Song 590: This week the playlist recognizes Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, written by Freddie Mercury, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. Along with Prince 3 weeks ago, Carly Simon 2 weeks ago and Woody Guthrie last week, this week Queen appears for the first time in this bunch. I lived in the Chicago area back in the middle of the 1970s when this rocker got everyone stirred up. Unlike the majority of radio wave riders, it came with a quite unique form, not relying on the typical verse & chorus pattern that animates most hits, but instead running along a suite path going through differing segments one after another. As a songwriter, I found this an intriguing exception to the basic rules that we tune-crafters generally pursue, and, like Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Song 566), it inspired me to explore some additional options at least 2 or 3 times, opening the door to endless possibiities. In fact, even compared to that CS&N trailblazer, the Queen groundbreaker went a lot further from the traditional verse & chorus formula and into some rare encapsulating territory. Under the current pandemic situation, people might ask Is this the real life or Is this just fantasy? Are we caught in a landslide with no escape from reality? I'd say to anyone open your eyes, look up to the skies and see, and pay attention to the signs so you can know any way the wind blows.
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