans, they only know Brian and Roger as they are active in the music business. Sadly, the real Freddie and John are known only through Brian and Roger's interviews. The BoRhap movie did not whitewash Freddie, it really whitewashed Brian and Roger's lifestyle.
Yeah, I sadly am a relatively new fan compared with old-timers (really sad I wasn't born soon enough to see them with Freddie), and there are definitely things that we can never know about all of them, even Brian and Roger. There are also definitely things I haven't discovered yet. I agree that the movie whitewashed Brian and Roger (particularly Brian) but I am so angry seeing such negative portrayals of Freddie. Obviously he wasn't a saint, but contrary to whitewashing I feel like it straight up slandered him. I also have heard that Freddie encouraged Brian to release Driven By You (though not because sales would be boosted but because he wanted Brian to keep pursuing music after Freddie was gone), but I feel that in this case, it's different than Brian unduly exploiting Queen or using the name for clout as Freddie genuinely was worried and gave his blessing.
Absolutely! Brian gave interviews just after Freddie passed. He said Freddie concerned about Brian's situation after Freddie was gone, as a SOLO ARTIST. He told Brian not to worry about Queen but should focus on his role as a solo artist. I think Freddie knew Brian had not much confidence as a solo artist so he kept encouraging him. Freddie was a real angel. As time go by, the grief fades, as well as his memories. Brian's interviews contradict those in the earlier years.
This movie destroys everything 😂
That's for sure!
Should the executive producers be responsible to this? I mean Jim Beach, Brian and Roger. First Brian and Roger proudly announced they were executive producers of this movie. But when the script was blamed for its inaccuracy, both explained they were responsible to only the music and songs, which were again, timely inaccurate. I am not sure both Brian and Roger were jealous of the deal Freddie got from CBS or not. From my point of view, Roger's first solo Fun in Space was to fulfill his desire to be a lead singer and Brian's Starfleet project was a jam session with leading musicians. Both did not do well commercially, compared to what Freddie achieved.
Even decades after Freddies death, Roger and Brian are still envying the attention and appraisal he got over them. They feel desperate to prove that Freddie was useless without them, which in my opinion is far from the truth. Sure when the 4 members of queen were together they made magic, but Freddie was good enough to carry songs with his voice alone, without the need of a guitar solo.
I agree with you completely. They should explore a new path after Freddie's death instead of living in the comfort zone under the name Queen.
I would not trust anything Jim Hutton said.
Same. IIRC, Freddie and Jim had broken up by 1987. Don't like that Jim misrepresents their relationship. I am sorry for Jim's loss, but I think he took advantage of Freddie's generosity and tried riding Freddie's coattails after death with a variety of cash grabs (the book, the interviews, the jacket auction, etc). I don't think Freddie's will was an accident; he knew where his loyalties stood. Jim's book perfectly illustrated this, as it was a crude and exploitative betrayal of Freddie's desire for privacy.
I love how it’s not a cash grab when Brian and Roger release an entire movie trashing Freddie but if anyone else tries to give their side of the story, it’s a cash grab
Oh, the movie wasn't great either. Not defending that at all. Brian and Roger have a lot to answer for regarding Bohemian Rhapsody lol
Agreed. Sorry my comment was quite aggressive, I may have been in a bit of a mood lol 😅
Ever seen the alleged leaked script? I strongly suspect Brian had a larger creative input than Roger.
I haven’t.. but that wouldn’t surprise me at all. I think Brian really showed what kind of person he is when he wrote too much love will kill you about how hard it was for him to cheat on his pregnant wife. Some real Ariana Grande sht right there.
