Is Nothing Sacred Anymore? Queen I 2024 Mix Version

Queen have released a remixed, remastered and "rebuilt" version of their debut album Queen I. It has been causing quite a stir and as a Queen fanatic I have been bombarded by questions about it. Have Roger Taylor's drums been replaced by samples? Has AI been used? And the most crucial question, has Freddie Mercury's voice been auto-tuned? Is it respectful and faithful to the debut album of the greatest rock band in the world? Join me for a discussion on the dangers of technology when it comes to music and art in general, and our ability to enjoy and connect with it.
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[@andretonelli]

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this. Keep in mind, it's not about the use of technology in music or in the studio. It's about finding a way to reconnect with the idea that music and art are representations of what we are and where we are as humans at any given moment, not necessarily where we would like to be if everything were perfect. In fact, when life isn't perfect, that's when we seem to need art the most. I might be wrong, but this re-release seems like an ominous step towards the sanitising and neutering of even the most revered achievements of human talent and ingenuity. And for those saying to just ignore this and listen to the original, I can only hope this won't become the only available version (and the same happening to the rest of Queen's discography as well as others). Freddie's Barcelona hasn't available anywhere in its original version for years. Please do share your thoughts.

[@wietzejohanneskrikke1910]

I couldn't agree more. It is a form of censorship, a rewriting of history that nobody wanted or asked for. It's like photoshopping the Mona Lisa.

[@jajaleco]

"Freddie Mercury should really be autotuned", said no one ever. What a shame

[@nicolatoffanin1273]

In 50 years we have gone from "no synths" to "yes autotune"... I am deeply disappointed. I fit perfectly into the target that buys these expensive box sets, but for me it would not make sense to listen to such unfaithful material. Too bad, a great opportunity was lost, especially with this album.

[@RoverWaters]

"a great opportunity was lost" to what?

[@andretonelli]

To bring this album into the 21st century respectfully of its history and legacy, restoring it as diligently as we would a master work by DaVinci or Caravaggio

[@RoverWaters]

@@andretonelli exactly that they did

[@chewymew]

​@RoverWaters But they put autotune. That makes it not authentic anymore, it's now been manufactured

[@swirlingfudge]

I misunderstood ‘no synths’ too, as a kid worshipping Queen. They - Brian I think mainly - meant ‘all these different sounds are made by just a guitar in the studio!’ Not, ‘synths are artificial, horrible, we hate them as a band’.

[@deboraclark5791]

When Sony bought Queen's catalog I knew they would start auto tuning Freddie, but Brian and Roger doing it really pissed me off. What is wrong with them?? Freddie quote Freddie Mercury: "We are in a golden age of music. There will be a time when technology becomes so advanced that we'll rely on it to make music rather than raw talent...and music will lose its soul." Freddie's voice had all the emotions and soul, so beautiful and now they're destroying that beauty. I'm so glad I have the original recordings.But future generations will never know how truly beautiful Freddie Mercury voice was.

[@milesfernando]

Queen's been using tuning since 2004 in their live album "Live At The Bowl"

[@deboraclark5791]

@@milesfernando on Face It Alone, one song from a live 75 performance were auto tuned, I did know that because you can plainly hear it. I don't know where you got your info about the live bowl concert, because everything I read said no auto tune. But it's all going to be Auto Tuned because Brian, Roger and Sony don't care if Freddie's vocals are destroyed, it's all about money, not quality and the perfection that was already there. Brian and Roger are destroying the most important part of Queen, the best vocalist ever. They are Prats.

[@milesfernando]

@@deboraclark5791 Freddie's B flats were flat in Bohemian Rhapsody at Live At The Bowl, and corrected. Look for "Live vs. Overdubs" on the KZbin channel Chinwonder2's. There's information about all of the pitch correction n every official release there.

[@eileencrys]

Just a note, this is still under Universal Music. But yes, Bri and Roger just *asking* to tune Freddie is absolutely heartbreaking, what were they thinking?

[@deboraclark5791]

@@eileencrys I knew Sony didn't have control over this, that's why It's really sad Brian and Roger did this.

[@Canucklehead557]

When I heard Queen were selling off their catalogue, my first thought was; "It's all going to be ruined with AI and Auto-Tune", just for money. Not for art or preservation, just for money. I watched the new video, which is on the Queen Official YT channel and the visuals are AI generated. The sound, I couldn't tell that it was different because my hearing isn't what it used to be. It's really sad that some sound engineer thinks they have a better idea of what Freddie and Queen should sound like, and the fans must accept it.

[@andretonelli]

Hi! I hadn’t thought of the fact that they just sold their catalogue. Still, I find hard to believe anyone would do this without Brian and Roger’s approval.

[@Felixreal12]

QPL use pitch corrections since 2007

[@Canucklehead557]

@@andretonelli They sold control to SONY.

[@Canucklehead557]

@@Felixreal12 What does that say?

[@Felixreal12]

@@Canucklehead557 Uhhh....

