Raving Rockers Part I
February 26, 2007 by Jo Minor
Axl Rose
With Axl Rose, it’s a love or hate affair. He was the original vocalist of Guns ‘N Roses and only remaining original member left in the new lineup touring today.
Rose shot to fame (pun intended) during the illustrious years of the band in the early 90s - especially after the release of their landmark album Appetite For Destruction - and helped bring immense commercial success to the band with his soulful and energetic singing in songs like Welcome To The Jungle, Paradise City and Sweet Child O’Mine.
It was not all fine and dandy for Rose, though. His temperamental attitude got him and the rest of the band in hot soup in trouble several times, and was probably the reason why all the other members of the band started quitting Guns ‘N Roses one by one.
Rose has landed the band in hot soup numerous times, but one infamous incident involving a fan who was videotaping a Guns show allowed the world to see Rose rear his ugliest head yet. He was also criticized by gay rights activists, who accused Rose of being disseminating anti-gay propaganda.
Fans of the band will never forgive Rose for not allowing the name of their beloved band to rest in peace after having “created” a preposterous Guns ‘N Roses alternate with a forgettable lineup. Not only that, Rose is entirely responsible for the band’s most expensive album never released, entitled Chinese Democracy - which has swallowed over $13 million in production costs over the course of several years, and with no release date in sight. To make matters worse, Rose has said many times previously that the album will be out soon - but with most of the fairly-forgettable material readily available on the internet it’s no surprise that the album will not revive the bands seemingly futile existence.
Even though Rose allowed his personal turbulences get the better of him, he will be remembered as one of the most unique rock ‘n roll voices of the 90s.
Freddie Mercury
Mercury was born in Zanzibar to Indian immigrant parents and later grew up in Bombay, and was the world’s first rock star of Indian descent - but largely kept his heritage under the media spotlight because he felt that it would not go to well with his rock star image.
This flashy frontman of Queen had an exceptional vocal range that surpassed 4 octaves, and delivered some technical vocal duties with relative ease and composure. Not only did he front the band, he also wrote most of their songs - ranging from the complex Bohemian Rhapsody (a piece that has over 60 chords) to the band’s simpler and catchier tunes like Under Pressure. Mercury’s talent in music and singing was undeniable, as he could hardly read music and never underwent formal vocal training in his life.
Having graduated with a background in arts, Mercury personally designed the Queen crest himself, and injected Queen with an unmistakable stage presence. Mercury would also spice up the band’s live performances with his piano and guitar playing as well.
Mercury had a troubled personal life, and succumbed to AIDS-related complications the day after he publicly announced his affliction to the world. Mercury’s death created saddening shockwaves around the world, and brought significant attention to the disease - the illness that took the life of one of music’s most talented sons.
Freddie Mercury will never be forgotten as the voice of Queen’s eternally memorable tunes such as We Are The Champions - known to be one of the best known songs in the world - and as an inspiration to thousands upon thousands of musicians and rock ‘n roll fans around the globe.
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