Top Ten Queen Songs

Queen were one of those bands that I was a fan of when I was a spotty teenager and they remained so until the untimely death of their enigmatic frontman Freddy Mercury. I loved them before they became a global phenomenon. 

I would estimate that I first heard music by them way back in 1974, when their second album, the blandly named “Queen II”, was released. It was a big hit amongst my friends at school and I didn’t really take notice of them until I heard a song called “Killer Queen” from their third album, with a much more interesting name – “Sheer Heart Attack”.

From that point I was hooked. At that point they were more of a rock band and it was only after this release that their style evolved into something more, crossing several musical boundaries, ranging from pure pop to progressive rock, from art rock to electronic disco with added symphonic rock and even operatic and orchestral tendencies in places. 

Their style was kind of unique in that anything was on the table. And being a fan of progressive music, that really resonated with me. 

My love of Queen peaked when I was lucky enough to see them perform live at Knebworth in 1986, which was the year after their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985 and, sadly, was the very last live performance of their wonderful front man, Freddy Mercury. I was honoured to be there.

Freddy was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, and kept it quiet for four years before revealing his diagnosis publicly. Tragically, he died shortly afterwards and that was then end of Queen for me. 

The band still exists in a sense because Brian May and Roger Taylor still perform as Queen but with a guest vocalist. That, to me at least, isn’t Queen and the bass player John Deacon also agrees because he retired when Freddy died. People still go to their shows but not me. It’s not the same without Freddy. 

I enjoyed the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” and can tolerate the inaccuracies that I know weren’t true, for example, Freddy being diagnosed with AIDS before Live Aid. I think Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddy was incredible and he deserved his Oscar and all of the other accolades he received. 

Such is their appeal that even Mrs PM loves them and she is not traditionally a lover of rock music. We have several of their songs on our joint playlist. 

I have decided to present to you, dear reader, my favourite ten Queen songs. Again, with such a vast catalogue, many Queen fans may disagree with my choice. To be honest, that doesn’t bother me. Such is their range that I would imagine every Queen fan will select a different top ten.

And it’s really difficult. Ask me another time and I will pick a different ten.

Here’s mine:

(10)  Somebody To Love (from A Day At The Races - 1976)

The vocals on this song are exquisite and not just the harmonies. Freddie’s voice is superb throughout. I was even impressed with the version that George Michael performed at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert – although it is quite clear, comparing the two, that Freddie was a much better vocalist.

(9) Was It All Worth It? (from The Miracle - 1989)

I remember sitting in a pizza restaurant in Birmingham when for some reason this song came on as background music. I instantly recognised Freddie Mercury’s dulcet tones and assumed that it was their new single. I hadn’t heard it before and the following week I realised that they had a new album, which I promptly bought on the strength of this song alone. 

The video shows a pocket history of the bad up to the album “The Miracle”.

(8) Radio Ga Ga (from The Works – 1984)

This is a special song because it reminds me of my third and final year at university. It is also a return to form for Queen after the disappointing "Hot Space" album. I remember when they performed this at Knebworth in 1986, Freddy Mercury had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand and we all sang the chorus with him and I had a huge smile on my face. 

(7) Play The Game (from The Game – 1980)

This may surprise people but I love the melody of this song and once more Freddy’s voice is excellent. I particularly like when it veers off-piste at about the 2 minute mark. 

(6) Princes of the Universe (from A Kind of Magic - 1986)

Air guitar time. The first Highlander film was fantastic – the rest were garbage. "Princes of the Universe" is an ideal accompaniment to the first movie. It is a great rock song with brilliant guitar and pounding drums. This is a great Queen song.

(5) Gimme The Prize  (from A Kind of Magic - 1986)

Keep out your air guitar and crank up the heaviness "Gimme the Prize" is also used in the soundtrack to Highlander and shows Queen at their heaviest, which is understandable since it is the bad guy's theme. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

(4) Now I’m Here (from Sheer Heart Attack – 1974)

I love this song and it gives a taste of what’s to come in terms of the band harmonising and playing with vocals in a similar way to Bohemian Rhapsody. You can see how the band was evolving. 

(3)  Brighton Rock (from Sheer Heart Attack – 1974)

"Brighton Rock" wasn’t a single and comes from Queen’s third album "Sheer Heart Attack". While you may not regard this as chart material, it appeals to me, firstly because it is a great slice of classic rock and secondly because it shows just what an incredible guitarist Brian May is. It’s edgy, raw and brilliant. Keep your air guitar out again, dear reader – you’re gonna need it. 

If you like the song, check out the live version – it’s even better.

