All Hail the Queen

Most people have a go to music album to suit their mood. I am no different. I have Queensryche to assist my need for cathartic singing. I have Indigo Girls for singing along on road trips. I have a host of classic metal for times when I just need to release some angst. Then I have my happy music: Queen.

My earliest memories of listening to Queen are from when I was still in elementary school. I recall going to the drive-in movie theater out by the Air Force base. It's gone now (the theater not the base), but I distinctly recall hearing Queen over the little metal speaker. I remember waiting for the movie to start and hearing this song begin:

Love his hat in that one. Good ol' Freddie and his fashion choices.

I remember how that bass line just caught my attention. I asked my parents if they could turn up the speaker, which I don't think they were thrilled about doing. Perhaps they were just surprised; I have no idea, but I was quite taken with the song. It's still one that I turn up louder when it comes on the radio.

I also recollect when Queen performed at Live Aid. I tuned in mainly for U2, but Queen's set blew my little fifth grade mind! Freddie's strutting and Brian May with his signature hair, what more can you ask for right? You can catch the whole set at Rollingstone's Video Flashback.  I defy you not to sing and clap along with "Radio Ga-Ga." Mercury was a master at getting the crowd as evidenced by his echo response vocalization after "Ga-Ga." I think it was the first time I really connected the name Queen with the songs I had heard on the radio.

In high school I was treated to their soundtrack for Highlander.

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Christopher Laaaaaaaam-bert. Thus began my Scottish fetish. 

 

Still one of the most stirring rock ballads I have ever known. Breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. Astounding. This is what a benchmark looks like.

Thing is, I never owned a Queen album growing up. It wasn't until college that I realized how great having access to their collection was. My college roommate had volumes 1&2 and it made excellent homework music or play cards music. It was due to her influence that I first heard this, my favorite Queen song:

At work, the Queen station on Pandora is a staple of my day. It is generally safe from expletives save live The Who songs and it always gives me a boost when I am low. I was appalled when Pandora's algorithm tried to sneak "Ice, Ice Baby" in. As if I wouldn't notice! Grrr. I stopped that dead in its tracks with an indignant thumbs down.

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Uh-huh-uh Pandora. 

Forgive the gap--Blogger seems to think Nedry needs a big lead in.

A friend of mine will be getting married soon. She is thinking of having this song as her wedding march:

I don't think there's anything to think about. It's the perfect song for a wedding. I highly encourage her to just do it.  

And there you have it. My go to happy music. It makes me sing. It makes me dance. It makes me feel good. If you can't sing along to at least one Queen song besides "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "We Will Rock You/We are the Champions," you are missing out. If you don't like Queen, I don't think we can be friends. 

All hail the Queen!