Gen Z Reacts to "The Prophet's Song" by Queen

[@jdhlsc169]

I love Queen! I recommend either Live Aid or Somebody to love, live Montreal 1981.

[@sherryheim5504]

Brian's masterpiece, a song generally appreciated by musicians but never was popular with the public. This is a very intricate piece of music and I really do love it. Brian brought the bell or canon effect into the studio, showed it to Freddie and he loved it and really ran with it. This song is a dream that Brian had. It has tones from Noah and the whole Ark thing but it tells it more from the observers point of view. That instrument is a toy koto that was given to Brian as a gift and is the national instrument of Japan. Thank you for your reaction.

[@gb44rochs]

I like to listen to both live as well as album because they tend to be different! Queen figured if you wanted to hear exact as the studio version you would just listen to an album..so they liked to shake it up in their live performances..🙂

[@FelixNemo]

Listen to whole albums bc they are scattered with hidden gems and just like listening to Freddie’s glorious voice. But Queen live is so good. Both Brian 🎸and Freddie 🎤could play around with the delay effect live and duet with themselves. Usually in a song called Get Down Make Love with a psychedelic light show! Which is amazing considering if you make a mistake it gets repeated and also you have to get the timing right. And the 1970s 1980s sound equipment was primitive - no in ear monitors or clicks. Freddie’s Harlequin outfits are iconic.

[@dwoehrma]

Great question! Back in the dark ages, we listened to the whole album. Side A, flip the record, side B. The radio played "songs". If you liked a song, you bought the record to hear what else they did. Rarely did you place the needle in the groove of a particular song. For example, as soon as the prophets song ended, i heard in my mind the beginning of "love of my life". Another iconic song. An album side is like 15/20 minutes long. Sometimes, it's just a collection of songs. But sometimes, it's a suite of songs!

[@publicdomain1018]

yes. this song fills incomplete without hearing, "Love of My Life".

[@publicdomain1018]

oops! feels not fills what was I thinking????

[@JeanlucPerez-u3g]

Try The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke 🥳

[@ElenaGirardi-vg4bg]

You have to listen to White queen live. It's beautiful

[@maryannkelley6808]

Queen is ALWAYS better live but if not live I listen to the entire albums. Queen (especially in the early years) had the songs on album lead into one another. For another taste of Queen watch the 1981 Montreal concert...utterly amazing! Just remember, Queen will always surprise you with their music.

[@Mikey-DiLo]

Great reaction. This track takes some getting used to but once you do it is awesome. The best way to listen, especially their earlier albums is start from the beginning and listen all the way through. You will even find that the last song on an album will pick up with the first track of the next album. Always listen to their studio work with headphones or you miss a lot. They are considered one of the best live bands ever. Their live performances of a song will differ from the studio and will differ from concert to concert. They did not like to perform their songs like the album because fans could just stay home and listen and they wanted to give them a great and memorable show. For example, listen to Somebody to Love live at Montreal and then listen to the studio version. They sound completely different.

[@ellet6560]

Brian does play harp on the next song, "Love of My Life"

[@thewonkyembouchure]

Stupendously wonderful reaction-thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed it. On the Hirajōshi scale, my absolute favourite to play on handpan.

[@Sohum]

ty! ooh the handpan is such an interesting instrument

[@bradlerh]

Thanks for a great reaction Sohum. The stringed instrument in the intro is Japanese - a Koto.

[@SharonHalliday-p4n]

I have preferred the dvds of their concerts and of their compilation of released videos from thr later albums, his solo album and Barcelona video releases, although I do have their vinyl lps, 45's and cd sets. In short, any variety of songs, but the video of concerts are excellent

[@johnfallona4348]

Great reaction. There are many live versions of this song with Freddy using the delay in the middle, all are a little different

[@janetschulman8998]

That instrument is a toy koto. If you have time read about the making of this song. Brian had to set up the studio to make the feedback vocals. It almost drove him nuts.

[@jodipaulsen1187]

That first instrument was a Japanese Kyoto

[@sheilapurcell515]

If I'm listening to an album,laying on the bed head phones on eyes closed. Just think this the 70's the group were involved in mixing of all the albums. They were very experimental

[@TheLinriv]

The instrument at the beginning is a Japanese koto

[@sheilapurcell515]

Hen the group first went to Japan in th,😂e 70's a young lady gave them the koto when the went back with Adam Lambert last year the young lady was on a question programme she asked Brian if he remembered the gift. She was so excited when he told he used it on this song and that is in his music room

[@MadelynJackrel]

The vocals are all freddy

[@janetschulman8998]

It ends with the beginning of the next song on the album

[@timnotbrianmay]

You should really ONLY REACT to REAL QUEEN SONGS! And, by the way, how did you NOT REACT to Alvin Lee doing I'm going home at Woodstock??????????? It's absolutely the BEST EVER from him! IT'S ICONIC, AND LEGENDARY!!!!!!!!!! And, I'm QUITE GLAD that you're listening to this with headphones!!!!!!!!!! And, yes, it IS their longest song EVER RECORDED! And, in the middle, you get to hear Freddie's answer to Brian's three part echo inspired Brighton Rock solo!!!!!!!!!! And, THIS song came from a dream that Brian had!!!!!!!! And the delay is probably NOT like two seconds, but 800 or 900 milliseconds! And, HOW... HOW have you NOT LISTENED to Brighton Rock??????????? And, I have ALWAYS LISTENED to them, album by album, from start to finish! And, I've seen them live four times! The first three were UNFORGETTABLE!!!!!!!!!!! You should have seen them do this LIVE in 1977!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that what you're seeing / hearing is a Japanese toy Kyoto!!!! Brian learned how to play that, I think, JUST for THIS SONG, But also used it on the next album, a day at the races!!!!!!! And, about your question... Queen does that ALL OF THE TIME!!!!!!!!!! They were pretty much NEVER concerned about radio hits!!!!!!! I'm pretty sure they were MORE CONCERNED about creating PERFECT SONGS!!!!!!!!!!