Entering the world of light and shadow, feeling the taste of life, hello everyone, today I recommend a biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody", which was released in 2018 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of queen. The title is their famous work, this song is slightly unfamiliar in China, but overseas, this song is more popular than "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions", he is also the highest-selling single in British history, interested friends can search and listen to it. The film tells the story of freddie Mercury, the band's soul lead singer, from joining the band in 1970 to performing live at Wembley Stadium in 1985. These, the film has been accurately restored. But Freddie Mercury herself is more exciting than the film tells.
"I was born with four more front teeth than others, more space in my mouth, and a wider vocal range."
Freddie Mercury, whose original name was Farrokh Bulsara, was born on September 5, 1946 in Tanzania, East Africa. Both parents are Parsi and there is a younger sister below. In India he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother and aunt.
When the Zanzibar Revolution broke out in 1964, 18-year-old Freddy fled the war with his family and moved to London. He later entered The Isleworth School of Technology in West London to major in art. After graduation, in order to earn a living, Freddy took many jobs and joined some orchestras, but eventually ended in dissolution.
It wasn't until April 1970 that they met Roger Taylor and Brian May, when the two had formed the Smile Band, but the band was facing a lead singer's exodus crisis, so Freddy volunteered to join the band. In 1971, at Freddy's suggestion, the band name was changed from Smile to Queen, and bassist John Deacon joined the band, and the band lineup was fixed. It is worth mentioning that due to Freddy's teeth, at first the two did not look at Freddy differently, Freddy immediately performed, spanning four octaves of loud singing voice completely conquered the two.
In this regard, Freddy said, "I was born with four more front teeth than others, with more oral space and a wider vocal range. "In fact, spanning a range of about four octaves, this is not something that ordinary people can do. God let Freddy be born with a physical defect, but became a stepping stone on his road to superstardom.
"He went beyond the limits. I've only seen him in the sing once, and it turns out, indeed, as the legend goes, that he's a man who can hold the audience in the palm of his hand. ”
After joining the band, his first performance fascinated everyone, his dress, his voice, his enthusiastic, uninhibited and gorgeous stage style, making this rock and roll outlier become either a clown or a legend in the music world in the future.
In 1973, Queen signed with EMI Records and its recording manufacturer Trident. In July of the same year, he released his debut studio album "Queen" and officially debuted. In March 1974, he released his second studio album Queen II, which entered the US market. The album Queen II reached number five on the UK Pop Chart album charts, and the band began to emerge. In November, the third studio album, Sheer Heart Attack, was released; the album finished number one on the UK Pop Chart and the album track Killer Queen also finished second on the Singles Chart; the album also opened up the band's popularity throughout Europe.
In 1975, he released his fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera, which topped the UK Pop Chart album chart for four weeks and sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. The album combines classical music, opera, art rock, avant-garde rock and other genres, including songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Love of My Life"; among them, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been called "Rock Opera" by critics, and the song has won the UK Pop Chart for nine consecutive weeks after its release, and the Guinness Book of World Records has been certified "britain's greatest song ever". Of all the songs that came out in the 20th century, it had the highest web traffic (at least 1.6 billion).
In 1976 and 1977, he continued to release albums A Day at the Races and News of the World, the latter of which include We Are The Champions and We Will Rock You. The two tracks are often used at various sporting events, and "We Will Rock You" was chosen as the official theme song for the World Cup in the United States in 1994.
From 1978 to Freddy's death on November 24, 1991, the band released albums such as Jazz, Live Killers, The Game, Hot Space, The Works, A Kind of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo, and two selections, Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits II. They have achieved remarkable results, and the singles and albums have won countless awards, including the collection "Greatest Hits" has become the highest-selling album in the UK, with more than 6 million copies sold in the UK and more than 25 million copies worldwide, of which 10 of the 17 tracks were composed by Freddy. Queen's great success in becoming a world-class band is inseparable from the efforts of each team member, but even more inseparable from Freddy's personal charm.
