John would've quit Queen anyway according to Roger

[MyFaerieQueene]

Probably it was easier for him to quit when he was less involved than the other musicians in the group, and by nature the bass is more discreet, so if he had left the group, Queen would probably have hired another bass player, I think.

I don't know. Maybe they would have recruited another player but the magic would be lost. I don't think they would have replaced Deacy because of this. Who else could fit? I often think that John is the only member that could not be replaced.

[Young Music Fan]

Probably it was easier for him to quit when he was less involved than the other musicians in the group, and by nature the bass is more discreet, so if he had left the group, Queen would probably have hired another bass player, I think.

I don't know. Maybe they would have recruited another player but the magic would be lost. I don't think they would have replaced Deacy because of this. Who else could fit? I often think that John is the only member that could not be replaced.

I'm not sure, I often consider the Innuendo album (the last album made with Freddie) as the work of a three-piece (Brian, Roger and Freddie) because to everything which has been said about the album, John didn't write a song for the album. He at least contributed on the arrangement of The Hitman and was part of the original idea for The Show Must Go On with Roger. But I've heard a lot more said about him taking unpredictable holidays to Bali with his family during this period. So in terms of making the album, I don't think he contributed less on this album then any other. (It could be that bass is programmed as they did this on at least Breakthru on The Miracle album.)

I'm sorry for saying this but this response is based on sources.

[Old Man]

I often think that John is the only member that could not be replaced.

On which planet do you live?

When John Lennon wrote "Help", people loved the song, but he later admitted, that it was a personal cry for help. When Peter Green wrote "Man of the World" everyone loved the beauty of the song, but today we know that he wrote about himself.
Just take a look at John Deacon's songs, he wrote for Queen:

"Spread your wings and fly away, far away" .."Sammy was low, just watching the show over and over again"

"Who needs you?": "But it's dog eat dog in this rat race and it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face, Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand"

"If you can't beat them": "Invite me to your little contract Ha! Ha!, Rumor has it that you could play dirty, I'll tell you what I'll do about that,
I'm playing at the wrong game yeah!"

"Back Chat": "You burn all my energy...Criticizing all you see...Analyzing what I say....And you always get your way....See what you've done to me"

"I want to break free": "you're so self-satisfied I don't need you"

These are words written by a man, who obviously was not happy, where he was.

[MyFaerieQueene]

I often think that John is the only member that could not be replaced.

On which planet do you live?

I often ask myself this question!

When John Lennon wrote "Help", people loved the song, but he later admitted, that it was a personal cry for help. When Peter Green wrote "Man of the World" everyone loved the beauty of the song, but today we know that he wrote about himself.
Just take a look at John Deacon's songs, he wrote for Queen:

"Spread your wings and fly away, far away" .."Sammy was low, just watching the show over and over again"

"Who needs you?": "But it's dog eat dog in this rat race and it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face, Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand"

"If you can't beat them": "Invite me to your little contract Ha! Ha!, Rumor has it that you could play dirty, I'll tell you what I'll do about that,
I'm playing at the wrong game yeah!"

"Back Chat": "You burn all my energy...Criticizing all you see...Analyzing what I say....And you always get your way....See what you've done to me"

"I want to break free": "you're so self-satisfied I don't need you"

These are words written by a man, who obviously was not happy, where he was.

I agree about the lyrics but in terms of what John brought to the band in himself as a person and musician he'd be the hardest to replace I think. All the members added something special but as far as John went there was just something about him that made Queen Queen. Try as I might I cannot imagine anyone else playing his part.

[Ray]

I often think that John is the only member that could not be replaced.

Now that's a first (and probably last) I read that.

Forget Freddie vs. Adam comparisons, QAL doesn't work because of that guy who plays bass nowadays (don't even know his name).

[Young Music Fan]

It's hard to defend why John was the most important person in Queen after 1980. John became less reliable in the studio and on stage when Queen stopped doing Brighton Rock jams (which I think in the 1970s showed the musical talents of Brian, Roger and John), he was just a bassist on stage and didn't contribute anything significant as compared to the others who had solos or showcases. It might've been his choice but putting it simply, he doesn't stand out on that front.

[MyHumanZoo]

Forget Freddie vs. Adam comparisons, QAL doesn't work because of that guy who plays bass nowadays (don't even know his name).

That would be Neil Fairclough, great guy and great bass player!

[FunnyHowLoveIs]

John Deacons unique calibur of penmanship is what captivated me with my 1st Queen album, "News Of The World" over the obvious "We Will Rock You" & "We Are The Champions" the one - two singles. "Spread Your Wings" is also a American single released after WWRY/WATC and I remember fondly hearing it on the radio in 1977. "Spread Your Wings" suffered greatly from the entire band on "Live Killers' lacking any real emotion and energy at all but of that release, Brians solo is memorable and even more so on "News Of The World" with a sound I can't place in any other Queen song before or after. The BBC version of Johns literary genius has a raucous jam at the end that surely would've sizzled in concert, especially on "Live Killers." I guess Queen wanted a Live Album that showed the best and worst of performances. John is sorely missed and I do hope the best for the quiet member of Queen