Queen, Keep Yourself Alive- A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction

#queen #freddiemercury #brianmay #johndeacon #rogertaylor
A fascinating first listen since I knew ahead of time that it was composed by Brian May. I was impressed with his willingness to restrain himself in terms of guitar usage for the service of this highly caffeinated piece of music.
Here’s the link to the original song by Queen:
• Keep Yourself Alive
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by Queen
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[@VirginRock]

Don’t forget to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to help me reach 100k before August 3rd, and we’ll make one BIG Celebration together here, at VirginRock! And if you have any questions, please write them here as a reply. BUT, please, questions ONLY! Thank you!

[@reggiestan]

Please include live performances and album tarcks, don't limit this to singles.

[@79BlackRose]

@@reggiestan Can't you read? "questions ONLY!"

[@jnagarya519]

@@79BlackRose Right: we can't have comments critical of Amy's approach to "The Beatles" of listening to anything but "The Beatles".

[@79BlackRose]

@@jnagarya519 I have no idea what you are talking about.

[@reggiestan]

@@79BlackRose Ok, as you put it so politely. My question is, will you please do some live performances and album tracks. I await your answer Amy.

[@AndrewMoore58]

Queen toured Australia before they were well known in 1974. They performed at the Sunbury rock festival in front of crowds more used to blues and hard rock. They were booed off stage mainly because the audience were waiting for another act and Queen wasn’t really their thing. Freddie famously said to the audience “When we come back to Australia, Queen will be the biggest band in the world!” and indeed when they did return they were.

[@krisamagus1]

what a story!!!! thanks

[@barrymitchell6444]

Actually, they weren't booed offstage. Bands playing there that day have since said Queen finished their set. But there was a nasty DJ hosting the show, who referred to them in a derogatory way, and talked the crowd out of letting them do an encore. Mercury did say they'd be the world's biggest band when they returned though.

[@lathedauphinot6820]

Brian May said Freddie was a human metronome, that he used the piano as a rhythm instrument. Queen has a unique sound. Brian’s guitar is distinctive: you know immediately that he’s playing when you hear it.

[@andreakormosnekacso4804]

According to Roger Freddie sounded like a very powerful sheep when they first heard him to sing, he couldn't really handle or control his vocals, but Freddie got the WILL to practice and practice and pratice until he heard the sound right. The whole band was very diligent, they never went touring or never stepped on stage without days long lasting rehearsals.

[@MU-TH-UR]

To me Brian May is one of the most talented if not the most talented Rock guitarist. Master of harmonized guitars, most precised guitar player, beautiful sense of melody and most of all mastering the art of always delivering the right solo, riff or arpeggio at the right moment and the right place in order to make the song better instead of putting himself in front of the show. Sorry for mistakes, English isn't my first language.

[@anne-mariesindruprix4792]

That is exactly my thoughts too - and John and Roger also plays to serve the melody - and not to shine themselves. .

[@fretlessfender]

Dear Ms Virgin Rock... I think it is time to admit that you mildly fallen in love with Freddie's voice😅😅😅 nothing to be ashamed of😅

[@chergui77]

I fall asleep to KZbin's "Queen Ballads" every night. Freddie's voice is just pure heaven.

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

I love Brian Mays unique guitar sound. He hand built his guitar and sounds like no other guitarist!

[@indeovertuin]

12:20 - the moment Amy says: "And THEN the voice comes in...!" I LOVE her expression there! ;-) I've never met anyone who didn't fall in love with Freddies voice... I still miss him so. Love from the Netherlands!

[@ulrikealtmann4655]

Yes I agree! 12:20 best part! I know people, who don't like Freddie's voice and Freddie. Can't understand, there must be something wrong with them, maybe they should check their ears. Odd People. I never heard a better voice than Freddie's.

[@jdbroders64]

Ah, Queen such a deep rabbit hole of just amazing music/musicianship, songwriting etc. Such unbelievable talent.

[@DukeEnlil]

I think this is from bbc sessions, not the version from the album, also guys don't forget about two songs that Freddie did under the name Larry Lurex in 1972 with guys from Queen...Going Back (Dusty Springfield cover) and I Can Hear Music ( The Ronettes Cover)...also there is a song recorded rehearsal in Freddie's apartment in 1969 with the pre Queen band Wreckage - Green (written by Freddie)

[@deboraclark5791]

Freddie was a great musician and composer, his band mates said he was a genius and vocals were beautiful. Freddie was considered the greatest front man, he was always moving, engaging the audience, he also was so humorous too, your eyes were on him continually and you couldn't stop smiling because he was friendly. A music writer once said of Freddie, he was like a beautiful peacock strutting across the stage. The band members also were great musicians, they could achieve every genre of which was perfect for Freddie's vision. The band were geniuses too. Great reaction.

[@bigdave1302]

Stop going on about Freddie, it's QUEEN for god's sake!

