Queen: Great Driving Anthems
Legends of Music
Don’t Stop Me Now… because I Want It All… and I want to ride my Bicycle… while I’m rushing Headlong out of control. It’s a Hard Life…because I am the Invisible Man… but The Show Must Go On. It is a Kind of Magic… and Friends Will Be Friends… and most importantly I Am In Love With My Car.
Queen are quite simply my all time favourite band. No other band can even come close to the majesty that is made up Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. With a career spanning from the early 70s, Queen have become one of the legends of the music industry. I do not possess enough fingers, toes or even limbs to count the number of smash hits they have had, nor the number of genres they have conquered in their world domination. To describe them as international just does not do them justice. They were one of the first bands to open up South America as a territory, and were the first band to play behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest in 1986. This does lead me flawlessly into the undeniable fact that Queen were probably the greatest live act to set foot on stage. The 20 minute ‘Live Aid’ set in 1985 has gone down in history as ‘one of the worlds greatest bands, performing one of worlds greatest sets, on the worlds greatest stage’.
The Legendary Queen Set at Live Aid 1985
On occasion I have heard many cynical little surrender monkeys describe Queen using the phrase, ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. Yes, Queen did span a multitude of genres, but if they were indeed ‘masters of none’ then they would not be considered one of the greatest bands of all time. Whether they were bringing the rock, the metal, the rockabilly, the pop or even the Motown, they always ensured themselves success with their fusion of the Freddie Mercury vocals, the monumental harmonies and of course that melodic powerhouse that is the Red Special guitar of Brian May. Chances are, I could spend hours, days, weeks, months or even years going on about just how much I love Queen. After all, Freddie Mercury is my idol, musically and culturally. He was not just a great musician, but he was an incredibly powerful yet humble human being. Even though he was battling one of the most destructive diseases on the planet, Freddie Mercury had an inner strength comparable to none, and yet he continued making amazing music up until his death on November 24th 1991.
The Man, The Voice, The Legend
I know what you are probably thinking… Why am I going on about Queen? What have they got to do with cars? Well the reason I bring this all to do with another aspect of the everyday motoring experience. I am of course talking about one of the central parts of any driving date: listening to music.
Many of us may not realise it, but listening to music is an integral part of our relationship with driving. I have had the pleasure to have driven and been driven in vehicles all around the world, and one of the common factors that links all of these experiences, forgetting the place, the people and the vehicle is music and sound. Humans and music share a special relationship; it mirrors our own emotions and gives us somewhere to escape from the stresses and strains of modern life. For example, when I am at home, I like nothing better than to put the headphones in and be transported into a world of my own choosing. Music can make us smile when we are sad, express feelings for others we do not have the courage to say, and most importantly it can bring people together.
Chances are that wherever you may be going in your car, you will have the radio on, be playing a CD or have your iPod plugged in to the sound system. Speaking of which, no one can really argue that music and driving do not share an intimate link; just look at some of these people that spend gargantuan amounts of their hard earned money on sound systems with the power to shake the very earth they are driving on. Each one of us is different, and with our own music selection while we drive we really do make driving our own. There is a sense of belonging and intimacy created when you have the power to control your journey. Many of us will spend many hours driving from place to place, so why not feel as comfortable as possible? Music gives us something familiar and relatable, especially if we are passing through an unfamiliar land with nothing but a SatNav to guide us.
Whether are driving to work, driving to the shops or driving just for the sake of driving, sometimes we all need to crank up the volume and let the emotion, power and theatre out that is hiding away inside of us. Each and every one of us will have our own favourite bands, our own favourite albums and our own favourite songs. They define who we are. And the cultural icon that is Queen has indeed defined who I am as a person today. I shall now present to you a list of some of my favourite songs of theirs and just why they make great driving anthems for all occasions.
Queen doing what they do best
Tie Your Mother Down – This song from 1976 is one of Queen’s iconic hard rock numbers. Imagine a drive to the local shops on relatively empty roads, with this song blasting out on the radio. The song simultaneously gives you the sense of power and speed of the empty roads, while relieving any stress about the shop. It gives you the chance to chant the stress away. What more, at the traffic lights there is always the chance for a cheeky outburst of air guitar.
Don’t Stop Me Now – Any song that is voted the greatest driving song of all time by Top Gear UK cannot be ignored now can it? You could be driving alone or with friends, this is a great sing-a-long song. You could be stuck in traffic but if this song comes on, I can definitely argue that you will be dancing along in your seat and you will no longer care where you are. A great beat. Amazing catchy vocals and killer guitar. What is not to love?
I Want To Break Free – Even the manliest of men will dissolve into a camp mess of hoover based dancing when this song comes on. This song gives you the chance to stop caring about the world around you and be a little silly for those three minutes. After all, your car is your kingdom, what you do in there is your business. Especially if you work a job that involves staunch professionalism, I urge you whack this little beauty on while you drive home and it will make your day a whole lot better.
Who Wants To Live Forever (Live in Budapest 1986) – Sadly not every moment in life can be a positive one. There are those moments in life where we all feel a little sad and just want to scream. I don’t know about you, but a lot of the time when I am sad I do feel like belting out a classic power ballad full of emotion. Imagine it if you will, you have received some bad news and you are driving down a coastal road in the evening, while the rain beats down on the windscreen. As you swing around each corner, while there may even be tears streaming down your face, this song will come on and the raw emotional undertone of this song will propel you into a world of song. It reminds you that it is ok to feel sad every now and again.
Innuendo – This relatively unknown number one single from the early 90s is full of theatre and passion. As we all know, long motorway journeys can seem endless. However, with the right song on it can keep us awake and keep us motivated. This is one of those songs. The 6 minutes include heavy rock, Spanish guitar and searing vocals make this song the perfect driving song for when you need perking up. Just remember, the end of the journey is near. All you need is a little dose of Queen and you’ll be there
Breakthru – This song is not only my favourite Queen song, but my favourite song of all time. The driving beat. The cheesy romantic lyrics. The epic guitar solo. This song is everything to me. And from my own experiences, there is no driving scenario that cannot be improved with this song blaring out of the radio. This song can be the light in your usual dark day. It can be the soundtrack to your countryside pedal to the metal thrash. It can even be that song you play after the girl you’ve been chasing for months has rejected you. There is always hope.
Bohemian Rhapsody – And finally, I present to you one of the greatest songs ever written. The song for every occasion. But whenever I hear this song I can just imagine me and my friends driving while we attempt to sing along. Operatic section included. This song is the ultimate song for you and your mates. Sound familiar? Well, would we all not want to recreate THAT scene from Wayne’s World? As I am writing this, the operatic section is building into that riff we all know so well. And yes, I am indeed head banging as I am typing. This is the perfect driving song. There will always be a smile on your face when this song is on.
…unless you do not like it or Queen. But that cannot be right. You just cannot be human (I joke of course)
There are of course a host of other songs in the Queen arsenal. Sadly I have not got time to talk about them all. But this is where you come in. If you have indeed liked what you have heard here today, then it is now up to you to find out more for yourself. The driving experience is a special one. Music can really enhance this experience. Even though I have spoken only about Queen, I wish for you to go out and find your own Queen. Find your own perfect playlist.
What makes your perfect driving playlist?
In the meantime, I will leave you with the Queen song written by Roger Taylor, who was by the way a massive car fan. Ladies and gentlemen, it has once again been a pleasure. Here it is…
Keep Driving People!
Follow me on Twitter: @lewisglynn69
Peace and Love!
Level 2, 9 Help Street