Browsing my YouTube suggestions and I just happen to see that Queen’s Queen 1 album has been remastered and on sale on October 24th, and as a show of what they’ve done to the original material, they have published a video of The Night Comes Down.
I have high expectations as I love the first two Queen albums, both underrated in my opinion.
So let’s have a look at the video and hear this remastering.
What the fuck in all that is holy is this shit meant to be!!!!
First let’s shit on the video. What the fuck is this AI generated bollocks. For fuck’s sake, show some archive material, unseen photos, ANYTHING. But no, give some failed media studies student a licence to AI and botch this fucking video.
Jesus fucking wept. But… but… but… it gets worse.
Who on fucking earth thought pitch-correcting Freddie Mercury’s voice was a good idea? Brian? Roger? Own up.
And what cretinous twat thought “Yeah that’s good, publish it” and dare to charge £150 for a fucking box set. Get the fuck out of here.
It’s like taking a masterpiece painting and deciding it needs a bit of digital touch-up because, you know, Van Gogh might have missed a spot. Freddie Mercury possessed one of the most iconic and versatile voices in rock history. His voice was a marvel of nature, a blend of raw power, emotional depth, and technical brilliance that could send shivers down your spine.
First off, let’s talk about the sheer audacity of it. Freddie’s voice was not just about hitting the right notes; it was about the emotion, the grit, and the unique timbre that made every performance unforgettable. He had a natural vibrato that was slightly faster than most classically trained singers, giving his voice a distinctive, almost otherworldly quality. His ability to switch between a smooth, operatic tone and a gritty rock growl was unparalleled. This wasn’t just singing; it was storytelling through music.
Pitch correction, on the other hand, is a tool designed to smooth out imperfections, to make everything sound polished and perfect. But Freddie’s voice wasn’t about perfection in the conventional sense. It was about the imperfections that made it human, relatable, and deeply moving. The slight cracks, the occasional off-note, these were not flaws but features that added to the authenticity and emotional impact of his performances.
So what if he was flat or sharp on some notes, who in 40 years said this needed fixing? Brian May as the fucking audacity to say “Queen I is the debut album we always dreamed of bringing to you.” Fuck off Brian, and that’s something I’d never hear myself say.
Moreover, Freddie’s vocal technique was incredibly sophisticated. He used subharmonics, a technique where the ventricular folds vibrate along with the vocal cords, to add a rich, growling undertone to his voice. This is a technique typically used by Tuvan throat singers and is incredibly difficult to master. Pitch correction can’t replicate this complexity; it can only flatten it, stripping away the layers of nuance that made Freddie’s voice so special.
And let’s not forget the historical and cultural context. Freddie Mercury was a trailblazer, a pioneer who pushed the boundaries of what rock music could be. His voice was a crucial part of that legacy. To pitch-correct it is to misunderstand and undermine the very essence of what made him a legend. It’s like trying to “improve” the Mona Lisa with a Snapchat filter.
Pitch-correcting Freddie Mercury’s voice is not just unnecessary; it’s sacrilegious. It’s a disservice to his memory and to the millions of fans who cherish his music. Freddie’s voice was perfect in its imperfection, a testament to the power of human expression. Let’s celebrate it for what it was, not try to mould it into something it was never meant to be.
What troubles me is that the Queen 2 album will be in the firing line next, and I fucking love that album especially Side Black. I dread to think of how they’re going to fuck up Ogre Battle, The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke, Nevermore and The March of the Black Queen.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think there’s ever a place for pitch correction in music, or should we always strive to preserve the raw, authentic sound of artists?[/vc_column_text]
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