[@deboraclark5791]

@@bigdave1302 It is Queen, I mentioned the band. Truth is, there would be no Queen if it were not for Freddie, he motivated them to carry on after Smile, Queen was about to break if Freddie's Bohemian Rhapsody hadn't become a big hit, the whole band made what was in Freddie's head to life.. The whole band was fantastic. Sorry you can't handle others opinions. We are fans, Queen considered us like family. It's ok if you disagree with my opinion, I really don't mind 🙂

[@deboraclark5791]

@@toddmathers5075 Nothing wrong having an opinion, everyone has one. No one has to agree with my opinion. But it seems a bit odd that you or anyone else are so worked up by a person's opinion especially when that person thinks the whole band is awesome, they are a unit. I've been a fan since 1974, and I always felt Freddie was the driving force, but that doesn't take away from the entire band. Even the band members have said pretty much what I posted. Have a beautiful day.

[@ulrikealtmann4655]

@@deboraclark5791 your comment is so beautiful. It shows the love you have for QUEEN. I'm a Queen fan since 1974/1975 too and I love all of them. Without Freddie there would have been no Queen.

[@deboraclark5791]

@@ulrikealtmann4655 Thank you. I think we who grew up with Queen understand Queen better than anyone. All 4 members were perfectionists and such great musicians.

[@aussiebloke609]

24:07 Exclamations like that are a common feature for bands that are more accustomed to playing live, rather than in an recording studio. It's a means of keeping the band ready to move to a new section, particularly if there's an solo or improvisational section first. Effectively, it says "everyone be ready to break into the next part - in unison - in 2 bars." A more obvious use of this is Cold Chisel's live recording of "Bow River" (Ringside tour), where Ian Moss is playing around with the intro...then gives a "Yow!" before immediately breaking into the song proper. You don't hear it much in studio recordings for obvious reasons, but it can be a habit if you're more accustomed to playing together live.

[@mr.knowitall6440]

"A Night at the Opera" is THE Queen album that you MUST do from start to finish. Roger Taylor (the drummer) said that "it's the most important album we ever did". It's the album that really put Queen "on the map", and it's an eclectic masterpiece!

[@natmanprime4295]

i love the way you express yourself!! the facial expressions, verbal expressions, the pauses, everything!!! unique fantastic and special!!!

[@mrvlsmrv]

Amy, I have been watching many of your Queen discoveries. It reminds me of the wonder, surprise enjoyment I experienced on first listen. It was really cool when a group of my friends. They invited me for a debut of the News of the World album. The looks on our faces were priceless. Hearing We Will Rock You to start it off. WOW! We had a similar Party for Jazz as well. Thanks for the critiques and musical knowledge.

[@ike555je]

So glad you enjoyed it. You are in for a treat, because Queen never fails to satisfy.

[@corleth84]

It actually fails constantly from 1980 onward...

[@MiscellanyTop]

@@corleth84 I am with you both. I do really like Queen from 1980 onwards but I absolutly adore their first four albums. I have always thought The Beatles improved so much as they went on, whereas, I feel Queen went backwards. But, hey with Queen there are eras for all (sa with The Beatles) so we can all be happy. But not much beats March of The Black Queen! Cheers.

[@RivalHades-mk1xl]

@@corleth84 Not really. 1980-1986 was their best years econimically wise. They constantly sold out stadiums, had more freedom than ever etc. They might not have done the same music but thats because they were trying to be more fun and not take themselves too serious

[@corleth84]

@@RivalHades-mk1xl My reference was obviously musicwise, and from my perspective. I couldn't care less about sold out stadiums, and in your reply you just described a 'sold out' band. I can't stand their 'live aid' performance. Instead, I'll take any day the performances of 'Live killers', 'live at the rainbow '74', 'At the Beeb', 'A Night at the Odeon - Hammersmith', and a couple of others.

[@RivalHades-mk1xl]

@@corleth84 Saying it "fails constantly" is just false though. They have amazing songs in the 80s. A little different? Yes. But nonetheless fantastic

[@janward6044]

Freddy had a rare gift of connecting to his audience, he was one with the people. It is wonderful seeing younger people enjoying this wave of the 70's+ revival.

[@DruncanUK]

@Amy, you mentioned Freddie's great presence in his singing but he also had incredible stage presence as well, that you will see if you ever watch one of his videos. It is such a great combination. You can see how much he was enjoying himself, he lived for his music and his audiences.

[@ruthmuirhead61]

I was thinking the same thing. Amy should watch the video and see Freddie leaping around the stage, she would love it and fall for Freddie all over again. She may also gain even more appreciation of the other group members and how well they work together. Cannot wait until she gets to Live aid. Hope Vlad has included the different genres they cover too, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy for example. As I wrote this she's just mentioned the other members.

[@MightyFerg1]

Freddie's thing of filling in all the "breath" gaps in the song by recording alternate lines was something that turned up more than once in Queen's early music... This was actually quite a challenging song for him to do live!

[@tplouffe9226]

I'd like to mention, I think it will be an interesting journey to hear the progression of Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor, as songwriters and composers themselves as the albums go on, not only Freddie. They were all top notch composers and as an avid music lover and Queen fan, I would say Brian May can rival Freddie's song writing and composing ability. Freddie has an edge on him, but Brian May is not just any random guitarist, same with the Bassist and Drummers, they are not just standard run-of-the-mill musicians who just play in the background, they all contribute to the music writing and dynamic movement of the pieces to come, all of them play for the betterment of the music, all the harmonies, the guitar harmonies, the floating bass melodies, the dramatic drums. They're all adding a piece of themseleves to the songs as well, and they all improve immensly as time goes on, their final (non-posthumous) album, is what i believe them at the absolute peak of songwriting, all together. With that aside, lovely video and I really loved your insight and how you describe the feeling of the song, its how the song sounds in my head, but you are able to put it into words very nicely, can't wait the next songs!

