BOOK REVIEW: The Show Must Go On – The Life of Freddie Mercury by Rick Sky (1992)

Old review from the archives (revised).  This book has long been ejected from the collection.

RICK SKY – The Show Must Go On – The Life of Freddie Mercury (1992 Fontana)

This book is shallow to the extreme. If you ever wanted to know how much money Freddie Mercury spent on lavish parties, then this is for you. If you want to learn anything at all about Queen and their music, you will have to look elsewhere.

While the book dwells far too long on Freddie’s fabulous friends and fantastic parties, I did find the closing chapters regarding his death very sad and heartfelt. It puts you in the moment. There were also some interesting bits about his childhood and youth. Not enough to redeem this book, which just isn’t up to snuff for any fan, serious or casual.

1/5 stars

10 comments

  2. When I first read that you culled a Freddie Mercury book from your collection I was thinking “wtf”. Now I get it though.

    I would probably snag this one just for the inside info before his death. I remember the exact second I heard the sad news all these years later.
    Then that amazing tribute.

    Speaking of tributes, found out too late that the tribite for Chester Bennington was live streamed last night. I would have liked to have seen that.

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    1. I’m still sad about Chester. And Chris. The wounds are still fresh.

      I am fortunate in that I have never lost any friends in that way. But I know people who have lost family that way. Brothers and sons. A friend of mine lost her son two years ago, and he was such a funny bright guy. I wanted him to do some stuff for my site, video wise, because he was so funny. When she told me he’d gone, and how…I realised that yet again, a comic genius is sometimes swimming in a sea of depression and you just can’t tell from looking at them.

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      1. Chester and Chris still sting.
        Funny you mention it. Since I heard about the Chester tribute, I wanted to do my own tribute, so hopefully I can do one today.

        I got a phone call at work years ago that went to voice mail. It was from the hospital. My best friends therapist was obligated to have my friend sent to the hospital when he told her he had thoughts of suicide.
        Myself, family and friends took turns staying with him 24/7.
        Those were tough times.
        Luckily he’s still here, but the feeling that he may not be is always in the back of my mind.
        I don’t know if I could have forgiven myself if that call went to voice mail and he killed himself.

        Sorry to hear about your friend.

        In my experience, the most truely depressed people that end up gling throigh with it are the best at hiding it. They are always up. Friendly. Nice.
        I have heard so many times. He/she was always so happy, popular, funny. We had no idea etc.

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  4. Oh dear. A cash grab type book, eh? Sounds like it’s filled with the kind of ‘exclusives’ rags like The Sun or Daily Mail would throw together. Prime collection eviction stuff…

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