Author:Freddie Mercury with Mary Austin
Published to mark what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday, this gorgeous book commemorates his artistic and creative career from its earliest days in London until his untimely passing in 1991. It’s a real treasure trove for the fan, with handwritten lyrics and accompanying musical charts documenting the whole career of Queen plus his later side projects. The book begins with Mary Austin’s first pre Queen meetings with Mercury, and then looks at each of their albums individually, often concentrating on one key song from each. The draft lyrics to these are complemented by Mary’s own anecdotes and memories, ranging from the period when she was his fiancée, through to later becoming his PA and of course his long standing closest friend and confidante. The lyrics have numerous abandoned lines and even whole alternate verses, although they can be quire difficult to decipher at times. There are also plenty of previously unseen photographs from Freddie’s personal collection, as well as images of his doodlings and notes to himself, including a number of unrecorded songs, and the whole thing is beautifully presented, with no expense spared, on high quality glossy paper. This is a really fascinating peek behind the curtain into the creative process behind some of the most iconic songs of the last fifty years and illustrates just what a talented musician and lyricist he was. As well as a celebration of Mercury’s undoubted talent, it’s also in some ways a rather a sad book at times – at one point, Austin poignantly reflects that she’s now an old lady living alone behind the high walls of a splendid house, Freddie long gone, marriage over and children having flown the nest. However, that’s certainly not to put a dampener on the book as a whole, which serves as both a very fitting tribute to the man himself and a captivating reminiscence of what were, after all, the days of their lives.
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Needless to say, this is absolutely essential reading for fans.
One thing you’ve learned
It makes one wonder what Freddie would be doing now if he was still with us – still strutting the boards like Mick Jagger, or quietly retired to a life of seclusion with his cats.
Hey Bargey, is this the deluxe slipcase edition of which you speak? Much as I’d love a copy for my bookshelves, at £125 it’s way out of my range – but the ‘normal’ hardback is a more affordable £25, and I can order it from Waterstones without having to consider a month of bread and water. Let us know which specific version you enthused about above?
Mine is just the standard version, I don’t think there’s a huge amount extra in the deluxe edition, certainly not a hundred quids worth.
Cool, it’s the standard version I’ll be buying at Waterstones the next time I’m in town.