[@mutantraniE]

if Brian May had been a part of any other band he would have been the undisputed frontman. An astrophycisist rockstar songwriter with an incredible voice and amazing guitar skills.

[@friotaiocht101]

Queen were a great band live to ... Freddie was a master showman one of the best front men of the 70's & 80's for sure...

[@chergui77]

Amy, another stellar review! Loved that you chose the first song on Queen's first album. Very fitting. Being 70 yrs young and a Queen fan since 1974, you open my ears to new nuances in their songs. Thank you so much. I can remember where I was the first time I heard Queen and which song was playing that hooked me in for this journey. The first song I heard was "Doing All Right," which happens to be the second song on the album, and I was mesmerized listening to it at my boyfriend's frat house. Amy, I think you would have enjoyed watching the "official video" of "Keep Yourself Alive." If you think Freddie can sing without any breaks, you'd be amazed that he sings like that whilst prancing around the stage. There are several songs that he sings at such a fast pace, it makes me wonder how he can do that since he's not a professionally trained singer. I guess a true blessing and gift. I was fortunate to hear and see Queen perform at the Rosemont Theater outside of Chicago in September, 1980...truly a great show. Being a retired RN, there were a few songs that we used to keep the beat of doing CPR. The ideal beat is 100bpm. The Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" is 104bpm, Abba's "Dancing Queen" is 100bpm, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons "Oh What A Night" comes in at 104bpm, but when we got tired of pumping on someone's chest, and we were slowing down, we'd use Queen's "Keep Yourself Alive" at 110bpm. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on Freddie's voice in this first track as compared to him singing "Barcelona." Such a change. Not to have you do a KZbin critique, but if you want to hear an even younger, and what I consider a more innocent Freddie Mercury voice, you should listen to him on KZbin perform as Larry Lurex singing "I Can Hear Music" and "Goin' Back." OMGoodness, you can tell he's so young. Thank you again, Amy, for taking on this daunting task. We look forward to hearing your expertise in delving into music that we know was great, but maybe not sure why it was so great. Thank you, too, to Vlad. Cheers from Mobile, Alabama 🌹(Just pretend it's a yellow rose...Freddie's favorite flower).

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

This is not from Amy, but I can explain the vocal change to you. A lot of it has to do with Freddie's voice type. Freddie had a dramatic voice. But it takes time for a male dramatic voice to develop. A dramatic tenor voice, is a tenor with more lower sounding frequencies in the voice then a regular lyric tenor voice. The low frequencies in the voice takes the longest to develop, because it takes more time for the voice to gain weight. The weight adds power, lower frequencies and colour to the voice. As a result, dramatic voices are never really dramatic in their 20's, and often in their early 30's. But there are usually still a few signs that the voice is dramatic, even for a younger voice. In the 70's Freddie's voice had a far more lyrical quality. His voice was light and sweet, and extremely flexible, these are typical lyrical qualities. Most tenors, as in 98% of all tenors, are lyrical tenors. That is the sound that people are used to hearing from tenors. But there were some signs that Freddie actually had a dramatic voice in the 70's. His low notes were quite good, having resonate low notes is a quality that you will find in young dramatic voices. Even though his voice was lyrical you could sometimes hear that there was power in his voice as well. Most notably Freddie's voice had a sharp, laser beam, metallic quality on middle to high notes. That sharp sound in the voice is the main or most prominent characteristic of a spinto voice. As an example of a young dramatic voice you can search on youtube for, Mario Del Monaco "Che gelida manina". Mario Del Monaco was a very prominent Dramatic tenor. This is an early example of his voice, when he was still a lyric tenor. You can hear that there is the potential for powerful vocals within his voice even at an early stage, and he did have some metallic sounds in the voice. Through the years Freddie's voice started to gain weight, his voice had only reached it's full maturity by the middle 80's. This was a very different type of voice then from his early years. There is a lot of power and depth within his voice, from the 80's especially the middle 80's. The voice is far less flexible, it is difficult for him to sing early hits such as Killer Queen, not because of the notes but because of the size of the voice and the flexibly that is required. It is simple physics, if something gains more weight it is more difficult to move around, but is also becomes more robust. That is the trade off between these different voice types, lyrical voices are very flexible but they lack power. Dramatic voices are very powerful but they are less flexible. A dramatic tenor voice is also much stronger in the middle tenor register then the lyric tenor. It is interesting to note that Freddie with the heavier voice actually sang higher in the 80's then in the 70's. It often happens that it takes a bit longer for dramatic tenor voices to develop their high notes. Now for the next example listen to, Mario Del Monaco Meco all'altar di venere 1967 (Norma) (from 2:30), listen to how strong and powerful his voice is here at an older age, especially in the middle register. (This is one of the strongest tenor voices of all time). It is a strong and very noble sound. But Freddie Mercury was not a full dramatic tenor, like the Mario Del Monaco example. I mentioned that he had a spinto sound in his voice. Freddie's voice dramatic but he was a spinto dramatic or they called lyrical dramatic tenors. These are fundamentally dramatic voices, but there is still a little bit of finesse within the voice. There is still a very small amount of flexibility left, this is often known as a heroic sound. Freddie's voice did gain a lot of power and weight, but his voice always had spinto qualities, most notably the sharp, laser beam sound. I suggest as an example, Franco Corelli Meco all'altar di venere. He was a dramatic spinto or a lyric dramatic tenor. It is a very strong and powerful voice, but there is more nuance and colours in the voice then within the example of the full dramatic tenor on the same song (aria), his high notes are also very sharp and metallic. I am giving opera examples, because these are extremely rare voice types, I have never heard anyone else in contemporary music with a similar voice type to Freddie. Michael Bolton has a lyric spinto voice, and there are some dramatic tenors, especially in metal, such as Bruce Dickinson. These voices are even extremely rare within opera, there hasn't been any true dramatic tenor voices in the last 30 years or so within opera. As the symptoms of Freddie's illness became more severe, he started to lose weight and power within his voice, which you can hear on Queen's last album. His voice once again had a more lyrical quality but it was still powerful as well, he basically became a lyric spinto tenor at the end of his life.