[@baritonfelix]

You're absolutely right. I have very acute hearing, and I have never heard a single note sung by Freddie on their original releases that was "out of tune" in a way that warranted fixing (although the technology has been around longer than most people think, so it's hard to tell what they might have done on their later albums). The little imperfections add to the character of the pieces and make them sound musical rather than machine generated. But after what has been done to old Beatles recordings recently, it was only a matter of time for Queen to jump on the wagon and make new money from old tapes. Having said that, there are classic records that do need fixing badly. Think of the flute in "California Dreamin'", it hurts me every time.

[@oldmanthompson]

Thank you for saying this so well, I totally agree with your sentiments. I have loved Queen since I was a very young lad and I am 61 now. The Night Comes Down is one of my very favourite songs of Queen. I felt mortified when I heard what they'd done to it and then saw the awful ai video! I love the original mix which is a snapshot of a great band finding their sound - it has such atmosphere - London in the early 1970s. I find the new version overblown and harsh, the subtelty of the bass is destroyed by the massive kick drum and the cymbals just hurt my ears and then yes Freddie's voice pitch corrected - such sacrelidge! How about we re-colour the Mona Lisa? Also I do wonder if the recent sale of their catalogue to Sony for 1 billion pounds has had a hand in funding this lavish box set production? I can only guess about that. Anyway, thank you for the video once again. 😀

[@andretonelli]

@@oldmanthompson What a great comment. It IS the sound of a band emerging from the amazing London of the early 70s. And if you took it upon yourself to recolor the Mona Lisa, you’d go straight to jail!

[@fabiogemma6945]

I am perfectly in agreement with every single word you have said, every reasoning made, with the brilliant last observation on why this Queen I remix commercial operation…intelligent examines !!compliments! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@andretonelli]

Thank you Fabio! Andre

[@federicomoretti9256]

This is the uncanny valley put out in music. Im afraid of the rest of the album.

[@andretonelli]

@@federicomoretti9256 My Fairy King has me terrified!

[@c.o63]

Autotuning Freddie is a disgrace. Won't buy the remastered version.

[@caged-melody]

Remember when Queen said - When the machines take over It ain't no place for rock 'n' roll.

[@andretonelli]

@@caged-melody ha! Yes I do!

[@DanieleSanna89]

This is a 1973 album from the greatest and most multifaceted band my ears have ever had the pleasure of hear. Putting pitch corrector on the greatest rock vocalist in history is not only a stupid move, but also a detrimental one. People have the ears and the memory to remember who Freddie Mercury was and all the bullshit about technology doesn't justify such havoc, Queen are and will always remain true music.

[@waynegoucher4503]

59 year old man .. love Queen and have done since my teenage years. This release is disrespectful to Freddie and has dehumanised his wonderful vocal talent. I won't be buying this. The Debut Queen album was and is of its time and should be left as an historic point in the Queen legend.

[@andretonelli]

Wonderfully put, Wayne! Andre

[@dace2150]

We share the same love for Queen. For me the big 3 are Mercury, Sinatra and George Michael. I liked The “clear” sound of the track when I heard it first but it had something strange, thanks for painting out what the strange thing was.

[@patriot1151]

Just leave the album as it is, why does everything have to be remixed and remastered? or messed up! Leave the albums as they are and stop trying to change history!

[@CrossGuitarWorks]

Perfectly said. Hopefully THEY listen

[@andretonelli]

I doubt they’ll see this, but if they do, I wish they would take it as an expression of love and respect and not a criticism for criticism sake

[@MrSongwriter2]

Freddie should never autotuned, just as quantizing Bonham. It's pergect, just leave it the hell alone

[@mattmckeon1688]

That Jeff Porcaro, man - dude can't get his notes on the gridlines. What an amateur.

[@bucho448]

Thank you for the comprehensive explanation, God bless all true fans of Freddie and the whole band!

[@markwalsham7115]

As a die hard fan of Queen for 40+ years, I am dismayed and honestly shocked by the new release of the “re-imagined” version of The Night Comes Down track and video. They have committed the cardinal sin of auto tuning Freddie, replacing the original drum sounds with very artificial sounding samples, messed up the mix and made a singularly terrible video with AI. Never ever ever auto tune Freddie. The only merit is the sound stage is cleaner, wider and noise floor is better

[@andretonelli]

Hi Mark, I feel they could have remastered with low hiss and better clarity and it would have been great. I don't see what tuning the life out of the album achieves. I'm with you 100%

[@Alkahest1982]

Well said! I got three pressings of the album first UK / US / Japan and there is no way to give money for that atrocity.

[@lilianaeva7743]

As a Queen fan, I'll buy the box set and listen to it once. Queen's first album is a child of its time and the band was doing the best they could with what they had at the time. It has soul. I'll still listen to the 2011 remaster. I know Freddie's voice has been retouched before... but I'm torn aparte here, between collecting Queen and supporting Freddie's autotune voice.

