Freddie #25: Mustapha

A lot of casual Queen fans and non-Queen fans (if such a thing truly exists!), may have never heard the song Mustapha. It is from the Jazz album, which didn't fare as well in the US as A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and News of the World (the albums immediately preceding Jazz).

Anyway, it is an interesting song that seems to draw on Freddie's childhood in Zanzibar and India.

Freddie #24- NPR's Special, "Rock'N'Roll's Humble Showman"

Here is a link to a nice story NPR did for their 50 Great Voices segment.

Here is a small excerpt:

Lambert, as an openly gay performer, says he owes a debt to Mercury's flamboyance decades ago.

"There's definitely something missing in today's music scene," he says. "We don't have a lot of men on stage doing flamboyant or theatrical. We have a lot of female pop stars doing it, but where are the guys? Where's the classic pop-rock showman?"

Freddie Mercury Post 23: Epic Lyrics and Hilarious Ad-libbing

I think Freddie was the best lyricist in Queen, which is not to malign the skills of the others. Come on, can many lyricists fare well when compared to Freddie?

Anyway, off the top of my head, here are a couple of the funniest ad-lib lyrics I can think of:

"Bring on the girls! Come on, come on, come on!" -from "Princes of the Universe"

"Shorty, all right" -from "Don't Stop Me Now"

And here are some of my favorite Freddie lyrics:

I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things
We can do the tango just for two
I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings
Be your Valentino just for you -from "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy"

Oh how wrong can you be
Oh to fall in love
Was my very first mistake
How was I to know
I was far too much in love to see

Jealousy, look at me now
Jealousy, you got me somehow
You gave me no warning
Took me by surprise
Jealousy, you lead me on

You couldn't lose
You couldn't fail
You had suspicion on my trail
How, how, how, oh my jealousy
I wasn't man enough
To let you hurt my pride
Now I'm only left with my own jealousy -from "Jealousy"

Recommended at the price
Insatiable an appetite
Wanna try? -from "Killer Queen"


I am forever searching high and low
But why does everybody tell me no
Neptune of the seas have you an answer for me please
The lily of the valley doesn't know -from "Lily of the Valley"

Well I've loved a million women
In a belladonic haze
And I ate a million dinners
Brought to me on silver trays
Give me ev'rything I need
To feed my body and my soul -from "Keep Yourself Alive"



I like way more than just those, but I tried to pick some that would be a representative sample. :)

Freddie #22- My Favorite Track from Barcelona

This is my favorite track from the album that Freddie did with Montserrat Caballe, called "The Fallen Priest".




Awesome vocals. Haunting music. Epicness.

Oh So Far Behind! Day 21 of Freddie Mercury

Here's a blog about how Freddie was the Dostoyevsky of Music!

Here is an excerpt from the blog:

"
 His songs had most diverse kind of lyrics and it was a mixture of music, ideas and philosophies of Rene Descartes Jean Jack Russo, Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Little Richard and  Jimi Hendrix. Most of his songs were inspired by magic and fantasy. But he spoke of deep philosophy through  his music. 
 In the song, My fairy King Freddie Mercury comes with a classic prose and poetry that narrates a fantasy land. Although the situation imagined and it does not correspond with reality, it expresses the desire and aims of the singer to detach from the realism.   
 In the land where horses born with eagle wings
And honey bees have lost their stings
There’s singing forever to you
Lions den with fallow deer
And rivers made from wines so clear
Flow on and on forever
Dragons fly like sparrows thru’ the air
And baby lambs where Samson dares
To go on"

A Freddie Mercury Intermission: Bad Moods

I've fallen behind a bit on my Freddie Mercury blogging goal; I intend to remedy this within the next couple of days. In the mean time, if you really hate reading/listening to people bitch and complain, stop reading here.

I'm sick and tired of having so many ups and downs. For a bit of each day I will feel fine (or my version of fine, which is not really "fine" at all if you go by the definition). Then the following feelings will come in no particular order: anxiety, sadness, a deeper sadness, anger, annoyance, irritability and worthlessness. Potentially a mild panic attack may also occur.

