#john deacon concepts

[eileen-crys]

Source: Queen concept art, 1975 | Photocopy of ink drawing, signed and dated 1975

This concept artwork incorporates the 'Q' logo and the crown with the four band members in the fantasy style that Queen utilised in the early to mid 1970s alongside a central female figure. Accompanying this is a photocopy of another piece of concept art by the same artist, signed 'Beveridge', titled 'The Black Queen holds Aeriel Court'. The style is reminiscent of Richard Dadd's artwork.

NOTE (updated): I've been informed that the artist is JAMES F. BEVERIDGE

I swear to god I'M LOSING MY MIND AT THESE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND like HELLO??? MASTERPIECES??? It's so unfair we get to see these only now omg 😭😭😭 I love how the four of them are some sort of magicians with different powers, you know I live for these things. Also Deaky has wings??!?! 💕💕

Part of me wants to redraw this, but it's already so beautiful I know I wouldn't do it justice... but I could try to color it! 🤔

[a-froger-epic]

THANK YOU! I knew I hadn't made it up! Love it when we all work together. Go fandom team! 😂🙌🏻

Unless I'm completely wrong this is Queen as the three musketeers and d'Artagnan ?? 🥺❤️

I see Freddie on the right (the shortest, with a beard!), Brian kneeling, Roger in the middle and John on the left. And they all look so soft, ahhh, and

Dearie Me

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today, on 19th January, 1978

Group Interviews - Circus Magazine

Queen Deserve Rock's Royal Crown?

by Rosy Horide

Freddie Mercury and Brian May Hawk their 'News Of The World'

Freddie Mercury is no longer the leader of Queen. Has he been fired, you ask, or is he off to pursue a solo career? No it's simply, with the advent of News Of The World LP (Asylum) the personality of the music and of Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon have come across more strongly than ever before.

Those who have seen them on the recent US tour notice more than ever before that they're a group comprised of four separate identities, not just a lead singer and background band. Freddie Mercury is delighted to hear it.

'I've never considered myself the leader anyway,' says irrepressible Freddie. 'The most important person, perhaps.' And guitarist May agrees.

'Our separate identities do come to the fore on this album, on which every cut is completely different from the one before it and there's no concept at all. Apart from each having contributed two tracks to the album, Roger and John have been much more involved in the playing. Roger plays rhythm guitar on some of his cuts ('Sheer Heart Attack' and 'Fight From The Inside') which makes sense, because he had a better idea of how he wanted it to go. John plays acoustic guitar on one of his as well ('Who Needs You'). I played maracas on it. While we may not do it that way on stage, in the studio that makes more sense.'

Brian also does a lot more singing of his own songs on News, but he's content to let Freddie do the singing on stage.

'He's a natural performer,' asserts Brian. 'He acts on stage as if he was born doing it. That's great for us. We wouldn't want it any other way.'

As May and Mercury emphasize, it's not just musically that shifts occur in the group.

'John keeps a very close eye on our business affairs,' says Freddie. 'He knows everything that's going on and shouldn't be going on. If God forsakes us now the rest of the group won't do anything unless John says it's all right.

'Roger is very important to us in a different way. He's always been an out-and-out rock & roll fan with no time to stop and think about music and that's very good for us. Instinct. He's also the one who is most aware of facets in music, and that's essential in the band. If you listen to 'Sheer Heart Attack' on the new album you'll see what we mean. It sounds like a punk, or 'new wave' song, but it was written at the same time of the Sheer Heart Attack LP. He played it to us then but it wasn't quite finished and he didn't have time to complete it before we started recording. That was three years ago and now. . .almost all these records you hear are like that period.' And Roger now? 'He was into punk for a long time, but he's tired of it.' More about the album later.

But if you still don't believe no crown of leadership rests on the mercurial head of Freddie, it's worth repeating his comment about the composition of the group.

'If anyone left Queen, anyone of the four, that would be the end of Queen. We are four equal, interwoven parts. And the others just couldn't function the same without each quarter.'

Queen have just finished a special tour of the states. Not the longest they've ever undertaken, by any means, but special nevertheless.

'It was the first tour we've ever done without the support band,' Freddie explained. 'There was so much going on on stage that I doubt there would have been room for another band anyway. We have so much material we want to play for people now that it would have been far too long a concert. It's hard enough anyway to know what to leave out: we'd like to play all the new material, but there are some things we just would not dare leave out or I think the fans would lynch us.'

It was the sort of tour most rock bands dream of doing. Brian agrees: 'We've managed to get some of the most sought after halls there are, even though the tour was short. Most of them are places we've played before. In some cities we had to settle for second, alternative choice auditoriums - the thing was set up so fast. It was also a very compressed tour - 35 dates in six weeks. We did very large halls because we wanted to do a fuller show and our rig was about twice as big as ever we used before.

'It provided a complete stage environment, with an extension stage, three trailers and enormous lighting gimmick not just for New York and Los Angeles. That's why we booked big halls, so that we could give everybody the complete show. We first used our crown centerpiece at London's Earl's Court concert over the Jubilee. At the time, we didn't envisage being able to take the crown on tour with us, but we managed to have it demounted into a portable object. And so we had it for all the gigs. It made the most ambitious backdrop we've ever attempted, but it was worth it. The fans seemed to enjoy it and they are what matter.'

That last remark of Brian's is typical of the group's attitude towards their fans, for they have one of the closest rapports with the fans of any in the business. The same cannot be said for their relationship to the music press, however, especially in Britain. In fact, many people thought the chart-popping single 'We Are The Champions,' was Queen's way of telling the press in no uncertain terms that they've made it without them. Others thought it an arrogant statement about their rock supremacy. But how do they feel? First Freddie, who wrote the song:

'Certainly it's a relationship that could be, but I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. It was aimed at the masses; I thought we'd see how they took it. It worked a treat. When we performed it at a private concert in London, the fans actually broke into a football chant between numbers. Of course, I've given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. You know me.

'I certainly wasn't thinking about the press when I wrote it. I never think about the British music press these days. It was really meant to be offered the musicians the same as the fans.

'I suppose it could also be construed as my version of 'I Did It My Way.' We have made it, and it certainly wasn't easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it's still not easy.'

Brian concurs, 'You know, songs aren't always about what the words say. Messages in songs can appear different. I always see that as the difference between prose and poetry. Prose can mean exactly what it says, while poetry can mean the opposite. That goes for this song. Freddie's stuff is often tongue-in-cheek anyway, as you know. This song is very theatrical. Freddie is very close to his art. You could say, he's married to his music, whether it's 'I Did It My Way' or his 'There's No Business Like Show Business.' I must say, when he first played it for us in the studio we all fell on the floor with laughter. So many people in the press hate us because we've side-stepped them and got where we have without them.

'But there's no way the song says anything against our audiences. When the song says 'we,' it means 'us and the fans.' When we did that special concert, the fans were wonderful. They understood it so well. I know it sounds corny, but it brought tears to our eyes.'

Freddie and Brian are unanimous on that: the spontaneous responses to 'We Are The Champions' really move them. But that is the kind of general response News Of The World has received because, as Brian may says, 'It's a spontaneous album. I think we've managed to cut through to the spontaneity lacking in our other albums. I have no apologies to make for any of our previous albums. We're proud of them and wouldn't have let them out if we weren't. But I now feel some may have been over-produced, so we wanted to go with a more spontaneous rock & roll based album. It was nice to do something that didn't need such intensity. For example, with 'Sleeping On The Sidewalk' we did it in one take because it just seemed right the first time. We like to think of the album as a window on an unguarded moment, not a set piece. Each cut seems to do that, from the participation songs to Freddie's mood pieces. Even his numbers on the album are different, from his heavy 'Get Down, Make Love' to 'My Melancholy Blues,' which is just what it says.'

Brian admits that his own material is different too. But he still tries to keep his private life separate and out of his songs as much as possible.

'If you don't keep something back, it can be very bad for you.'

But for the band both the album and the tour are in the past and they have to look at the future. They got back to England on Christmas Eve.

'My mother would have killed me if I wasn't home for Christmas. I haven't missed one yet,' says Freddie. And the others felt the same.

It's time for some stock-taking. We've all become businessmen,' admits Freddie, 'even though it's against our better judgment. It's something that always happens if you get successful. Being a musician is not just cutting discs, unfortunately. I wish it was. We've all got companies now, some connected to music, others not. I'm producing Peter Straker, I have my car company. . . and lots of other fingers in other pies. We must take some time off to get things in perspective, or things will start to go wrong.

'Then there's been talk of doing a big world tour - Britain, South America, Japan, and of course the States as well as lots of other places. But that won't be until later in the year.'

So, American fans will have a chance to see Queen in 1978.

'You must tell them not to be too greedy, thought,' warns Freddie. They've already seen more of us than any other country.'

And what about a message for the American fans, Freddie?

'They know we love them. Apart from that, oh, say something outrageous for me.'

[brotherwtf]

I love the structure of the priest!John idea, but there was one detail that didn’t fit. John’s father wouldn’t have been a priest, because Catholic priests take vows of celibacy and don’t have kids. There are ways around it (became a widower, then became a man of the cloth with special dispensation because his children were grown might be the easiest), but it would take a bit of explaining. It’s a really interesting concept though, for John to be the one who was raised to be more traditional, and not have him be the leader of the debauchery for once. It highlights his struggles in a way more of us introverts can relate to <3

guys is it blaringly obvious I wasn't raised Catholic now 😅 geez I feel a little dumb lmaoo

okay someone mentioned in the comments of the original post that Johns father could have been a Deacon, priestly activities without the vow of celibacy and John could still be surrounded by that religion and raised by people who believed in it vehemently

so he was trained to want to become a priest or a Deacon, maybe he's still going through the process of becoming a priest when he meets Gale, not quite all the way there but still pretty intrenched in the religion and it's teachings

I think seeing John raised in that traditional Catholic family could be interesting to explore, especially if we get to see his eventual spiral into the man he was in canon, but yes like you said it highlights the internal struggles of John figuring out his beliefs in a quieter way than usual

(btw I apologize for being a little inaccurate with my hc, as I said I am not Catholic so I have little to no idea what all of that entails 😅😅)

[jules-has-notes]

Queen in 5 Minutes — VoicePlay music video

The late, great Freddie Mercury is often quoted as having said, "Do anything you want with my music, but never make me boring." VoicePlay certainly took that sentiment to heart for this medley of memorable Queen songs, as well as the dramatic visual tale they made to go along with it. A battle for Earl's (after)life plays out in a suitably theatrical setting. Who will win?

