(ed.note 3/9/04 - because we have enjoyed the informational content of the comments over the past year, we republish it for our edification and education)
(ednote: or Formative Years: Appendix A)
For all of you who read through the lengthy blog epic Formative Years, a couple weeks ago ... I bring you this question ... who is Farrokh Bulsara ... and no, he's not another evil guy played by Kevin Spacey
Yes, you do know him ... and actually today since it is a dark ugly mess outside I decided to catch up with my DVD viewing
Let me tell you, yes, I do feel foolish piling up DVD acquisitions that just SIT ... and SIT ... and SIT ... still wrapped in the plastic ... I wonder if Circuit City still sells DVDs for 14.99 ... YES, it has been THAT long ...ha
So, I've actually found a music DVD company that I like a lot ... Pioneer ... they have really NICE sounding DVDs
And what better way to start the DVD fest ....
QUEEN: We Will Rock You (1982): A
What can I say ... well. this period in Queen's history is pretty interesting, it's well before the revitalization that came after the stunning performance at 1985's LIVE AID ... its the latter portion of the tour in support of the massively popular THE GAME ... and the show contains so much of the early Queen material, it's like the swan song for the first part of their career --- only to reemerge strong again with Works: Radio GaGa, the Highlander music, the Iron Eagle (yeah Lou Gossett, that one) era return to the hard rock sound of QUEEN ...
of course, as you all know by now, QUEEN has always had a special place in my lexicon of musical taste ... so many hits, so many just great great songs:
"Bohemian Rhapsody", the 80s cheesefest "Another One Bites The Dust", the uplifting "Somebody To Love" ... if someone were filming a documentary of my formative years, they could make the soundtrack all QUEEN -- it would just match so well
I have heard that in the UK that QUEEN is only second to the hearts of the many, second only to those oldfarts The Beatles ... ha ... just kidding, maybe
Their reputation is built on being a spectacular live band ... I have never had the opportunity to see them live (actually I think they are planning on touring and recording again, but to me, it just isn't the same without the main man --- that energy bomb of flamboyance power and mystique ... yeah Mr. Mustachio)
So this DVD is filmed live from Montreal in 1981 ... the audience is bland .. perhaps if they performed in Japanese (see the DVD, inside joke) .. but they put on quite the show
ok, so its a QUEEN concert film ... guess what you get? ... that's right, Fred Fred and more Fred ... never was there a more powerful voice in rock/hard rock genre... maybe never was there a more powerful presence on stage (though one may argue that a few match the sheer CHARISMA and FORCE of his personality)
So what about the other members of the band ... no one wants to look at old gaptooth mustachio for 90 mins do they??? ... ha ... actually Brian May gives a really solid performance, and shows why he may be the most UNDERrated of the great guitar players of the golden era of hard rock
I think what's pretty interesting about this show is the feel of newness to those tracks we all know and love from THE GAME ... Pressure (yeah, during this wonderful performance you look back and think sheesh, what if that BMX GOOF from Miami did not record over it and nearly RUIN it), Dust, Dragon, Crazy Little Thing, etc. ... and then seeing some of the classics live, many of which I had only listened to before or seen music vids for: "Let Me Entertain You", "Somebody To Love", "Killer Queen", "Now I'm Here", "Keep Yourself Alive", "Sheer Heart Attack", "We Will Rock You (a really hot PUNK raw take to open the show"), "We Are The Champions", and "Bohemian Rhapsody"... and an unplugged (innovators before their time) version of "Love of my life" that is a true showstopper
What you see is one of the most influential rock bands of all time giving another fantastic performance ... and maybe the second best concert film I've seen next to the numero uno of the genre: Talking Heads-Stop making sense and Led Zeppelin's Song Remains the Same (now remastered and FANTASTIC)
It's just fun watching for days like today - under a pale grey sky ... it's even fun to watch with subs on to have your own Queen karaoke party ... ha
The DVD has some interesting features, a director commentary which I haven't listened to yet ... a Queen trivia game ... oh yeah, did I say it is mastered in THX ... too bad I'm not rich enough to enjoy it like that ... but its an option
(ed.note: oh yeah, Farrokh Bulsara is the given name of the Tanzania-born greatest pop star that never was ...but British gift to the world of rock, FREDDIE MERCURY)
Once again, the Luau salutes one of the BEST performers in Rock History ... RIP, eleven and a half years after AIDS took your body, your legacy and spirit lives on in the music and performances
(ed.note:next for the Luau: a review of BILLY IDOL:Storytellers ... you won't want to miss that one.... HAAAAA, RIGHT!)
