The Great Planet Skaro Queen Time Team: Made It to Made In Heaven!

[Si Hunt]

It's a massive improvement on "Don't Try Suicide"

There's nothing like faint praise!

Si.

[Rob McCow]

A Kind of Magic

1. One Vision - Queen (Roger Taylor) 5:10
2. A Kind of Magic - Taylor 4:24
3. One Year of Love - John Deacon 4:26
4. Pain Is So Close to Pleasure - Deacon, Freddie Mercury 4:21
5. Friends Will Be Friends - Deacon, Mercury 4:07
6. Who Wants to Live Forever - Brian May 5:15
7. Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme) - May 4:34
8. Don't Lose Your Head - Taylor 4:38
9. Princes of the Universe - Mercury 3:32

[Rob McCow]

Like Queen's album releases, the 80's are turning out to be a bit of a sporadic time for the Time Team!

[Dino]

1. One Vision

You can rely on Queen to start their albums off with a bang. And this doesn't disappoint. I'd put this in my top ten Queen songs. Some of the sound effects are a bit dated. Is this the Queen equivalent of CSO? It sounds like everyone's on the same page. It's legacy at least is the background for the "Team America" song. And it gets a few points for treading on the toes of the PC 80's people with it's lyrics of "One race" etc. And where are those "Take lyrics far too literally" types now in 2013?

2. A Kind Of Magic

It's got it's charm but I can't listen to it these days without feeling I should buy something. I've forgotten how good this song was.
I love the drive, I love how it sounds like it's glad to be alive. But I still can't chase the voiceovers and adverts from my head with it.

3. One Year Of Love

I like to think when they were mixing this track, Brian was sulking in the corner going "Why you got a sax? I could do a solo better than that!". It does sound like it could collapse into "One Moment In Time" or "Can't Help Falling In Love" at any second. Now THAT'S living on the edge! Not sure why this has been chosen as the third track. It's starting to slow the album down.

4. Pain Is So Close To Pleasure

It's faster than the last track, but the whole thing sounds like it's a left over from a Freddie solo album. Roger is a great drummer, so I'm sure he was pleased to sound like a soulless drum machine. The harmonies are classic Queen, but everything else sounds phoned in. The album has pretty much come to a standstill though.

5. Friends Will Be Friends

A slight step up from the last two tracks. It still sounds like Roger's repeating the same drum pattern from the last song. Although Brian is more inspired. Some more memorable chord changes. Really beautiful chorus. I wouldn't mind how many times I heard it. It does sound like it should close the album. I still haven't seen the Highlander film. No idea if any or all of this album is on the soundtrack.
Although it's not really winning me over as much as "Flash" did.

6. Who Wants To Live Forever

And it was a huge mistake putting this track right after the last. No contrast. It just sounds like a more overblown and slower version of the last track. It's annoying with it's "Ah, it's finished. Oh, it hasn't. Right! It's finished! No..." dynamics. The album really needs to pick itself up, but 6 tracks into a 9 track album, it might be too late.

7. Gimme The Prize

Starts off sounding like it'll bring in the slack, but then collapses. The samples didn't work. And there doesn't seem to be any genius to this. It's like they haven't got any ideas for this song so they fill it up with more samples. Before the solo it did seem like the music from a really terrible 80's film, but one where it's played on the radio in a garage rather than being on the actual soundtrack for the film.
Let's see what they could have one...

8. Don't Lose Your Head

"If the odds are against you... I'll equalise them." Sorry. But this is the most 80's sounding track on the album. On the plus side, there's a bit more a pace to it. But- "Don't get breathalysed"? Did I just hear that? It doesn't really do anything or go anywhere.

9. Princes Of The Universe

I never really watched the Highlander TV series. But I did remember hearing this over the titles. It appeared to have used the best bits. Actually no, when it picks up it's a pretty great Queen rock song. Bit too late for it to lift the album to anything really vital. There's a section in the middle that might suggest there's a few surprises left, but no.

Verdict: Wow, is this bottom? What the worst Queen album sounds like? There's one or two good tracks on here. The first two are brilliant and forward looking Queen. But then it just doesn't really go anyway. Freddie is excellent, but he isn't really given much to do. He sounds a bit tired and brainless on some tracks. That's quite a disaster! A lot of the album seems knocked off. "What? You want a soundtrack? Bish bosh, there you go!" There's not much passion in the music. Queen music made to order, not made for their pleasure.
The blame game and fallout must have been interesting to witness! But it all comes down to not having enough good songs and hardly any great songs. It's good that this wasn't their last ever album. How bad would that have been? But if I was a fan in 1986, there's a very good chance this might have been the last Queen album I bought without listening to first. Considering how highly I regarded "The Works" this is a massive step down.
Granted, nobody wants Queen to do the same thing every album. But then surely nobody wants Queen to produce a "Will this do?" album either?
Apologies if this was the album that you first started with. But, it's not that much of an album. Not enough variety, too plastic.

4 out of 10.

[Dino]

Like Queen's album releases, the 80's are turning out to be a bit of a sporadic time for the Time Team!

And I appear to have killed the thread with my thoughts! I am willing to be outargued on this one.

[Rob McCow]

Full set of opinions will be up tomorrow... but I'm not going to be too far off your assessment!