[@chergui77]

@@ZENOBlAmusic Thank you. Very informative and interesting, however, everything I’ve ever read about Freddie’s voice was that he was really a baritone and not a tenor, that he “strained” his voice to sing tenor, and that the opera singer Montserrat Caballe (who Freddie sang with on the collaborated album/CD, “Barcelona”) convinced Freddie to sing most of that album in his baritone voice. I’m not a vocalist or a musician, so I’m only saying what I’ve read by other people. 🤷🏼‍♀️ But it’s very interesting to read how a person’s voice can change. Question: you don’t think his smoking and drinking affected his voice? I also read that he had vocal cord nodules that caused him considerable problems, and that he didn’t want them removed because there was no guarantee at that time that the surgery would be successful? Again, who knows 🤷🏼‍♀️. Many books and articles have been written about Freddie Mercury, and I don’t trust any of what has been said about him to be completely factual. IMO, ppl made $ writing books about their alleged “close, personal” relationships with him. Just my feelings. But, the world of music certainly lost a very talented songwriter, composer, and singer. “Lover of life. Singer of songs…never boring.” ♥️

[@missymakesdomeredith8072]

"Like blue sparks everywhere" I love that, perfect description 💙🌟🌠🌟💙

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

Freddie is an amazing vocalist. One of the greatest singers of all time. You have many great perfomances to explore as he has many amazing performances.

[@markoliver630]

Just thought I would mention this has been heavily remastered. It did not sound like that when it came out. Don’t get me wrong I am a massive Queen fan and a fan of yours also.

[@seanculver8876]

It’s either a different take or mix than the original. It’s definitely different, more spare, clean and separated. The original is imprinted on my brain. Is it possibly from the BBC sessions?

[@thefxgirl]

I thought the same thing and was distracted by the remastered version.

[@anne-mariesindruprix4792]

I think they fought during the creation - but they always landed in agreement - and they all served the melody - no one to shine!

[@ErikMCMLXV]

I got this album on vinyl around 1980, and it’s one of the ones that I played so many times that I can practically see through it (Queen II is another one). Other songs on the album she might find interesting because of all the changes in hem are Liar and Great King Rat, which also showcases Brian’s guitar playing. Their first albums always pointed out that there were no synthesizers to avoid people thinking that some of what he played wasn’t him actually playing guitar. I think he is one of the most under appreciated guitar players.

[@VirginRock]

I am learning to appreciate his guitar playing and musicianship for sure!

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

@@VirginRock "I think he is one of the most under appreciated guitar players." What? Everybody only half knowledgable about great rock guitarists knows Brian and would proably rank him in the top 5 of his time.

[@ErikMCMLXV]

@@Quotenwagnerianer I agree, he should be up there, and he appears on about every list of the best guitarists. Still, when you see people mention their favorite guitar players, they usually mention Vai, Van Halen, Hendrix, Satriani, etc. May doesn’t get mentioned much unless it’s someone making a list of the greatest guitar players. Maybe if he was in another band where he could stand out more, because it’s real easy to get overshadowed by Freddie Mercury, especially to your average music listener.

[@richlisola1]

Freddie Mercury once said Brian May’s guitar orchestrations were the best in the world (Brian modestly would disagree) but Freddie wasn’t gassing him up. He meant it.

[@xtiants]

I was pleased to hear you mention the beauty of Brian May's guitar arrangement, particularly in the middle instrumental section. He created a lot of great "orchestral" sounding musical sections like this by painstakingly layering multiple takes, and using different tones to emulate varied instruments. This is much like what Freddie often did with vocal arrangements, like you heard in Bohemian Rhapsody. They used this multilayered process a lot on their earlier work, and shifted to a more minimal approach towards the end of the 1970's. This promises to be a fun journey indeed! All four members of Queen were talented composers and musicians, but it does feel like Freddie brought that extra spark that helped them to reach their full potential.