[@EgoShredder]

I was 20 when Freddie died and it took me another 20+ years to get over it. I even went to the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 and that was an amazing day. I agree with John Deacon when he said Queen was over once Freddie died, and it was time to move on and not spoil the Queen legacy etc. Brian and Roger have done a lot of damage to that legacy since 1992 in my opinion.

[@andretonelli]

I’m sure Brian and Roger are doing their best, and they have a right to do as they see fit with what after all os their life’s work. But in a grander scheme, I am a bit of an alarmist when it comes to the future of art.

[@MrSongwriter2]

Adam Lambert being a crime against queen. He's terrible in every single way. Not just his singing

[@annette_agger3623]

Did John actually say that? I’ve never heard it, I heard he gave them his blessing to continue as Queen.

[@tyujivulpus]

I wore a black armband for a week after Freddie's passing. I consider every Queen performance after Freddie is just like that concert you attended in '92...a tribute. 25th April 1985 in Sydney was my only opportunity to see "The Great Pretender" live🎤

[@andretonelli]

@@tyujivulpus lucky you!

[@sawstrommedia]

The snare drum on this remix sticks out like a sour thumb to me. It’s even in a lower tuning and sounds like a really bad sample. Freddie’s voice is definitely pitch corrected. This has me very worried, it’s like they want to change and adapt this album to younger audiences that are accustomed to “dehumanized’ music. Thank good I have all my favorite albums on cd’s and vinyls!

[@andretonelli]

I hope your records last you a long time, just in case the original versions are eventually pulled

[@blindazabat9527]

It's like dying Mona Lisa blonde.

[@GeoffPowell65]

Brian and Roger have lost any integrity they had for the holy dollar. Queen is a massive business these days, and the cost of that success is their legacy. I think Queen was a good album but the sound was a bit muddy at times. So I don’t mind the remastering so much but the auto tune is a disgrace. Same with the AI in the video.

[@norwichscott]

I agree. Queen wasn't a particularly great album, but the next 2 are probably their best. Just leave them alone !

[@GeoffPowell65]

@@norwichscott Leave them alone? What? Am I a bully in a school ground? Come on, these are multi millionaires who are playing with the legacy of one of the greatest bands of all time. I will not leave them alone. They need to be held accountable. I can't wait to hear this treatment on Queen II, which is possibly my favourite Queen album of all time. But no, I have been listening to Queen for just shy of 50 years now. I won't leave them alone ;)

[@norwichscott]

@@GeoffPowell65 I was talking about leaving their next 2 albums alone. You can say what you like about Brian and Roger 😆

[@redviper4621]

Totally agree. "The Hendrix of vocals" You don't mind if I borrow that, do you? :)

[@andretonelli]

@@redviper4621 ha! Not at all! Andre

[@BobHarley]

They don't want us to think that Freddie Mercury was a human. Also, wtf happened with the snare sound?

[@DonnaleaSpencer]

Hang onto your old cd's, dvd's, & vintage vinyl! That may soon be the only way to hear this music in the way it was originally recorded. Freddie's vocals were not perfect. But they were magic. This new trend is going to suck the life out of Queen. Stupid, stupid move.

[@andretonelli]

One can only wish they'll learn from this and maybe reconsider!

[@tyujivulpus]

I'm a big Queen fan as you are & I 100% agree. Would you use auto tunes on Callas, Pavarotti or CGI to perfect Nureyev?

[@andretonelli]

That happening is why I put this out. It goes well beyond this specific album

[@davepowell9708]

You are so right

[@TheIgnoramus]

Considering it’s a remix and master of something decades old that was already digitally mastered, it’s just more corporate money grabbing and IP solidification. Dont use it lose it, so they keep doing rereleases. I just choose to ignore them.

[@andretonelli]

@@TheIgnoramus good point. Unless, one day they pull the originals and all we are left is autotuned Queen, Zeppelin, AC/DC, etc

[@TheIgnoramus]

@@andretonelli ya that’s the nightmare. Why it’s good to have vinyl or CD.

[@EltonoutoftheclosetOfficial]

I can't agree with that. Queen's début album was recorded under very difficult circumstances, and the band were compelled to compromise on their vision. This is the implementation of that vision, at last.

[@paulatB2B]

No it isn't​@@EltonoutoftheclosetOfficial

[@ebarteldes]

They auto tuned the Beatles when Let It Be Naked came out. So no, nothing is sacred

[@martinjones1089]

If Something works 1st Time? Leave it Alone!

[@bigappleINA]

Con o sin autotune Queen y Freddie serán siempre los mas grandes del rock.

[@ianjonas7380]

I don't like the new drum sound at all. I know they hated the deadening that was employed by Trident at the time but its an authentic sound of that time as are the songs. Nostalgia is a quality that adds to songs because it conjures up memories of that time e.g. bell bottoms, old Raleigh bikes etc. The new versions won't have that ability.

[@JPDay]

I just heard a remix from some random guy that just extracted the tracks from the original version (no master tapes, etc...) and it's much better than what "Queen" just put out. Pretty sad. I hope all this feedback gets back to them and they either redo this reissue or STOP touching these albums.