[Si Hunt]

For once I'm going to be the positive one!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

1. One Vision - Queen (Roger Taylor) 5:10

This is a fantastic song. It begins like a machine whose rusted pistons are slowly grinding back into life. Echoes of Freddie and other noises emerging through the fog... building up and up.... and then that superb guitar hook crashes in. From then on it's a feel good stomper all the way with daft lyrics, great singalong bits and that splendid crashing drum solo bit. All the way up to "Fried chicken!" and then it all echoes away again. A burst of pure, vibrant, brilliant pop. 10/10

2. A Kind of Magic - Taylor 4:24

That was all a one-off single of course, and when Queen realised they were back in the groove, this was the first single proper. It's one of those songs that you forget how good it is. And then you play it and you remember "One golden glance.... of what should be!". It'll never be my absolutely favourite Queen track, but it's irresistible. 8/10

3. One Year of Love - John Deacon 4:26

Okay, so we know Queen and we know to beware of filler, and that the singles will always sound much better than anything else or, frankly, we'd have heard about it. And, fair do's, as album tracks go this is good. A mournful Deacon ballad which Freddie sings very well, and at the top of his lungs. 7/10

4. Pain Is So Close to Pleasure - Deacon, Freddie Mercury 4:21

I always think of this as the other half of "Year Of Love"'s pair, probably because the title of this is mentioned in the previous song. It's a jaunty little number, and another one I've always been fond of. Again, a perfect "Second Division" Queen song. Not up with the singles, but it's no "Don't Try Suicide". 7/10

5. Friends Will Be Friends - Deacon, Mercury 4:07

This is a funny song. I find it very warm and familiar. It has a slight reflective feel, and you can't fault the togetherness of the lyrics. "When you're in need of love they give you care and affection". It's one of the Red Special's finest hours, and the guitar practically sings along. The video recalls Freddie in the middle of a crowd of appreciative fans, and likewise the song seems to evoke memories of happy times. Comfort Food Queen. 8/10

6. Who Wants to Live Forever - Brian May 5:15

One of the slowest Queen songs, at times it practically doesn't seem to be moving at all. Also unusually, Brian opens, but unfortunately when Freddie turns up his range shows Brians voice up, not for the last time, for the weak old thing it is. It's a haunting, beautiful song, although one has to be in the right mood for it. There's a slightly more rhythmic version done at Wembers '86, before this album had even been released I believe. It always felt like a very "big" song to me, an epic Number 1, so I was surprised to discover it only reached number 24. 8/10.

7. Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme) - May 4:34

Obvious filler, and the most disposable biscuit on the album. It's a rock-out to some clips really, isn't it? This album is neither a soundtrack or a regular album, it is, typically of Queen, a hybrid of the two cobbled together so they could get on with something more interesting.

8. Don't Lose Your Head - Taylor 4:38

Bit of a turd here. Oh Roger! And the album is losing it's way a bit. Don't drink and drive! And don't ever write songs again, stick to your drums. 2/10

9. Princes of the Universe - Mercury 3:32

On first listen, this continues the downward slide of Side 2 of the album, although it's a bit of a grower I have to say, and eventually earned its place in my affections and on Greatest Hits Volume 3, that classic Queen album. It is, basically, another racket of a Queen rocker, up there (almost) with "Hammer to Fall". A very "strong" song. Here we are! We're the Princes of the Universe! In the end, you begin to imagine it could even have been a single. A number 23 one, no doubt. 6/10

Wait that's it, nine songs? What would Freddie do these days, when there's seventy bloody minutes to fill?

Still, length isn't everything (or so they tell me) and, as always with Queen, any nine song album which manages to contain "One Vision", "A Kind of Magic", "Forever" and "Friends Will Be Friends" has more than done it's job, right?

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Still, length isn't everything (or so they tell me)...

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Wait that's it, nine songs? What would Freddie do these days, when there's seventy bloody minutes to fill?

A damn good question! The sheer amount of filler required would probably mean you'd get half a Brian May solo album wedged in the middle.

[Rob McCow]

One Vision
Bishy-boshy-boo, and the sea is saved, majesty in shave, Manchester is rave, rave, rave...

What an outstanding intro. The kind of thing all albums should start with. All that weirdness drifting around... then... the curtains part! The strings kick in! Brian May plays the guitar! It's Queen, damnit and they've never sounded brighter or bolder.

One Vision is an awesome track. It's got a great riff, it's exciting and it manages not to be sanctimonious, despite being about uniting the world and doing good things to people generally. I discovered this one on Greatest Flix II and it blew me away. Why it isn't better remembered I don't know.

How wonderful to have a song like this, it has picked me up and got me excited so many times. It gets me leaping out of my chair, doing the air guitar and singing along almost every time.

Pure, near-perfect pop.
9/10


A Kind Of Magic
Everything I said about One Vision multiplied by ten. If One Vision was 'perfect' then this is sublime. Everything is polished and slick, yet it still retains it's soul. The production is like crystal. This is a song that has been refined and distilled until all that is left is liquid pop.

At 4:24 it's a bit long, but there's plenty of places where you could fade out or fade in for a single mix. It doesn't waste it's time either.

The guitar fills at the end are gorgeous. Brian's absolute mastery of the guitar is in evidence here. There's exactly the right amount of playing with each line leading into the next. It's my favourite Queen guitar solo.

John Deacon is on astounding form too. Next time you listen to it, tune in to the bass line and try to ignore everything else. It's a real treat, beautifully interwoven with the other textures of the song. I love the 'It's a Kind of, It's a Kind of, It's a Kind of...' feel he gets to it.

Never mind that it's been used to advertise everything from second-rate magicians to 'magic hair' dolls. (I distinctly remember it being used on an advert for a doll's head that glowed in the dark... Scary Head Magic.) It might be associated with cheese, but it doesn't make it cheesy in itself. And why did these advertisers use it? Because it's outstanding, that's why.