Details:

title: Queen in 5 Minutes

original songs / performers: all songs by Queen — "Bohemian Rhapsody"; [0:32] "Play The Game"; [0:54] "Somebody To Love"; [1:20] "We Are The Champions"; [2:20] "Another One Bites The Dust"; [2:37] "We Will Rock You"; [2:45] "Under Pressure" with David Bowie; [2:52] "I Want to Break Free"; [3:14] "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"; [3:32] "Play the Game" reprise; [3:48] "Bohemian Rhapsody" reprise; [4:16] "Radio Ga Ga"; [4:21] "The Show Must Go On"; [4:45] "Don't Stop Me Now"

written by: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Play The Game", "Somebody To Love", & "We Are The Champions" by Freddie Mercury; "Another One Bites The Dust" by John Deacon; "We Will Rock You" by Brian May; "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie; "I Want to Break Free" by John Deacon; "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" by Freddie Mercury; "Radio Ga Ga" by Roger Taylor; "The Show Must Go On" by Brian May; "Don't Stop Me Now" by Freddie Mercury

arranged by: Layne Stein & Eli Jacobson

release date: 23 November 2018

My favorite bits:

recreating that iconic Bohemian Rhapsody intro

J.None's fantastic control, flipping between chest and head voice as he extracts Earl's heart 🫀 ⚖️

that smooth scoop from Earl on ⇗ ♫ "take a loooOOOK" ♫ ⇗

Geoff going full Chris Cornell at the start of "We Are the Champions" before dropping back into the underworld

J.None shoving the sword into Layne's hands to get him more involved as he sings about ♫ "fighting til the end" ♫

Eli's busting out that rock grit for "We Will Rock You"

Layne beatboxing the iconic stomp-stomp-clap rhythm rather than breaking viewers' immersion in the scene

Earl repelling everyone through the power of belting

the dismissive face Geoff makes at Eli as he continues the "Under Pressure" bass line into "I Want to Break Free" (a more serious take on the "Ice Ice Baby" bit from their "Old School Rap" medley)

Earl's plaintive vulnerability during "Lover Boy" solidifying into defiance for the return to "Bohemian Rhapsody"

the backing vocals pleading with Earl to ♫ "play the game" ♫ so they can guide him onward

ramping up into full concert mode as they form a line at the front of their "stage"

high tenor air guitar! 🎸

Eli and J's subtle counterpoint line from "Radio Ga Ga"

using "The Show Must Go On" to signal Earl's decision to return to the world of the living

Trivia:

○ The man in the hospital framing scenes is Earl's husband, Nick. He has appeared on screen in a few VoicePlay videos, as well as doing production work on many more.

○ The four avatars of death come from various religious traditions:

Guardian (Layne) is an anthropomorphized version of Cerberus from Greek mythology, the multi-headed hound (hence the fur coat) who protects the gates of Hades.

Anubis (J.None) is the guardian of the dead and assessor of souls in the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted as a jackal.

Yama Nirvana (Eli) represents the Hindu god Yama, responsible for death, justice, and punishment of sinners in the afterlife.

Baron (Geoff) is an interpretation of the spirit Baron Samedi, master of the dead and resurrection in Haitian Vodou.

○ The guys' distinctive makeup and wardrobe were designed by artist Leon King. Of the four, J.None's costume changed the most from concept to execution, but each of them was tweaked a bit.

○ Leon also drew the central pendant element for the cover art.

○ The YouTube description includes the inscription, "We humbly dedicate this video to the music and memory of Freddie Mercury. The show must go on."

○ Some fans have embraced a headcanon that this video is a sequel to "Panic! in 4 Minutes". They theorize that Earl is in the hopital because he was injured by the explosion, and the avatars of death are manifesting as his bandmates within his unconscious mind. This hasn't been confirmed or denied by any members of VoicePlay, but it's a fun idea.

○ This video reached a million views on YouTube the following August.

○ The streaming audio version is split into two parts, "The Arrival" and "The Return", with the divide falling between "I Want To Break Free" and "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy".

○ The complete track was later included on VoicePlay's "Citrus" album, which compiled most of the songs they recorded from 2017-19. Because the individual songs had already been made available digitally, that album is exclusively a physical item that can only be purchased at live shows or through their website.

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #291 - Deacon Blue, Raintown, 1987

Lo spunto per le storie settembrine me lo ha dato un aneddoto simpatico sugli Steely Dan, protagonisti dell'ultima storia di Agosto. Una delle loro canzoni più famose, Deacon Blues, da Aja (il loro capolavoro del 1977) fece un viaggio emozionale fino in Scozia, dove un giovane ragazzo si appassionava alla musica, soprattutto a quel pop così sofisticato, pieno di stratificazioni sonore, piccoli gioielli musicali incastonati nelle melodie, e immensa classe esecutiva. Ricky Ross si chiama quel giovane ragazzo, che dopo che a Dundee viene licenziato da professore precario delle scuole secondarie, si trasferisce a Glasgow, dove decidere di mettere su un gruppo. Prima trova il batterista, Dougie Vipond, poi un bravissimo pianista, James Prime, un chitarrista, Graeme Kelling, e una corista, Carol Moore. Le prime esibizioni sono incoraggianti, ma la Moore decide di mettersi da parte. Ross si ricorda che aveva sentito ad un provino, improvvisato in Bath Street, una ragazza che lascia il suo indirizzo, ma non il suo numero di telefono. E la storia vuole che fu lo stesso Ross ad arrivare sulla Great Western Road di Glasgow per chiedere a Lorraine McIntosh di unirsi al gruppo. E c'è la ciliegina sulla torna: durante uno delle prime serata acclamati dal pubblico, Dougie Vipond leggermente brillo incontrò Ewen Vernal, bassista, nel bagno di un locale e gli chiese di unirsi al gruppo. Il nome per la band è quello che Ross ha in testa da anni: Deacon Blue, e siamo nel 1985. Glasgow in quegli anni è una città in piena trasformazione sociale, anche con profonde fratture socio economiche (per farsi un'idea, suggerisco i romanzi di Douglas Stuart) ma dal punto di vista musicale sarà la capitale scozzese della musica. Tanto che un giornalista del Glasgow Herald, John Williamson, decise di produrre una cassetta in allegato alle pagine culturali del giornale con tutte le promesse della musica cittadina di quel periodo: ci sono futuri gruppi e artisti molto famosi come i Wet Wet Wet, Kevin McDermott, Hue and Cry e i Deacon Blue, che contribuiscono con Take The Saints Away.

Dopo questa esperienza, sono pronti ad andare in studio, insieme a Jon Kelly, capo ingegnere del suono agli Air Studios di Londra. Ross ha in mente una sorta di concept album su Glasgow, che ne racconti le sfumature più varie. Raintown, pubblicato nel 1987, si presenta con una meravigliosa foto in bianco e nero di Oscar Marziaroli, italo scozzese futuro acclamato fotografo, che ferma una città avvolta nella perenne pioggerellina con sullo sfondo uno dei simboli della città, la Finnieston Crane, una gigantesca gru portuale, ormai non operativa, simbolo dell'industriosità degli abitanti, proprio all'imbocco del porto cittadino. Dal punto di vista musicale, seppur si parte dall'idea di pop sofisticato del mitico duo da cui prendono il nome, i Deacon Blue mischiano il lirismo vocale e le atmosfere uniche di Van Morrison, un canto-racconto degno del primo Springsteen e un'eleganza che ha una sua totale particolarità. Il disco ha un andamento ondeggiante tra brani calmi e riflessivi e quelli più incalzanti: l'inizio è davvero suggestivo, con Born In The Storm che come una nebbia si dirada e sfuma in Raintown, canzone che è profondamente legata all'esperienza di Ross, con versi che dicono "Waiting for the phone to ring to make me all I am.\You're in the suburbs waiting for somewhere to go\I'm down here working on some dumb show\In a raintown" che raccontano l'inizio di tutta la storia. Ross scrive del rapporto con il business musicale nella bella Ragman e nell'altrettanto suggestiva Loaded, scritta di getto come un flusso di coscienza su una base improvvisata dagli altri componenti della band su una cassetta super 8, ed è capace di dipingere affreschi musicali persino drammatici in abiti delicati e affascinanti. He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now è ispirata ad un pensiero, a che vita avesse fatto l'uomo che sganciò la bomba atomica su Hiroshima: tra incontri particolari ("he may have been with Oppenheimer, shaken Einstein's hand\Did we have to drop the bomb? You bet, to save this land\He was only taking pictures around the critical mass\While the troops on Tinian island sang 'Follow the bouncing ball') e cosa potrebbe essere oggi (He may have been a nationalist, a physicist or a pacifist (...) Well, I have seen that movie of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde\And I know he looks like Spencer Tracy Now). When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) ha ai cori il famoso gruppo R&B londinese dei Londonbeat. Alto livello è anche Chocolate Girl, che racconta di un tipo anaffettivo, un certo Alan, ricco e spendaccione, "He calls her the chocolate girl\Cause he thinks she melts when he touches her\She knows she's the chocolate girl\Cause she's broken up and swallowed\And wrapped in bits of silver". Ma il capoavoro è Dignity: ritratto di quello spirito scozzese della dignità del lavoro, racconta la storia di un impiegato comunale, probabilmente uno che lavora sulle strade, e che non perde il sorriso nemmeno quando è preso in giro dal ragazzini e che ha un sogno, comprare un gommone, un dinghy, che vuole chiamare Dignity, con cui "I'll sail her up the west coast\Through villages and towns\I'll be on my holidays\They'll be doing their rounds\They'll ask me how I got her I'll say, "I saved my money"\They'll say, "Isn't she pretty? That ship called Dignity". In Love's Great Fears, liricissima e tutta giocata sul duetto Ross - McIntosh, che diventeranno marito e moglie poco tempo dopo, c'è Chris Rea alla chitarra.