[@andretonelli]

One can dream! I know the response in the last few days has been quite negative and the opinions in this videos are turning out to be the majority. Doesn't mean we're right of course, but it's good to see so many people still revering the original album for what it is.

[@JPDay]

@@andretonelli growing up a Queen fan I always wished they could somehow remix the first 2 albums to just make them sounds cleaner and better balanced. I don't think I'm alone on that, I believe the backlash is people loved the concept but hate how it was executed.

[@pootle5096]

They're getting a LOT of stick for using autotune and rightly so. Take note and LEAVE FREDDIE ALONE for future releases.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Been a queen fan since 1975. Took photos for the band featured in the albums. This is terrible. Ruined a lot of my memories. No more ai on queen tracks. No auto tuning Freddie’s voice either. The imperfections are what make it real.

[@andretonelli]

@@theonlyredspecial please do tell me more! What photos did you shoot?? This is looking more and more like a big misstep. There was barely anything when I posted this video, but right now the comments on the song are not flattering at all.

[@johnmclean9641]

You can't auto tune the greatest voice !

[@RiverSong5683]

I totally agree with you. Freddie’s voice especially-- I hate auto-tune, hie dare they mess with his voice. One of his last requests,- do whatever you want with my music, but never let me sound boring--that’s what is happening by messing with the great old time classic music genius of Queen or any other music we’ve enjoyed as is fir years and years. Terrible.

[@gemspa73]

I agree with everything that you say regarding this. The first LP is very much of its time and should be left well alone.

[@andretonelli]

@@gemspa73 well said!

[@IrnBruNYC]

This for me highlights the importance of physical media, or at least retaining your own digital copies of the music you love. If you rely exclusively on streaming services, there’s nothing stopping the record labels from removing the original versions of the recordings you love and disappearing them down the memory hole in exchange for this travesty. Surely Brian May gave the green light to this, right? Surely they didn’t do this without the involvement of the remaining members of Queen?

[@Behindstage]

Fake ai audio crap fake ai video. Queen do not care because of £££ and they need to be criticised for this.

[@thedarkdefender7780]

Brian is upset about a fake AI generated video of himself trying to scam people. He says we need to hold on to what's real. The hypocrisy is astonishing.

[@chrissielord434]

I totally agree with you. Sacrilege. I am very disappointed with Brian and Roger. It was the same with Face It Alone I could tell that they had messed with Freddie’s vocals straight away. It is not right, as you say you lose all emotion and humanity with Auto-tune. 😥. Keep Freddie the way he was, magical. ❤

[@kyfifer]

The thing about remixes and reissues… the old version is still there. It hasn’t been erased from history. I’ll listen to it, but I too prefer Freddie un-tuned.

[@andretonelli]

@@kyfifer it’s still there for now but often you will only find the newer versions of albums on streaming services. Case in point Freddie’s Barcelona.

[@RussellProthero]

I agree with everything said here but I will say that I don't hate 'The Night Comes Down' 2024. I was ready to. I was more concerned with how they might modernise Roger Taylor's drum sound and thus ruin the 70s recording. But I think that they did it quite tastefully. I also enjoyed hearing other details brought out through the remixing and I liked how they put the vocal upfront. But it remains only a curiosity listen for me. I won't be rebuying this album. The only reason for the re-do is to make money and satisfy Brian and Roger's imagined shortcomings regarding the production of the first album. Putting 'Mad the Swine' into the tracklisting doesn't make sense because the decision was made years back that it didn't fit and thus - it's not meant to be there. As soon as an album is released it's in the fan's hearts and minds and time for the band to let it go.

[@andretonelli]

Good points Russel. But I am concerned these neutered, perfect versions of original wonderful imperfect art will be the only ones left. You won't find the original Barcelona album anywhere, only the "full orchestra" version (which when brought up by Mike Moran to Freddie after they finished the record, Freddie himself dismissed the idea saying this is the album we made, no point wishing it to be something different).

[@RussellProthero]

@@andretonelli Yes! Unfortunately it becomes our own responsibility to keep the original recordings. It's already happening, albeit in a slightly less extreme way, with remasters. With a lot of artists you can only find the remastered versions. You never know, in the future, to make an extra buck, they might start reissuing the originals again untampered with. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

[@stevenbootes1979]

Wonderful analysis. Auto-tuning Freddie is sacrilege!

[@xs1207]

Completely agree with you Andre, you wouldn’t paint over a van gogh piece of work would you? This is the same .. fine, remaster then perhaps but please don’t remix and try to improve.. it’s not possible and not wanted

[@ajmhobby]

As a music fan (I’m not a musician) I hate auto tune and pitch correction. Imperfections gives the music its personality. To auto tune Freddy? That’s unforgivable.

