More on Queen
Graycharles.com, the excellent Taylor Hicks blog, has an interesting little piece on Queen. Posted in the article is this link to Queen’s official forum where you can check out apoplectic Queen fans gnashing their teeth in despair over Queen’s impending AI appearance. They were OK with the band allowing the kids to perform their songs. But the crap really hit the fan when they found out that Queen actually makes an appearance with the kids. The thread really is quite the read.
Also posted in the GrayCharles piece, are quotes from Queen drummer Roger Taylor regarding “RockStar:INXS, ” the Idol-style reality series where surviving members of INXS auditioned contestants to be the new lead singer for the band: “‘Did it work out for them?’ Taylor asks. ‘I guess, if that’s the way they want to do it. I found it fascinating to watch, but I don’t think it did INXS any favors.'”
Interesting remarks from Roger Taylor. Let’s compare the two bands right now.
INXS is currently touring–playing to packed houses. They released a record of new music. The single from the record “Pretty Vegas” charted on Pop radio stations across the US and Canada. As a result of the series, INXS has a new front man–JD Fortune–whose youth and talent have re-energized the band.
Queen is still suffering the effects of losing Freddie Mercury, their incredibly charismatic and talented frontman. They are currently touring with the ex-lead singer of Bad Company, Paul Rogers, as their lead singer. At this point, they are basically an Oldies act.
Hmmm…who seems more relevant at this time? The band with a current Pop hit or the Oldies act?
I’ll admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about “Rock Star.” But the show proved to be very entertaining. And it did a much better job featuring rock music (my genre of choice) than “American Idol” has–Bo Bice notwithstanding. Sure, it was still a somewhat cheesy reality show. But it featured some truly talented singers and some really classic rock songs–songs I can’t imagine ever being featured on “Idol”. By the time “Rock Star’s” Top 5 rolled around, all my favorite contestants were still in it. I definitely can’t say the same for “Idol”.
The other thing I loved about “Rock Star”–the band made no pretense of leaving eliminations “up to the fans”. They used the world-wide email voting system as a focus group, but ultimately, the band made the final decision. Unlike “Idol”, the voting process appeared very transparent. In the end, I found the whole endeavor rather brilliant. Queen probably could have taken advantage of that deal. They should have.
Roger Taylor also had this to say about the “Idol” format, “I don’t think it should be confused with the music business. It’s TV entertainment, and usually the people who come out of it are just a flash in the pan.”
While “Idol” is TV entertainment for sure, it also creates Pop stars. Idol has become a major player in the music business. Or Queen would not agree to appear on the program…
