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Freddie Mercury And Queen
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bands embodied the pure excess of the '70s like Queen. Embracing
the exaggerated pomp of prog-rock and heavy metal, as well
as vaudevellian music-hall, the British quartet delved deeply
into camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound
with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen's music
was a bizarre yet highly accessible fusion of the macho and
the fey. For years, their albums boasted the motto "no
synthesizers were used on this record," signaling their
allegiance with the legions of post-Led Zeppelin hard rock
bands. But vocalist Freddie Mercury brought an extravagant
sense of camp to the band, pushing them towards kitschy humor
and pseudo-classical arrangements, as epitomized on their
best-known song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." Mercury, it
must be said, was a flamboyant bisexual, who managed to keep
his sexuality in the closet until his death from AIDS in 1992.
Nevertheless, his sexuality was apparent throughout Queen's
music, from their very name to their veiled lyrics -- it was
truly bizarre to hear gay anthems like "We Are the Champions"
turn into celebrations of sports victories. That would have
been impossible without Mercury, one of the most dynamic and
charismatic frontmen in rock history. |
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