This could be Queen's ultimate pop track. Genius.
10/10

Weirdly, Roger takes the credit for the first two tracks on this album. Wikipedia says that their genesis was a bit more complicated than that, but damn! They are so good! And we're only a couple of albums away from 'Calling All Girls'. Where did Roger get his mojo from?

One Year Of Love
And when did John Deacon lose his mojo? Sorry, this is utter crap. The drum line is so plodding, it feels like Roger is going to drop dead before he gets to the first chorus. Freddie gives his all and the strings almost nearly come close to saving the day, but not quite. This song kills the album as sure as chopping off it's head. There's no way back!

Even the bass playing is suspect!
1/10

Pain Is So Close To Pleasure
You said it. Disappointingly this song isn't some kind of rude metaphor, it's just about how things in life can be happy and then a bit sad too.

On the plus side, it picks up the pace a bit. I've also found it to be a phenomenal earworm, popping into my head all the damn time. Pain! Pleasure!
4/10.


Friends Will Be Friends
This is a nice one. A very nice one. Kind of bittersweet, an anthem for friendship and kindness. I really don't know what to say about it. It's likeable, it's great. I'm sure this song has saved someone's life. A much better pick-me-up than 'Don't Try Suicide'.

Another that I know well from Greatest Flix II, although the video is just Queen playing live. Freddie performs it well.

It's just rather bland, that's all.
6/10

Who Wants To Live Forever
Queen goes ORCHESTRAL. Sometimes the Queen sound just isn't big enough, sometimes you need that extra oomph that can only be provided by a fat orchestra with dozens of instruments.

The sentiment is kind of worth it. Who does want to live forever, when you can have one perfect moment? It's a return to the mild philosophy of Bohemian Rhapsody.

And I do wonder. Is this the one? Is this where they realised? Did Brian write these lyrics because they knew that there was something wrong with Freddie?

I suspect I'm reading stuff into it and that they were just thinking how cool it would sound on the Highlander Soundtrack. It could equally be about the Immortals and how tough it would be to live for all time. But as a song for a man finding out that there's a death sentence hanging over him, it's rather more poigniant.

Who waits forever anyway?
7/10

Gimme The Prize
'There can be only one!'

So we finish up with three songs that are far more obviously inspired by Highlander. This one is rock heavy and pretty damn cool. The bagpipe styled guitar solo is neat. In fact, for guitar afficiandos, this is probably a highlight. It's full of Brian pyrotechnics, right from the astounding high-speed intro through to the triple guitar solo at the end.

Sadly, the 'One Year of Love' effect is still being felt through the whole album. It's really hard to care.

Now you die! Ching! Ching! Whop whop whop whop. Ching! It sounds like the Highlander movie is stuffed with the silliest voices ever. I wouldn't go and see it on the basis of this album.
6/10


Don't Lose Your Head
A great drum sound on this one, it's rather funky. It's a synthy-Queen number and it's got a great pace to it.

Roger takes the smart move - rather than competing with Freddie on the singing, he just speaks a few lines. He won't get shown up in the way Brian did on Who Wants To Live Forever.

Who's saying the throaty 'Don't Lose Your Head' line? Is that a sample?

Seriously though, the line 'Don't drink and drive a car, don't get brethalysed' is like a massive gaping breach in the hull of the song that sinks it without a trace. If you'd only listened to this album once or twice, it'd be the one thing you would remember from the last few tracks. 'Oh,' you'd ask, 'does it have that awful one that goes on about being brethalysed?'
6/10


Princes Of The Universe
What's this? Hidden away at the back end of A Kind of Magic there's a return to the sound of their first two albums! There's a dozen tempo changes, huge guitar sounds and lots of harmonies.

It's totally over the top.

There's more of the aggressive posturing similar to Gimme The Prize. 'Born to be Kings, Princes of The Universe!' and 'I have no rival - no man can be my equal!' It's a funny tone to take because it's so totally arrogant. You can either go with it or be repelled by it. This is not 'We Are The Champions' so much as 'I Am The Champion', it lacks the inclusiveness of that earlier song. I suppose most of that comes from the Highlander film, but it's not very endearing.

That's why it doesn't really work for me.
5/10


The second half of the album is really odd. There's nothing there that grabs me and it feels like a slow, sinking death. Yet looking at each song individually they've all got something to commend them.

And surely going from A Kind Of Magic to One Year Of Love is possibly one of the worst sequencing decisions in the history of pop albums!

[Si Hunt]

I made a family video of a Centre Parks holiday to "One Vision". Although I suppose I shouldn't put it on-line and you won't know any of these people (apart from me) I'm quite proud of my "1" theme and some of the editing, and you can see how hopeless my Mum is at pool and there are very cute kids in it, so if anyone is interested then please do click.

Si.

[MacNimon]

I think that this is quite a patchy release compared to The Works, but still it's a pretty decent album for the most part. It sounds at times though as if it could be a follow-up to Freddie's solo album rather than a Queen album proper.

One Vision: I remember loving this when I first heard it, but it has dropped a bit in my affections over the years. Why, exactly, I've no idea because it's a pretty solid, catchy piece of rock...exactly what Queen are so good at when they're on top form. It's one of those tracks I never deliberately play, but if it's on I never fast forward or skip it...6/10

A Kind Of Magic: I love this one, though...unlike the previous song, I've never tired of it through the years. I was struck by the similarity in the lyrics to One Vision when I first heard it, but this had them stepping up a gear. Perfect pop-rock. The version on the Highlander end titles is an interesting version as well, it's the original version apparently before Freddie tweaked it for a single release, but not as good as this. It's up there with their best...9/10.

