Catechism - philosophical or religious treatise stating the basis of Christian faith in the form of questions and answers.

Don't get thrilled. This religious definition of catechism given above can be transformed into secular meaning, moreover if You mind that faith is one of those words mostly appurtenant to Freddie's main point.

And here's a wish - don't mix the following with notorious FAQ. I tried to illustrate more strategic topics instead of discussing factual questions. This catechism is being created for those who are already worn out by all the biographical, discographical and alike researches. Below are the questions of comprehension and usage of Freddie's creations, His legacy. This is about Our luck to be His comparative contemporaries, to draw innumerable conclusions on the assumption of His vital experience. Freddie's surely no ancient sage, but all the more the sages bring immortal theory, and Freddie being so close to Us, gives the valuable practice...and that practice is based on the simple desire for full-value living, full-value working, bringing positive emotions to everybody concerned, and to You, as His listener, in particular.

WHO IS THAT FREDDIE MERCURY?

Freddie is mainly performer. And only after that He's a musician, composer e.t.c. His mission is to bring an essence of the performed musical material to the listener, to give life to this material, to interpret information from the language of notes to the language of human perception. Performer should make His listener BELIEVE Him. Moreover, this belief, this faith should not necessarily apply to the lyrics: lyrics are a secondary filling for the music, it's easy to dispense with it. Performer should persuade His listener by inflexions, traces, expression - whether in His voice or in playing the musical instrument. Listener's got to believe the whole semantic filling, and there can't be worth performer without this filling. One can play passages of incredible complexity with singular speed on His musical instrument, He can use the whole lexical gorgeousness of one or another language in His poetic experiences, but this One should find faith in the raw mass of sounds and letters to perform His creation truly well, and then He should deliver His faith to the listener. This faith IS energy. When You study, for example, some exact science, You have to logically clear a formula up to comprehend and memorize it. When You've cleared it up, it gets beyond Your comprehension much faster. But when You hear or see performance - whether it's music, poetry, painting or architecture - You can't logically adapt an accuracy of the human values - love, friendship, truth - You just perceive it - both on conscious and on subconscious level. And the more performer believes in what He performs, the more He delivers His energy to You, the more You believe in what He performs. Moreover, it's not necessary to believe in something concrete: an energetic shot is a quite abstract value. It's enough for a performer to get confidence that He's delivering a positive or negative energetic shot - unit of ACTION - to the listener. Yes, it's definitely unit of action - in negative or positive key. And the one who'd accepted this shot, probably insensibly for Himself, will act under an influence of this energetic shot. An action itself can be whatever: from a kind word to murder, from a smile to helping somebody out of depression. Energy is a value, passing on from one to another, stimulating life. But what shot to deliver to the listener - it's a business of performer. This possibility to deliver energy is a powerful instrument. Yes, it can be compared to manipulating one's actions, conscience, subconscience, life...It's a question of the moral principles of the performer - to persuade His listener to bring evil or virtue. Freddie was a kind energy-donor. After one'd listened to the music, performed by Him, He goes back to His day-to-day life a bit more fulfilled by positive basis. It's quite another matter, how the listener Himself deals with the adopted energy - giving it, in His turn, to His relatives, friends, those within His circle of acquaintance. Or maybe he wastes all the shot for himself, for solving his own, often absolutely underproductive, empty goals?

To be continued.

Five/"Queen" collaboration has happened. Is it an event? Not in the least. But it's an occasion to explain why the present Queen is not actually Queen.

At first, it's needed to remind who is Freddie and what in Him can be more respectable.

Don't get delighted with His voice: don't deceive Yourself. There hasn't been any outstanding parametres in it. Furthermore, no need to get enthusiastic over His good attitude towards fans, all symphonic and harmonic tricks He'd presented. The enumerated, as millions of other advantages, is just a consequence. The matter is in His desire for performing. And this desire, transforming, is transmitted to those listening Him. This desire, this energy is what helps You to be alive, to keep feverish activity, to, in Your turn, present this energy to the people You're communicating with, and so forth. So simple it is!

What is Queen then? Queen is Freddie Mercury - the brilliant altruist - and three musicians writing songs, playing the guitar, bass and drums. These three execute raw material, Freddie breathes life into it. Brian, Roger and John can create music, but only Freddie makes it alive, He performs it the way You've got accustomed to know it.

And now, it's year 2000. Brian May and Roger Taylor record and perform again. Is it Queen? No. Not just because Freddie and John are absent. It's just an outer face. It is not Queen because Brian and Roger can create the material, stuff, music, harmonies, remarkable fingering. But they will never have this handler, filter, inspirer, performer, which was Freddie and only Freddie. And He was unique. His performance can hardly be approached by anybody, all the more by 5ive.

Brian, Roger, John - they're good musicians, but not performers - that's the matter.

Let us render We Will Rock You to 5ive fans. They probably haven't got enough taste and sense to listen to better music - We Will Rock You is a higher stage for them, not for You, Queen admirer.

Value what You've already got; don't strive for the new only because it's new; have a sense; distinguish comparatively good from the best.

Jura Gorohovsky, july 24, 2000