[@minmodulation]

Doing My Fairy King and Lily of the Valley to get the full "Rye Trilogy" would be really cool....

[@U2walkn]

Thank you, so much, for exploring Queen, you are amazing to watch and listen to. This is like taking a music appreciation class that I didn’t know I needed, how wonderful a teacher you are, I’m learning so much! Queen has always been a force of nature, full of blue sparks, Freddie, especially, filling my soul with music❤ Brian May, two months younger than I, crazy good guitarist, still has the most beautiful hair! Enough said, Queen will be listened to, forever and ever❤. Warm wishes for continuing your journey into our great music, from, Juneau, Alaska ❤

[@grahamokeefe9406]

You may already know this, but Brian May is also a professor of astrophysics. I just love the fact that a guy with a Ph.D wrote a song called "Fat Bottom Girls" just because he thought it would be funny to hear his gay bandmate sing it. They use an interesting recording technique for the voice - There are two tracks, so you can hear a line come in before the last line is completely finished. It kind of gives the effect of two singers.

[@neilcreamer8207]

He has a PhD and is therefore Doctor May but professor is a job. Anyone appointed as professor at a UK university is said to "have a chair". AFAIK he doesn't have a chair at any university. He also didn't have his PhD yet when he wrote "Fat Bottomed Girls". The Wikipedia article on him lays out his timeline in astrophysics.

[@jmurray2018]

Starting my top 50 for this Album I like the songs keep yourself alive, doing alright and liar My 50 1. keep yourself alive 2. Liar 3. Doing Alright

[@russwells1825]

Thank you for doing this. Queen, my all time favorite band. I was lucky enough to see this band nearly 10 times, plus Brian May solo stuff live. Interesting to know that they band did not use synthesizers untill must later in there careers. Enjoy the Queen ride.

[@79BlackRose]

Yeah, synths from 1980.

[@kendallneason3645]

I’m enjoying your dive into Queen music. They are brilliant and unique. I love all types of music but Queen has a special place in my heart ♥️

[@foxdenham]

As you say Amy, full of energy and drive. I very much enjoyed your analysis. I saw them perform this 'live' back in the day and it induced a frenetic trance into the audience. A wild experience making great memories.

[@NatasjaVermeer]

Thank you Amy for this Virgin analysis of a song I've heard thousands of time... I was very lucky to see 9 Queen concerts 1st row, meet Freddy and today 7 concerts without him... Your fresh view makes me emotional as you touch a nostalgic string of what I felt in the 70's... Amazing you are !

[@essbee2316]

Respect! 💫 I saw Queen three times live. (Liverpool, Stafford, Wembley). My favourite Queen concert was in Liverpool. (1973?) They rocked for 2 hours.

[@1massboy]

Finally a song that actually kind of makes sense when your a “virgin” to rock. While not there biggest or memorable song it’s definitely a song that was often heard on the radio when it can out.

[@elevenseven-yq4vu]

It breathes through all it's influences: The Gospel choir, the Blues call and response patterns, the Beatles use of the studio, sound and stereo effects as another instrument, the Hendrix q use of guitar distortion, the Black Sabbathy heavy hard rock sound, Led Zeppelin's build up technique in the song writing, the folksy violin-like frenzy in the intro and groove, the operaic theatrics, the highly caffeinated approach typical of much of later Queen songs, taking things up onto another level - this song wears it's influences on its sleeve, yet pummels along at a velocity and with such a broad richness in sound and unique overall tone to it that it is hard to miss any particular source of inspiration within this overwhelming mix. Plus, they make it all sound so fresh, organic, effortless, ver much in the moment, almost like a spontaneous eruption straight from the heart. But in fact it is very meticulously composed and crafted. Sprezzatura!

[@1massboy]

@@elevenseven-yq4vu That’s nice and everything but if you’re a virgin of rock you’re more likely to hear they’re bigger hits which is how you would naturally Learn about queen or any other band. But I’m willing to let this one go. Because she made clear that She In the video that she wanted to compare and contrast queens first release, which is this song, And compare it to his later work like Barcelona. Cool Also the song was played on the radio a bit back in the day. Obviously not as much as Bohemian Rhapsody or you’re my best friend, etc etc. But it was played and it was a possibility you could’ve heard this song in a natural way (On the radio)

[@sandgroper1970]

I remember watching a documentary when they were recording Queen’ s Innuendo Album? which at this stage Freddie Mercury was quite ill. Brian May describes how he would prop himself up , down a shot of vodka, then blam sing the lines of the song.

[@thomasheuvelmann8344]

I much appreciate how deep you dig into this. As you have mentioned the difference between Freddie and John Lennon, you should know that Freddie wrote as song after John's death, which is called "Life is real". Actually Freddie tried to get around some of the differnece you mentioned. I was wondering whether it would be interesting for you to see how close he was able to get by listening to that song.