(2) Bohemian Rhapsody (from A Night at the Opera - 1975)

It took a while for me to like this song and I think most of the world thought the same. It was a bizarre choice for a single and a risk because nobody had done anything like it before. After hearing it a few times, I began to appreciate what a masterpiece it really is. It was probably the first progressive rock song I heard – a mini opera complete with wonderful harmonies. 

You can’t deny it is a classic and has been used to great effect in the movie "Wayne’s World": 

And also the version by the Muppets – this is funny:

(1)  The Prophet’s Song   (from A Night at the Opera - 1975)

If you like "Bohemian Rhapsody", you will absolutely love this less commercial offering from the same album. "The Prophet’s Song" is a progressive masterpiece, coming in at a cool eight minutes with incredible vocal harmonies. Sit back and enjoy the perfect Queen song.

That’s it, dear reader. 

Feel free to let me know your favourite song by Queen. 

Finally, if you like the heavier side of Queen, have a listen to this metal masterpiece from Brian May with the magnificent and legendary drummer Cozy Powell pounding hell out of the drums. It's called "Resurrection".

 

Peculiarly Platinum

 

The UK is a peculiar place at the best of times but this weekend it is crazier than ever. 

In the past we have stupidly voted ourselves out of the EU and also elected a clown/scarecrow hybrid as our Prime Minister but at the moment, we are spending a hell of a lot of money to celebrate the fact that a 96 year old woman has reigned over us for 70 years. 

We have been given two extra days off to go mad – and some people have been doing just that.

Yes, it’s that time again in the UK where we can forget the fallout from the pandemic, the cost of living crisis that is making a lot of people struggle and insteead we can spend tons of money on a four day party to celebrate the 70th anniversary of a woman called Elizabeth Windsor ascending to the throne. 

Some people in the UK go absolutely bananas about royal festivals such as this and we’ve had our fair share of them over the past few years, with her golden and diamond jubilees and a couple of royal weddings thrown in for good measure.

Watching television at this time is absolutely dreadful. We become so jingoistic that I struggle to believe it. Every street has a Union Jack flapping in the wind and some pubs are covered in bunting to remind us all that we are British and eccentric.

So far I have largely managed to avoid the excessive coverage of the events, some of which Elizabeth cannot attend because, at the age of 96, she is feeling her age. She was out and about on Thursday for the ceremonial nonsense that she has to endure but she felt “uncomfortable” so she is missing the remaining events and her eldest son, the next king, will be attending as her representative. His name is Charles Windsor and he is an odd fellow but people seem to like him.

Now you are probably reading this and thinking that I don’t like the royal family. You would be wrong; I simply don’t care about them and if it were up to me I would just pay them off and let them live in peace and quiet somewhere, allowing them to escape the constant attention of the press under the proviso that I never have to hear about any of them ever again.

I know people who love them (they are called “royalists”) and these people become over-excited whenever a royal event like this happens. These are the people who dress up in Union Jack clothes, gush about the family saying things like “Oh aren’t they just WONDERFUL”. 

Such people queue up for days on the Mall in London just to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth and her family. If you ever see one of them being interviewed on TV, it is quite funny – and sad – to see them fawning in a sycophantic way that makes me want to throw up in a bucket. These people line up for days outside hospital waiting for a royal birth and then gush about the event as if the child were related to them.

Elizabeth is arguably the most famous person in the world and probably one of the richest. My feelings for her are the same feelings I have for any other 96 year old woman. She has done really well to still be compos mentis and mobile at her advanced age, and she has been on the throne for so long that I have never known another monarch. I guess that will change soon and we will see another bout of madness as royalists mourn her loss. 

I don’t wish her ill but I have to say I just don’t get it. I don’t understand why people seem to worship Elizabeth and her family. Some fellow Brits reading this might agree with me but I reckon that royalists will pour scorn on my words, even though I have not actually said anything bad. Why I should feel subservient to a woman who is where she is because of what she born is beyond me. I have no desire to ever meet her or any of here family and if I did I wouldn’t bow or prostrate myself in front of her. I would not call her “Your Majesty” or “Ma’am” and I may even ask her if she minded being called Liz or Betty.

The good thing about this mad weekend is that British people love a party and we have taken advantage of the time off work to meet family and friends and raise a glass to ourselves, rather than the monarch. Also, our lying clown/scarecrow hybrid of a Prime Minister was roundly booed when he arrived at a service yesterday – which shows me that the moron is as unpopular as ever, especially having lied to the British public so consistently over his period in office.