One Year Of Love: Not bad, not great...although a bit of a disappointment from John Deacon. From the Highlander part of the album, it's a decent enough song to play a snippet of in the background of a scene of the movie. It's a catchy enough little number, but just a bit on the weak side. Although written by Deacon, this is the sort of track which wouldn't have been out of place on Mr Bad Guy. 6/10.

Pain Is So Close To Pleasure: I love this one! Maybe a bit more of a soul flavour to this one, it wouldn't have been out of place on Hot Space but is just so much better than most of that album. Somehow it always reminds me a bit of the Diana Ross hit, Chain Reaction, from around the same time. Great fun! 7/10.

Friends Will Be Friends: Si and Steve both echo my feelings about this song, particularly with the word 'bland' and the phrase 'comfort food Queen'. There's nothing in the least original about this one. Having said that, it's still a catchy enough little song which I do enjoy. 7/10.

Who Wants To Live Forever: This is another of those songs which I enjoy hearing when it's playing but don't like enough to choose to play it...it's a decent, suitably epic song for the film but somehow it just feels a bit of a let-down...it's too long for starters. A cut-down version about half it's length would have been more effective. And I agree about Brians vocal here, Freddie just blows him out of the water! Another 6/10 for this one, though.

Gimme The Prize: After all the pop/rock/soul/ballads we've had so far, it's great to hear some blistering guitar work from Brian. Unfortunately this is just a quickly thrown together mish-mash to fill a gap in the album. 5/10.

Don't Lose Your Head Along with the previous track, this is the albums low point. A catchy enough, if forgettable, track with some dodgy lyrics...5/10.

Princes Of The Universe: A much stronger track to round off the album, Queen in rocking mood with the Highlander Theme (which would later be used for the tv series as well) Reminiscent at times to their earlier material but still not a classic. Strictly second-tier Queen...solid, catchy but not brilliant. 7/10.

A funny album, all in...nothing awful there, but not a brilliant album either, is it?

[Rob McCow]

But a brilliant album surely would be...

The Miracle

1. Party - John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury 2:24
2. Khashoggi's Ship - Queen 2:47
3. The Miracle - Mercury, Deacon 5:02
4. I Want It All - May 4:41
5. The Invisible Man - Roger Taylor 3:55

6. Breakthru - Mercury (intro), Taylor 4:07
7. Rain Must Fall - Deacon (music), Mercury (lyrics) 4:20
8. Scandal - May 4:42
9. My Baby Does Me - Deacon, Mercury 3:22
10. Was It All Worth It - Mercury 5:45

X. Hang On in There - Queen 3:46
Y. Chinese Torture - May 1:46
Z. The Invisible Man (12" Version) - Taylor 5:29

[SiHart]

Great singles from this one!

[Rob McCow]

Yes - and lots of them too! Pop-tastic.

[Dino]

THE MIRACLE

So apparently, all the band are sharing writing credits.

1. PARTY

The drumming sounds more natural than the drumming from their last album. Got vocal work, but a pretty bare start to the album. It sounds like it's about to take off, but returns to the drummed simplicity.
It doesn't work like We Will Rock You though. Brian livens things up. It sounds an obvious start to a Queen album. And yet doesn't sound like a track that should start off an album. But lyrically it adds to a "You've got a long day ahead of you to hear this album". And then you realise it's a perfect introduction. But want something to really get you excited.

2. KASHOGGI'S SHIP

Or the one Def Leppard ripped off for "Let's Get Rocked" in the 90's. Although more aggressive than the last track. The band have a calm groove. As if they've just played a fast rock number and this is the relaxed afterwards. The song has a moment where it turns interesting, before slumping back to the beat originally to play the track out. All four members of the band are now switched on and ready.

3. THE MIRACLE

And I didn't expect this. One of their better songs from the 80's. Not an out and out rock song, but more spiritual than "Who Wants To Live Forever?" and "Is This The World We Created?". I love the touching Disney almost counter part to this song. A very reviving track. Must have sounded great live. The synth strings and restraint are beautiful. Best vocal from Freddie than the last two tracks. He sounds a lot more engaged with the material than the last album as well. It really sounds like something that would have been the final track on any other of their 80's albums. And the false ending at the end takes an interesting faster direction, before falling back down to the Disney backing. Perfect!

4. I WANT IT ALL

Finally! The meat and two veg of Queen. I think I remember hearing this track a lot around the time.
It really gets under your skin. Yeah, so take it all! Influenced by people getting rich. It's interesting to see how well the sentiments of the song would fare in a late 60's, early 70's setting. Despite Freddie at least thinking these thoughts in private. It's a good work song, as you can hear the whole band really lock together and get on with the job. And who wouldn't want their office hours! It isn't all out on the tempo. But that's why it's a working song. All the energy stored to keep the band functioning.
Brian's quieter middle 8 is welcoming for the synth sweeping. You think the band are going to lash out when the band come back. But after misdirecting the listener, they go for it. And just when it seemed all over, back again for a stripped back chorus. If the rest of the album is like this, we're in for a treat.
And also, a track like this would have been placed at the start of earlier albums.