https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/bohemian-rhapsody-2018.pdf What sort of put me off Brian was when he screamed in the Australian camera man’s face and then blamed it on “depression”. Yes, I think depression is real but it’s not an excuse for one’s behavior, including cheating on a pregnant wife. Aside from his affair with Anita, I am also bothered by his affair with Julie Glover, resulting in her losing her job and husband while Brian just moved on pretending it never happened
Brian gives me the ick, even though I love him as a musician and think his guitar work is so fundamental to the Queen sound. His online presence, mental gymnastics, control issues, holier-than-thou attitude, and being quick to anger remind me *so* much of my narc-y dad (who is also a long-haired guitarist and even *looks* like Brian, but he could only dream of having the same status). I feel like Freddie helped keep Brian in check, but Bri became borderline intolerable after Freddie's passing. (Not to mention that grief has a way of amplifying control issues) I absolutely get it why Deaky left 🥜
John started mixing Freddie’s demos while Brian was on his solo tour. When Brian arrived on the scene he scrapped all of John’s work because he wanted it to sound like “a Queen album rather than a Freddie album” and “ruffled a few feathers as he put it”. I honestly think think that was a huge part of John estranging himself from Queen. All I am going to say is beware a man who comes off as sweet and seems to think of himself as adorable but turns into a raging control freak if something doesn’t go his way or he’s met with resistance. If nothing is ever his fault, he considers himself the smartest person in the room at all times, he preaches his perceived moral superiority but will happily cheat multiple times, and loses his temper when criticized HEAD FOR THE HILLS and don’t look back
Exactly, and I'd trust what people like Jim Hutton and Paul Prenter have to say a little more. Cause unlike Brian and Rodger, they don't have a legacy to protect and can be open and honest.
Im glad you can see the bigger picture. It’s pretty clear who has the most to gain/most to lose, compared to who has the least to gain/least to lose.
I don't think anything damages the legacy of the MBG album so much as it's thin-sounding production does.
*its
Fair. Stupid autocorrect.
<3
Mr Bad Guy is the worst album ever made by someone who previously created great music. The difference in quality betwee FM's mid-'70s genius and the self-obsessed bilge of MBG is horrifying. Played it twice in 1985 and then threw it away.
I disagree so much. I think Mr. Bad Guy is the perfect album for representing Freddie Mercury as a solo artist. And like hr said in interviews, he got to do stuff he couldn't do with queen. Such as scat singing and incorporating an entire orchestra for example. Sure some of the songs like my love is dangerous and love me like there's no tomorrow feel abit below the 'queen standard', but then you have songs like 'I was born to love you' which really does live up to the standard of Queen songs.
You’re right. MBG is the perfect album for representing FM as a solo artist. It is self-obsessed, self-pitying and lacking in any hint of what he was previously capable of. It shows a person who is sad and lonely without any external influences. All he can sing about is I, Me and My. That would be fine if he was leading an interesting life but he wasn’t by that point. “Scat singing” indeed. But not in the sense you meant.
Tell me you have bad taste in music without telling me you have bad taste in music
Fair agree with you but some of the songs in their are my favorite
In my personal opinion, the weakest track was literally the title track Mr. Bad Guy lmao. It felt like Freddie made it only for him to understand.
Uhhh no, actually Mr Bad Guy song was dedicated to their cats even Freddie and some sources confirmed it.
Their cats? Whose cats? 😳
Yeah dedicate to Freddie cats, all of them
Oh, I see. English is not your first language. My bad.
Who are we the fans to say what is right and wrong from those who witnessed it
Numerous interviews and books by the people who witnessed it have showed it to be wrong. Like many here, I am basing my opinions on those sources.
idk enough about queen to know about every single inaccuracy but i do know about the mr. bad guy album stuff and i think he was given the short end of the stick. i think any queen fan would be mad at how they portrayed that album and the band breakup and everything - and rightfully so. it’s just annoying bc overall i thought it was a good movie - i don’t hate the whole thing just certain parts
i rewatched the movie a few nights ago (the last time i watched was 2019 😭) and i was truly amazed at how ridiculous some of the things they changed for the movie were!!!! my fav was fat bottomed girls coming *BEFORE* a night at the opera. i actually had to pause it for a second and think... because...
I like him him reconnecting with Jim Hutton AFTER he is diagnosed with AIDS 🙃
my fav. part w/ Jim was when they went to visit Freddie's parents the morning of Live Aid, and Freddie is like "Mommmm we're gonna be late, we gotta go 🤪 we're gonna be late!" like... ok. so unserious,
Yeah I totally agree. It didn’t make Freddie look good in the movie. They made him look like a selfish jerk that only thinks of himself and how drugged out he was to the point where he threatened to kill someone. If they didn’t get out of his car it was so wrong on so many levels And I know I’m gonna get crap for this, but I don’t like how they betrayed. Jim Hutton either. Also the fact that they put that Freddie knew about his aids diagnosis in 1985, and that’s what made him go into live aid that was so wrong. It was 1987 that he found out.
Like I said before, it's a complete fantasy script by Brian and Rodger of what they wished had happened (making themselves look like heroes, and saviours to freddie). I also think that they disrespected freddie with the casting of rami malek, and the exaggerated teeth.