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Anyone who likes Queen, rules^^ You can find some of his biography as well as biography of other Queen members at www.allmusic.com
Hf
in a biography I read on him, freddie had a great sense of humor but was very shy, his friends say that when you were on his good side though he was really cool and funny and stuff but they also said when he didn't get his way he got very angry and had a bad temper I guess and he liked mexican and indian food. A good site to find a biogrpahy like that on freddie is WWW.BIOGRAPHY.COM there should be a place where you can search for freddie
I am trying to find a biography/documentary on Fred's life. I can't seem to find any.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I'm especially interested in his personal life and the type of person he was.
Hi,
You asked about the origin of Freddy's name. It is Persian [aka Parsi aka Iranian] as are his features. He is Persian, and definately not an Arab of any kind.
I believe he was of the Zoroastrian faith [Not 100% sure. This part is just a guess] which would explain the schooling in India. A lot of Persians moved there 1480 odd years ago when the Persian empire was invaded by the Muslems.
The decendants of the old persians have kept their faith alive there and still prosper to this day. They have their own schools and practice their faith openly. They also still speak Parsi [which is the proper name of the language not Farsi as some call it,] and mostly keep to themselves and try to marry among their own.
Anyway there is a tiny blurb about him and other famous Parsi people in http://www.parsicommunity.com/ParsiLegends/FreddieMercury.htm
BTW, I just found out about this stuff myself. I did not know his true name until half our ago even though I have loved his music for a long time. I'm not affiliated with the above website in any way. I just found out about them 30 seconds ago :)
Does anyone know the origin of Freddie's brith name: Bulsara, Farrokh?.
Interesting name, Egyptian?
I love the guy and his music.
Too bad he died so young, he had so much to offer.
Janett
"Mary Austin, his ex-girlfriend, who took care of him during his last moments inherited most of his fortune and his mansion in England. The mansion is still decorated in Freddie's taste of antiques, etc. Ms. Austin still resides in the mansion to date."
She was rarely their to help take care of him - for she was pregnant. His two personal assistants, Joe Fanelli and Peter Freestone, and his lover Jim Hutton were the three that really took care of him. It seems unfair to say she took care of him, when really it wasn't her at all, but those three men - two of whom have written biographies on Freddie, and the other who died of AIDS shortly after Freddie.
Doesn't matter how you spell it.
The year IS 1980.
On Freddie's birth certificate, his name is spelled Farrokh. His family, however, chose to spell it Farookh.
Freddie was not able to drive.
La pagina esta muy buena.
Mary Austin, his ex-girlfriend, who took care of him during his last moments inherited most of his fortune and his mansion in England. The mansion is still decorated in Freddie's taste of antiques, etc. Ms. Austin still resides in the mansion to date.
One of Freddie's favorite dishes was lamb pot pie.
Freddie liked to be pampered and taken care of. He could not cook, he could not even boil water for his tea. During an interview he commented that he would not make a good housewife.
Freddie had a total of seven cats. Sometimes when he was away from home and he missed his beloved cats, he would call home and baby talked to all seven of them, just so they would not miss him.
That's true, he was born in Zanzibar (Africa). Went to school in India though.
Freddie M was not born in India,dear.