Some days are better than others, of course, with more time spent feeling "fine". Certain weekdays are particularly bad for me. I don't know why with any certainty. But look out for extra online bitching and whining on Thursdays and Fridays.

I'm so tired of it. It's making my OCD worse. By that I don't mean washing my hands or checking locks obsessively. I mean dark, hurtful imagery that pops into my mind unbidden. And repeatedly. Very disturbing images. If you've experienced it you'll know what I mean. If you haven't you might think I'm either a freak or an extra big whiner. (I mean if it's not a gaping wound or horrid disease I should just shut up and quit complaining right?!)

The past few months have been extra stressful for me. I am trying to work through my issues, but I know that I haven't been doing it in the best possible way. It's hard when I feel like I can't rely on myself to have my own best interests at heart.

I get angry and I want to lash out at those who are close to me, particularly if I feel that they have contributed to my stress. All that accomplishes is alienating myself, hating myself for feeling petty/vengeful, and causing those close to me stress and/or grief. I'm sick of it.

However, if I try to hold it in or ignore it, it boils over and eats at me from the inside. I've tried talking to those I'm angry with, and while I might feel better while talking to them there is no real resolution to my issues. I wish I could just walk away from everything, but that's not possible.

I think most of all I am angry and disappointed in myself. I like to think of myself as a nice and understanding person, but my actions don't always measure up to that. That only furthers my feelings of self loathing and worthlessness.

I know I'm not the only one with problems, both emotional and otherwise, but that doesn't diminish my daily struggle. Sure, I appreciate that things could be worse. But does that mean that my problems are nothing? People tell me to think of the good things I have going for me, but that doesn't negate the problems I have. I know they mean well and want me to be happy, but I also feel like they are just tired of hearing me complain. They just want me to be happy. Honestly, I don't know how to just be happy. I don't know that it is that simple.

Not to say that I don't have happy times, because I do. They are just interspersed between lots of negative feelings. The cycles of feelings are what exhaust me so much. I just want to be content. To hell with happy. I'll leave that for when I've been content long enough to slide into boredom. (Don't want to aim too high!)

I really feel like doing mean and angry things right now. I want to piss people off. I want to make them hurt. I'm tired of taking everything to heart when others can just walk away from a situation and carry on like nothing happened (well, I know that isn't totally true, but I seem to have more trouble letting go than others do; not their fault, but they don't always take my feelings into account when doing shit that affects me).

I'm just tired of it. I wish I could just not care. I don't want to care any more. It hasn't gotten me much thus far. I'm just not like that. Yet. I feel myself becoming more apathetic and detached at times. I know that's not a healthy goal, but I'm sick of emotional pain. I'm sick of being sick of it.

If you've survived this far into my emotionally immature rant, thanks (I guess; maybe I'm sorry would be more appropriate).

Freddie Day 20: Shout Out to Another Freddie Blogger

I found a blog post with the title: "I'm in Love with My Car: My Masculine Relationship With Freddie Mercury". Never mind that that song was written by Roger Taylor; cars play a role in the post. Still, with a title like that I had to read on. According to the site it was published back in 1999. 

Here is a link to the blog. 


And here is an excerpt: 


Guess what was proudly taped on the inside of the toughest kid's locker? You got it: a centerfold poster from Circus of Freddie Mercury in a silver lame, spandex leotard, cut down to his pubic hair in the front and ass in the back, with the piece de resistance, a pair of pink ballet slippers.

Now, today, a kid in the same circumstances as the toughest kid (working class, willfully unintelligent, abusive, infamous bully) wouldn't dream of hanging something like that in a public place. But in the 70's? Honestly, he didn't know any better, and neither did I, nor did a lot of people. Freddie seemed a bit effeminate? That he did. And he kicked ass on songs like "Now I'm' Here" or "Death on Two Legs."