[@eileencrys]

Incredibly insightful video. I really dislike the new mix as well, I know nothing of technical matters about music, but even just as a "simple" listener it was painful to hear the song so distant, cold, artificial. In the original mix (and the 2011 remaster) it's like Brian, Freddie, Roger and John are playing right next to me, singing in my ears, raw and full of hopes for the future of the band. They took all of this away. I'm a visual artist and I felt this is like that "restoration" of the Last Supper where they painted all over it, sure the colors and shapes are brighter and more defined, but that's not Leonardo anymore. As an artist who dedicated her last 5 years to drawing Queen, also, the AI generated video absolutely destroyed me. I hope they'll step back a little and fix this unfortunate project.

[@andretonelli]

Very well put!

[@alexey.sibirtsev]

Queen and Brian May brought me into the guitar and music world! I cannot play like Brian, but my goal is to play like him! And to play Queen's songs by myself!

[@andretonelli]

@@alexey.sibirtsev you have good taste! Andre

[@annette_agger3623]

My thoughts…Roger has always said he hated the drums on the album but they had no choice at the time. Had they had the choice this is how it would have sounded. So actually to me this is the real version because it’s how they wanted to be originally! It’s like remastering cds, and for the video it’s just like animating them like Save Me and Innuendo. It’s just a way of making very old footage look more interesting and suitable for modern audiences. To only use the concert footage would have been dull and they would have been criticised saying it’s lame. As for Freddie, he would have wanted his vocals to be perfect but they didn’t have time to do more takes! People are overreacting.

[@fromchomleystreet]

Digitally manipulated pitch is not “perfect”. It’s robotic and unnatural, and sounds horrible to anybody who appreciates the personality of a human voice and hasn’t been conditioned to think notes snapped to A=440Hz 12TET by a machine, something that requires no skill from the vocalist whatsoever, is somehow better than the natural voices of the greatest vocalists in history, and the idea that Freddie Mercury, of all people, would have thought a computerised simulacrum of his voice was preferable to the real thing is absolutely laughable.

[@visionsofhere3745]

Extremely unlikely that they'd have gone with a drum sound that wouldn't be heard anywhere for another twenty years at least. It's far more likely that he would've wanted a drum sound more like Bonham had at the time. The idea that he wanted a 2024 drum sound in the early 70s is like thinking Mozart was dreaming of having a DX7.

[@annette_agger3623]

@@visionsofhere3745 Roger explained this in his interview on Radio 2 a few days ago. He didn’t say that…he said he wanted a bigger more ambient sound but the drums in the studio were made to sound American and Roy said they could fix it in the mix stage but didn’t manage to. He wasn’t trying to have a 2024 sound he wanted a 1973 sound, the studio was inadequate for Queens expectations of the time.

[@frederykbote351]

I'm a die-hard Queen fan for more then 40 years now - Queen is, was and probably will be my favourite band. Though I'm very critical of about nearly everything they have made since Freddie's passing (I don't need the musical, nor the movie, nor their tourings with AL ...) - but I have to say, that I like the new mix, I also like the Video. The thing is: Queen would nowadays of course use every technical aim in the studio, also the pitch-correcting of Freddie's voice they've done in 'The night comes down' sounds ok to me. What I really don't like is, when they are pitch-correcting live concerts (which they did: Rainbow concerts, Wembley ...). Enhance the sound of live-concerts a little bit, but leave 'the mistakes' there! Enhancing the studio versions is no problem to me, as long as it doesn't sound too synthetical.

[@gemmyhamstercollection966]

To me it sounds more like 90s Queen, almost like made in heaven. But when I spin Queen 1 I'm looking for early 70s. I think I'll stick to the 2011 remaster or even the original release.

[@benstafford8206]

Honestly part of me feels like art just needs to be locked away from all medling after it's completed. Either that or require them to put a big fat "AI ENHANCED" tag on the song, so people are aware of what they're getting.

[@silasaraujo2849]

I feel sorry for fans who always want to imagine their bands as being immaculate, but autotune and pitch correction is noticeable on many modern releases from established bands.

[@andretonelli]

It has become part of a modern sound, that’s for sure. I’m not against any artist doing whatever they want. But rewriting the history on the older albums that got us here in the first place is different. Especially if eventually the original gets pushed aside in favor of the newer ones, which I hope never happens.

[@shannonhenson609]

Queen's first album always had production problems, everyone knows that. They just didn't have a lot of money back then. So, i can understand them wanting to clean up the instruments. But....they should not be using autotune or pitch correction on Freddie's voice. That is going too far.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

Nothing’s really sacred. Anyone can see. Brian May and Roger Taylor Put auto tune on me! Anyway the cash flows! Basssssssh!

[@IanHodgetts]

While I can appreciate the new version for what it is (I am fascinated by the whole area of A.I.) like any tool it can be misused. While the 2024 mix does "work" (to my ears at least) it is only as a curiosity. The joke is when you think about the plot to the "We Will Rock You" musical; Global$oft and the whole computer-generated music aspect. Hold on. . . what are we doing?!

