Bohemian Rhapsody, IMHO, is the greatest song ever composed, but it is
still rock 'n roll, yet with a classical twist of some sort.  Clearly
Freddie Mercury was acquainted with the form of the Bohemian Rhapsody as
slow-fast-slow form - I heard Karl Haas do a programme on Rhapsodies and
such, and I was just WAITING for him to go into the Queen classic:).
Further too, you can hear the theme he develops as that "easy-come-easy-go"
part that appears just about everywhere in the piece, just as a 'classical'
composer would develop a theme in a 'classical' piece (well, somewhat like
anyway).

One must remember that Freddie Mercury had classical influences, he got up
to at least grade-four piano I think - and then did some singing with an
opera singer some time in the late eighties I think? And if you listen to
late albums of Queen you will find somewhat orchestral parts in their songs
- sure, they are synthesized:P.

Anyway ...  I think most would agree that it is because of the coming
together of rock and classical that Bohemian Rhapsody does so well ...
or perhaps we should say that it is the influence of classical in Freddie
Mercury's compositional style that made it so great, and much of Queen's
work.  I think, too, that it was because Mercury was a pianist.  Many bands
are primarily guitarists who can play piano if they wish - like holding
down a tune and rhythm through chords.  Mercury was primarily a pianist -
who could play guitar if he wished, but that didn't happen very often.
Composing songs on guitar is very different to the piano, from my
experience anyway.  And you can surely tell the difference between the
style of say Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are the Champions, to something like
Fat Bottom Girls or We Will Rock You (Brian May, the guitarist), or Another
One Bites the Dust (Andrew Deacon, the bass guitarist) - yes I admit the
main difference being an absence of piano from the Deacon, May pieces:P.
Generally most pianists have classical training first, I think? hmm

In any case, staying with this topic, what about bands such as Emerson Lake
and Palmer.  Surely they can be considered as 'cross-over', they recorded
Pictures at an Exhibition, and other such works, which I must say I quite
enjoyed.  And the band I have been listening to in the past few weeks, Sky,
with the classical guitarist John Williams, is surely another one worth
mentioning.

-Mark Knezevic
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