Day 19: Alaskan High School Choir Told They Couldn't Sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" Because Freddie Was Gay

Hmm. Not really sure why it matters if a singer/song writer is gay. I hope they don't play Gary Glitter in Alaskan, seeing how he's a pedophile and all.

Anyway, here is a link to the article: Freddie Mercury Too Gay for Wasilla.

Here is a small excerpt from the article:

"In the fairy tale kingdom that Sarah Palin built, there are no fairies.

According to the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman of Wasilla, the members of Wasilla High School’s symphonic jazz choir found out on Friday they wouldn’t be singing the popular Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” (from 1975′s A Night at the Opera) after all at this year’s graduation ceremony. Not because after working on it all year they couldn’t get a grip on the complex tune, but because…well, Freddie Mercury was gay."

Several Days Late, But Here's Day 18! House of Rock

How did I not know about House of Rock until today?! Freddie, John Denver, Notorious B.I.G., John Lennon, and Kurt Cobain all share a house in limbo. Before John Lennon joined in season 2, Mark Bolan lived in the house.

Anyway, here are some links to a couple of episodes. I don't think it'll be every Freddie fan's cup of tea, but I found it funny. Freddie is a very exaggerated character and much snarkier than the real Freddie. Still entertaining though.

Day 17: Freddie's Outrageous Outfits

Freddie wore some awesome outfits and costumes over the years. He was lean and (in my opinion) sexy, so he could pull off just about anything.

Here are some pics with him in a variety of outfits and costumes. Enjoy his awesomeness!

Freddie Mercury Day Sixteen: Freddie, as Featured in The Art of Manliness

Now that I've covered some of the more obvious topics about Freddie (how awesome he is, pop culture, cool pics, interesting quotes, etc.), I've been searching the internet for ideas of what to post about.

Today I found a cool blog called The Art of Manliness. A link to the full story is here.

Here is an excerpt of the page about Freddie Mercury:

...Of Glam, Freddie Mercury said in 1973, “We’re confident people will take to us, because although the camp image has already been established by people like Bowie and Bolan, we are taking it to another level. The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic. Glamour is part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageous instantly.”

Mercury was special. In the beginning, he experimented with bi-sexuality before fully embracing his homosexuality. “I’m as gay as a daffodil, my dear!” he once said. Freddie sang with an amazingly powerful voice with an astonishing range, wrote classic generational anthems, and rocked and inspired millions of people. Sadly, he was also one of the first famous people that AIDS took from us.

The post was written by Leah Morrigan.

I think it is an interesting take on Freddie Mercury's influence and how different people viewed him.

Day 15 of Freddie Mercury: Another Funny Freddie Poster

This image is from Motifake.com, which makes "demotivational" posters. :) It's nice to know there are other people out there that know how awesome Freddie is too!

Day 14 of Freddie Mercury: Live Recording of "When This Tired Old Body Wants to Sing"

Interesting recording with lots of nice pics of Freddie. I found this on YouTube last week and really enjoyed it.

Freddie Mercury Day 13: Very Judgemental Religious Take on Freddie's Life

I'm not bashing religion here; just this particular page that uses Freddie's homosexuality and false religion to explain why he got AIDS.  His parents raised him as Zoroastrian. Yep, no religion but the writer's religion could possibly be true. *wink, wink*

Anyway, Freddie was above this kind of nonsense. I don't think it would have gotten to him much, if at all. I, on the other hand, find it both offensive and kind of hilarious at the same time. The arguments they pose are spurious at best, and they are all based on the writer's beliefs rather than any kind of facts.