Anyway – there are still two days left of this craziness and it will hopefully be back to normality on Monday morning and we won’t have to listen to lots of old twaddle from royalists – well maybe we’ll still have to endure some of it I guess – it never really goes away. 

Anyway – for those of you who haven’t seen anything, here is a taste of the madness that has engulfed my country over the past day or two.

Great Gigs

Mrs PM paid £120 to see Madonna at the Manchester Evening News Arena last week. Last night I paid £30 to see Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction at the same venue.

Why the difference in price?

Well you could argue that Madonna is, arguably, the greatest pop star in the world and has been for decades, especially after the recent death of Michael Jackson (did you know he’d died by the way? I think I saw something on the news).

I used to have a major crush on Madonna, though her music certainly didn’t float my boat. Mrs PM asked me if I wanted to see her and I would have gone had the ticket price been around £40, just to say that I had seen her. The £120 price tag put paid to that.

Mrs PM enjoyed the show but, because Madge danced around a lot, her voice suffered apparently. I don’t think Mrs PM would see her again, certainly not at that price.

As we talked about the show, I began thinking about all of the concerts I have been to over the years. I have lost count to be honest and I wonder exactly how much I have spent. I’ve decided to share some of the best with you. I have seen some amazing acts, not necessarily because of the music but the experience as well. Below are some of the greatest gigs and live performances I have seen (in no particular order):

Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band – Bramhall Lane Sheffield (Sheffield United FC), 1988

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of “The Boss”, I thought that seeing him perform would be quite a good experience. I knew quite a lot of his songs, as I had a mate back in Walsall who was a huge fan. The album “Tunnel Of Love” had just been released and Bruce Springsteen was riding on a wave of popularity following “Born In The USA”. To be honest, I was just curious and my expectations were fairly low.

How wrong I was. Bruce Springsteen was magnificent. The first three songs he sang blew me away, the best being “She’s The One”, one of my favourite songs by the man. He was on stage for well over three hours (in two separate stints) and when the concert ended I wanted to stay for more.

Highlight: “She’s The One”

Alice Cooper – Manchester Apollo, 2000

I went to see Alice Cooper for the show rather than the music. I was only familiar with “Poison” and “School’s Out” and I had heard the title track of his current album “Brutal Planet”, which was enough to justify seeing him. The Apollo is a snug place and we had great seats at the front in the stalls with a perfect view of the stage.

And what a show it was. Alice Cooper is brutal and his show tells a story. By his own admission, the stage persona is a horrible person, who commits atrocities as he sings. Ultimately, he ends up in a strait jacket half way through the show and is punished by being brutally slain (in this case he was beheaded), before returning to life with “Feed My Frankenstein”. The great thing about this show was that I was introduced to classic Alice Cooper songs such as “Elected”, a song I had never heard before, but absolutely love.

Highlight: “Elected”

Def Leppard – Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, 1992

Def Leppard were the biggest rock band on the planet when I saw them in 1992. Unlike normal gigs, Def Leppard built the stage in the middle of the arena with the crowd all the way around, so absolutely everybody got a fantastic view of the band as they belted out all of their very best songs, up to and including the “Adrenalize” album.

During “Rocket”, the drum kit rose really high into the air, making me feel a little worried for Rick Allen. The encore was fantastic; Jo Elliott running around the immense stage whipping up the crowd to sing along to the extraordinary “Rock Of Ages”. This was Def Leppard at their absolute peak.

Highlight: “Rock Of Ages”

Queen – Knebworth, 1986

This is still, to date, the biggest gig I have ever been to. Supporting Queen were Big Country and Status Quo and they warmed the place up nicely. However, when Queen took the stage, it was as if we had been transported to a different place ruled by Freddie Mercury.

He was outrageous and absolutely mesmerising. The rest of the band played their part of course but Freddie was the leader; every one of us was in thrall and I have never seen such a great front man. We were quite a distance from the stage and had to rely on screens to see the band properly, which was a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed to concert nonetheless. I’m glad I can say that I saw Freddie Mercury before his sad death a few years later.

Highlight: “Radio Ga Ga” – 120,000 people clapping their hands in unison.

Foo Fighters – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2007

David Grohl is a legend and I leapt at the chance to see the Foo Fighters even though the ticket price exceeded my upper limit.

Our seats were quite far from the stage but that didn’t matter too much as they did an acoustic set almost directly in front of at the half way point. I’m sure he looked at us when he said “I haven’t played a song for you guys yet” before playing “But Honestly”.

I’ve seen the Foos three times in total, the other two times were in sports grounds in front of huge crowds. However, paradoxically, the Manchester Evening News Arena, a huge venue in its won right, the show seemed much more intimate, and therefore the best of them.

