The polished hits from the 80s often overshadowed the vibrant music from earlier albums. While I just accepted the 'hits' ('Hey, that's his job, dear..), my love belonged to songs like for example 'Fairy Feller's Master Stroke'.
As playful and satyrical as Freddie shines in here it is just the side of him that sparkles most. Luckily, just about every album had a few jewels for me in it, so to not forget that Mercury is either the mischievous Mercurius or the restless quicksilver - or both.
He's a fairy feller.
The fairy folk have gathered round the new moon shine
to see the feller crack a nut at nights noon time.
To swing his axe he swears, as it climbs he dares to deliver the master-stroke. Ploughman, "wagoner will," and types, politician with senatorial pipe, he's a dilly-dally-o.
Pedagogue squinting, wears a frown
and a satyr peers under lady's gown,
dirty fellow, what a dirty laddio.
Tatterdemalion and a junketer, there's a thief and a dragonfly trumpeter, he's my hero.
Fairy dandy tickling the fancy of his lady friend.
The nymph in yellow "can we see the master-stroke," what a quaery fellow.
Soldier, sailor, tinker, tailor, ploughboy, waiting to hear the sound.
And the arch-magician presides, he is the leader.
Oberon and Titania watched by a harridan,
Mab is the queen and there's a good apothecary-man come to say hello.
Fairy dandy tickling the fancy of his lady friend, the nymph in yellow, what a quaery fellow.
The ostler stares with hands on his knees, come on Mr. Feller, crack it open, if you please.
Freddie Mercury)