Il disco, per le qualità musicali, per la scelta azzeccata dei singoli e per la sua atmosfera sofisticata, che quasi inventerà un genere, ha un successo clamoroso: arriva fino al numero 14 nella classifica dei dischi più venduti, rimane in classifica un anno e mezzo e vende oltre un milione di copie. La band continuerà a scrivere belle cose, e il successivo When The World Knows Your Name del 1989 arriva persino al numero 1 in UK e contiene la loro canzone più famosa, Real Gone Kid, facendo divenire sogno il successo che un ragazzo scozzese aveva immaginato sentendo una canzone, Deacon Blues, che parla di nerds and losers, secondo le famose parole di commento di Donald Fagen. Dedicherò il mese di settembre a gruppi scozzese degli anni '80, che è un periodo storico e una zona geografica che ha regalato cosine niente affatto male alla storia della musica.

[astrophysicist-guitar-god]

After the cut, the Rolling Stone article that elicited a response from Roger, written on an airline motion-sickness bag.

Queen Holds Court in South America: On the road with rock's royal spectacle (x)

James Henke, June 11, 1981. Buenos Aires, Argentina

We are the champions – my friends And we’ll keep on fighting – till the end – We are the champions – We are the champions, No time for losers cause we are the champions – of the world – —Freddie Mercury, “We Are the Champions”*

It was to be the Big Event. Queen, coming off its most successful year ever, was setting out to conquer South America and wanted to make sure the whole world knew about it.

That, certainly, was no surprise. After all, this was the band that had made a career out of creating spectacles. A couple of years ago, for example, when they were launching a U.S. tour in support of their Jazz album, Queen threw a bash in New Orleans that featured snake charmers, strippers, transvestites and a naked fat lady who smoked cigarettes in her crotch.

The real surprise was that Queen – a group with a history of hostility toward the press – had agreed to do interviews and had invited journalists from the U.S., England, Spain, France and other countries to come along for the first shows.

So here I am at Ezeiza airport, outside Buenos Aires. The place looks like a military installation. Young, peach-fuzz-faced boys who can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen are stationed along the concourse that leads through customs into the baggage-claim area. They’re all in uniform: big black leather shit-kicking boots that reach halfway up the calves of their legs, and regulation tan pants, shirts and helmets. And they’re all armed with submachine guns.

In Argentina, the military – and terror – reigns supreme. According to Amnesty International, about 15,000 people have “disappeared” since 1976, when Juan Perón’s second wife and successor, Isabel, was thrown from power in a coup d’état. Since then, a guerrilla war has been waging between the dictatorship and opposition groups, mainly Perónists, and citizens have routinely been plucked off the streets or out of their homes, taken to secret detention camps and systematically brutalized. But as VS. Naipaul writes in his book The Return of Eva Perón, “Style is important in Argentina; and in the long-running guerrilla war – in spite of the real blood, the real torture – there has always been an element of machismo and public theatre.”

Editor’s picks

Amid the hubbub at customs, I notice a middle-aged man in gray – gray suit, gray tie, gray hair – making his way through the crowd, shouting something in Spanish. The only word I understand is Queen, and sure enough, he’s looking for us. He takes our passports, whisks us past the inspectors without so much as one bag being opened, and leads us upstairs to the bar for an early morning cerveza. He speaks little English, but there are two words he knows quite well. No matter what anyone asks for, his response is the same: “No problem.”

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

By the afternoon of day two, none of the writers has yet been introduced to any of the band members. We while away the time in the hotel bar, but in this country, where the annual inflation rate is around 100 percent, a bottle of beer costs the equivalent of twelve dollars, keeping us sober against our wills. Finally, Jim Beach, Queen’s business adviser, allows a few of us to attend the sound check at Velez Sarfield.

The Argentines have a rather nifty concept of crowd control, as I find out when I reach the stadium: a moat, about six feet wide and three feet deep, runs around the perimeter of the field and is filled with foul-smelling water and patrolled by dragonflies. Queen has brought its own artificial turf so that the promoters will allow people onto the field.

Up onstage, Queen – lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor – is rehearsing “Rock It (Prime Jive),” a track off The Game. And it sounds simply awful. The acoustics are horrendous in the 3500-seat stadium: there’s a thirty-second delay as the music drifts across the length of the field and reverberates off the scoreboard. Nor does the band’s musicianship seem inspired. The rhythm section is sloppy and sluggish; May’s guitar playing is limited to heavy-metal/hard-rock clichés and patented, though by now boring, harmonic lead breaks; Mercury’s singing is lackadaisical and without conviction.

Related

“They’re not even up to the par of some third-rate New Jersey bar band,” another writer comments to me, and indeed, I’m somewhat mystified about what it is that makes this group so popular.

When I return to Velez Sarfield that evening for the show, the stadium is swarming with kids – and cops. These are crusty, corpulent tough guys – not the boot-camp boys I saw at the airport. And it doesn’t take long to find out that they mean business. When one American writer snaps a photo of the twenty-odd billy-club-wielding policemen who are cordoning off the backstage area, he’s pinned against a government-owned Falcon and threatened at knife point with the loss of a finger until he yields his film. “No problem.” Sure.

“Un supergrupo numero uno,” the emcee anounces as the lights dim, and with a burst of smoke, Queen appears onstage and begins hammering out its anthem, “We Will Rock You.” Mercury – dressed in a white, sleeveless Superman T-shirt, red vinyl pants and a black vinyl jacket – frequently stops singing and dares the audience to carry the weight. And carry the weight they do: the fans seem to know all the lyrics throughout the 110-minute show – which, if for no. other reason, is impressive for the number of hits the group is able to offer up, such as “Keep Yourself Alive,” “Killer Queen,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race.”

Though the band-audience interaction is remarkable, the crowd responds with such unquestioning devotion I get the feeling that if Freddie Mercury told them to shave their heads, they’d do it.

The musicianship still seems pedestrian, but what the group lacks in ability, it makes up for – at least to the fans’ satisfaction – in gimmickry. Smoke shrouds the stage at regular intervals; flash pots illuminate the audience at key moments and end the set. Compared to Kiss‘ fire-breathing antics, Queen’s use of special effects is in relative good taste, and after all, a Queen show is supposed to be a spectacle.

For the encore, the band reprises “We Will Rock You,” then bounds into “We Are the Champions.” Mercury, by this time wearing only a pair of black leather short shorts and a matching leather policeman’s hat, struts around the stage like some hybrid of Robert Plant and Peter Allen, climactically kicking over a speaker cabinet and bashing it with his microphone stand. Pretty ridiculous in this day and age, but the kids love it.

Indeed, Queen may be the first truly fascist rock band. The whole thing makes me wonder why anyone would indulge these creeps and their polluting ideas. —Dave Marsh in Rolling Stone

What do I think about critics? I think they’re a bunch of shits. —Freddie Mercury

Queen’s relationship with the music press has been about as cordial as the secret police’s relationship with the Argentine public. Even so, the band hasn’t exactly suffered from the continual pans of its records and shows: eight of its ten LPs have been certified gold (the exceptions are the Flash Gordon soundtrack and Queen II), and its last three studio efforts – News of the World, Jazz and The Game – have gone well over the million mark in sales.

“I have some very strong views of some of the things the press do, such as The Rolling Stone Record Guide,” Roger Taylor says, looking out his hotel-room window. It’s day four, and the long-promised interviews have finally been arranged. “Now, I’ve never read the book, but I saw an ad, and I thought, ‘What the fuck is someone doing bringing out a book like this? Who the hell are they to say what albums are good and what albums are bad?’ I think it’s entirely a personal choice.” (For the record, Queen didn’t fare too well in the book; four of the seven albums reviewed were awarded two stars, a designation that means “records that are artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched.”)

The shots at Queen have not been fired by just the press, however. When the punks came to fame in England in the late Seventies, Queen was one of the groups most often singled out for attack. Taylor and John Deacon, the two band members who seem most attentive to musical trends, apparently feel some of the criticism was justified. “It gave us a kick up the ass,” Taylor says. “It was so angry, so different, so outrageous. We were recording News of the World in the same studio the Sex Pistols were recording their first album in. I mean, the first time I ever saw John Rotten, I was really shocked, cause I had never actually seen the whole thing in person. He sort of crystallized the whole punk attitude, and there’s no doubt about it, the guy had amazing charisma.”

If the band’s pomp-and-circumstance delivery has recently fallen into disfavor among the rough-and-ready New Wavers, it wasn’t really in vogue either when Queen inaugurated its grandiose stage presentation in the early Seventies. “That was the time of the supergroups, like Cream and Traffic,” Brian May explains, “and it was more the thing to get into your music and not worry about the audience. Then, for a period, it became very cool to do a show. Now, the wheel has turned again. But we just think that kind of show is part of being professional. People are giving you two hours of their time, so you have to give them everything for those two hours. We want every person to go away feeling he got his money’s worth, and we use every possible device to achieve that.”

From the beginning, Queen wanted to put on a show that would be different. “We had a joke that we wanted to be the biggest,” Taylor says. “It was a joke, but underneath, it really was true. Number one is much better than number two. And we’re still working at it.”