[@andretonelli]

@@IanHodgetts hi Ian, not much AI on the music side. Simply pitch correction all over the vocals and some new samples for drums. A shame really, since a nice clean remaster would have done. Apparently they did use AI on the video. Again a bizarre choice, given Queen’s famed videos… look at Innuendo which is 33 years older than this abomination, and despair! Andre

[@debbie4503]

Queen stopped being Queen when they started trying to replace Freddie. The remaing 3 had enough talent to carry on. It still wouldn't be Queen without, but those 3 could have carried it. John, Brian and Roger have talent.

[@andretonelli]

Hi! I’m not into what they’re doing now but I totally understand them wanting to tour and play their songs. The Queen I thing is different, though. Still their prerogative, but I think it’s a huge mistake.

[@Ron-wf5yw]

Not something I would purchase anyway but especially if they have autotuned his vocals, even some of them. I'm not even a fan of the retitle. To me, it's Queen by Queen and always will be. I'll stick with my existing copy.

[@andretonelli]

It's very much throughout the song. The choruses are so sterile when compared to the original, too. And the vibrato has all but disappeared... It's like they ran all the vocal tracks through an instance of Melodyne and printed it...

[@Ron-wf5yw]

@@andretonelli sounds awful. It's one thing to do a remix and bring out elements that were there originally, Pink Floyd's Animals being a good example. Is another to 'fix' things. Shame on Brian and Roger then, i'd say.

[@ChrisBrown-oo4bf]

Sort of two different answers for me. I am totally against autotune in any circumstance. Makes no sense to me. It's a machine, not a human. On the other hand, I have heard some remixes that got rid of old recordings tape hiss. No real problem with this for me, since this cleans up the music itself without changing it.

[@andretonelli]

@@ChrisBrown-oo4bf hi Chris, but this is not a remix, it’s messing with a classic album for the sake of making it more “modern”? And tuning Freddie is insanity.

[@ChrisBrown-oo4bf]

@@andretonelli 100% agree. Why would anyone even consider autotuning someone with a voice like that? It should always be "warts and all" with any music.

[@codrutcroitoru]

Unpopular opinion: I think Freddie would also use the autotune/melodyne/variaudio these days. Everyone use it. The human ears of this era wants to hear perfect pitched voices. Put some unperfect pitch voice in a recording in 2024 and it will be labeled as "a not well produced album" and skipped. I don't say I prefer perfect pitched voices but I don't think about this thing as a downgrade. The violins in an orchestra are not perfect pitched, but the violins in a synth are perfect pitched and that's one of the reasons of using them more often in pop studio recordings than the natural ones. The same with vocals. Freddie Mercury, who was always opened to new things in terms of music and tehnology would agree with Roger and Brian's idea to perfect pitch everything. I am sure that, if they have a chance, they would also quantize things and I really don't think it is wrong. The new mix sounds awesome.

[@andretonelli]

Hi there, thanks for sharing that. While we may have to agree to disagree on this one, it's good to hear other perspectives. I would say though, that if we bend over backwards to appease the newer generations, those same generations won't have the chance to discover the amazing music from those eras... Both styles of productions can coexist without needing to chose. Thanks! Andre

[@codrutcroitoru]

@@andretonelli I totally agree.

[@bobrustigian4637]

Auto tuning the vocals makes this release a hard pass for me.

[@migasbalasteiro]

as a queen fan and as a sound designer; should the older albums be remixed? yes. its not matter of "still be relevant or not, is just that for my generation and younger, they sound rough. its not about the composition, is about making a good song sound better. and i do think that if freddie was still with us he would have been the first one to get this remixes done. not now in 2024 but 10 years ago, 15 years ago when the technology be an integrate part of the mixing process. probably the albuns that most need a remix are from queen I to Jazz, to my ear. and when im talking about remixing, im not talking about ATMOS mixes, cause they werent projected to it, and its just ridiculous mixing music to it, it works great for films but music production nowadays just dont work, its really useless. about the "auto-tune", im not a fan of it. im a fan of it as a tool for fixies while editing, not use it extensevely as an "effect". but if we are talking about using it as an effect, i much rather hear it in some of the "newer" albuns than the older. like The Miracle (album) would fit in the "theme" of the album and most of the production. but then again... its almost unsainted like putting St.peppers vocals into a pro tools session and just run them throu an autotune plugin

[@silasaraujo2849]

I'm sorry, but I think you're exaggerating. The band ALWAYS said how they never liked the sound of the first album, each one complained about something. Freddie said he couldn't do more takes to interpret the songs the way he wanted, Roger constantly talked about how he always hated the sound of the drums. So, I think the idea of a remix is interesting and valid. As for using pitch correction, I don't like it either, but I don't think it ruined the song.

[@andretonelli]

Hi Silas, I invite you to listen to both recordings side by side. I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but when the chorus hits in the original, with all the voices barely hanging on on the edge of the cliff, yet pulling it off, it brings tears to my eyes. Then try it with the newer one, and see if it hits you the same way.

