Boy, 1986 sure was a tough year for music. There were some good albums released that year, for instance there was Control by Janet Jackson, or True Blue by Madonna. There were great albums released that year such as Master Of Puppets by Metallica or License To Ill by The Beasties, and there were amazing accomplishments (in my opinion) like Graceland by Paul Simon, Parade by Prince and Rage For Order by Queensryche. Most of what we heard on the radio was crappy though. By this time, there was no more Van Halen with Diamond Dave, and everything appeared to be about Whitney Houston, Berlin or Jennifer Rush.
Well good thing that my favorite group Queen was releasing an album for this dismal summer of 1986, right? Well,... not really. Let me explain from the beginning. Back in 1985, we had the sole Queen release, in the form of a 45 single, this was One Vision b/w Blurred Vision. This song didn't become a big deal in the States (even despite the fact that with the video, Queen were celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Bohemian Rhapsody video), yet the Queen fans knew, well I certainly did anyway. I didn't love it, but I liked One Vision, and I didn't really know what to make of the noise on the flip side, but it was cool enough. So far, my favorite band Queen has not lost their rock and roll feel, they were still doing it. That was the message I received from 1985's single of One Vision.
So now a year later, we get A Kind Of Magic, released on June 3rd, 1986. I got home and pulled out the LP and slapped it on my turntable and was patiently waiting for the already listened to 1,000 times One Vision to finish, so that I could take in the new tunes from Freddie and the boys. ♫Just gimme, gimme gimme FRIED CHICKEN♫ Alright, that's ended, now finally it's time for the new Queen material
The title track, It's A Kind Of Magic takes off. It's driven by a dominant groovy bass and snaps of the fingers. But, it's not really groovy; it's like a false groove, a very sterile groove. The vocal melody didn't allow the groove to get down and dirty, not with that painted smile on your face. Magic seemed to be all about the show, and obviously written with the title in mind, as it is a cool line in the Highlander film. It was written by Roger Taylor, Queen's drummer, and it is very unlike him to write a song like this, it sounds more like a John Deacon or Freddie Mercury song from the Hot Space era. Except, Magic isn't even as cool as "Hot Space" pretended to be within it's funky groove. Magic has too much of a 1920's jazzy/pantomime ambiance, I mean, what is this written for Al Jolson? Actually, there is a much better version of this song, and I hope they release it on an upcoming box set, yet you can hear it now, it's available at the end of the Highlander film.
There's the beautiful ballad written by bassist John Deacon called One Year Of Love. It was not released as a single to my knowledge, and it should have been, yet I doubt it would have had any effect here in the Queen-hating States. Freddie's voice is purposely scratchy here, but it is still very dynamic in range. The lyrics are very endearing and heartfelt, and that's not unusual when it is a song written by John Deacon. Freddie tends to sound a bit more connected, a touch more energized to sing John Deacon's songs.
Oddly, Pain Is So Close To Pleasure was released as a single in the States, (nice move Capitol Records). I have it as a 12", that I picked up in the awesome store in Manhattan It's Only Rock & Roll, which is no more now. They do have a website, but it sucks. This song is OK, it's not great, but it pulls off what it tries to do. It is also a very bass oriented song. It is beginning to feel like Hot Space after all, but with no funk, just slow sterile bass riffs. Freddie sings this song in a very jazzy falsetto voice. By the way, Freddie wrote this with John Deacon, a first in Queen history - but it doesn't stop there, because Friends Will Be Friends is also written by the two. This song is lyrically the equivalent to one of Paul Stanley's dumb and embarrassing life uplifting spoken squabble that he has at the end of a couple of KISS songs. Friends Will Be Friends is an obvious, and in my opinion failed attempt, to write another anthem for the concert crowds. My proof to this theory is the placement of this song in the setlist during their Magic Tour. They put it right smack in the middle - between We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions. This was sacrilege! Even Queen shouldn't mess with Queen!
Well, that was the end of side one, and I didn't know how to react, I mean I did feel a little despair, that all hope was lost, but it's Queen, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. So I flipped the LP over, and started side two. Who Wants To Live Forever comes on and it is a nice change to hear Brian May's voice singing. The last time we heard him was 6 year's ago on The Game'sSail Away Sweet Sister. This is the first song on the LP written by Brian. At first listen this song is pretty good, and it is very disposable, so unlike Queen's timeless quality we are used to. Yet as the years go by, as with some other Brian May tunes, the lyrics grow new meanings, and then in the end - it turns out to be very good, but not great.
Gimmie The Prize (Kurgan's Theme) is next, and it would have been the best song on the album I believe if it wasn't for the embarrassing Eddie Van Halen influenced guitar solo in the beginning of the song. It fails as a guitar solo of that stature and it shows Brian's musical limitations in this area of finger tapping the fret board. The song is not that bad though. Freddie sounds really good, and it's really heavy.
Don't Lose Your Head written by Roger Taylor is a great song. Also influenced by the movie Highlander obviously. This song never gets any play, and is terribly underrated by Queen fans. It is very fast and relentless synthesized groove. Freddie sounds great and the additional vocals by Joan Armatrading is a welcome addition.
Princes Of The Universe has some Queen trademark sounds such as multi-layered Freddies and heavy guitars and drums. Yet, this song seems unnatural and forced, and it just reeks of Queen trying to hard to be like the old Queen and failing miserably.
Well, that was the end of my vinyl experience in 1986, but in 1991 the CD was extended by two songs. When Queen's entire back catalogue was released in the States, A Kind Of Magic included two additional songs. The first was Forever which is a piano instrumental version of Who Wants To Live Forever. It is welcomed shorter than the original song, and it is a nice track to have.
The second is One Vision - Extended Version. It is a little more than a minute longer than the original version, and it works well here.
I know that this CD is very well-received in Europe and by Queen fans over the world, so it is kind of hard to write an unkind review about the band I love, but it is also kind of baffling to me why Queen fans say they love the CD. Maybe they really do. Most people say that this is their favorite Queen album. When held up to the rest of Queen's amazing accomplishments, I wonder how these "fans" can say this with a straight face.
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