To accomplish this goal, Queen opted for an unusual route. Rather than work their butts off playing the club circuit – something Taylor and May had done without much success in a band called Smile – they chose to spend two years rehearsing while they were still in school. May nearly completed a Ph.D. in astronomy; Taylor has a degree in biology; Deacon, one in electronics; and Mercury, a diploma in illustration and design.

Mercury and Taylor supported the band by selling artwork at a stall in Kensington Market, and it wasn’t until 1973 that Queen released its first album and had enough money – thanks to record-company support – to take the kind of show they wanted to do on the road. The LP, titled Queen, gave the band its first hit single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” and set the stage for what was to come. As Roger Taylor says, “It’s been quite a fairy tale.”

I just hate this,” Freddie Mercury says, “especially when that thing’s on.” He points to my tape recorder, sits down across from me and lights up a Salem. “There came a point where I was misquoted all the time,” he continues, “and they had the piece written before they even started. I’m not afraid of criticism – I don’t want to come across as Goody Two Shoes all the time – but it’s been purely vindictive.” A deal’s a deal, however, and Mercury, obviously under some pressure from the other band members and their record company, had agreed to an interview. “So here I am with Rolling Stone,” he moans. “It’s like being forced to talk.”

Up close, Mercury is more petite than he looks onstage: he stands only a fraction of an inch under five feet ten and is relatively slender. His short-cropped hair and mustache are jet black, and his eyes are a piercing dark brown. In addition to being the group’s lead singer and one of its main songwriters, Mercury is also most responsible for Queen’s image. He’s known for his flamboyance and debauchery both onstage and off: at a birthday party a couple of years ago, for example, he swung naked from a chandelier, and on one of the band’s Japanese tours, bored with the tedium of playing night after night, he appeared onstage with a bunch of bananas atop his head.

“The Carmen Miranda of rock & roll,” he says, chuckling. “But what can I say? I’m a flamboyant personality. I like going out and having a good time. I’m just being me. The media pick up on certain things, and a lot of things get overexaggerated. I’m quite easy to get on with, really. I can be a real bitch at times, but that’s okay. I’m not that vicious. I use my influence. Why not? I’m not afraid to flaunt it.”

Thirty-four years old, Mercury was born Frederick Bulsara in what was then Zanzibar. His father was a British civil servant, and Freddie left home when he was seven to attend boarding school, first in India, then in England. “You learn to fend for yourself at an early age. I was quite rebellious, and my parents hated it. I grew out of living at home at an early age. But I just wanted the best. I wanted to be my own boss.”

Shifting around in his seat, Mercury tugs at his upper lip and reaches for his pack of Salems. “For a nonsmoker,” he jokes, “I smoke far too much.” He tells me he’s just purchased a house in London’s Kensington Park, complete with eight bedrooms and a massive studio with pillars and a gallery. “I can have minstrels play there,” he says with a laugh. “Very la-di-da, don’t you think?”

He’s having the mansion remodeled, which gave him cause recently to go on one of his celebrated shopping sprees. Just before their South American jaunt, Queen played five shows at the Budokan in Tokyo, and the promoter’s wife, a good friend of Freddie’s, arranged an excursion for the singer and his entourage through the largest department store. “I felt like Grace Kelly,” he recalls. “I got this huge Japanese bed, a lot of lacquer things and really nice hundred-year-old stuff. I think I spent a fortune, but I don’t know. The credit card pays for it.

“I like buying things on crazy impulses,” he continues. “I hate buying for investment. But I do like a lot of Oriental stuff; it’s intricate and delicate. I also like the cultural part of it, the way they do their gardens; they put a lot of thought into it. But I’m not into all the meditation crap, or those boring tea ceremonies. The raw fish, as well.”

Early on in his career, Mercury seemed bent on incorporating his interest in different cultures and art forms into Queen’s stage shows and music. “Mustapha,” off the Jazz album, was a miserable attempt at Arabic music, and at one point, Mercury told the British press he was “bringing ballet to the masses.”

“I went through this period where I thought I was making an impact on the fashion world,” he says, “then I thought, ‘Oh, grow up.’ And now, you see, I don’t take all this too seriously – I mean, I couldn’t be serious with the things I wear onstage. I have far more fun, and I enjoy it. It’s a great release. That’s what entertainment should be.”

He feels likewise about the band’s music. “It’s just pure escapism. It’s like going to see a film. People should just escape for a while, then they can go back to their problems. That’s the way all songs should be: you listen to them, then discard them like a used tampon. I don’t have any messages I’m trying to get across or anything.”

The forty-five minutes of interview time I’ve been allocated are rapidly drawing to a close, and publicist Howard Bloom knocks on the hotel-room door and tells us to wind things up. Mercury lights one last Salem. “You see,” he says, “you can tell I’m not very good at this. To be honest, I really don’t think I have much to say.”

A couple of years ago, Roger Taylor was doing about 145 miles an hour in his Ferrari on an alpine road in Germany when suddenly one of the chains went, the cooling system died and the car caught on fire. He managed to extinguish the flames just in time – there were about fifteen gallons of gas onboard. “Burned all my clothes to a cinder,” he recalls. “Another minute and it would have hit the tank and that would have been it. I would have been vaporized completely.”

Since then, Taylor hasn’t been quite as enamored of fast cars, but he still relishes the kind of lifestyle rock & roll has afforded him. In that sense, he’s probably closer in personality to Freddie Mercury than the other two band members. “Ah, yes,” he says when I bring up Queen’s rather decadent image. “I like that sort of thing. I like strip clubs and strippers and wild parties with naked women. Sounds wonderful. I’d love to own a whorehouse. Really, seriously. What a wonderful way to make a living.”

“Roger is very much in the tradition of the successful rock & roll musician,” John Deacon explains. “He wants the things that go with it, and it is what he really wanted to be. I’m sort of the opposite of that. It was never my burning ambition to be in a successful band. It has helped my confidence a bit, but it’s different things for different people. And we are four very different people.”

Offstage, while Taylor and Mercury are out carousing, Deacon frequently spends time with his wife and three kids. Though he may seem out of place in the flashy world of Queen, Deacon is actually the band’s stabilizing presence. He oversees much of the group’s business matters – Queen does not have an official manager; instead, it employs a coterie of advisers who leave final decisions to the band.

The disco hit “Another One Bites the Dust” is Deacon’s creation. “I’m the only one in the group, really, who likes American black music,” he tells me. “And with The Game, it was Freddie’s idea that instead of arguing over which songs to put on the album, we’d split it up: Freddie and Brian would have three tracks apiece, and Roger and myself would have two. But we had arguments over whether “Bites the Dust” should be a single. In the end, it began attracting a lot of attention on black stations and in discos, so the record company wanted us to put it out. But it would never have been chosen as a single by the group as a whole.”

Given his low-key personality, I wonder how Deacon feels about the image conveyed by Mercury. His answer is blunt: “Some of us hate it,” he says. “But that’s him and you can’t stop it. Like he did an interview in one of the English national papers, and it was all like, ‘We’re dripping with money, darlin‘,’ or, ‘What’s a mortgage?‘ Brian, for one, just hated it.”

Like Deacon, Brian May is quiet and tends to keep to himself. He, too, has brought his wife and child along. When not touring, he’s an avid gardener – “I’ve been known to be out there looking for slugs at one o’clock in the morning,” he says – and he tries to keep up with astronomy by reading journals and talking with his former university colleagues.

“I think it’s essential that you have things that you get into apart from music,” he says. “You have to maintain your balance.”

May seems to care the most about the group’s audience, and he supervises the fan club. “I think people can listen to some of our stuff and actually get something out of it spiritually, if I may be so bold,” he says. “I enjoy the fact that a lot of people have written to us and said that a particular song helped them when they were in a difficult situation. That’s a great feeling.”

All in all, the Big Event was a success. The attendance was staggering: in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the group played in front of 131,000 people one night and 120,000 the next. The press had also been good: one American writer even mentioned Queen’s shows at Velez Sarfield in the same breath as the Beatles’ at Shea Stadium.

Though this tour seemed rather tame compared with previous Queen endeavors, that probably says more about South American governments than it does about the band. When the group’s advance men first arrived in Buenos Aires, for instance, their backstage passes were seized briefly by customs officials, who deemed them pornographic (they depicted two nude women embracing).

But basically, things went smoothly – not unlike some master plan. That concept was brought up again and again when I discussed Queen with some of its associates. “They want to conquer the world” was how one person put it. For a group of this stature, a group that presumably has made enough money to last a lifetime, Queen maintains a very busy work schedule. After the release of The Game last June, the band did a major U.S. tour, recorded Flash Gordon and played some more dates in Europe and Britain. Then came the Japanese shows, the South American trek and a solo LP from Roger Taylor. This June they plan to begin work on another studio album, but before that comes out sometime next year, they will release a greatest-hits package (which reportedly will vary from country to country, depending on what songs have been hits in those areas).

Trending

Four years ago, in Queen’s last interview with Rolling Stone, Freddie Mercury said, “Our goal is to get to the top, obviously. We’re not there yet; nowhere near it. And I don’t want anybody to tell me I’m there either.” And the band still feels that way. When I asked them what they thought they’d be doing in five years, each member was convinced Queen would still be together, still reaching for something more. After all, you can’t conquer the world overnight.

