Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock
Titolo: [Lester Bangs]Freddie Mercury's Supermarket Sweep

Freddie Mercury's Supermarket Sweep
"Goodnight, New York; it's been a pleasure doing business with you." Those
were Freddie Mercury's parting words to his audience at Queen's last New
York appearance. "Thanks, you've been a delicious audience." That's how he
signed off last Thursday at Madison Square Garden. One thing you've got to
say for Freddie--he's got a way with words, not to mention plenty stones in
his pathway. Take these lines from "We Are the Champions," Queen's Nordic
Supremacy-suspect current hit single: "I've taken my bows/And my curtain
calls/You brought me fame and fortune/and everything that goes with it/I
thank you all/But it's been no bed of roses/No pleasure cruise/I consider it
a challenge before the whole human race..."
 With such dues to pay, it's no wonder Freddie has an employee whose (sole?)
job is to keep the champagne glass on his piano filled during performances.
I wonder if it's the same person who, according to a recent Rolling Stone
article, has the job of figuring out some way to schlep all the junk back
after Freddie closes down some tour city department store so he can run
through grabbing whatever he lusts to own.
 Clearly this boy has something lacking in his emotional life. Friends?
Well, I don't know--after all, he has a device on his microphone that allows
him to echo at will, 19 little Freddies bouncing across the stage after him.
A man's best friend is his clone, after all, so even if there have been
rumors of impending break up for the band so that Freddie can pursue a solo
career, the little peacock seems anything but lonely out there padding
around in his silver lame open-chested jumpsuit. My only concern is the
possible effect of his sartorial predilections on his fans' sensibilities: I
mean, don't get me wrong, I have excellent liberal credentials, and I am not
at all opposed to males going topless, but aren't there beaches for this
kind of thing?
 On the other hand, it seems to me that in terms of their $8.50 worth,
Freddie's fans are definitely getting a good deal. Even if I did get scared
out of my wits when the full invisible choir behind the stage came blasting
out with "Scaramouche! Scaramouche!" and "Mama mia! Mama Mia!," it's plain
that between Freddie's Pierrot prancing, guitar gadgets that create sonic
Grand Canyons for Brian May, and perches and lighting that make Freddie look
like he is singing from some Lord of the Rings precipice, what we have here
is Fantasia for dodos and 14-year-olds, neither of which group should be
dismissed. They are as deserving of equal rights and justice as Peter Tosh
or anybody else.
 As far as News of the World, their latest release, goes, it's plain that
Queen sans Freddie's diva-trics are an excellent rock band and not even all
that arty. Songs like Roger Taylor's "Sheer Heart Attack" and Brian May's
"We Will Rock You" are as solid as anything Led Zeppelin's come up with in a
long time, whereas Freddie's "My Melancholy Blues" gives every indication
that he could become the next Liza Minelli. So maybe they should break up
after all. I just want everybody to be happy; not even superstars should
have to resort to Supermarket Sweep for that fulfillment that transcends
bouquets from the masses.
Lester Bangs
Village Voice, 12 December 1977


| [...] whereas Freddie's "My Melancholy Blues" gives every indication
| that he could become the next Liza Minelli.
Forse le spalle di Liza Minnelli hanno visto più petti.