Read this a while ago but one of the best biographies I’ve read. Its gripped my attention and held on throughout the book. I was not expecting a history lesson in the AIDS epidemic but the author does a beautiful of interweaving Freddy’s life in to what was happening in the world. The book is very well written. And gave me all sorts of feelings. I really can’t say anything bad about this book. ( )

This was a good—only good, and not great—overview not only of Freddie Mercury's life, but also the proliferation of the AIDS epidemic throughout the world.

Some first impressions...

Wow, Freddie Mercury has been gone for almost thirty years? Honestly, if I had been pressed to give an immediate, don't-think-about-it answer, I would have guessed no more than ten or twelve. Hard to believe.

I kept reading about how Freddie wanted to keep his homosexuality secret, and I kept thinking, why? Then I'd remember the place I was working at, and when AIDS became a thing, my boss at the time throwing out the joke, "What does AIDS stand for?" And, of course, the answer was, "Adios, Infected Dick Sucker"... So, yeah, gays obviously weren't afforded much respect back then, obviously, because I do remember that sort of feeling as prevalent. And I live in a more progressive, accepting country.

At the same time, it feels like I always knew Freddie was gay, just as I always knew Elton was. I'm wrong, I know that. But still, it seems weird. Different times.

As for the book, nothing really surprising here, much of what's talked about is elements of Mercury's life in and out of Queen that has been discussed (or twisted about in the movie), before. While I did learn more about how HIV and AIDS developed than I'd previously been aware of, sadly, I already knew how Reagan and Thatcher rarely lifted a finger due to the misconception that this was strictly a "gay plague".

I think the biggest downfall of this book is how Richards chose to deliver the information. He'd mention some fact, for example, his change of relationship with Mary Austin from girlfriend to friend, then carry on with the narrative, then in the next chapter, talk about their current girlfriend/boyfriend relationship again, and cover off how it changed. Or he'd discuss the release of a single, then back up to recording the album, then discuss the release of that single in the next chapter.

It made for a somewhat schizophrenic and oddly repetitive read at times.

He also briefly mentions Mercury working with Billy Squier for a couple of songs on his Enough is Enough album in 1986, but there's literally no mention of his appearance on Squier's 1982 and 1984 albums. Sure, it's not a big thing, but it makes me wonder what other things were left out.

While I'd be interested in discovering more about one of the supreme rock musicians of my generation, I doubt I'll ever pick up another book written by Matt Richards. ( )

While the portions of the book devoted to Freddie Mercury are great, the author went into far too much detail concerning AIDS and views on homosexuality in 1960/70s England. If I had wanted that much information I would read a book devoted to that subject. Freddie’s story can be told without those in-depth details. The book read more like a textbook at times rather then a biography. Very disappointed. ( )

This book was so good! Somebody to Love shows Freddie Mercury's rise to fame with Queen as well as the story of AIDS. The juxtaposition was just perfect because it gives background to what the 1980's gay scene was like during the epidemic and how Freddie was affected by it and in denial. This is the story that should of been made into a movie. ( )

I am going to get 'Did the author know Freddie Mercury personally?' tattooed on my brain, and save myself a lot of heartache and expense. Despite the poignant introduction - 'In the music room, a grand piano rests on the wooden floor, upon it the silver photo frames displaying images from a life unseen by so many. The fallboard is down' - and some interesting (if imported) chapters on AIDS, this biography follows the same murky route as previous attempts to capture Freddie Mercury's life story (perhaps because the authors rely heavily on the work of others): Zanzibar, Queen, gay, sex, gay sex, AIDS, death. Why so many writers are keen to reduce the amazing talent and achievements of a truly complex individual into 'he had sex with men and died of AIDS', I just can't fathom.

For any readers interested in learning more about Freddie and Queen but who haven't read the biographies by Mark Blake, Laura Jackson and Lesley-Ann Jones (the Terrible Trio), Richards and Longthorne have helpfully cribbed from all three and repackaged the tabloid gossip and bitterness into one compact, pseudo-scientific study. Although not as salacious as Jones, and without Blake's axe to grind, Somebody to Love still makes the same old claims (Barbara Valentin's alleged 'kiss and tell' in LAJ's biography does not make Freddie bisexual, sorry) , while adding some spurious observations of their own, including pinpointing almost the exact date of Freddie becoming infected with HIV (how the hell would they know?) and linking him to Gaetan Dugas. The authors are so keen to link everything - EVERYTHING - in Freddie's life story to the cause of his death, they also throw in random statements like 'Several inches below the leather armband was a purplish bruise that might have been Kaposi's Sarcoma'. At Live Aid, in 1985? Might the 'purplish bruise' also have been a purplish bruise, perhaps from said armband pinching his skin, guys? Oh, and apparently there's evidence of Freddie dyeing his hair at Live Aid too, although Peter Freestone and Jim Hutton have both said he didn't.

Anyway! If you can't be bothered reading every source ever on Freddie - including some credible memoirs from people who actually knew him, including Peter Freestone and Peter Hince - and want to learn more about AIDS without reading Randy Shilts' critically acclaimed and ground-breaking And the Band Played On (which the authors dismiss as 'melodramatic'), then this biography is at least palatable, unlike the same by Blake and Jones. Just take every claim with a pinch of salt. There are some lovely quotes by people who knew Freddie - 'He was full of enthusiasm - long, black flowing hair and this great dandy image' (Roger Taylor) - and AIDS angle is interesting, if morbid. But for a true picture of this amazing man, read the memoirs of the people who actually knew him. ( )