This story is from the June 11th, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: August 22, 1990

Lyrics:

Yo VIP, let's kick it

Ice, ice baby

Ice, ice baby

Alright stop, collaborate and listen

Ice is back with my brand new invention

Something grabs a hold of me tightly

Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly

Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know

Turn off the lights, and I'll glow

To the extreme, I rock a mic like a vandal

Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle

Dance, go rush to the speaker that booms

I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom

Deadly, when I play a dope melody

Anything less than the best is a felony

Love it or leave it, you better gangway

You better hit bull's eye, the kid don't play

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla

Now that the party is jumping

With the bass kicked in, and the Vegas are pumping

Quick to the point, to the point, no faking

Cooking MCs like a pound of bacon

Burning them, if you ain't quick and nimble

I go crazy when I hear a cymbal

And a hi-hat with a souped up tempo

I'm on a roll, it's time to go solo

Rollin' in my 5.0

With my rag-top down so my hair can blow

The girlies on standby, waving just to say "Hi"

"Did you stop?" No, I just drove by

Kept on, pursuing to the next stop

I busted a left, and I'm heading to the next block

The block was dead, yo

So I continued to A1A Beachfront Avenue

Girls were hot wearing less than bikinis

Rockman lovers driving Lamborghinis

Jealous, 'cause I'm out getting mine

Shay with a gauge, and Vanilla with a nine

Ready for the chumps on the wall

The chumps acting ill because they're full of eight ball

Gunshots rang out like a bell

I grabbed my nine, all I heard were shells

Falling on the concrete real fast

Jumped in my car, slammed on the gas

Bumper to bumper, the avenue's packed

I'm trying to get away before the jackers jack

Police on the scene, you know what I mean

They passed me up, confronted all the dope fiends

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla

Take heed 'cause I'm a lyrical poet

Miami's on the scene, just in case you didn't know it

My town, that created all the bass sound

Enough to shake and kick holes in the ground

'Cause my style's like a chemical spill

Feasible rhymes that you can vision and feel

Conducted and formed, this is a hell of a concept

We make it hype, and you want to step

With this, Shay plays on the fade

Slice like a ninja, cut like a razor blade

So fast, other DJs say "Damn!"

If my rhyme was a drug, I'd sell it by the gram

Keep my composure, when it's time to get loose

Magnetized by the mic while I kick my juice

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while D-Shay revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice

Yo man, let's get out of here

Word to your mother

Ice, ice baby, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

Songwriter:

David Bowie / Brian May / Freddie Mercury / John Deacon / Roger Taylor / Mario Johnson / Robert Van Winkle / Floyd Brown

SongFacts:

👉📖

[musicfreak8769]

Classic Rock Songs

Classic rock songs are a cherished part of music history, known for their timeless appeal and enduring popularity. Here's a brief overview of the history of classic rock songs:

Origins: Classic rock as a genre emerged in the mid-1960s and reached its zenith through the 1970s. It evolved from the rock and roll genre of the late 1940s and early 1950s, characterized by a fusion of various musical elements, including blues, R&B, and country.

The 1970s Golden Era: The 1970s witnessed a classic rock explosion with the rise of bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen. Their albums and singles became anthems of a generation, defining the classic rock sound.

Subgenres: Classic rock is not limited to a single style; it encompasses a wide range of subgenres, from blues rock (e.g., Eric Clapton) to progressive rock (e.g., Yes) and folk rock (e.g., Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).

Top Artists and their hits: Classic rock boasts a rich history of iconic bands and timeless hits. Here are some of the top classic rock bands and a selection of their most famous hits:

The Beatles: The Beatles were a British rock group that left an indelible mark on the music industry. Formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960, the band consisted of four principal members:

John Lennon

Paul McCartney

George Harrison

Ringo Starr

The Beatles grew out of a shared enthusiasm for American rock and roll. They started as a skiffle group called "The Quarrymen" and went through various name changes, including "The Beatals," before settling on "The Beatles."

Some of their hits:-

"Let It Be"

"Yesterday"

"Hey Jude"

"Come Together"

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin, one of the most iconic rock bands in history, was formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of:

Robert Plant (vocalist)

Jimmy Page (guitarist)

John Paul Jones (bassist and keyboardist)

John Bonham (drummer)

The band initially came together as the New Yardbirds, with Jimmy Page being the final lead guitarist for the British blues band, The Yardbirds. However, they quickly changed their name to Led Zeppelin.

Some Of their Hits are:-

"Stairway to Heaven"

"Whole Lotta Love"

"Kashmir"

"Immigrant Song"

Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd is an iconic English rock band that was formed in London in 1965. The band gained an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, and they went on to become a seminal force in the world of rock music.

The original members of Pink Floyd included:

Roger Waters

Nick Mason

Richard Wright

Syd Barrett

They initially met while studying architecture at the London Polytechnic in Regent Street, London. The band's early years were marked by the leadership of Syd Barrett, who played a pivotal role in shaping their psychedelic sound. However, due to Barrett's deteriorating mental health, David Gilmour was brought in to replace him.

Pink Floyd's music journey saw them pioneer the concept album, achieving significant success in the 1970s with albums like "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall." These albums remain classics in the rock genre and are celebrated for their progressive and experimental approach to music.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Comfortably Numb"

"Wish You Were Here"

"Another Brick in the Wall"

"Time"

Queen: Queen is a renowned British rock band formed in London in 1970. The band was founded by Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass).

Throughout their illustrious career, Queen became known for their eclectic and dynamic musical style, blending rock, pop, and opera elements. Their music was characterized by powerful vocals from Freddie Mercury and the distinctive guitar work of Brian May.

Some of Queen's most famous songs include "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," "Another One Bites the Dust," and "Radio Ga Ga." Their 1975 album "A Night at the Opera" features the iconic track "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is often considered one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

"We Will Rock You"

"Somebody to Love"

"Radio Ga Ga"

The Eagles: The Eagles are an iconic American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. The band's founding members included Glenn Frey (guitars, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon (guitars, vocals), and Randy Meisner (bass). Over the years, the lineup evolved, with members like Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit joining the group.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Hotel California"

"Take It Easy"

"Desperado"

"Life in the Fast Lane"

These classic rock bands and their hits have left an indelible mark on the music industry and continue to be celebrated by music enthusiasts around the world. Their songs are considered classics and are frequently played on classic rock radio stations.

Check out more rock songs hits on https://musicfreak.in/classic-rock-songs-playlist/

Influence: Classic rock has left an indelible mark on the music industry and inspired subsequent generations of musicians. It remains a touchstone for artists in various genres, and its influence can be heard in contemporary rock music.

Modern Relevance: Classic rock's appeal endures in the 21st century, with new generations discovering and appreciating the genre's iconic songs. Classic rock radio stations and music festivals keep the spirit alive.

Classic rock songs are more than just music; they are a cultural phenomenon, a bridge between eras, and a testament to the timelessness of great artistry.

For More Playlists Visit our website:- https://musicfreak.in/

[cmcsmen]

The Short Story Behind Catholic Men Chicago Southland (CMCS)

(click here for the long story)

By Frank J Casella, CMCS Executive Director

Our mission at Catholic Men Chicago Southland is to empower local Catholic men to deepen their spiritual lives and bring Jesus Christ into their daily relationships. This vision was born in 2004 when Deacon John Rangel, David Taylor, and I met with Reverend Bishop Joseph N. Perry to seek his blessing for our initiative. Although Bishop Perry is now retired, his legacy continues to inspire our mission today.

We initially sought Bishop Perry's guidance because of his role as our local Vicar in Vicariate VI on the far south end of the Archdiocese of Chicago. We recognized the importance of having a strong foundation and platform to support our efforts. Bishop Perry not only understood the value of our initiative but also encouraged us to challenge men in the Vicariate to live up to the virtues of a Catholic man and make Christ the center of their lives.

Our decision to maintain a manageable size within the Vicariate has proven to be a wise choice. This approach allows us to provide a template for other groups seeking to establish similar initiatives in their own Vicariates. While there has been significant interest, only one commitment has been made in the Edgewater area of Chicago.

As a third-generation Knight of Columbus, I have a deep understanding of the importance of Catholic men's ministry. However, I realized that there was a need for a Catholic men's spirituality prayer breakfast that would challenge men to replace bad habits with good habits and develop a holy life. This concept is rooted in the idea of "feeding the stomach and then feeding the soul."

In the 1980s, men's conferences began to emerge, but many fell short of making a lasting impact on men's lives. I believe that we need Catholic men who model virtues and goodness, making a positive difference in the lives of others. As Matthew Kelly once said, "We are a people of possibility, the Holy Spirit is the great encourager … holiness is possible."

Jesus Christ desires a personal relationship with each of us, but he also wants us to be in covenant with him. This covenant is rooted in the New Covenant established through his sacrifice and renewed through the Holy Eucharist. When we gather at the family table for the sacred meal, we become one with Christ and with each other.

In the home, men are called to lay down their lives for their wives, serving them as Jesus served the Church. The Christian home is the domestic church, a community of grace and prayer, where children receive their first proclamation of the faith. As Saint Paul said, "Power is made perfect in weakness," reminding us that our strength lies in our vulnerability and dependence on others.

Jesus wants us to know not only the Father and the Holy Spirit but also his Blessed Mother and all his sainted brothers and sisters. He desires us to live according to the family structure he established for his Church on earth, with the Pope and all the bishops and priests united to him.

The Gospel is not about setting up a legal system but about transforming hearts, freeing people from the darkness and slavery of sin. As Cardinal Francis George once said, "We as a Catholic Church have much to learn from our Protestant brothers and sisters about marketing and promotion, and evangelization."

In response to this challenge, we began an online ministry in 2009 to reach Catholic men in any way possible and learn from those who are skilled in evangelization. However, Bishop Perry reminded us to balance our online efforts with in-person worship and community involvement in the pews. Community is the foundation of our Catholicism, and we strive to nurture Catholic men's spirituality through in-person gatherings and Mass.

Our approach is not about accountability to each other but about covenant with Jesus, which transforms us as men. When we foster a man in holiness, the positive adjustments he makes create a positive impact that can be felt for three generations. This takes transforming one man at a time from good intentions into right-action, developing a holy church, and recognizing the essential role of fathers in a healthy family.