[@Master-im7jc]

It is amazing to see your enjoyment of this wonderful songs, the use of Roger and Brian's vocals are used as an amazing counter point to Freddie

[@yinoveryang4246]

I think they were trying to be "commercial" in their first song on the first album, the overall tone is lighthearted. The first two albums by Queen are truly exceptional, their ability to create captivating atmospheres is here. Their undeniable talent should have been obvious to anyone, so it now seems bizarre the lack of attention they received at the time. One important aspect to understand about Queen is that the rock "critical establishment" in the UK often looked down on them throughout their career, a fact that is often forgotten, particularly in the US where this knowledge is not widely understood. It's crucial to fully grasp their career and how much they had to struggle to be taken seriously at all. Queen's music at the very beginning could almost be seen as their "progressive" phase, although they never quite fit into the conventional definition of prog rock. Eventually, they refined their sound, leaning towards a more commercial direction.

[@spawnthecrazy]

The live at the Rainbow 1974 version of this song is even better than the studio version, you should check that out, it's pure gold.

[@hollowslayed4979]

Wow, what a start. I can’t wait for you to hear the more complex piano based songs. So intricate and yet such fun. Great reaction…..again! The anticipation on what’s your next track is unbearable.😂😂

[@anne-mariesindruprix4792]

You talked about Brian's guitar singing. He built it himself with his father in his teens - and that was exactly. what he wanted it to do!! He never had guitar lessons but learnt to play a ukulele or a banjo -. John Deacon - the bassist who is an electrical engineer has built an amp that makes it possible for Brian to "play" strings and woodwind - among other things.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

All those guitars. Great track. You really brought out some amazing insights. Thanks Virgin Rock.

[@ulrikealtmann4655]

Amy, great reaction to young Queen! Maybe you should watch the whole thing live afterwards as a comparison. You have to see Freddie perform or you're missing out.

[@VWrijder77]

Well. Sadly I never had the opportunity to attend a Queen cincert with Freddie, but.... I have been to Queen and Adam Lambert twice now and I must say. He is very careful not to pretend to be Freddies successor but he bringa the right energy to the stage. I am very grateful I have raised our daughter with Queen and that she has attended a concert with Brian and Roger.

[@mooseguy0123]

I'm a very happy to see you're taking this journey into Queen's music. When I was growing up, I never heard any music that really grabbed me, I never really had a taste in music and I mostly ignored it. It wasn't until I heard Bohemian Rhapsody, in Wayne's World oddly enough, that I started to want to hear more. From there I took my own journey into Queen's music and it changed me forever. Of course my taste and knowledge of music has broadened since then but it was QUEEN that taught me to love music.

[@kiwisincebirth]

Barcelona was released in 1988. Queen produced 3 albums with Freddy after this. “The show must go on” should be on your list of tracks in your review, very powerful.

[@Sneak65]

I am sitting here saying "say energy, say energy!" and you said it. That is exactly how I describe the introduction of the instruments. Looking forward to your Queen reactions. What an amazing detailed musical mind you have. This is going to be a fun ride. Although personally, I think every Queen song needs to be heard I also understand the time commitment involved in bringing these video's. I trust Vlad has all the gems ready to go. Thank you for your content.

[@DonnaleaSpencer]

Depending on what Vlad's chosen for you to listen to, you will see a lot of musical genres within Queen's work. Freddie will sing his little heart out for a song, no matter which of the four members wrote the lyrics! Queen is a complete unit, fully knowing Freddie was more than capable of singing whatever notes they wrote. But as Freddie himself often said, he is not the leader of Queen, he is the Lead SINGER of Queen. Diplomatic man. (considering he's been voted several times over as the best voice in rock & roll).

[@BarleyC]

I so loved this reaction, and I am so looking forward to the "Seven Seas Of Rhye" reaction and the continuing exploration of the Queen catalogue! I also can't help hoping that Sir Brian May (CBE, PhD, FRAS) will watch these reactions and perhaps even arrange on online conversation with you to talk about the story behind this song, his harp playing on Freddie's song "Love Of My Life," etc., similar to his online conversation with RIck Beato here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5jOp4hrmqiUj9E👑

[@Silber7]

Freddie singing two voices back and forth for sure fuels the frantic feeling of the song Also, the big choir moments are a thing in Queen - Brian and Roger sing a lot too Brian arranges his guitars (and yes, he often layers multiple guitar parts) very intelligently, and uses quite different guitar-sounds for effect, so I'm sure it is deliberate that the small sound of the main melody bit paves the way for the booming chords right before the verse

[@beautifulhand1011]

Great song and they still performed on their last tour with Freddie in '86

[@schmoosmith]

No they didn't, the last time they performed it was on The Works tour in 1985.

[@andrewcarr5923]

@@schmoosmith They played it at Knebworth '86 it was the fourth track.

[@andrewcarr5923]

@@schmoosmith Apologies I got it mixed up with the seven seas of rhye video

[@garylagstrom3864]

FREDDIE MERCURY BEST SINGER EVER 🎤🎤🎤🎼🎼🎼 RIP FREDDIE

[@DukeEnlil]

Great song, but for a professional musician I would recommend a song My Fairy King from the same album! From Queen 2 - The Fairy Fellers Master Stroke and Nevemore

[@miroslavgolian5409]

Exactly. And dont forget The march of the Black Queen.