5. THE INVISIBLE MAN

When I was doing Media Studies in school, one of the tasks was to take some pictures of two black youths working out and make a story onto a board. So of course, I had their gym activities soundtracked by this song.
One of John Deacon's best basslines. And I do love the shouts to each individual musician. With a cheeky synth swiping along to the groove. It even has a Discoey "Huh huh huh hello!". It could almost pass for a track on Hot Space, but with more knowledge of the studio. I used to know someone who had ripped off the "Never had a real good friend, not a boy or a girl" for one of his poems. Brian does the honours with his guitar solo, but it sounds impressive more for the FX as opposed to the notes. More bite to it than Radio Gaga. Just not that great lyrically. Of course, the lyrics might make more sense for when Freddie died and lyrics were scanned over for clues.

6. BREAKTHRU

Starts off with a Freddie gospel. Lulling you into thinking it'll be a quiet, but soulful song. They even throw in the Gospel piano. And then... in comes the electro backing. It's faster than anything on The Works.
And it's got the album's best chorus. This works so well. I can understand it was a single. I think it's even got the edge on the track A Kind Of Magic. Same pop sensibilities, but more connected. Freddie really means it. And I could never tire of hearing that chorus. Beautiful instrumental that feels really organic to the song. The train effect never makes emergency stops. Another one for work. And one for nearer the end of the day, and that final energy push to finish the day's tracks. It's a shame Queen never got to perform this live with Freddie as it seems DNA constructed for that purpose.

7. RAIN MUST FALL

The drums at the start seem to suggest some of the excesses from Hot Space and the last album might be back. After the rush of the past few songs, the album seems to be slowing. Sounds more like a solo effort for all the band interplay. It almost sounds like it's going to break in "Feels Like I'm In Love" at any second.
This is as middle of the road as the album gets. As ever though, Freddie really makes what sounds like a throwaway song more engrossing. If it was on any other album, it probably would have been considered for a single. Better than "Get Down Make Love" but just as surplus on this album as that track was on News Of The World

8. SCANDAL

I remember this song being in the charts as well. I think I might have thought "Oh get a grip!" about their complaints about the media. But that was before I had any thoughts about how the media operates. And is another great clue for post AIDS lyric investigations. I love how it builds up at the start. And I really like how Freddie sounds like he's on his own vocally. It doesn't sound blended in to the music as he does on other tracks. Just one man and his torments. There's a lot of drama in the track which sometimes sounds overwrought. But lyrically and tone, it lifts up from Stage Show. Eventually, Brian turns up to put his arm around Freddie through his guitar. And I love it at the end when Freddie's voice has been tracked and made to sound electronic. As if it represents the judgement of the rest of the world. But Freddie goes out fighting. And in the last verse, it sounds really tender, before his last scream against the injustice of it all.

9. MY BABY DOES ME

And this starts with me synth drumming. But seems more relaxed and more alive with pace and restrained menace than "Rain Must Fall". Probably the most stripped back of the album, despite it's clear studio trickery. Doesn't do anything much to escape it's easy going pulse. The sort of thing you'd expect on a solo album. And the "Do you believe it?" spoken bit adds a bit of flavour to the song. The working of Taylor and digital percussion works well. And it soon fades out, not unwanted, but not essential. Winding things down...

10. WAS IT ALL WORTH IT?

I love Brian imitating the Whalesong at the start. And just when it seems like ambience will see the album out, in comes the band. With a gleeful riff that makes you think of the dayshift over and walking out of the building into the evening sunshine. It's like a more developed take on Party at the start of the album.
Freddie's voice is now mixed into the instrumentation. Brian sounds a bit like Clapton in places.
Best lyrics on the album. And I like the orchestra come back. It's almost the band have gone "Well what have we learned today?" before going back to look at the other 9 songs, each one in their own universe.
Really obvious why this song was saved the end of the track. And after the Last Night At The Queen's section. The chorus comes back to drill it in. And brings out the guitar funk to close the album as Freddie cackles, as only Freddie could, before running back into the studio to play the riff on a synth at the last minute.

VERDICT

If Flash isn't considered a proper Queen album, then The Miracle is the second best 80's Queen album behind The Works. Miles ahead of Hot Space and A Kind Of Magic. Pushes the technology envelope further than some of their earlier albums when they were getting to grips with the studio.
A really great album, despite a shaky start. But the sequencing works a lot better than A Kind Of Magic's.

4 out of 5. Or 9 out of 10. The best way Queen could have left the 1980's. And just writing that sentence, I've reminded myself of the turmoil Queen were in with Freddie at the time...

[Si Hunt]

Party/Kashoggi's Ship

These two opening tracks join seamlessly and neither are as substantial or as long as a full song, so they essentially form almost one song; I had this album first on tape, and I didn't know until I got the CD exactly where one song ended and the next began, although of course it's fairly obvious when you know. They are butch, storming songs representative of the new Freddie. It feels like a long time since the Magic tour ended; we've had opera and solo albums, the famous tache has gone, to be replaced by a stubbly beard which masks Freddie's more gaunt features (as does the 'merged heads' album sleeve, in which Freddie is buried amid the other band members), and of course Freddie now knows his number is up. Queen have closed ranks. There is a tough, aggressive, united front to this band now, and everything is simply BY QUEEN. Freddie's soft vocal as gone, and he's singing gruffly with every ounce of strength he's got. It's like he knows it's The End. 5/10

The Miracle

A wonderful, wonderful song, from the gorgeous lush strings to the "Imagine"-esque optimism of the lyrics. Captain Cook and Kane and Able/Jimi Hendrix and the Tower of Babel, everyone gets a name-check. It's become one with the video, and you wonder if the studio songs were actually tweaked after the videos were done, such is the realisation of the "The one thing... (the one thing)" bit, where the Youth and Actual Freddie's meet (another good device for not having Freddie in the video much and protecting him). Then the song rocks out and Queen and Mini-Queen jam together... brilliant. I wonder whatever happened to Mini-Queen? 8/10