[embodies]

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA STARTERS. ACCEPTING. ❛ that's over now. you're here. with me. ❜

@ategods. deacon st. john & sarah whitaker.

it is still a concept he is struggling to come to terms with, because despite yearning and pining for this like a man begs for water in the desert, the reality of it is hard to discern. he has dreamt of this a thousand times over, watched the oasis crumble like a mirage while his hopes crash and burn. who's to say this time is any different ? careful not to take any second for granted, he has been unabashed in his silent admiration of her as he works — as if he wasn't an absolute sap before. deacon loves to the point of burden, hugs just that little bit too tight in the night and wakes up in cold sweats when his nightmares turn sour. this is one instance of many, and while he's apologetic for the sheets being soaked with perspiration, he is moreso thankful that he has sarah to wake up to again. he doesn't often dwell on these thoughts or express them, but his fear of going through that again is alive and well. it permeates the air between them and thickens like a wedge in his throat, needing to be vocalised. superstition freezes him, as if speaking the words into existence will set a curse into motion and destine their doom.

❛ i know, i know. i just— i still can't believe it. ❜ the admittance is accompanied by a cradling of her face, learned time and time again by fingertips that, merely by habit, lift blonde strands delicately to tuck behind her ear. ❛ you're really here. do you know how crazy it is to say that ? how crazy everyone thought i was to wish for it ? ❜ in the dimly lit room, moonlight basking her, he thinks this is the most beautiful she's ever looked. tomorrow he'll have the same thought, and the day after, and the next. each moment supercedes the previous, love swelling in him like a benevolent abscess. a growth. he is sick with the thought of her. ❛ but look at us now. ❜

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today, on April 5th, 1970 - Queen Story!

Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor were in Roger's flat and decided to form a new band

🔸“The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic,” he told the English press early in their career. “Glamour is a part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageously instantly”.

More than anything else, Freddie Mercury wants to be a legend. The vehicle for the 28 year-old “Kensington poseur” is a rock’n’roll band called Queen, and the meticolous Mercury seems to have the situation neatly in hand. He came up with the band’s name, he designed their crest (combining the star signs of its members), and he defines their style.

Smile was a local group featuring Roger Taylor on drums and Brian May on guitar. Freddie, who had been singing with groups since he was 14 years-old, was himself performing in small, unmentionable bands while studying the art of Mucha and Arthur Rackham. All the bands in the area used to keep tabs on each others’ music and even occasionally traded equipment. In 1970, Smile broke up in general frustration, and Freddie quickly cornered Taylor and May to sell them on his idea for a hotshot band to be called Queen. The pair approved, invited Freddie to join them, and after six months of auditions, the lineup was completed when they signed on John Deacon as their charter bassist. For months they practiced, playing only small, select shows for their friends and word-of-mouth fans instead of grinding through the usual provincial club circuit.

- Freddie Mercury

Interview, 1975 - Circus Magazine

Queen’s Freddie Mercury Shopping For An Image In London

by Scott Cohen

➡️ In the original photo Freddie Mercury is with other members of the group in a color photo used as the cover of the single 'Now I'm Here /' Lily Of The Valley 'Japanese Sleeve, 1975

Taken from 'Sheer Heart Attack' album, 1974

[apilgrimpassingby]

My opinions for, what they're worth:

I would love you to look at the history of the Trinity as a concept. It only occurred - what, 300 years in, from memory? And it was laughed out of countenance when first suggested.

It depends what you mean by "Trinity". Yes, a fully elaborated Trinitarian theology first appeared at Nicaea. But long before then, Christians had been proposing that the Son was divine in at least some sense. One of the earliest and strongest examples of this is St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was writing around 110 AD:

Since therefore I have, in the persons before mentioned, beheld the whole multitude of you in faith and love, I exhort you to study to do all things with a divine harmony, while your bishop presides in the place of God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father before the beginning of time, and in the end was revealed. (Epistle to the Magnesians chapter 6)

There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible — even Jesus Christ our Lord. (Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 7)

Or from my favourite Ante-Nicene theologian, St. Justin Martyr, writing around 150 AD in his Dialogue with Trypho:

As you wish, Trypho, I shall come to these proofs which you seek in the fitting place; but now you will permit me first to recount the [Old Testament] prophecies, which I wish to do in order to prove that Christ is called both God and Lord of Hosts, and Jacob, in parable by the Holy Spirit... (chapter 36)

Christ, Son of God, who was before the morning star and the moon, and submitted to become incarnate, and be born of this virgin of the family of David, in order that, by this dispensation, the serpent that sinned from the beginning, and the angels like him, may be destroyed, and that death may be condemned, and for ever quit... (chapter 45)

In fact, I'd even say that a theology of multiple divine persons is older than Christianity. I found this in Borderlines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity, an account of the split between Judaism and Christianity by Jewish scholar Daniel Boyarin. One of the central points of the split is that Christians embraced what Jews called "two powers in Heaven", the idea that there were two divine persons, a primary transcendent one and a secondary immanent one, which prior to the rise of Christianity had a wide distribution in Judaism, only being rejected because it became strongly associated with Christian worship of Jesus. They taught this partly to solve the paradox of god being simultaneously transcendent and immanent, but also because it resolved several contradictions in the Bible - for example, God has white hair in Daniel's vision (Daniel 7:9), but the Male Lover of Song of Songs, who they interpreted as the God of Israel, has black hair (Song of Solomon 5:11). Hence, they further interpreted Daniel 7 to have two divine persons, the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man.

The concept of the Trinity itself does not make logical sense. How can God be multiple persons? Do we not believe in one God? A man cannot be his own father, he can only be like him.

For me, the best explanation of the Trinity has always been from Book 1 Chapter 8 of St. John of Damascus' Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. I'm highlighting the bits in red about how God is three, and in blue how God is one.

Owing to the three persons, there is no compoundness or confusion: while, owing to their having the same essence and dwelling in one another, and being the same in will and energy and power and authority and movement so to speak, we recognise the indivisibility and the unity of God. For verily there is one God, and His word and Spirit.

We have one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. If he's somehow God, that falls through.

What us Trinitarians would say is that becoming human was what enabled Christ Jesus to mediate for us; furthermore, I'd argue (and I'll be cribbing a lot from Dr. Cyril Jenkins' "Some Passing Thoughts on Imputed Righteousness") that Christ had to be divine and human to be the one mediator. If Christ saves us by being sinless and thus acceptable to God, that makes sinlessness the mediator between God and man, and theoretically Adam could have done it, since he had no sin prior to the Fall. However, if the thing that saves us is the union of human and divine nature, and human and divine nature are united only in Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ Himself is the mediator between God and man.

I hope this was respectful; I don't want this to come off as an attack on you or your theology, but as me explaining why I disagree and what I think instead.

Unfortunately, someone who rejects who Jesus Christ says he is is *not* believing in him and Scripture.

I see and trust that your faith is important to you, and that you are pursuing God from the right place, but denying the trinity remains a heresy, in spite of your church teaching it as fact!! And as much as I am one who always says that I don’t know but hope God will have grace for those who didn’t understand but wanted to, the BEST thing for anyone is to embrace the FULL TRUTH. The Word was with God and the Word was God, and Jesus is the Word made flesh!

If you are a Christian, that means putting your full faith in Christ and his power: with God and as God.

I would love you to look at the history of the Trinity as a concept. It only occurred - what, 300 years in, from memory? And it was laughed out of countenance when first suggested. I don't have sources for this currently but I read it once.

The concept of the Trinity itself does not make logical sense. How can God be multiple persons? Do we not believe in one God? A man cannot be his own father, he can only be like him. We have one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. If he's somehow God, that falls through. The point is that he's a man like us, but without sin. If he's just a piece of God (forgive my clumsy phrasing), that makes his sacrifice far less meaningful, and empties the cross of Christ of its power.

God bless you, anon.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church honors St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop and Theologian, St. Rusticus, Priest, St. Eleutherius, Deacon, all Martyrs.

Orate pro nobis.

Saint Dionysius lived originally in the city of Athens. He was raised there and received a classical Greek education. He then went to Egypt, where he studied astronomy at the city of Heliopolis. It was in Heliopolis, along with his friend Apollophonos where he witnessed the solar eclipse that occurred at the moment of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ by Crucifixion. “Either the Creator of all the world now suffers, or this visible world is coming to an end,” Dionysius said. Upon his return to Athens from Egypt, he was chosen to be a member of the Areopagus Council (Athenian high court).

When the holy Apostle Paul preached at the place on the Hill of Ares (Acts 17:16-34), Dionysius accepted his salvific proclamation and became a Christian. For three years Saint Dionysius remained a companion of the holy Apostle Paul in preaching the Word of God. Later on, the Apostle Paul selected him as bishop of the city of Athens. And in the year AD 57, Saint Dionysius was present at the repose of the Mary, the mother of Jesus..

During the lifetime of the Mary, Saint Dionysius had journeyed from Athens to Jerusalem to meet her. In one of the few extant eyewitness accounts of Mary, he wrote to his teacher the Apostle Paul: “I witness by God, that besides the very God Himself, there is nothing else filled with such divine power and grace. No one can fully comprehend what I saw. I confess before God: when I was with John, who shone among the Apostles like the sun in the sky, when I was brought before the countenance of the Most Holy Virgin, I experienced an inexpressible sensation. Before me gleamed a sort of divine radiance which transfixed my spirit. I perceived the fragrance of indescribable aromas and was filled with such delight that my very body became faint, and my spirit could hardly endure these signs and marks of eternal majesty and heavenly power. The grace from her overwhelmed my heart and shook my very spirit. If I did not have in mind your instruction, I should have mistaken her for the very God. It is impossible to stand before greater blessedness than this which I beheld.”

After the death of the Apostle Paul, Saint Dionysius wanted to continue with his work, and therefore went off preaching in the West, accompanied by the Presbyter Rusticus and Deacon Eleutherius. They converted many to Christ at Rome, and then in Germany, and then in Spain.

The writings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite hold great significance for the Orthodox Church. Four books of his have survived to the present day:

On the Celestial Hierarchy

On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

On the Names of God

On Mystical Theology

In additional, there are ten letters to various people.