Anyway, here is an excerpt of the hate-mongering website's take on Freddie Mercury's "tragic life" (which is listed under the heading The Spirit of Sodomy):


"The end-times spirit of Sodom was also evident in the events surrounding THE DEATH OF FREDDIE MERCURY (real name Frederick Bulsara), lead singer for the rock group Queen. Mercury was bi-sexual, and the group flaunted immorality and rebellion against biblical laws. Many of Queen's hard-rocking songs perennially remain popular rock anthems in sports stadiums and other forums. These include "We Will Rock You," "We Are Champions," and "Another One Bites the Dust." Their song "We Are the Champions" is an unofficial anthem of the homosexual liberation movement. Many of their songs are filthy and vile. Freddie Mercury said, "We want to shock and be outrageous" (Circus, April 1974). 

If you want to read the full vitriolic page, click here. 

I especially like how they don't get their facts right. A short list of errors I noticed right away include: Freddie's real name, the group's immoral agenda, implying that Freddie was a devout Zoroastrian as an adult (he was raised in the faith but didn't really practice as an adult--nor did he identify himself as a follower),  and so on.

Anyway, my next post will be a happier one. I just thought I'd share this page that I accidentally found several years ago.

Day 12: Freddie Mercury in a Comic Book!

Rock 'n' Roll Comics, a set of comics featuring rock bands and stars, was published by Revolutionary Comics. I ordered the Queen comic they issued from either a magazine or comic ad when I was a teen. I wrote to the publisher and told him how much I really enjoyed the comic.

I was surprised when I actually got a personalized response. The person who wrote me back was the founder of Revolutionary Comics' father. We ended up writing back and forth for many years (and we're friends on Facebook now after that initial exchange over 16 years ago!).

He sent me some of the company's Tipper Gore's Comics and Stories comics as well. Very good stuff.

Anyway, I've still got my Queen comic stashed away in my collection of Queen items.

Here is the cover of the comic:

Day 11 of Mercury-Goodness

I have to say that I am happier during the times I'm posting about Freddie Mercury, so I suppose this is achieving the goal I set out for.

For today, we'll look at Freddie for a Day. I'm totally going to do this one of these days, hopefully this September when the MPT and FFAD are having a contest for the best costume and most original photo location. I need to get my outfit together though.

Anyway, it's a pretty fun concept. People get sponsors to pay them to dress as Freddie Mercury for a day. The money goes to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which was founded to fund AIDS charities and research.

For your amusement though, I did take a few pics of myself with an eyeliner mustache and a white muscle t-shirt. I need a "real" fake mustache if I decide to go with a mustache Freddie. I haven't decided yet. There are just so many awesome Freddie looks to choose from!Feel free to crack up at how silly I look. This is not a proper Freddie attempt. I was bored back in February of this year, and I played around with my Freddie look.

Freddie Mercury Day 10- Quotes

Here are some various quotes from Freddie. He had a good sense of humor. :)

"I always knew I was a star And now, the rest of the world seems to agree with me."

"I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend."

This is one of my favorite stories, but unfortunately I've read about six or seven different versions online. I couldn't find the original site that I saw it on, but this version is found on http://www.brianmay.com/queen/wwry/OZ/freddielives.html: Queen and The Sex Pistols were recording albums in London's West End when Sid Vicious wandered into the wrong studio to find Mercury alone at the piano." "Ah, Freddie Mercury, still bringing ballet to the massses are you?" hissed Vicious. "Oh yes, Mr Ferocious, dear," Mercury bit back. 'We are doing our best."

"I learned to fend for myself in boarding school. All the bullying- I had the odd schoolmaster chasing me. I was considered the arch poof."

“I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear.”

Dialogue

I think part of my problem as a writer of fiction is the fact that I don't usually sit down with the intent of writing a large passage. I tend to think and write in phrases, snippets (of both dialogue and exposition), and small scenes.

These pieces don't usually belong to any particular story that I'm working on. They just sort of pop in my head unbidden. Sometimes they are entirely random, it seems. Other times they are related to problems that have been on my mind at the time.

Today, for instance, I had this little snippet of dialogue pop into my head, "When you said you loved me, I should have run the other way...".