I Want It All

One of Brian May's best, the first single and a really good Mission Statement for new Tough Queen. Freddie appears, bathed in a pool of forgiving white light, shrieking upwards into it. And the lyrics are really good, too. Adventure seeker... on an empty street. Just an alley creeper... light on his feet! What a great line. It's a real rock out/air guitar track, and one of Queen's best, possibly because it hasn't yet been hijacked by the karaoke brigade like, for example, Don't Stop Me Now. To my knowledge, no-one's ever done a cover of this. Album version is slightly longer with more Rock Out. 9/10

The Invisible Man

A great base-line, a splendid, fun track. Freddie is iconic in the video, in dark glasses (with beard, his whole face is hidden) doing that great snazzy dance round a boys bedroom, which is adorned with Queen posters! He's quite an odd little boy too, like an alien/lizard. In my deluded state I like to think Queen invented the "shout out" seen here which would later be much mimicked on rap and hip hop records. Each band member gets his name called in the background before a little demonstration of his individual "skill"; my favourite is "Rrrrrrrooooogggggeeeerrr Taylooooor!" before a little bashing session on the drums. The "sister" in the video is Daniella Westbrook, later to find fame with Eastenders and Coke. Jon Deacon's bass is the star of the show though. 8/10

Breakthru

One of the most expensive videos ever made, due to the cost of insuring everyone to ride along on the Nene Valley Railway. Another favourite, and another classic. The sound of the song is so suited to the "train" sound of the video that the two are now inseparable. The best way to experience this song is to drive along a bypass at 70mph, windows open, with this playing at full volume. Just when you think the song has hit a crescendo, it somehow finds the energy for a keychange and goes up another notch! Freddie's vocals now almost swimming along with the speed of the train! Rather fabulous, and the best Queen song for very, very many years at this point. 9/10

Rain Must Fall

But be prepared. This is still an Eighties Queen album, and we've got enough classic tracks for singles, so we'll pad it out with a couple of lesser songs and call it a day. Especially as they were on borrowed time anyway. "Rain Must Fall" is pleasant enough, but it's never going to bother anyone really. Inoffensive. 3/10

Scandal

Probably the least good of the singles, it's still pretty powerful, a chilling indictment of the press, considering how they would shortly hound Freddie literally to his death. "A Scandal! And all the world will make us out to be fools...". Maybe if the press had listened to this Queen song instead... Good stomping beat but, I don't know, it feels a little derivative somehow. I get the impression no-one involved was really too fond of this song, maybe. 7/10

My Baby Does Me

The other Filler track, it's notable only for the clever way it starts too quietly before Freddie demands someone "turn the track up a bit!" and it gets louder. It's still a slow-paced, plodding number though, with nothing to say. My Baby Does Me... She Really Does Me... Does Me Good. Quite. 3/10

Was It All Worth It?

Classic Singles, check. Filler, check. What's missing? Ah, the underrated Album Track! This is a really, really interesting song.

Do not forget that in 1989, Queen didn't know how long Freddie had left. They finished this album thinking that maybe he would keep on working but I don't think for a minute they thought they'd complete another whole album. So this would be Queen's Finale. You can tell all over that all concerned had in mind that this could be Queen's final song.

It's a biography of the band... all they went through, all they did. We bought a drum kit blew my own trumpet/Played the circuit thought we were perfect. But were they any good? We served a purpose like a bloody circus/We were so dandy we love you madly. Make no mistake, this is Queen saying goodbye. 8/10

Of course, as Freddie busied himself with yet more songs, they wern't to know they had a while to go as a band yet, and this song has got a bit forgotten. Personally I love the bit where the defiant, ill man screams an an answer to his own question. Was it all worth it?

Yes, it was a worthwhile experience ahahahaha!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

Incidentally, I have this book and I'm wondering if any of you have read it?

Melina Richmond's life, from childhood through to adulthood, was something of a tragedy played out before uncaring parents, cruel lovers and a husband who tormented her both physically and mentally. But throughout this life she claims to have heard the comforting voice of a long-dead soldier in her head.

The plot thickens when Freddie Mercury, superstar of super-band Queen, died after suffering from AIDS in 1991 and almost immediately contacted Richmond from beyond the grave. And what's more, she believes the voice she hears when she talks to Freddie is the voice of the soldier she has heard in her head since childhood and that the bond they formed in a past life has followed them into this one.

It's a really bizarre book. Basically it's proporting to be a true story, and the author writes as if it's true, but prepares the reader that the story she's about to tell is somewhat unorthodox. She then describes how Freddie contacts her from the after life and becomes friends with her. He follows her round the shops! Later in the book, the author reveals that she contacts Brian May himself and tries to pass on a message from Freddie... it's an interesting read! Who Melina Richmond was or what happened to her, I have no idea!

Si.

[MacNimon]

Sorry for the hold-up, guys...I just haven't had time recently! I'll get my review up early next week (I'm away for the weekend so unfortunately it won't be before that)

Feel free to move on to Innuendo if you wish, I'll do a double post if necessary to catch up.

[MacNimon]

Party: A pretty bland start to an album, by Queen standards, catchy and fun but not much depth to it. There's not much to this song at all. I'd give it a 5/10, however it works much better if listened in conjunction with the following track and you count it as an intro to Khashoggis's Ship. Maybe 6/10 is a more accurate rating.

Khashoggi's Ship: This is more like it....a brilliant track, one of my favourites from the album. A solid rocker, giving May a rare chance to let rip. This sounds like they're all having fun, doesn't it? Possibly for the last time...8/10.