The theology of the Orthodox Church is totally based upon experience of divine knowledge. In order to know God it is necessary to be in proximity to Him, to have come near to Him in some measure, so as to attain communion with God and growth in sanctification, or deification (theosis) in Orthodox language. This condition is accomplished through prayer. This is not because prayer in itself brings us close to the incomprehensible God, but rather that the purity of heart in true prayer, which is humble silence and stillness of the heart and mind, allows us to become aware of the already close presence of God.

The written works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite are of extraordinary significance in the theology of the Orthodox Church, and also for late Medieval Western Catholic theology. For almost four centuries, until the beginning of the sixth century AD, the works of this holy Father of the Church were preserved in an obscure manuscript tradition, primarily by theologians of the Alexandrian Church. The concepts in these works were known and utilized by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius the Great, pre-eminent figures of the catechetical school in Alexandria, and also by Saint Gregory the Theologian. Saint Dionysius of Alexandria wrote to Saint Gregory the Theologian a Commentary on the “Areopagitum.” The works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite received general Church recognition during the sixth-seventh centuries.

Particularly relevant are the Commentaries written by Saint Maximus the Confessor. (trans. note: although many scholars suggest that the “Areopagitum” was actually written by an anonymous sixth century figure who employed the common ancient device of piously borrowing an illustrious name, this in no way diminishes the profound theological significance of the works.)

In the Russian Orthodox Church the teachings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite about the spiritual principles and deification were at first known through the writings of Saint John of Damascus. The first Slavonic translation of the “Areopagitum” was done on Mt. Athos in about the year AD 1371 by a monk named Isaiah. Copies of it were widely distributed in Russia. Many of them have been preserved to the present day in historic manuscript collections, among which is a parchment manuscript “Works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite” belonging to Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus in his own handwriting.

Later returning to Athens, during a persecution against Christians by the pagan authorities, all three confessors were arrested and thrown into prison. By night Saint Dionysius celebrated the Divine Liturgy with angels of the Lord. In the morning the martyrs were beheaded in AD 96. A pious woman named Catulla buried the relics of the saint, and tradition holds that many miracles were worked at his grave.

Almighty God, you gave to your servant St. Dionysius special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Almighty God, who gave to your servants Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI Feast Day: July 21

"Nos cum prole pia, benedicat Virgo Maria." (Mary, with Her loving Son, bless us each and every one.)

One of the greatest preachers of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Lawrence was born Giulio Cesare Russo, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene - Brindisi, a city located in the Apulia region at Kingdom of Naples in the year 1559. Showing an early gift for oratory, he was always the one chosen to address, in accordance with the Italian custom, a short sermon to his compatriots on the Infant Jesus during the Christmas festivities. He is raised by a family of Venetian merchants. At the age of 16, he entered the Capuchin Franciscans in Venice, receiving the habit, and changed his name from Cesare to Lawrence.

An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French fluently. While still a deacon he preached the Lenten sermons in Venice. After his ordination at the age of 23, he became famous throughout Europe as a forceful preacher. He also wrote many theological books and worked for the conversion of the Jews. Lawrence was elected superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31, and appointed definitor general in Rome for the Capuchins in 1596.

Pope Clement VIII assigned him the task of preaching to the Jews in the city. His knowledge of the Hebrew language was of great help in this regard. Beginning in 1599, Lawrence was sent to establish the Capuchin convents in modern Germany and Austria as a barrier agent in Lutheranism, furthering the Counter-Reformation and bringing many Protestants back to the Catholic faith. He also founded friaries in Vienna, Prague, and Graz.

On account of of his holiness, he was named the imperial chaplain of the Christian forces sent by Rudolph II (Rudolf II), Holy Roman Emperor, and successfully recruited Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, against the Ottoman Turks, who were threatening Hungary. Before the Siege of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) in 1601, though the Christians were outnumbered four to one, he gave a rousing address to the troops. Then he himself rode a horse before them, armed with the crucifix in his hand. The Turks were defeated and Europe was saved.

At their chapter of 1602, Lawrence was elected vicar general of the Capuchin friar, at that time the Order's highest office, whom he administered with energy and charity. Despite his fervent apostolate, Lawrence was a man of prayer and learning. He entered the service of the Holy See, becoming papal nuncio to Bavaria. After serving as nuncio to Spain, he retired to a monastery in 1618, and was recalled as a special envoy to the King of Spain regarding the actions of the Viceroy of Naples in 1619, and after finishing his mission, died in Lisbon, Portugal on July 22, 1619 - his 60th birthday.

Beatified by Pope Pius VI on June 1, 1783 and canonized a saint by Pope Leo XIII on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1881, Lawrence's remains were entombed at the Poor Clares' Convento de la Anunciada (Convent of the Annunciation) in Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain. Because of his creative yet orthodox writings on the Virgin Mary and for his commanding erudition in, and harmonious presentation of, Scripture, patristics, and fundamental theology, Pope St. John XXIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1959.

Lawrence of Brindisi is the third Franciscan Doctor of the Church, along with Saints Bonaventure and Anthony of Padua, and, unfortunately, one of the least well-known.

[letmeletmetrashyourlove]

Duo (Pt. 1)

(Gif credit: borhapmovie) 

Author’s Note: I’ve been sitting on this guy for a while trying to figure out where I want to take the story and I think I have it figured out! Part 1 of ??? 5 maybe???? 

Summary: Y/N’s a single mother of twins who lives in a two bedroom apartment across the hall from a Uni student who seems more than willing to help. 

                                                           ***

          “Mumma?”

I awoke to my shoulder being gently shaken by my son Leo. He stood at the side of the bed, stuffed dinosaur clutched in one hand, the other rested on his belly.

          “Yes, sweet boy?” I asked, rolling over to face him. It wasn’t unusual for him to come in in the middle of the night, though he usually tiptoed up as not to wake me before snuggling himself under the covers beside me.

          “I frew up.” He murmured, shuffling his feet with his eyes trained on the floor.

          “You threw up?” I yawned, sitting up slowly and rubbing my eyes. They landed on the clock, telling me it was well past 2am. The rhythm of rain on the roof was doing little to coax me out of sleep.

          “Uh huh.”

          “Does your tummy hurt?” I asked, forcing myself to sit up so I wouldn’t fall back to sleep while Leo was still trying to talk to me. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, my socked feet hitting the floor with a soft thud.

          “Uh huh.” He let out a slight hiccup before wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his pjs.

I reached out for him, pulling him to stand between my legs and wrapping my arms around him. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head,

          “Okay, buddy, where’s the mess?” I asked against his hair.

He took my hand and led me into his bedroom, pointing to the puke. It was all over his pillowcase, but luckily the rest of the bed and the floor seemed to be clean. Amelia was asleep in her own bed on the other side of the room with Princess Marshmallow curled up at her feet, purring soundly.

          “How about you go climb in my bed while I clean this up, yeah?” I whispered, sweeping his hair from his face. He was overdue for a haircut but he insisted that he liked it long since it made him look even more like his sister.

          “Okay.” He replied, leaving me to clean up the mess. Going by only the light from Leo’s star nightlight, I cautiously peeled the pillowcase from the pillow. I opted to toss it into the trash rather than try to clean it off in the middle of the night, especially with no washing machine in the apartment.

That’s when I heard a belch from across the hall followed by coughing. I let out a sigh as I wandered into the to see the bathroom light on. Luckily, Leo had managed to make it to the toilet this time. He was hunched over it, his chest heaving,

          “Oh, baby.” I pouted, kneeling down beside him.

Now that he was in the light, I could see how pale his face was. I moved to once again sweep his hair from his face, grabbing one of Amelia’s clips off the bathroom counter to pin it back so he wouldn’t make a mess of it.

          “Leo?” Amelia called from the bedroom, “Where’d you go?”

The pitter patter of feet on the hardwood was followed by her peeking her head into the bathroom. She squinted against the light, her hair knotted and standing on end from rolling around in bed.

          “Uh oh.” She said, plugging her nose as she watched Leo gag over the toilet, “Leo has the upset tummy buggies, doesn’t he?”

          “Yeah, sweetheart, go back to bed, I’ve got him,” I told her, shooing her away. The last thing I needed was for the both of them to be sick. Although, if he had it, she had probably already been exposed to whatever bug was causing it.

She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips and chin up,

          “I wanna help!” She declared, brows tightly knit together.

There was no point in telling her no. It was only going to end in a tantrum which is not what Leo needed while he was feeling so poorly. I let out a sigh, rubbing gentle circles on Leo’s back as he eased back from the toilet to sit on his knees.

          “Alright, how about you get him a glass of water, yeah?”

Amelia spun around and padded into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a sippy cup full of water.  

          “Here, bub.” She said, handing it to her brother. He offered her a weak appreciative smile before bringing it to his lips. He took a sip from it before immediately throwing up again. The rumbling of his stomach started to drown out the bathroom exhaust fan.

          “How’d he get sick, Mumma?” Amelia asked, sitting on the floor beside me. I brought a hand up to her hair to help work out some of the tangles.

          “I don’t know, baby. Maybe somebody at school was sick too.”

          “You know, sometimes Princess Marshmallow throws up, do you think that’s how he got sick?” She asked, tilting her head at me.

          “Princess Marshmallow throws up because he eats his own hair, not because of a stomach bug,” I explained, trying not to laugh at her question.

She pondered the thought for a moment. She was about to open her mouth to speak again when I interrupted.

          “Amelia, can you get me a wet washcloth?” I asked.

She nodded, her brown hair tumbling in front of her face as she scurried over to the linen closet and grabbed a cloth before stepping up on her little pink step stool to reach the sink. She got the washcloth wet, wringing out the excess water before passing it over to me. I used it to wipe the sweat from Leo’s face before swiping it across his mouth.  

          “Melia.” Leo began, “You’re gonna be sleepy if you don’t go to bed.”

          “Your brother is right. Go to bed, Snap Pea.”

