1991 wasn't 20 years ago. Wait, holy fark it was.

A far better choice of song. (new window)

I was only four when he died, but I remember hearing about it since my mother is a big Queen fan.

It's amazing how much HIV/AIDS treatment has come since then, when it was a horrible, painful, death sentence. But even around that time, they were saying that scientists had made breakthroughs and there would be a vaccine within a few years. :(

MidnightSkulker: A far better choice of song. (new window)

I was only four when he died, but I remember hearing about it since my mother is a big Queen fan.

It's amazing how much HIV/AIDS treatment has come since then, when it was a horrible, painful, death sentence. But even around that time, they were saying that scientists had made breakthroughs and there would be a vaccine within a few years. :(

There have been astonishing breakthroughs in the last decade or so especially. I really think we're poised to see an absolute cure, even if not a technical `cure', something that will allow HIV patients to control it, much like diabeetus and live a normal healthy life. We'll see that in the next decade, that's my prediction. Hopefully some philanthropist will share that with those in Africa.

nekom:

There have been astonishing breakthroughs in the last decade or so especially. I really think we're poised to see an absolute cure, even if not a technical `cure', something that will allow HIV patients to control it, much like diabeetus and live a normal healthy life. We'll see that in the next decade, that's my prediction. Hopefully some philanthropist will share that with those in Africa.

Oh yes, definitely amazing how far it has come, and I agree that it will move from a fatal illness to a manageable lifelong illness within a few years. To some extent it is, as some people keep their viral load so low as to be almost undetectable. But therapies still need to come down in price, and that isn't happening very fast considering the epidemic size of it.

MidnightSkulker: But therapies still need to come down in price, and that isn't happening very fast considering the epidemic size of it.

And that's the rub. I understand that it's VERY expensive to research drugs, gene therapy and god knows what else they've been working on, but it's still unfortunate that even when a `cure' of sorts does come, it won't be available to everyone.

Even on Queen's last album, Innuendo, Mercury's voice was still in great form.

nekom: MidnightSkulker: But therapies still need to come down in price, and that isn't happening very fast considering the epidemic size of it.

And that's the rub. I understand that it's VERY expensive to research drugs, gene therapy and god knows what else they've been working on, but it's still unfortunate that even when a `cure' of sorts does come, it won't be available to everyone.

At least for a few decades, anyway, by which time millions more will have died in a terrible, terrible way.

MidnightSkulker: At least for a few decades, anyway, by which time millions more will have died in a terrible, terrible way.

Yeah, that's a pisser. But it's true.

For the younger people I don't think they can understand how scary AIDS was when it was first discovered. I remember the late '80s very well and AIDS being on the news every single evening and AIDS being the topic of conversation among everyone. We were scared and in the very beginning we didn't really know how you could carch it. There was damn near panic among the population.

And of course if you got AIDS it was fatal. I had a friend die of AIDS in the late '80s, he was gay and only 25 when he died. It is simply amazing to hear Magic Johnson is still alive and well. The most amazing thing is how little we hear of AIDS any longer. It almost never makes the news and I rarely hear people discuss it any longer. It is good that it isn't as prevalent as it used to be, but scary that people seem to be forgetting about it. If people go back to ignoring AIDS, then it will spread like wildfire again.

OnlyM3: The truth that actions have consequences?


Shame he had to learn such an obvious truth.

So if you wreck your car and die, should we all just collectively shrug and say "Well, actions have consequences. Shouldn't have drove." or should we perhaps consider some automobile safety measures? What point are you trying to make?

LewDux: The girl can sing AND play piano AND write her own stuff.

Its a sad state popular music is in when this is some mark of accomplishment for a professional musician.

It reminds me of the Chris Rock skit about the guy who brags "Hey, I take care of my kids!" with the obvious response being "You're supposed to, you low expectation having motherf*cker!"

Lady GaGa has a great voice, but from what I have heard of her solo piano stuff her songwriting skills are pretty third rate.

I feel dirty even discussing her in a thread about Freddie Mercury.

LewDux: gilgigamesh: I feel dirty even discussing her in a thread about Freddie Mercury.

Link (new window)

I don't think Lady Gaga is terrible, I said she's a terrific singer. For example I think she absolutely killed in her "Lady is a Tramp" duet with Tony Bennett. I just think her songwriting is sophomoric.

As for Brian May, he was promoting a Queen related show; something that would be geared to a younger generation. He does have a vested interest in maintaining the relevance of the Queen brand now, doesn't he?

What is he going to say as a part of that promotion: Lady Gaga is ok, we liked working with her, but she's a pale imitation of what we wrote in our heyday?

Blink: You had me until you busted on Tori Amos. Tori is a musical genius to anyone that has actually bothered to follow some of her stuff. She's not at Peter Gabriel level, mind you -- but the woman is talent personified.

I'll see your Tori Amos and raise you one Kate Bush, who actually collaborated (and I believe was romantically involved) with Peter Gabriel.

everytime a queen thread pops up I have to go listen to queen for AT LEAST an hour.


...not that I'm complaining. farking love queen.

Aleave: I was only five when he died. But I was brought up on his music. My dad is a big Queen fan and I still am. I attribute him to my broad taste in music. There are a lot of people in this world with actual talent, not on the scale of Freddie Mercury.

I discovered queen entirely on my own as my parents weren't big on music at all...unless it was x-mas music or other similarly cheesy shiat.

Consequently Queen is pretty much the only non-metal I listen to.

nekom: OnlyM3: The truth that actions have consequences?


Shame he had to learn such an obvious truth.

So if you wreck your car and die, should we all just collectively shrug and say "Well, actions have consequences. Shouldn't have drove." or should we perhaps consider some automobile safety measures? What point are you trying to make?

I think he/she means that if you go out and drive your car and don't wear a seatbelt and then get in an accident and sustain fatal injuries, you were responsible for the dire outcome by avoiding a known preventative measure.

Where is MaxxLarge? A memorial thread for Freddie needs one of Fark's biggest Queen fans.

RIP Freddie, the glittering god of rock.

Marc Martel ^ nails it.

George Michael ^ covering Somebody to Love.

hippyneil:

Saw them at Knebworth, 1986. It was The Magic Tour. I still have the (very faded!) t-shirt!


I am jealous of anyone who got to see them live. I grew up on their music and love it to this day. My four year old even knows all their songs now.

nekom: 1991 wasn't 20 years ago. Wait, holy fark it was.