[@PaulDuggan]

I'm a huge Queen fan and I know that they were never happy with how the drums were recorded on this album. Having said that this feels like someone said "Well, we need a Christmas-time release, so what's it going to be this year? Oh, there's really not a lot left...". The need for someone to recoup what they've paid for the catalogue is going to outweigh all other concerns for a long time to come now.

[@sonidojamon]

This is SO SAD. Bonkers

[@stuarthartley7428]

Wow, ok. I haven’t had a proper listen yet, if auto tune is involved then it’s a real turn off and in my view totally unnecessary. [ at least we still have the honest organic originals ] I was hoping for a cleaner production as the 1st two albums were poor in that regard, such a shame . But let’s not forget how much we owe to these guys. Pioneers in every direction.

[@andretonelli]

Autotune or melodybe have been used to Freddie’s voice (and Roger and Brian’s in the choruses). It’s clear as day. I could hear right away the voice had been altered, but even if you’re not 100% familiar with the song, a simple side by side comparison with the original song will make it absolutely obvious. Autotuning Freddie seems as crazy as AC/DC lip syncing a concert.

[@stuarthartley7428]

@andretonelli hi , thank you for your response. Yes, I'm totally familiar with the song & all queen material for that matter. Huge fan. 60 years old so I was in at the start . I'll have a comprehensive listen . Thank you for bringing this to my attention & possibly saving me £149.00. I will be attending the Queen convention in early October. I'm sure this will be a hot topic. Thanks once again. Kind regards Stuart.

[@jjmilleniumblackshade3731]

They are correcting his voice since 1992 on Wembley release. But since 2014 with the Rainbow live releae they are using the pitch correction quite too much

[@andretonelli]

@@jjmilleniumblackshade3731 the Live Magic album was so badly fixed in a couple of spots to be laughable. I think this is different because it’s a legacy album that represents a lot for music and the bands history. I am also concerned this will become the only version of the album available.

[@RoverWaters]

you can buy the original album anytime you like

[@andretonelli]

For now… I’m not sure those managing the catalogue will keep them available side by side and for how long.

[@Pamplemousse82322]

If they just did what the fans would want we would buy it. Nope.

[@rodmac8358]

As a massive Queen fan, I was very upset when I listened to this abomination of a mix. Then, I realised that a couple of months ago Queen had sold their entire back catalogue to Sony Music for $1.27 billion, so there's a possibility that this evil creature is the result of Queen members not having artistic autonomy and authority over thei own songs anymore.

[@andretonelli]

That’s possible, but Brian at least has been very vocal about how great this sounds and how they fixed things they didn’t like.

[@rodmac8358]

@@andretonelli Indeed, although Brian has recieved a 1/4 of that $1.27 billion deal from Sony Music, so, I guess, he'll be hapy to go along with it for business sake. I'm only speculating here.

[@eileencrys]

No, this is still produced by Universal!

[@DGZIPIT]

Presumably they now have a new extract from the master tapes before the messing around. Maybe we can ask QPL to give us the option to buy a non-AI digital version of the box set (with all of the alternative versions etc.)

[@wilhelmberend116]

Was it autotune or just pitch corrected ?

[@andretonelli]

Autotune is the name of the software which has become synonymous for pitch correction. There are now several options such as Melodyne, Repitch, etc. In the end, they all take a vocal and correct the pitch of individual notes, as well as align them rhythmically. Different names, same result for this kind of application.

[@PrinceDenkichu]

Short awnser, Pitch Correction. It's subtle, not Believe by Cher.

[@davidwickham1965]

Just another money making scheme.I love queen but I'm not buying over price box sets.Half the stuff in them you don't need.

[@puddleglumsmusiccollection9151]

Horrible remix

[@rickysld]

First of all, this is not autotune, but pitch correction, and in today's music it's used pretty much everywhere. Even the best singers of today's scene have some kind of pitch correction on their voice, it's become part of what makes a vocal sound "modern", so being a complete remix and not just a remaster, I can understand why they would use pitch correction. The AI situation on the video is much worse, considering their budget. The video looks really cheap, but the mix sounds awesome, very fresh compared to the 60-ish mix they had on the original track with that dry sound and all of that extreme panning going on

[@philw5027]

It's a travesty. Why oh why do this. Freddie isn't around to give his blessing. What gives someone the right to tamper with the original vocal delivery? Autotune is ruining the music. There's been a distinct whiff of cash grab around Queen's back catalogue for some time. The price is far too much. I don't see anything wrong with the 2011 remaster. That'll do me just fine.

[@andretonelli]

Hi Phil, I Wasn’t sure what the reaction to this whole thing would be when I made this video, but it seems that now that the album has been out a few days the majority of responses is along the lines that this was taken a step too far. It would be great if this whole situation led to some kind of easing down on the “let’s fix everything” trend.

