Poll of Great Import: Bohemian Rhapsody vs Under Pressure vs Fame

The answer is obviously Under Pressure, by far, but I don't think I could decide between the other Rhapsody and Fame.

*between Rhapsody and Fame

under pressure is pretty great

this is like comparing a couple of really fresh apples with a pina colada

hmmm

is under pressure pineapple drink?

Bohemian Rhapsody. The two others are not even remotely among the best any of them have made.

While "Bohemian Rhapsody" is absolutely perfect in every way and the best single ever released by anyone ever!

Under Pressure is leagues ahead of either of the others.

^^^ otm

"Under Pressure" simply because Mark E Smith *swears* it rips off "An Older Lover, Etc."

And what's the name of the James Brown track which essentially IS "Fame," but without the Bowie vocal track.

"Hot"!

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Would have voted for "Fame," no question. Oh well.

how come xhuxk? fame love or dislike of the others...?

Nah, I like all three. And "Bohemian Rhapsody" is probably more "great" that "Fame," in the sense of being almost the ninth wonder of the world or whatever and like no other animal that ever existed in history, but I still can't imagine wanting to sit through the damn thing at this point. It's, uh, really long. And "Fame" has a much better beat. And Bowie sings way way better in "Fame" than in "Under Pressure," which just strikes me as minor compared to the other two. His high register always had more life than his low register (which, by the '80s, was all he had left.) Would probably take "Ice Ice Baby" over any of these, though. Go figure.

Honestly don't get this poll at all, to be honest -- It's not like these are anything near Queen's or Bowie's best records. Just seems pretty...random.

i think i was just thinking of these as three great, shiny, very diff tracks on the mercury-bowie continuum, plus i love each of them and was curious what ilm would say...all started by being bored at work and under pressure coming on.

Would probably take "Ice Ice Baby" over any of these, though.

cant say im totally surprised by that, ha. thanks for trying to compare the random songs i picked anyways.

Actually, though, it's not like "Fame" is especially that high register a song, come to think of it. I guess I just think his mid '70s soul/disco singing is less leaden than the cabaret voice he was using by the '80s. (At least hearing it in my head now, his crooning in "Under Pressure" reminds me of his crooning in "Little Drummer Boy" with Bing Crosby -- just sounds like a bad parody of pre-rock pop to me.)

yeah the "terror of knowing" part almost ruins it for me. i think fame might not seem as substantial next to these, because it's so much more straightforward, but the complexity of BR does almost make it a chore by comparison, as i think you implied. it's still so much more listenable in practice than it deserves to be, though. you can kind of marvel at it even as it delivers a really visceral payload.

His high register always had more life than his low register (which, by the '80s, was all he had left.)

OTM sentence from an otherwise MTM (Missing The Money) post.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3711FJvuyHQ/SB7--D_aEaI/AAAAAAAAAdY/WqelPKTLx9o/s400/MTM_Logo.jpg

the "terror of knowing" part almost ruins it for me.

Exactly. His self-serious singing there is ridiculous, and not in a fun way, either.

i think fame might not seem as substantial next to these, because it's so much more straightforward

See, I don't get that at all. What other rock guys were making disco records in 1975? When you get down to it, "Fame" was one of the records that invented disco. How somebody can find "Under Pressure" more substantial than that is completely beyond me.

I dunno if I find it more substantial

I just find it 10x better

(Actually, the Bee Gees were making disco records in 1975. "Jive Talkin'" hit the U.S. chart in May, "Fame" a month later.)

What other rock guys were making disco records in 1975?

Is Elton John a rock guy?

Sure...but what was 1975, "Philadelphia Freedom"? Not sure if that counts; I'd have to check with the experts. ("Part Time Love" wasn't until 1978, "Mama Can't Buy You Love" 1979. Am I missing something?)

I guess both he and Bowie were sort of trying to do a Philly soul thing. But Bowie was more, uh, Euro about it. (The great disco critic Michael Freedberg insists that Bowie was as important in laying the groundwork for disco as James Brown. Not sure if I buy that, but Freedberg's way more expert than I am.)

Yeah, I meant Philadelphia Freedom, which I thought counted.

(The great disco critic Michael Freedberg insists that Bowie was as important in laying the groundwork for disco as James Brown. Not sure if I buy that, but Freedberg's way more expert than I am.)

Dunno. Exactly how much "disco" had Bowie done when "Rock Your Baby" and "Rock The Boat" were released?
And why does he ignore the importance of the Philly sound?

BowieDisco started with his cover of "Knock on wood"

"Rock Your Baby" and "Rock The Boat" = June 1974 (both took a while to become UK hits)

"Knock on wood" Later 1974.

Not sure whether Bowie's "Knock On Wood" makes sense as disco -- He was covering Eddie Floyd's 1966 r&b version, not Amii Stewart's, which didn't come out until 1979 after all. But I actually think Michael Freedberg would have started Bowie's disco career in 1974 anyway, with Diamond Dogs. (Doesn't matter whether that was before "Rock Your Baby" or "Rock The Boat," either -- or Eddie Kendricks's 1973 "Keep On Truckin'" for that matter -- he still could've been helping design what disco turned into. And I never said Freedberg ignored the Philly sound.)

I wonder why Bowie never did any proper disco, ie later (c.1977-80). Did he not like it?

Ah, 1976 to 1979: The Berlin era (wikipedia). Still, 'Euro' and disco could be (and were) combined by others, eg Roxy Music, but for some reason it was not to his taste at that time.

I just want it recorded somewhere how amazingly epic I think Under Pressure is. For some reason I've heard it like 5 times in as many days and it's just so damn good. All time imo. That is all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGy2xrY-x7I

(for posterity: oliver coates' emotional and disturbing reworking of under pressure for aftersun by charlotte wells)