Freddy's vocal range spans about four octaves (F2-E6). His usual voice falls within the baritone range, but he sings more than the range to the tenor. Biographer David Bright described Freddie's voice this way: "He can transition in a few bars from a low, husky rock voice to a gentle, bright tenor, and then to a perfectly pointed flower cavity, where the highest part of the vocal range is crystal pure." ”
Composition is characterized by the inclusion of musical genres, including piano, rock, heavy metal rock, mountain rock, punk and disco, etc. These are particularly prominent in Bohemian Rhapsody. Although his compositions are musically complex, he himself has mentioned that he hardly reads scores. He usually composes music on the piano.
Producer Roy Thomas Baker, who once worked with the Queen, talks about the story he first heard of Bohemian Rhapsody: "Freddie sat in his own house and suddenly said, 'I have a song in my head.'" He started sitting in front of the piano and played... Then he suddenly stopped and said, 'Now, my dear, I'm going to add an opera section here.' From the beginning, the song suddenly enters the opera part, then suddenly turns to rock, and finally returns to lyricism. It can be seen that Freddy's composition is not heavy on craftsmanship, does not care about the proficiency of skills, nor does it lie in showing off skills, and creates according to feelings. In addition, it is worth mentioning that this "Bohemian Rhapsody" lasted nearly 6 minutes, which was far beyond the limit of 2-3 minutes of radio broadcast at that time, and finally because one of the band's avid fans played it privately on the radio, the song was released.
On stage, Freddy is known for his dramatic ornate performances and is often hailed as one of the greatest performers in the history of pop music. Freddy himself attaches great importance to his stage image, and he once proudly told reporters: You see not only a concert, but also a fashion show. On stage, he tried hundreds of different styles, in Japanese kimono style, low V jumpsuit, white vest plus jeans, shorts plus scarf, women's clothing, white bat sleeve tops, set off by these gorgeous costumes, coupled with Freddy's ability to drive the audience, for the audience to watch, it is tantamount to an audiovisual feast.
Freddy performed about 700 performances with Queen, during which he conquered the audience with his unique shape, domineering typhoon, and extremely wide voice. In the years that followed, they conquered the world with creative talent and an infectious style of acting, and he created a superstar style that was eye-catching. Freddy is like a supernova, burning violently and emitting dazzling starlight. Become a well-deserved legend in the music industry.
The "Live Aid" concert in 1985 was the highlight of Freddy's life. The concert featured hundreds of stars, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Another Rock 'n' Roll legend U2, and former Beatles member Paul McCartney. Two hours later, the concert in Philadelphia, USA, began, echoing from afar. 140 countries broadcast live via satellite and 1.5 billion people watched the concert.
On stage, Freddy combed her big back, wore white tank top jeans, and held a microphone, singing classic songs such as "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions". His penetrating voice, tense interpretation, and infectious enthusiasm quickly led to the enthusiasm of the audience, the fans collectively sang, the singing sounded through the sky, and the concert fundraising also exceeded 1 million pounds. In the decades since, it has been recognized as the greatest rock and roll performance of all time.
"One thing that's absolutely undeniable about Freddie is his stage charm" "When he's on stage, with half a microphone, or sitting at the piano, he feels capable of anything. What's amazing about him is that he can communicate with everyone in the audience and make everyone feel that way – he's talking to you, as if you're the only listener in the room – and it's this unique sense of communication that makes him the most unique, outstanding, and revolutionary artist of our time or at any time. ”
Singer David Bowie, who attended the Freddy Tribute concert and recorded the Single Under Pressure with Queen, described him this way: "Of all the rock singers who have reached the level of drama, Freddy still far outperforms everyone else." "He went beyond the limits. I've only seen him in the sing once, and it turns out, indeed, as the legend goes, that he's a man who can hold the audience in the palm of his hand. Musically, Mercury and Queen pioneered the combination of glam rock and rock and opera, influencing many later bands, including many metal bands now.
"Honey, the most important thing in life is to live a wonderful life, as long as you live a wonderful life, I don't care how long I live!"
