November 24 and 25, 1981, marks the 40th anniversary of Queen in Montreal, the concert got filmed.
This concert marked a historic moment for Montreal. I recently heard the album Queen in Montreal, and it was fantastic to hear. You hear Freddie Mercury interacting with the audience throughout the record, and the sound quality is incredible. The performance of each song was excellent and engaging.
Freddie Mercury sings with passion, as he always did. His vocal range was impressive when he performed live, and that also applies to this show. Queen and the crew of the concert were creative in the rhythms and sounds. Even if the music at the show got modified, the songs were still recognizable because the compositions followed the original versions.
The performance that impressed me was that of Under Pressure, which was terrific. For David Bowie’s parts of the duet, Roger Taylor sang them. Then both Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury performed together in sync with one another, with no overlap.
Brian May (guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass) played their respective instruments remarkably. For example, in Keep Yourself Alive, Brian May’s guitar bit is incredible to hear, and the same goes for Roger Taylor’s drum solo. Then John Deacon’s bass part is epic and bold. The band performed in unison with one another.
The piece with Brian May’s guitar solo is interesting to hear – the sound is crisp and smooth. The 5-minute guitar solo also has parts that sound like Queen songs, such as Keep Yourself Alive and Killer Queen.
The part that was also fun was the cover of Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock. It worked well with the concert, and Freddie Mercury pulled it off nicely. This performance came after he sang Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The 1950’s Rock vibe gets a lovely homage from Queen.
My favourite part was Queen’s performance of their classic hit Bohemian Rhapsody. It starts with the piano sequence (Mama just killed a man … ). Even though it doesn’t begin the same way, it’s still fantastic to hear this version. Queen knew how to adapt their songs for the concert experience. Hearing the album is excellent, especially for those who couldn’t attend a Queen show.
Another performance I enjoyed was the concert version of Another One Bites The Dust. I especially enjoyed hearing Roger Taylor’s husky voice singing with passion.
This concert was dynamic and edgy. It was classic Queen style, including Freddie Mercury working the crowds, getting them excited and interacting with the audience. They ended with a God Save The Queen, an interesting way to end the show. I can say so much more; it’s hard to describe this feeling of hearing a Queen concert with Freddie Mercury.
What a pleasure to hear a Queen concert taking place in Montreal. I can imagine people singing with excitement and passion. It happened before I was born, but I still felt like I was there.
Thank you, Queen, for coming to my home city of Montreal to perform.