Before they were born, I always called them my peas. Two peas in a pod. When they were born though, it was clear that one was my sweet pea, Leo. Cautious and affectionate. But Amelia was my snap pea. Firey and sassy. Her exhaustion seemed to override her attitude though. She burst out in a yawn before shuffling back to bed.

          “You need anything else, buddy?” I asked Leo, running my finger down his cheek.

          “No. Can you just sit with me?” He whimpered, his tired, watery eyes meeting mine.

          “Of course, baby,” I replied, settling into a more comfortable position on the floor. Leo followed suit, settling himself on my lap, head rested against my chest.

                                                            ***

          “Mumma!” Amelia prodded at my arm, making me wake with a start.

I had fallen asleep sitting on the bathroom floor, my head rested on my arms which were sat on the edge of the tub. Leo was asleep with his head in my lap. At some point during the night, he had peeled off his shirt and it now sat atop a pile of soiled washcloths.

          “What time is it, baby?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

She padded into the other room, letting out a long ‘ummm’ as she stared at the clock.

          “The big hand is on five and the little hand is on seven.” She said.

7:25. The girl couldn’t have slept in for once in her life?

          “I’m hungry,” Amelia said, rubbing her belly and poking out her bottom lip.

          “Okay.” I yawned, reaching down for Leo’s face. The moment my hand touched his skin, it sent a jolt through me. Heat was radiating off of him and he was still covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I let out a sigh, realizing I would have to get to the pharmacy for some medicine. He woke from the sensation of my cold hand against his face. He sat up abruptly, once again throwing up into the toilet. He gave me a heartbroken look as he curled up on the floor again, head rested on his stuffed dinosaur.

          “I’ll get you some medicine today, okay?” I reassured, rubbing his side gently, “Do you need anything right now?”

He shook his head,  eyes fluttering shut once more as I got up off the floor and took Amelia’s hand.

I made her some toast and scrambled eggs, getting her situated at the table before I stepped out into the hall to check the mailbox for the child support check that was supposed to have arrived two days earlier. When it wasn’t anywhere to be found, I let out a groan.

          “You alright?” A male voice asked.

I turned to see the neighbor from across the hall checking his mail as well. John was an acquaintance, I had him feed Princess Marshmallow and check the mail for me over the summer.

          “Yeah. I just… expecting a check… isn’t here yet.” I replied, flitting through the few pieces of junk mail that were there instead.

          “I uh... heard a lot of coughing and… barfing… last night.” He commented, pulling his own mail from the box and looking through it.

          “You eavesdropping?” It was meant to be a playful quip, but due to exhaustion, it came out as a snap. I shook my head, a silent acknowledgment of my harsh tone, “That was Leo.”

          “Is he feeling any better?”

          “I think he’s fallen back to sleep now, finally.” I sighed, leaning against the wall.

          “You look exhausted.” He commented, looking me up and down.

          “I was up with him all night,” I said, running my hand over my hair that I had piled on top of my head in an attempt to keep it out of my face.

          “I uh… If you ever need any help with an-”

          “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my own children.” I barked, crossing my arms over my chest. As a single mom of twins, everybody seemed to have a different opinion on how I should be taking care of my children. Over the years, my patience for patronizing had fizzled out, putting me on the defense. Especially towards people who didn’t have children themselves.

          “I didn’t say you weren’t!” He threw his hands up in surrender as he took a few steps back.

          “I-” I sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” I stammered, looking to my feet. They were clad in mismatched socks with holes in the toes, which somehow seemed like the perfect metaphor for how I felt.

          “It’s alright,” John replied.

I don’t know why, but the sudden urge to vent to him overcame me. Perhaps it was his charming, inviting smile. How soft he looked in his plaid PJs. Or maybe it was that my verbal filter didn’t work on fewer than 5 hours of sleep.

          “Sorry… I just...I have to go get Leo some medicine but I can’t take him with me, he’s still waking up to puke every fifteen minutes.”

          “I could stay and watch him for you while you go.” He offered. When the words flew from his mouth, he immediately seemed to know it was an inappropriate thing to offer. Sure, we’d been neighbors for a couple of years, but that certainly didn’t make him trustworthy enough to watch my kids for me while I was away. I let out a scoff and shook my head.

          “What? I took care of Princess Marshmallow.”

          “Well, a cat is quite different than children.”

          “Can’t be that different.”

I knew he was joking, and in any other situation I would’ve laughed but I was far too tired and worried about Leo. Instead, I shot him a glare.

          “Alright, how about I go pick up the medicine for you then?” He offered, “Just tell me what to get.”

I stared at him for a moment. He still wore a soft smile on his lips, his hair a little knotty from sleep. He seemed innocent enough, and he hadn’t stolen anything or catnapped Princess Marshmallow when he watched the apartment. Besides, what was he gonna do? Steal the few pounds I gave him and never come back to his own apartment? I nodded at him, making his smile grow. His gaze fell behind me just as I felt a hand tugging on the back of my sweater.

          “Mumma?” A small voice called from behind me.

Leo crept up behind me, hiding behind my leg as he stared up at John with eyes as wide as saucers. He was the shyer of the twins, evident by the way he tucked himself behind me at the sight of John standing in the hallway. He was still topless, his hair still in clumps, tacked to his forehead with sweat.

          “Hey, baby, what’re you doing up?”

          “I frew up again.” He whispered, “Who is that?”

          “This is Mr. Deacon, he’s gonna help me by going to get some medicine for you,” I said, resting my hand on the back of his head as he hugged my leg, head resting on the back of my thigh.

          “Mr. Deacon?” He whispered, eyeing John up and down a few times before gripping onto the back of my sweatpants.

          “Yeah. Remember when we went to spend the weekend with grandma over the summer?”

He nodded,

          “Mr. Deacon took care of Princess Marshmallow while we were gone.”

Leo nodded once more, remaining behind my leg as he studied the man in front of him.

          “He’s gonna get medicine?”

          “Uh huh,” I replied.

          “Is he a doctor?”

          “No, baby. He’s a…” I trailed off, realizing I didn’t know what he did for work. All I knew was that he played bass. I could faintly hear him strumming sometimes, found it quite soothing, actually.

          “Electrical engineer,” John answered for me.

          “What’s that?” Leo asked, his grip on my pants loosening.

          “Uh, well. It’s all kinds of stuff.” John said, squatting down so he was level with Leo.

His gaze flitted up to meet mine as if he wanted my approval to talk with Leo. I gave him a nod to continue.

          “What kind of stuff?” Leo questioned, tilting his head slightly.

          “Uh.” He paused a moment, likely pondering the best way to describe what he did in a way a five-year-old could understand, “Fixing broken things, making new things that have to do with electricity.”

          “Electricity?” Leo stepped out from behind me and instead stood beside me, but he kept one arm wrapped around my leg, anchoring himself to me. The heat from his body was seeping through my sweatpants, making me grow even more concerned.

          “Yeah. Uh. Stuff like lights,” He pointed up to the ceiling. Leo’s gaze followed his gesture before landing back on him again,  “And your TV and the radio.”

          “Oh. You fix that stuff?”

          “Yeah.”

          “Mumma! Maybe he can fix our TV!”

          “Yeah, I could probably fix your TV,” John replied.

          “Oh, no. No. I wouldn’t want to be any more trouble.”

          “No trouble at all. I promise.” He smiled at me.

I found myself staring at him for a moment too long. He had a tenderness about him, not necessarily conventionally attractive, but the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled made him radiant. He raised an eyebrow at me, snapping me back to reality. I shook my head in an attempt to regain my composure.  

          “Let me go inside, I’ll give you some cash for the medicine,” I said as I turned into the doorway.

          “There’s no need, I’ll get it.” He offered.

          “No, John, I insist.”

He opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it when I shot him a stern glare.

          “Well, if you insist.”

I ushered Leo back into the apartment and got him settled on the couch before I grabbed my purse, pulling out a few bills. I jotted the name of the medicine down on a scrap of paper before meeting John in the doorway again.

          “Sorry about that uh… interrogation.” I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I handed him the bills, “Four-year-olds are too curious for their own good.”

          “Don’t worry about it. He’s a sweet kid. I’ll be back in a few.”

I waited until he disappeared around the corner before entering the apartment again. Amelia had finished her breakfast and was sitting on the couch beside Leo who seemed to have come down from his sudden energy boost and was back to wallowing on the couch. Amelia had her hand on his forehead like she had seen me do many times before when they were sick. She threw me a worried glance over her shoulder as I wandered up behind her. I gave her a half-hearted smile.

          “John will be back with some medicine soon, bub.”

Amelia settled herself on the floor in front of the couch with some crayons. She and Leo were chatting when Leo suddenly sprang off the couch and sprinted towards the bathroom.

                                                            ***

A knock on the door pulled me away from my position on the floor of the bathroom beside Leo. I peered through the peephole to see John standing on the other side, a paper bag in hand.

          “You decided not to rob me, then?” I teased as I opened the door.

He grinned and shook his head, reaching into the bag.

          “Medicine, your change, and a candy bar for mum.” He smiled, handing them all over.

It wasn’t until he handed me the candy bar that I realized how hungry I was. I mouthed a thank you to him as I counted the cash,

          “Change? This is all the cash I gave you.”

          “Told you I’d get it.” He replied.

          “Really, just take it.” I insisted, shoving it in his face.

He shook his head, taking a step back.

          “Quit being so damn stubborn and take the money.” I ordered, folding it in half and tucking into the front pocket of his shirt, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

          “Any time.”

He offered me another crinkly-eyed smile as I closed the door. I felt an odd bubble in my stomach. At first, I thought I was starting to catch Leo’s stomach bug, but I quickly realized it was just butterflies. I hadn’t felt those since I was a teenager. Heat spread across my face as I went into the kitchen to get Leo a cup of water to take his medicine with.

          “Mumma!” Amelia squealed as I stepped away from the sink,  “The door gave us money!”

She ran up to me with the bills in her hand.

“Dammit, John,” I muttered under my breath, taking the cash and tucking it back into my purse.