Highlight: “But Honestly”

Aerosmith – Monsters Of Rock, Castle Donnington, 1990

The Monsters Of Rock festival in 1990 was headlined by one of my favourite bands, Whitesnake, with Aerosmith in support. I had discovered Aerosmith in the late eighties with the release of “Permanent Vacation” and had become a big fan. That year, I drove my ex-wife up the wall with “Love In An Elevator” – she hated it.

After Thunder, the Quireboys and Poison, we decided to get a little closer to the stage, just as Aerosmith appeared. They blitzed through their set so magnificently that I barely had time to catch my breath. They pumped out song after song with consummate ease; Steve Tyler had the audience in the palm of his hand.

Whitesnake were, to be honest, a disappointment after Aerosmith. The difference was that Whitesnake seemed to be a bunch of egotistical individuals but Aerosmith were a team. It was a real shame that Aerosmith weren’t the headline act.

Highlight: “Rag Doll”

Metallica – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2009

I was never into Metallica in the 80’s but in recent years the band has grown on me immensely. Last year, I bought “Death Magnetic” and I have to admit it is one of the best albums I own. With a little bit of apprehension, I allowed a mate to persuade me to see the band. I feared that they would be a little too thrashy for me. I was so wrong.

Like Def Leppard, the stage was in the centre of the arena so we had a fantastic view of the band. The laser show that kicked off the gig (to “That Was Just Your Life”) was breath-taking (see the picture above). The music was polished, professional and perfect, something I didn’t expect at all.

I will have no hesitation seeing them again on their next tour.

Highlight: “The Day That Never Comes”

Whitesnake – Liverpool Royal Court, 1984

I am a huge fan of early Whitesnake, particularly the early 80’s material. In 1984, a couple of years before Whitesnake became absolutely huge. I saw the band at the Royal Court in Liverpool, a relatively intimate venue for a band like this. The line up was the classic one, featuring Jon Lord (from Deep Purple), Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden. However, what made this special was the presence of Cozy Powell on the drums.

This was the first time I saw the band and it was the best by far. David Coverdale was immense on stage and his voice was perfect. Halfway through the gig, Cozy Powell was allowed ten minutes or so to turn the stage into a crazy zone. He performed an outstanding drum solo to my favourite piece of classical music, “Mars, The Bringer Of War” from The Planet Suite by Gustav Holst, complete with an amazing light show.

This really was Whitesnake at their very best.

Highlight: Cozy Powell’s drum solo

Rammstein – Manchester Evening News Arena, 2005

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen this crazy bunch of Germans live. Complete with flame throwers and a cooking pot (don’t ask) they produced one of the most mesmerising, strange yet enjoyable shows I have ever seen.

The music was superb and the heavy industrial rock music whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy. Almost everybody in the English speaking audience was singing along with the German lyrics, including myself.

If you like pyrotechnics, flames and fun you will not be disappointed seeing this controversial band.

Highlight: “Feuer Frei” complete with flame throwers.

Rush – Manchester evening News Arena, 2004

Rush can do no wrong in my eyes; they are quite simply the greatest band on the planet. I have seen them four times (not nearly enough) but the best one was their 30th Anniversary Tour where they played most if not all of their greatest songs from their hugely successful career.

With eighteen albums behind them, they had a colossal number of songs to choose from, and I believe they got their set absolutely spot on. There were so many songs that they were on stage for well over three hours, including a short break.

The concert was clinical, spectacular and perfect. Long may they reign and, please guys, come back to Manchester again.

Highlight: “La Villa Strangiato”

Sometimes I think I’m getting a little too old for concerts, particularly since my music of choice is generally loud and heavy. Yet when I think back on the concerts above and the great music that these and other bands are producing, I reconsider and say, so what? You are as old as you feel, and these guys make me feel young.

I'm In Love With My Car

Why do many men fall in love with their cars?

And if you don’t think that they do, think again. A large number of men are obsessed with their cars and treat them better than they treat their women.

I hasten to add that I am not in this category. I drive, what my mates describe, as a shed on wheels. It is a thirteen year old banger, although the manufacturers prefer to call it a “Ford Escort”. Boy racers and car-obsessed guys pour scorn on my old car, and openly mock me for continuing to use what they also describe as a “heap”.

I’ve owned my car now for about nine years. One of the reasons that I have kept it, instead of succumbing to pressure from car-loving mates to replace it, is that my car is totally and utterly reliable. In the time I have owned it, my car has only let me down once; I broke down on the M62 crawling up a hill in a traffic jam and the car overheated because a fan had failed. The breakdown guy who rescued me managed to get it going within two minutes and I managed to get home without further problems.

