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Queen & Adam Lambert @ Rod Laver Arena!!

Filed Under () by Adam Lambert on Monday, September 8, 2014

Posted at : Monday, September 08, 2014


At what point should a band call it a day? When they run out of new ideas? When they’re down to one or two original members? When they can’t stand to be around each other? Queen has never been a band for such concerns. Since the death of Freddie Mercury (and the departure of bass player John Deacon) they’ve continued on in various forms with various vocalists, sometimes as a one-off and sometimes as something more substantial; George Michael’s rendition of Somebody To Love from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was a bona fide hit, while they collaborated with Free’s Paul Rodgers from 2004 to 2009, releasing the album The Cosmos Rocks. But something was missing with Rodgers. His earthier vocal texture and middle-aged rock moves didn’t quite capture the aura of Queen. Enter Mr. Adam Lambert. How does he stack up to Freddie Mercury?

Well here’s the thing: it’s tempting to make comparisons between Lambert and Mercury. Two dudes with huge vocal ranges, both with a flair for the flamboyant. Lambert succeeds where Rodgers couldn’t. His vocal style is far more supple and elastic than Rodgers’ forced but classic texture, and his sense of showmanship and movement is far more arena-sized. And most crucially, he remains faithful to Queen’s songs – the vocal melodies, the attitudes, the intentions, the fun. Lambert isn’t trying to be Freddie, but nor is he trying to mess with the vocal melodies. He utterly sells it, and has an obvious understanding of, and connection to, the material. Ever see a singer performing someone else’s material and you just know that they have no idea what the song is actually about? That never seemed like a concern with Lambert.

Read more:
http://www.beat.com.au/music/queen-adam-lambert-rod-laver-arena

3 comments:

Anne Marie said...

Very fair review.

Anne Marie said...

I didn't know that Adam was so sick in N. Z. that they called a doctor in. He has been trained to sing when he has a cold, and I did notice on the N.Z. videos he was singing in lower notes through most of the songs. But he did do superbly, and still made jokes. Doc must have given him something pretty good. Of course he has to guard his voice very carefully. Some one else might have a cold, but for Adam he must be extra careful, since this is his livelihood.

JAK said...

That was a very perceptive review.

I'm sorry to hear Adam was sick, I hope he's feeling better. Perhaps all that licking was not a good idea!