From the start, the success of Queen hinged heavily on their performances. This energy may have started in the studio, but on stage, Freddie Mercury reinstated everything a rock frontman could and should be.
His magnetism on stage and understanding of just how much a unique microcosm each performance became is also probably why he hated interviews for a long while. Like many of his peers, it was hard to enjoy something you knew was also, for the most part, out to get you. Which is also why most of the time, his demeanour was something akin to standoffish.
But on stage, all of this dissolved into nothing. Queen’s legacy lives on because of the live element and because of Brian May and Roger Taylor flat-out refusing to let it go – and in the best possible way. Most reunions (or bands who have continued after the passing of an integral member) have felt pretty forced of late, but with Queen, you know that it’s all coming from a place of honour.
And the best part is that it’s respectable, too. No one can ever replace Mercury. But each iteration thereafter has come with its own unique sparkle – even when it feels like there are fewer people along for the ride. After all, Queen has now been going for longer post-Mercury than when he fronted the band. And they’re still very much a part of modern culture. So what does that tell you?
In short, and beyond the unparalleled prowess of Mercury’s talents, it tells us that they’re a product of their own influences. Well, they’re much more than that. But everybody starts out a fan of something, and most greats come from studying the greats and becoming greater. And before we had Queen and Adam Lambert, they joined forces with Paul Rodgers.
Back then, some people weren’t really all that sure what to make of it. But true to form, May and Taylor re-focused on the importance of the live element, plus the general feeling that’s followed Queen through the ages – you either get it or you don’t. “If it doesn’t suit their palate, if they don’t like the idea, then that’s fine,” May told Classic Rock. “To be truthful with you, we’ve dealt with cynicism our whole career.”
Taylor criticised pre-judgements, saying that seeing them live is “the only way you’re going to know if this works or not”. But people who thought it was out of place didn’t realise just how much Free was a part of their DNA before they’d even formed. Without Fire & Water, many of Queen’s sonic characteristics probably wouldn’t have existed.
“There’s a reason for it, insofar as we both really grew up with Free’s music,” said May. “Paul Rodgers is a very big influence on us, because Free were out there while we were still at college. Free’s Fire & Water album is one of our real inspirations and influences.” He even went so far as to say Rodgers has “been a part of our history all along” and that Mercury was also a huge fan, one of the singers that influenced him the most. So when people worried Queen was diluting their legacy, the reality was anything but.