Sure, it’s got a few dents, a couple of rusty spots and it has definitely seen better days, but it still goes. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the point of having a car? Aren’t cars simply meant to be devices that simply take us from A to B?

One thing’s for sure; I am definitely not in love with it. I would be a little miffed if something happened to it, but not for any reason other than the inconvenience it would cause.

There are men I know who have spent hundreds of pounds on their cars; their obsession is laughable. All of their spare time is spent polishing the thing and when you are a passenger in it, you have to watch where you put your feet.

These guys drive around for fun; I HATE driving – the only reason I do it is because it gets me to my destination quicker. I have absolutely no desire to drive around for the hell of it. We’re talking about guys who would marry their cars if it were legal to do so.

One mate of mine was so in love with his car that he barely drove the thing; it sat in his garage and he polished it religiously and rarely went out in it. His wife had an old banger and he used that instead Then came the fateful day when his wife announced that she was pregnant. He was faced with a stark choice. Well, to his wife it was a no-brainer but to him it was a huge problem. Could he afford to keep a high performance beauty of a car that he rarely drove AND have the ability to support his wife and forthcoming child? In the end, common sense prevailed and he sold it. There were tears in his eyes as he handed over the keys. He also handed over a handwritten book about how to look after the car, covering details of which polish to use, how often to service it, etc. and what to call it when he drove it.

And his final word was “If you crash it, I’ll bloody kill you.”

He didn’t say that really but I know that he was thinking it.

You only have to watch TV shows like Top Gear to get a feel for man’s obsession with his four-wheeled friends. The three presenters spend the entire show drooling over the latest high performance motors, blinding us with statistics about how fast the things go:

0 to 60 in 2 seconds – now THERE’S a car

I love the show because it is hilarious but the obsession with cars is there for even the most stupid among us to see.

I must admit that some of the cars featured on the show are quite exquisite to look at but how the hell could the vast majority of people in Britain (or indeed anywhere) afford such a beast? Most of the cars featured on the show cost more than my house. If I were to drive a top of the range Ferrari around Manchester, I would be travelling at 5 mph for fear of damaging it. And woe betide the person who crashed into me.

Why do people spend so much on cars? I don’t understand it. My old banger costs quite a lot to keep it on the road and, although the repair, service and MOT bills are modest, they are still expensive. To service a top of the range car (even a modest saloon) it would cost a fortune. To me that would be a disaster – it would be like throwing my wallet over the cliff – utterly pointless and very expensive.

And have you ever been to a motor show?

A car-loving mate once persuaded me to go down to Birmingham to see a show covering mainly motor sport. He and just about every other male there were drooling over the sports cars, formula one cars, rally cars etc. – I was drooling over the busty models who were sitting on the bonnets of these cars (and I think I was in a minority). Honestly, the place was awash with dribble from car-obsessed men. There were stalls with wheels, bits of engines and all sorts of other anatomical bits and pieces for high performance cars and I have never seen so many men in lust with them. It was absurd and ridiculous. I was bored out of my brain after an hour or so.

My mate spotted a Finnish rally driver and bought a video covering a two year old rally season just so that he could get the guys autograph; I’d never heard of the man, even though I exchanged a few words with him. I can’t even remember his name and I wouldn’t know him again even if I tripped over his outstretched boot.

If only I had been single, good-looking and charming, I could have tried to pull one of the busty models – but sadly that was also a non-starter.

All the way back, my mate enthused over the show and I nodded but lost interest. I haven’t been back to another show.

There is a song by Queen called “I’m In Love With My Car” and I reckon that it could have been written by any one of my mates who are obsessed with their cars. The lyrics are very funny to somebody like me, who regards them as functional devices – here are a few excerpts:

When I’m holdin your wheel
All I hear is your gear
When my hands on your grease gun
Oh its like a disease son

I'm in love with my car
Gotta feel for my automobile
Get a grip on my boy racer rollbar
Such a thrill when your radials squeal

Told my girl I’ll have to forget her
Rather buy me a new carburettor

Here’s the song in full:



I personally think that Roger Taylor’s lyrics probably don’t go far enough for men who love their cars; perhaps they would if the song were called “I’m OBSESSED with my car”, with new lyrics:

When I’m rubbing your wheel
All I feel is your gear
When I’m stroking your bodywork
Oh your touch drives me beserk

I’m obsessed with my car
Want to marry my automobile

Anyway, my old banger does me proud but it will be a sad day when it finally dies and goes to that great garage in the sky.

Why?

Because I’ll have to bloody well fork out for a new one, that’s why.