Under Pressure

[The Slider]

Nothing touches the original of course, but who fared better without the other half?

I am forever in Camp Bowie - and here it is very close - but in my book Fred and Rog steal this from Dave and Gail and walk away with the prize..

[Quaco]

I liked them both better than the original. The Queen one has a good energy, especially Roger's drumming. But I prefer Bowie's version. He finds a way to make sense of a mess of a song, by taking it easy and by minimizing Freddie's inanities.

[The Slider]

I'm not sure Under Pressure should make sense, should it?

[WG Kaspar]

I love both versions and I prefer the Queen one, but I have to admit I was extremely impressed by how Gail performed Freddie's part, absolutely gorgeous.
Also Queen are a better band that the one David has behind him and it's what clinched it for me. I think when we talk about great drummers we forget how good Roger was, especially live when he had loads of singing duties as well.

[The Slider]

^^ every word of that

[yomptepi]

I was playing this ( from a Bowie recall comp ) in my shed yesterday, and had to play it three times in a row. It is very good. Especially for something which was thrown together in a few minutes. Amazing times.

[C]

-+C+-


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[Minnie the Minx]

I’ve never warmed to it, really.

[Minnie the Minx]

DP

[The Modernist]

I’ve never warmed to it, really.

It's a fussy, bombastic thing. One for Queen fans rather than Bowie fans.

[yomptepi]

I’ve never warmed to it, really.

It's a fussy, bombastic thing. One for Queen fans rather than Bowie fans.

But it is a bit of a curates egg. An oddly constructed song. Lots of different bits,all combining to make beautiful whole. The vocal performances are superb, both fearlessly going over the top, and making their bit count. I like it because it doesn't make any sense compositionally, yet it works. And it is fun.

[Quaco]

It's not fun. Though parts of it are good, something that tries that hard but doesn't deliver can't help but be a disappointment. I would have sent it back for revisions.

[yomptepi]

It's not fun. Though parts of it are good, something that tries that hard but doesn't deliver can't help but be a disappointment. I would have sent it back for revisions.

Typical American.

[Brickyard Jack]

It shouldn't work, but it does after the first few hearings. And it became even greater when performed live by Queen. I was in the audience for that gig.

Meanwhile Gail Ann Dorsey is a great singer and performer - I have a couple of her solo records and she stole the show working for Gwen Stefani on her Sweet Escape tour.

[Minnie the Minx]

I’ve never warmed to it, really.

It's a fussy, bombastic thing. One for Queen fans rather than Bowie fans.

Well, I don’t mind fussy and bombastic Bowie really, but I have never got my head round Queen and their presence automatically drops my interest level.

[Goat Boy]

Bowie sucks the life out of it a bit. Makes it a bit dour and serious. It is an odd record in structure but the individual bits are great and it just works. Even Freddie’s daft ad libs have a charm, a throwaway spontaneity that should be totally incongruous given the songs message but still somehow works (maybe that’s why they left ‘em in). Bowie’s rising backing vocals are typically canny and the whole “insanity laughs...” section leading to the “can’t we give ourselves one more chance...” bit is suitably fucking triumphant. A great moment in both their careers. And that “love’s such an old fashioned word...” fade is really moving too. Like an old friend putting his arm around you and drunkenly reassuring you it’ll all work out in the end and you Believe him, that’s the thing. I have found the records sentiment a comfort at times.

Having said all that whenever I hear the bassline part of me does want to say, “Yo VIP! let’s kick it!”

[The Slider]

But it is a bit of a curates egg. An oddly constructed song. Lots of different bits,all combining to make beautiful whole. The vocal performances are superb, both fearlessly going over the top, and making their bit count. I like it because it doesn't make any sense compositionally, yet it works. And it is fun.

what a fucking weird song.

I'd never really considered it before but it is all over the place - completely unorthodox in form and style.
I have just played it about 7 or 8 times in a row trying to get a grasp on what they are doing.
And I'm still not sure I have got it totally (despite having lived with it for nearly 30 years anyway )

anyway it seems to run thus:

Intro (bass - finger clicks - Freddie )

Verse 1 ("Pressure, pushing down on me.." - Bowie/Freddie)

Bridge 1 ("That's the terror of knowing...." - Bowie)

Intro repeats (Freddie - "de de de")

Verse 2 ("Tripping around with my brains on the floor" - Freddie)

Odd Scat bit (Fred - "people on streets..")

Bridge 1 (repeats)

Bridge 2 (Fred - turned away from it all like a blind man...)

Weird bit (Band loud and formless - Bowie: "love love love")

Bridge 3/ Middle eight of sorts (Freddie - "why can't we give ourselves one more chance")

Bridge 4 / crescendo (Bowie - "Love's such an old fashioned word...")

Chorus (of a sort) "this is ourselves under pressure"

Coda - piano and finger clicks...peters out.



I mean, what the fuck was that all about?


I think the Bowie-sung final crescendo leading up to "..this is ourselves under pressure.." is one of his very greatest moments.
But still...what the fuck?

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[Quaco]

It's not fun. Though parts of it are good, something that tries that hard but doesn't deliver can't help but be a disappointment. I would have sent it back for revisions.

Typical American.

Yep, always questioning, always improving! Never settling for what's put in front of you. The song is like some foreign attempt at an English breakfast. They try to do something, but get it wrong. It's a mess. And as a typical British person, you will just accept it and be quiet.

[yomptepi]

It's not fun. Though parts of it are good, something that tries that hard but doesn't deliver can't help but be a disappointment. I would have sent it back for revisions.

Typical American.

Yep, always questioning, always improving! Never settling for what's put in front of you. .

And how is that working out for you?

[Quaco]

I listen to "Under Pressure" less that I otherwise would, so pretty good!

Ah, it's alright, don't mind me.