[@Marco-Duck]

100%

[@ErikMCMLXV]

@@miroslavgolian5409I hope she does that one. It my favorite song by them

[@thundernels]

She’s only got 50 of these. Of course if this channel and still thriving and there is still meat on the bone, she’ll get to all of the things eventually.

[@yinoveryang4246]

Amy will prefer the song "White Queen" over "Black Queen". It's less rock oriented and more atmospheric, it's one to definitely not to miss out

[@Broog61]

Not the LP version here. From one of the BBC studio recordings they did of the entire first album. Only very subtle differences.

[@paulbarlow2793]

It`s only the vocal that is differerant

[@ozzraven]

roger's fills during the bridge are different too.

[@krisscross44]

It was the 50th Anniversary of the release of the ' Queen 1 ' album a few days ago, so perfect timing for this classic track.

[@Canucklehead557]

Queen were a group of outsiders who made music for outsiders. Keep yourself alive was an anthem, not unlike many of their other songs, that tried to include their listeners. Make listeners fell accepted. It was a song you could sing along with but it had a positive message. Not like White Room or Hey Joe or LA Woman. It was more inclusive even if you were just a misfit or a bullied kid.

[@markslater7831]

I'm a non-classical musician and I find the analysis from a different viewpoint absolutely fascinating and it brings out many different aspects of the music that I might not have appreciated in the same way. Eloquent and insightful - thank you so much!

[@yvrkid7070]

I love your perspective. I would love to hear your take on My Fairy King also off the first album. Freddie wrote it. The lyric was inspired by Robert Browning's poem The Pied Piper. It features Freddie's piano skill and Roger's high vocals. Thanks for your great reactions.

[@barrymitchell6444]

The phased intro starts on F (6th string, 1st fret). When May moves up to A (6th string, 5th fret) he also plays the A on the open 5th string. There are 9 or 10 different studio versions of this song.

[@PedroAscensao-mz3wn]

"Seven seas of Ryie" from Queen II 1974...

[@agustinbarranco7290]

He sido músico y Queen es mi grupo favorito, muchas gracias por su fantástico trabajo. Un saludo cordial

[@alexmctear5420]

Queen sounded so mature and together when you consider it was in their early days, the musical press were very scathing of them as a band. Is dancing another of your many talents that you keep under wraps?

[@Juli-fc4jo]

It's so cool to hear your thoughts and comments on songs I like so much! I'm already loving this Queen journey! 😊

[@klaytaylor7011]

Brian May does the galloping guitar section with the serrated edge of his six-pence instead of a pick which gives it a bowing effect. When I was young and my friends and I heard this album we wondered why Queen's drummer had a better hard rock singing voice than pretty much every other hard rock band's front man -especially after hearing 'Modern Times Rock and Roll'

[@五十嵐良彦]

おめでとう御座います。 あなたのようなスマートでクレバーな方がこのQueenという素晴らしいグループの、生まれたばかりの頃、まだ世界になんの評価もされてなっかた頃の曲に気付き、楽しみ、良い評価をしてくださることがとても嬉しいです。 それは、素晴らしい精神性の同意？のようなものに思えます。 因みに、Queenを初めて受け入れ、評価した集団？は、日本の若い女の子たちだったようです⁉ 私は　ただの日本の年寄りの男ではありますが・・・ あなたに　ありがとう　と　言いたいです。

[@philproffitt8363]

My rock journey started with Queen...now I'm obsessed and satisfied with the Music of BAND-MAID. Rock lives on and the quality from Japan is compelling 👌👍

[@thatrobguy]

I just love your reactions. Like nothing else on the internet. Keep rockin!

[@LeeKennison]

Great start to your Queen series. I love how much you are enjoying their music after just 3 songs, including Love of My Life, Bohemian Rhapsody and this one. Lots of great songs of theirs for you to listen and react to yet. Queen always featured a lot in the music we listened to in the 70s (and later in the 80s), although they had lots of competition in getting playtime on our turntables since there were so many great bands we listened to back then (particularly in the 70s).

[@trishstravels6834]

Grest revuew! I really aporeciate how you really listen and comment accordingly. It would be interesting if you could also do a live version of each song. It realky shows how Freddie captivated the fans. I was blessed to have seen Queen perform in the 70's and they were really great. I saw a lot of bands in concert, and they were the very best.

[@gerardgalaxy35]

From the 1st album, I'm expecting you to listen to Great King Rat and Liar...

[@tomcorey5831]

I’m a Queen fanatic. Great observations into a great song!!!

[@anthonymacdonald9249]

So many songs…so little time. 😁 I’m looking very forward to your series - enjoy the ride! It will take you to many different places, I am sure!

[@Whitestripe71]

I love this, what a great reaction. I first heard this song decades ago, but watching this it felt like I was hearing it for the first time again - and your observations and comments make me appreciate details about the song and the performances that I hadn't really considered before.

[@MsDaver1000]

Always remember, even Freddie realised that Queen was better than the sum of the parts. Every member was a superb musician, each one pushing the other to greater heights. Please listen to some songs from Queen II where some of Freddie's and Brian's greatest compositions are to be found.

[@mmanes100]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻perfect analisis. U nailed again. Regards from Brasil 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷.