Freddy was a controversial figure who had great musical success while fame and fortune did not allow him to escape some of the fate of a rock genius. There is a great contrast in him. On stage, he is gorgeous and domineering, but in life he is shy, shy and introverted. In addition, in the process of interacting with his girlfriend Mary, he discovered his own orientation problems. The two broke up 7 years later. But the two maintained a good relationship, and Mary became the love of his life until Freddy's death.
Fans are divided as to why he has this contrast, but I prefer a statement, "A disapproval of one's own identity, one cannot find a sense of belonging." ”
First, Freddy was born in Tanzania, East Africa, and arrived in London at the age of 18 because of his flight. This is not his choice, if you analyze from his friend's saying that he is shy, introverted personality, the turbulent and displaced life can not produce enough security for him who is emotionally delicate. The problem of his orientation made him a marginal person outside the British mainstream at that time.
Second, Freddy's whole family were devout Zoroastrians, and Freddy was not too interested in these. The father's old-fashioned, strict and freddy fiery collision does not produce any spark, which makes Freddy feel no sense of belonging to the original family. He had a perfect family, but lived like an orphan. While he changed his name, personally, it felt more like a symbol, and perhaps he wished he had been born again from his previous life. As we say every day, "God closes a door for you, but he also opens a window for you." In the family, Freddy, who could not find a sense of belonging in society, found enthusiasm in music. So he is passionate about creation and prefers the stage.
"What's it like to sing to so many people?" When I saw them listening to me singing in earnest and being infected by my songs, I became the person I always wanted to be. I have nothing to fear. Freddy knows that only here, only on the stage, he can really be himself, do not have to hide, do not have to suppress, perhaps the gorgeous and uninhibited on the stage is the real self. Even if it is only for a while, he must seize the opportunity to express himself. At the same time, he also hopes to gain public recognition. It is precisely because of this that Freddy will actively interact with the audience on the stage, there will be classic songs such as "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You", "We Are The Champions", and there will be the shocking scene of the chorus of thousands of people.
However, when the stage finally ends, the more successful the concert, the more lonely Freddy will be off the stage. This huge psychological gap he can only make up for in another way, drugging, alcoholism, promiscuity, life is extremely luxurious. Around 1980, he began to go to same-sex places and bathing grounds, and since then there have been many male partners around him, which has made him controversial. In 1985, he began a long-term relationship with Jim Hutton. Tested for AIDS in 1987, Hutton spent the last six years of Freddy's life with and caring for him, and was one of the last few people at his bedside before his death.
One of the things that touched me in the movie was that when he returned to the team and informed his teammates of his illness, he said, "I don't want sympathy, it's up to me to decide what I do, I'm born to be only one kind of person, a singer." When he said this, there was no helplessness in his eyes, no loneliness, only perseverance and self-confidence, just like he had once performed arbitrarily on the stage. I knew that although physically he began to suffer, his heart had reached a peace that he had never felt before.
Freddy passed away on 24 November 1991 at the age of 45, officially from pneumonia caused by AIDS. He once said, "Honey, the most important thing in life is to live wonderfully, as long as you live wonderfully, I don't care how long I live!" "From the release of the album in 1973 to his death, it was only 18 years, and in these 18 years, he brought us a different kind of wonderful, and painted a lot of color on the history of rock and roll. Until the last moment of his life, he was making music. Walking with the music he likes, I think, he must have walked very peacefully.
Finally, let's go back to the movie, the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" after its release, won more than 30 awards in major film awards. The film has a large description of Freddy's experience after joining the band, the plot is more, but most of them are sloppy and flowery, and do not dig deep, so the plot is general; and the restoration of the final "Live Aid" concert is almost 1:1 is our biggest surprise. If your understanding of Queen is a little white, then this movie can be viewed as an introductory movie; if you are an iron fan of Queen, you can also go with your own point of view. If you are not satisfied, we don't have to complain, after all, we are going with Freddy, and we hope that he can perform in another place.
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