Generally scenes involving the "I love you" phrase in dialogue are romantically inclined or are heartfelt exchanges between family or friends. In this instance, the character is probably ruing the day she didn't heed the warning bells in her head when she heard this phrase from someone. Perhaps someone she had misgivings about or someone for whom the phrase "I love you" seemed out of character.

Maybe I can work it into a conversation in a story at some point. If not, it joins a large arsenal of snippets of writing I have yet to incorporate into projects.

Freddie Mercury Day Nine

I've been watching lots of Freddie Mercury videos, interviews, and special programs this past week or so. I found a series that had aired on the BBC on Saturday that was really sad. It is mainly about Kenny Everett, the British DJ and comedian, and his friendship with Freddie. It had lots of information about Freddie that I didn't know before watching it. Also, it introduced me to Kenny Everett, who I had only seen in a few video clips before; I never really knew who he was before.

Anyway, if you are interested in watching, here are all segments of the special:

Day Eight, Albeit a Day Late

I was out of town yesterday, so I didn't end up posting yesterday. Just means double duty today.

Today I am sharing a book that, to me, should have been marketed as a tongue-in-cheek comedy rather than as a serious book. I will say that I haven't read it, so maybe I'm being presumptuous and a bit of a snob to mock it. But just reading the premise of it makes me behave in such a fashion.

Here is the book cover and the synopsis:

On 24 November 1991 people all over the world mourned the untimely death of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of rock band Queen. But for the author, Mary Howis, her life would never be the same, as, from that day forward, she was aware of a strange presence around her; someone from the spirit world – the spirit that once was Freddie Mercury, known in the spirit world as ‘the Mercury Man’. Mary had been chosen for a special mission – to be an instrument for the spirit world, for Freddie, through which they could communicate. But why her? Why someone who, until the news reports of Freddie Mercury’s death, had never even heard of him? Mary tells the story of her spiritual journey of discovery from disbelief, self-doubt and denial to an absolute conviction that what she was experiencing was real, the messages she was receiving were true, and they were proof that life continues after death; that Freddie was still alive, in spirit form, and had much knowledge to impart to the world. Despite the ridicule she might face, Mary knew that she was destined to write this book, to tell her story – Freddie’s story – to the world, in the hope that it would bring comfort and hope to those who are suffering in their earthly bodies, who are grieving for loved ones, who are fearful of death. The message is clear: death is not the end, it is a new and exciting beginning.- Amazon.com


Which leads me to this video, which I've posted before. Still, I give this lady more credit than the author of the book mentioned above.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mercury Rising
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Freddie Mercury Day Seven! Freddie in Pop Culture

Freddie has a pervasive reach into many niches of pop culture. Here are a few examples (there are many, many more, but I can't do an exhaustive list or I'll never get any work done!):

Cromartie High School- There is a mute character that another character nicknames Freddie. When you see him, you'll see why. Below are a pic and video.

The other characters also have a Bohemian Rhapsody style pic as well:

An east African isopod was named after Freddie: the Cirolana mercuryi. An isopod is a type of a crustacean.

Sol Badguy, from the Guilty Gear video game series, is inspired by/based partially on Freddie Mercury. The name Badguy is from Freddie Mercury's solo album, "Mr. Bad Guy". Sol has the word "free" on his belt (the Queen song "I Want to Break Free") and his headband says "Rock You" (from Queen's "We Will Rock You"). Sol's real name is Frederick, Freddie for short (although Freddie Mercury's real name was Farrokh Bulsara). Sol's favorite band is supposed to be Queen, just like his creator, Daisuke Ishiwatari.

Freddie and Queen have often been referenced in television programs. I have noticed this the most in programs on Fox for some reason. Below are a few clips from some shows with references.








Cracked Freddie Mercury feature

Day Six (a day late, albeit): Freddie Mercury, the Statue!

I so need to see this statue in person. It is located in Montreux,Switzerland. It is close to Mountain Studios, a recording studio that Queen used.

I would love to visit this region anyway, as it looks so beautiful.