[@ambitaz]

I'm immediately loving this series, being a lifelong raging Queen fan. One note though, I'd stop mentioning Barcelona as Freddie's last release, or even last major release. After Barcelona (1988) came Queen's (worst, IMO) album The Miracle (1989), and then their last full album during Freddie's life, the fantastic Innuendo (1991). His final output was in the posthumous album, Made in Heaven (1995), and if you want one song, it's probably A Winter's Tale, which is very fitting.

[@bluebell3720]

I think she did say of his work rather than Queen

[@gwhizz3470]

I first heard this live at a venue in South London in '73 with a crowd of under a thousand people, the next day first thing I bought this album. Brilliant stuff.

[@Suedenim1999]

This will always be the song i love most. I heard it for the first time as a 10y old, camping in a converted chicken house with just a radio for company. Such a special memory as even at that age i was hooked and was bought queen 1 Album by my grandmother. Bliss

[@davidcunningham7713]

It would be fascinating to have you engage with Brian as I think you would connect with him on another level. Please make it happen. I love your channel. You are a delight.

[@Dillon12]

Queen is John Deacon Brian May Freddie Mercury & Roger Taylor

[@bluebell3720]

Shes looked into them. Her first reaction on this chanel was love if my life

[@davidschecter5247]

This was the first Queen song I ever heard, since I bought their first album when it came out. You could tell immediately they were different, as the recording was very polished despite it being a hard-rocking tune. Other songs on the album made them stand out even more, as their "choir voices" set them apart from the other hard rock groups like Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple. There was also a show-tune quality to the album, as the songs were presented very dramatically. I still like this song a lot, but it's definitely different from much of the rest of the album and certainly different from what would be coming from the group in the next few years. Not sure why this wasn't a bigger hit -- maybe it was too different from what people were used to back in the early-to-mid seventies?

[@martinconnelly1473]

I bought this first album in the spring of 1974. Still have it.

[@Canucklehead557]

Crazy! I love that analogy.

[@troywilliams2777]

I am very much looking forward to your listen, reaction, and analysis of Dark Side of the Moon, but am very much enjoying all the content you are doing until then.

[@davekite5690]

'looking forward to this journey. 🙂

[@roberttaylor8959]

so glad you have found Queen you are about to go on a magic carpet ride, Queen is a Genre all on its own

[@brxee]

The Who's Quadrophenia also came out in '73. Definitely worth further investigation.

[@Greg-om2hb]

Pleased to see that you’re starting to get it. You even appreciated the little guitar break. This might not be a typical Queen fan’s favorite song, but I like it because it’s one of their more hard rocking numbers.

[@shhhhhh62]

Caffeinated is the perfect descriptor for this track.

[@darrenmann7128]

Is that the original version from Queen? It sounds like a remix

[@splitimage137.]

So, if I understand you correctly, The Dark Side Of The Moon won't be reviewed this year. Too bad. Look forward to when you do decide to listen to it.

[@michaellieb5922]

If you really want a Queen adventure I suggest “March of the Black Queen” and also Brian May’s masterpiece “Prophet Song”.

[@Rowenband]

Dear Amy. It's fun to see you evolve in rock. What i mean is you are like a teenager discover a music genre made for him. You are losing the distance you had at first and getting favorites amongst the few you now discovered. Not saying these are bad ones but there are many as good ones. Now you seem to put Mercury on top (because he loves and tried to do classic?). And Pink Floyd also because you listened a lot of their work. There are so many others that are as powerful, energetic, musically interesting, great singers, composers. I won't give names because i have my own favorites. Many people can give names of bands that really are unique and brought something new. What I want is not getting to influenced by those you discovered first. And Vlad seems to influence a lot too… I understand it's hard not to pay attention and keep a fresh mind. But I feel sometimes your opinions aren't as free as at the beginning.

[@craigplatel813]

So glad your doing early queen. My friends and I were listening to queen long before A night at the opera came out. We liked it, but our love was for the early queen.

[@randyvalantino6850]

From age 3 to 93 everyone loves freddie

[@simonk7937]

So many great tracks for you to discover, from the beautiful You take my breath away ( can't wait to see you react to this one ❤ ) , through to the beginnings of thrash metal with Stone Cold Crazy .. Enjoy the journey 😊

[@barbarjinx3802]

I’m very excited. March of the Black Queen and Prophets Song had better be on that list.

[@chelz1972]

Like Montserrat's first time singing/playing music with Friddie in his house, she immediately knew that he had conquered her... I think this is pretty common occurrence to all that hear and feel Freddie's musical genius.

[@alansmith1989]

1973. Never mind the USA- the UK was at the heights of "Glam Rock" in 1973. Big in the UK singles chart were, Slade, Gary Glitter, The Sweet, T, Rex, Wizzard, Mott the Hoople, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Geordie `and` The Wombles. Big in the Album chart were Led Zeppelin, Faces, Pink Floyd, Yes, E.L.P, Genesis, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, etc. Also back in Focus were The Beatles via the two big selling double album sets of the hits, 1962-66 and 1967-70. Regarding Queen, though the single flopped - as did, initially the album, they did get noticed. Personally, I still regard `Queen I` their best album, because (For me) it is a sheer slab of real Hard Rock!