The Miracle: In some ways this is Queen-by-numbers, like Friends Will Be Friends. However it's also one of the album's strongest points, a song with a message without being too preachy...a great melodic anthem with Freddie at his best. It's the sort of song I'd expect on a Freddie solo album, but Queen give it more punch. 8/10.

I Want It All: I remember hearing this on radio for the first time ever just prior to it's release. It had been plugged all morning and it didn't disappoint when they finally played it. A catchy and memorable anthemic rocker, apparently inspired by Mays (second) wife Anita Dobson's motto “I want it all, and I want it now!”. Great to see Queen dsimply rocking once more, without doing anything fancy. The album version, with that great intro, is much better than the single version though. 9/10. Brilliant!

The Invisible Man: I just never could get into this song at all, and it hasn't grown on me at all over the years. Catchy, yes, but in that annoying way that it gets stuck in your head and you can't get rid of it however hard you try! A great bassline throughout it, though. Still, the most annoying song on the album...5/10.

Breakthru:They're back on track here, though. Another cracking single, and certainly not the song you're led to expect from the intro, you'd expect something along the lines of Somebody To Love so what came next was a bit of a surprise...a great catchy tune to this again, with some great vocals from Freddie. No wonder this was another huge hit...9/10

Rain Must Fall: another nice wee tune, but a bit on the dull side. Not great, not bad. Filler. 4/10.

Scandal: An improvement here, another single but the lowest charting hit from the album. It sounds as if they're simply going through the motions here with this song about newspapers and media, although it's much more topical these days than it was at the time. I like it though, 7/10.

My Baby Does Me: Filler again, a catchy wee tune again but lacking in substance. 4/10.

Was It All Worth It: This song really feels like end-of-an-era stuff, doesn't it? Both lyrically and musically. I remember at the time, listening to it when it had just been released, and wondering if that was it from Queen, that they were finally splitting up and there would be no more releases. Of course this was before the rumours of Freddie's ailing health began to circulate. A brilliant song to go out on, if that had been the case. 9/10.

Overall, an album which was an improvement on AKOM. Not as patchy, even it things fell away a bit towards the end. There's much more to like about this than the last one, and even those filler tracks which lack substance were catchy enough that you don't really need to skip them. Too bad The Invisible Man is so annoying, though...

[Rob McCow]

Queen - The Miracle

For me, this is Queen's most succesful stab at a pure 'Pop' record. Everything is bright, upbeat and hummable with very little in the way of heavy rock. The production is tighter than lycra shorts on a professional cyclist's arse. With practically every song a single, it's by some distance their most accessible album.

The Party / Khashoggi's Ship
For me, these two songs are the only problem with The Miracle. They're not bad at all, but they were absolutely the wrong songs to open the album with. How weird to have two fragmentary songs that lack choruses stapled together like this! It gets the album off on totally the wrong foot.

So Party sounds like a drum-machine led mini-song with Freddie multi-tracked over himself. While Khashoggi's Ship is more of a straightforward rock number where Brian can show off a bit. Lyrically they're kind of fun but don't break any ground. Not bad, but not very special either.
6/10 each.


Miracle
They really shouldn't have got away with THIS. The premise of this song is so pompous that even Phill Collins would have blanched.

"The one thing we're all waiting for /
is peace on Earth! And an end to war!"

Peace on Earth and an end to war - sorted. Respect due.

It's also got a fairly plodding drum line, it's massively over-produced and there's strings and synths and the full works!

Yet it's all rather wonderful. They've lost none of their musical sense, even if they've fallen into the rock-star trap of making a few trite statements. There are changes in pace and tone that fit seamlessly together - the way the rock out guitar solo fades through to the 'that day will come' harmony section works brilliantly. It's upbeat, it's bright and it has a slight mystic quality to it that lifts it miles above the plodding efforts of U2 and Genesis to set the world to rights. Fabulous!
8/10


I Want It All
In my mind, this sits with 'We Are The Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' as one of the great Queen hard-rock songs. People may challenge me on that view, but I'll stand by it! It feels like an unrecognised classic to me. It is such a tragedy that this album never got a live outing with Freddie as this would have rocked the house down.

Not much to say really apart from how bloody great it is.
9/10

The Invisible Man
Oh yes. This is the one!
Freddie Mercury!
It's criminal how he can sing so well. This is probably the least operatic / tuneful of the songs on the album, but he invests so much energy and excitement in every line. As we all know he's capable of! I love the whispered intro too.

John Deacon!
John Deacon stops being brilliant in the background and is stonkingly brilliant in the foreground. That bass-line is phenomenal. It's that fabulous rhythmic stutter, the hypnotic groove... it's delicious. I want to eat that bass-line all up, snicker-snack.

Brian May, Brian May!
Huh, huh, huh hello. For most of the song he's in the background, doing simple stuff and adding texture with an incredibly simple couple of riffs. But oh yes they give him the chance to let rip for the solo! I love the way it's introduced with that sonic boom and a few of the riffs from the main song... then the Red Special is unleashed to do all the dizzyingly fast hammer-ons and pull-offs that it's so well known for.

Rrrrrrrroger Taylor!
Look at me, look at me!
I've heard this song a hundred times, but did I spot that Roger sings the 'I'm The Invisible Man' bits until today? No I did not.