[@S0ldeed]

This is exactly the release I've always hoped for. This and QUEENII could benefit from modern production techniques to improve separation and make the performances sparkle. It doesn't diminish the songs. Also, Fred was flat occasionally on those first two albums. I'm sure if they'd had more time he would've done a few more takes. But he didn't, and now he can't, so utilizing new tools I think is perfectly reasonable. Finally, a lot of positive energy went into creating it, and a lot more positive energy has gone into restoring it. You don't have to like it, but there's no real need for negative energy to diminish it. Just ignore it.

[@fromchomleystreet]

It DOES diminish the songs. It’s not just this one example, it’s an entire culture that has emerged in the last twenty years amongst engineers that sees the character and personality of a human voice as a flaw that needs to be “fixed” by removing all humanity from it. It has become increasingly difficult to find even “live”performances from the seventies that haven’t been ruined by completely superfluous digital pitch “correction”, unthinkingly applied without even considering whether there’s any reason for it. The idea that Freddie Mercury, of all people, was unacceptably pitchy is ludicrous.

[@Harry-jz1dn]

It's a vocal from one of the demos of the track that's been touched up the same as Face It Alone was. I've been a hardcore a queen fan since 91... Spent a small fortune since... Fan club... Early member on the defunct Queenzone, so I know how stubborn Queen fans are. Anybody throwing a tantrum about this needs to get a grip. Freddie was the greatest singer of all time imo, but to suggest it's a sin to touch up his vocals or claim he'd be offended... It's nonsense. In fact I don't think he'd have given a hoot. Brian and roger don't. People are acting like the original has been replaced for god's sake. The funny thing is, most people know the remastered albums that have been made. Where's the anger there that they'd touch up Freddie's studio work? As for Sony remastering, it was always going to happen for copyright reasons and music going into the public domain. That's the real reason for remastered albums of any band. For legal reasons the music must have been remastered to a level that constitutes a proper rework. In this case, using modern technology. If you don't like it, don't listen to it. Simple as. Go watch or read yo in Freddie's views on music. It was his job. He was a perfectionist in the studio, but he was more for the lifestyle and money that his job brought. Christ, he released Mr.Bad Guy even tho he thought it was poor... And got paid massively lol.

[@andretonelli]

Try to find the original Barcelona album on Apple Music or Spotify. If you think this will never happen with Queen Albums, you are way more optimistic than I am. And yes, I have all the CDs and Vinyls, but those won't last forever, either.

[@secondslate7158]

Just a different version. Doesn't bother me at all. There were a million tricks and techniques even back then that meant the argument of what is "real" is really a diminishing one. What one person accepts as fine in the studio another person is staunchly against. Mountain out of a molehill.

[@andretonelli]

Maybe. But with physical formats becoming obsolete, it is conceivable we will end up exclusively with revised, sanitized versions of the records, with the originals so marginalized they would be effectively lost. It seems to me the negatives far outweigh the (in this case non-existent) positives. Andre

[@secondslate7158]

@@andretonelli I doubt the originals will disappear from online circulation any time soon but it's certainly possible. The sad reality of no-ownership, I guess!

[@EgoShredder]

It's another AI step on the road towards transhumanism. Everytime someone says "it does not bother or affect me" and the years keep on passing, one day these problems do end up at your door one way or another.

[@andretonelli]

@@secondslate7158 all physical formats are perishable, to some extent. But beyond that, I would hate for newer generations to have no way of listening to real people playing real music. Projecting this 20 years into the future doesn’t make me feel very positive. Imagine going to museums and seeing “fixed” versions of all the classic paintings. Even though they existed in a basement, they’d be as good as burnt if all people are exposed to are the new “better” ones. I just feel it’s the wrong way to do this, regardless of what kind of traction this specific Queen I release gets. Andre

[@andretonelli]

@@EgoShredder and the newer generations might not even know it happened

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

“You can do anything with my legacy, you can do anything with my music but never make me boring”. Freddie said this to Jim Beach. As much as we don’t like Freddie being auto tuned, this is one way of bringing him into the modern age i suppose. I may not necessarily agree with it but i mean we have Queen singing Beatles, Led Zeppelin singing Billy Joel and so much more, all digitally created using AI tools, not official of course. This is the modern age and like it or not, Freddie has been modernized and thus, not making him boring but rather moving in with the times. I’m sure this will have us fans split right down the middle, it is what it is.

[@dinshawpocha4882]

Just because the technology is there to reproduce Freddie Mercury's voice so he's singing songs he wouldn't have attempted originally but using artificial intelligence, do we really need that? Maybe Freddie heard songs by other artists and didn't want to cover those songs for a multitude of reasons .I know that technology moves forward but Freddie is just great at being and sounding like Freddie, and no his voice does not need auto tune on it either. Today's generation can listen to him with all the faults that made him a human being if they like it great if not they can move on.

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

@@dinshawpocha4882 i agree Freddie is one singer who doesn’t need auto tune. His voice was perfect just the way it was.

[@andretonelli]

@@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020 nothing as boring and pitch corrected vocals in my opinion…

[@peefernie]

Such a shame what they've done. I'm also an avid Queen fan since the 1980s. I probably will reluctantly buy the new album because of the new bonus tracks on CD 2.