web counter
 

This Beats The Scaramouche Out of Sacha Baron Cohen

By Cindy Davis | Posted Under Miscellaneous | Comments (31)

freddie_mercury.jpg

As Joanna recently reported, Sacha Baron Cohen is slated to take on the role of Freddie Mercury in a film by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen). I, for one, was not amused and contrary to many of you, I don’t think he can pull it off.

This dude, though - he pulls it off. Watch or close your eyes and just listen to Joe Edmonds’ Bohemian Rhapsody arrangement for four violins. Pure bliss.


Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the few rock anthems I have never gotten sick of - unlike Stairway to Heaven or We Are the Champions (which inexplicably grates on my every nerve); I marvel at it every time. It’s one of those songs where the emotion in Freddie’s voice digs at something deep in me and this version has captured that emotion beautifully.









Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance

← Scategories | A Seriously Immature List | Pajiba After Dark 1/5/11 →









Comments

Curse you Blow Hole!

I can't watch this at work.

Posted by: Mrs. Skipper at January 5, 2011 5:03 PM

Oooooooo, I LOVE this.

Posted by: coveredinbees at January 5, 2011 5:06 PM

Gave me chills!

Posted by: camytaru at January 5, 2011 5:16 PM

I too hate hate HATE Stairway To Heaven and think We Are the Champions is done to death. I really think Cohen's going to pull this off though. Whether or not the movie as a whole can be pulled off will remain to be seen though. I hope it works.

Posted by: Paultera at January 5, 2011 5:19 PM

Amazing - that is talent right there. I never would have thought four violins (played by one guy alone) could have done that song justice. If anything, it has given me a new appreciation for the original by helping me hear it in a different way. It's like Freddie's voice itself was a violin but I didn't realize it until I heard this. Lovely.

Posted by: prairiegirl at January 5, 2011 5:40 PM

I just fandango'ed.

Posted by: Darcy at January 5, 2011 5:40 PM

I think I Scaramouched a little listening to this. Great stuff.

Posted by: The Wanderer at January 5, 2011 5:45 PM

Well said prairiegirl. This is beautiful.

Posted by: Vee at January 5, 2011 6:19 PM

Dang. That was so much better than I expected.

Posted by: MyySharona at January 5, 2011 6:20 PM

This song has a far greater musicality than the others you mentioned. It has a much more complex structure that calls on the classical masters. That is what makes it more than a catchy tune, and allows it to be translated into this format. STH and WATC just wouldn't hold up.

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at January 5, 2011 6:23 PM

I'm pretty skeptical that SBC can pull it off. Is he supposed to be doing his own singing or lip synching?

Posted by: mswas at January 5, 2011 6:36 PM

that was pretty fantastic, agree with MyySharona, much better than i expected.

Posted by: Sinnh at January 5, 2011 6:48 PM

Unaccompanied Sonata.

I'm having one of those sci-fi geek moments, asking what would have happened to Western music if Mozart or Beethoven had been exposed to this.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at January 5, 2011 6:48 PM

Re: Cohen - Bruno is 6'3". Mercury was 5' freaking 10" on a good day.

Unless everyone in the film gets to be 6" taller, there's a bit of a problem there.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at January 5, 2011 6:54 PM

Idiosynchronic, they'll use the same SFX that Jackson used to make the hobbits look shorter in LOTR.

Posted by: The Wanderer at January 5, 2011 7:10 PM

Now I want him to do The Prophet's Song.

Posted by: Anne (in Reno) at January 5, 2011 7:19 PM

I'm with you Cindy, I cannot stand that Baron guy. Yech. But this, in the other hand, is absolutely gorgeous! This guy is uber-talented.

Posted by: Tina at January 5, 2011 7:20 PM

I want to own this and have sex with it!

Posted by: Candee at January 5, 2011 10:00 PM

Nice . . . just nice!

Posted by: Jerry Kenney at January 5, 2011 11:18 PM

Morgan really should call the movie "The Queen II."

And the violin dude? Let's see him do "Get Down, Make Love."

Posted by: , at January 6, 2011 12:32 AM

Great video. He has the vocal line down. I hate to say it though, but there is definitely something more to it than just four violins playing, because I am positive I hear notes doubling at octaves far below what's feasible on the violin. It was either done electronically, or on a cello, because you just don't tune a string down that much.

Posted by: violinista at January 6, 2011 12:57 AM

Ah, I just read the description on Youtube itself where he tells what he did. Too bad you can't have just four violins and have it sound that way.

Posted by: violinista at January 6, 2011 1:09 AM

The violin is the most hauntingly beautiful instrument and I absolutely looove this, it gives me chills.

Posted by: Even Stevens at January 6, 2011 1:25 AM

My school's orchestra did Bohemian Rhapsody for a concert. I didn't see it, but I'm sure it was something similar to this except with more people.

Posted by: Maggi at January 6, 2011 3:53 AM

I thought I was committing some mortal sin by not being sucked into the "Stairway to Heaven" fanaticism.

Posted by: duckandcover at January 6, 2011 3:57 AM

That was hauntingly beautiful. Just lovely. He's so gifted.

Posted by: Charlotte at January 6, 2011 4:38 AM

That brings a whole new meaning to "playing with yourself."

Posted by: BWeaves at January 6, 2011 9:56 AM

I think SBC was picked to play Mercury because of the Borat mustache.

(I just caught a typo. I accidentally wrote "lay" instead of "play.")

Posted by: BWeaves at January 6, 2011 10:04 AM

I am not one of the people who thinks SBC can do ANYTHING GOOD EVER and it makes me SAD that he'll be playing Freddie. Sad and angry. And sleepy. But MOSTLY ANGRY.
And then sleepy again.

Posted by: Nadine at January 6, 2011 10:36 AM


Ali G. was never funny for a moment.

Hated Borat.

Hated Bruno even more.

SBC will suck as Freddie.

Posted by: Meander at January 6, 2011 10:44 AM

Meander, FUCKING WORD.

UGH. I mean really?! It's fucking insulting to the memory and legacy of Freddie Mercury that this chump, who stopped being relevant 30seconds before he made it mainstream, will be portraying him.


I AM ANGRY LIKE BEAR! Now sleepy. NOW ANGRY AGAIN

Posted by: Nadine at January 6, 2011 10:48 AM