So it's Queen firing on far more than four cylinders. The only thing missing from this version is the computery effects that announce the 12" and single versions, but aside from that you'd be hard pushed to find a more enjoyable song to fit into 3:57.
10/10

Breakthru'
OK - this one's great as well obviously. My family used to watch the video for Greatest Hits II quite a lot in the mid 90's, so we got quite familiar with the music videos. One thing my brother was particularly keen on was the bit where the train smashes through the tunnel at the start of Breakthru'. Inevtiably, this got re-created with our electric Lego train set. We'd build up a big wall of Lego, not too firmly held together because otherwise the wall would fall over. Then we'd start the train up on the other end of the track. 'Oh yeah,' my brother would say, 'This'll be a real breakthrough!'

And Smash! Sometimes the train would knock over the wall, sometimes it would just hit it and stop. The number of times we did this little trick... it never ceased to be entertaining.

What else to say? This is the opening to Side 2 of the album, for those who bought it on Twelve Inch or Castette. It makes for a far better opening that Party. It's so entwined with that video though. The thumping, driving bass line motoring forwards exactly like the clanking pistons of a steam train. Another track to get you jumping out of your seat clutching an air guitar, a song to win the game to, a song to celebrate how wonderful everything in the damned world is!
9/10

Rain Must Fall
The second half of the album isn't nearly as stuffed full of Killer Singles. Instead, there's a melancholy that paves the way for Innuendo. Although fairly upbeat in tone, there's still a sense of fate being cruel in this song.

Anyway, Rain Must Fall belongs on the soundtrack of a rom-com starring Meg Ryan, who has a perfect life living in the city but is unable to find the right man. There'd be a shot in the music video where she's staring up at the sky and laughing as rain buckets down on her. She'd pull lots of kooky expressions and embarrass herself over dinner. You know what I mean!

Although clearly a 'filler', it's not a bad effort at all. It's still a gorgeously produced and well-honed piece of music.
7/10


Scandal
Although starting off with a pretty hard intro, Scandal is quite soft-rock. Perhaps this song would have sounded better on one of the earlier albums when the guitar sounds were a bit rougher.

Also unfortunate is that this is another 'Rock Star Moaning' song. It sounds to me like an entirely legitimate thing to moan about, the intrusion of the press, but it isn't that relatable for everyday people.
7/10

My Baby Does Me
The laid back groove on this one is far more Innuendo than Miracle, but it fits nicely on the album here, leading up to the big Queen-Out of Was It All Worth It.

Although it's almost certainly totally rehearsed and fake, I really like the 'Can you turn it up a bit?' during the intro. The other ad-libs give it a nice bit of flavour too.

It's decent, but fairly inconsequential.
7/10

Was It All Worth It
This one has never really hit me as strongly as it should have. There's a lot going on that's brilliant, you've got the orchestra, the huge guitar sounds, everything and a hundred kitchen sinks, that gorgeous sting on the 'Surrealistic!' line... it's just not a favourite of mine.

Perhaps it's the synths, perhaps it's the production. Even with all the hugeness going on it doesn't feel big enough. Even though it's 5:45 it doesn't feel long enough. Perhaps this one should have been given the 12" treatment and extended out to be properly epic.
8/10

Overall, The Miracle is wonderful. Stick Breakthru' as the album opener and it'd be even better. What doesn't make the album better though is that after the main course, it dips into 'Bonus Track' territory.

Hang On In There
Sticking with the 80's movie feel, the intro to Hang On In There sounds like it's from a cheap sci-fi flick. Flash Gordon 2, perhaps?

After that, the song meanders around uninterestingly, trying various different ways to work before settling on a plodding fade out. Seriously, this is an absolute sodding mess.
3/10

Chinese Torture
OK Queen, what the heck is this? It sounds like Brian piddling about late one night in the studio when everyone else (who might have told him how self-indulgent this sounded) had gone home. Great guitar playing but utterly boring.
2/10

The Invisible Man 12"
Despite the wonderful sound fx intro, this song nerfs everything that was great about The Invisible Man. Bigger isn't always better. All of the guitar sounds are ruined. The tightness of the song is gone. There's too much mucking about.
4/10

[Rob McCow]

The Invisible Man: I just never could get into this song at all

I fall firmly into the 'How could anyone not like this?!!' camp for The Invisible Man!

As for mini-Queen: Ross McCall played Freddie Mercury, according to Wiki he was in Band of Brothers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_McCall
And the mini-Brian is the lead in a London based band called Silvery or something.

[MacNimon]

I've got to admit that I actually did like the song, initially. It was catchy, fun and totally different from anything they had ever done before. All of which was fine when it was just an album track and I only heard it as much as, say, Rain Will Fall. Things only changed once it was released as a single and was played on the radio about 100 times a day (or so it seemed!).

I've got to agree with you regarding the 12" mix...it just ruins everything that was good(?!!!!) about the original. It's just a mess! An extra you haven't mentioned though which certainly IS worth a mention (although it's maybe not on the version of the album you've got) is the original version of My Life Has Been Saved. Totally different sound and pacing from the Made In Heaven version although obviously the same song, the original is a good song in it's own right and was deserving of a place on the album proper rather than just a 'b'-side. It deserves at least a 7/10.

[Rob McCow]

I didn't get the bonus EP version of this one, but it contains:

1. "I Want It All (Single version)"
2. "The Invisible Man (Demo version with guide vocal, August 1988)"
3. "Hang On in There (B-Side)"
4. "Hijack My Heart (B-Side)"
5. "Stealin' (B-Side)"
6. "Chinese Torture (Instrumental)"
7. "The Invisible Man (12" Version)"

My Life Has Been Saved (B-Side Version) will turn up on the extras to Made In Heaven though. Eventually!