A KIND OF MAGIC

"A Kind Of Magic" is the twelfth studio album of Queen and was released in 1986. It was based on the soundtrack to the film "Highlander". It was the first of a series of films directed by Russell Mulcahy. Of the nine songs from the album, six appeared on the film but, in different versions. The three songs that didn't appear on "Highlander" are "One Vision", "Pain Is So Close To Pleasure" and "Friends Will Be Friends". Still, "One Vision" appeared in the film "Iron Eagle" directed by Sidney J. Furie. So, this became the second album of Queen used on a soundtrack after "Flash Gordon".

After "A Kind Of Magic", Queen released more three studio albums with Freddie Mercury, "Miracle" in 1989, "Innuendo" in 1991 and the posthumous "Made In Heaven" in 1995. "A Kind Of Magic" would turn to be the band's last album to be promoted with a live tour, due to Freddie Mercury's diagnosis with HIV in the following year, and his dead from AIDS, in 1991. It was released during the height of Queen's mass popular success after their legendary performance at Live Aid.

"A Kind Of Magic" has nine tracks. The first track "One Vision" written by Queen was originally conceived by Roger Taylor. It was the first song of the album chosen to be released as a single, with "Blurred Vision" as the B side. It's a well known song with mysterious distorted vocals in the beginning. This is an excellent pop rock song, very powerful and very pleasant to hear. The second track is the title track "A Kind Of Magic" and was written by Roger Taylor. Curiously, it was the first Queen's album to have a title track. It was the second song chosen to be released as a single of the album and where "A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling" was the B side. It's an excellent pop song, and as the previous one, it's also very pleasant and nice to hear. The third track "One Year Of Love" written by John Deacon is a different song compared with the two previous songs. It's a nice and calm slow ballad with beautiful saxophone solo work and great string orchestral arrangements. It isn't, for sure, one of the best Queen's songs, but I sincerely think it has quality enough to be considered a good song. The fourth track "Pain Is So Close To Pleasure" written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon was the fifth song chosen to be released as a single, with "Don't Lose Your Head" as the B side of the single. It's, without any doubt, the weakest track on the album, until now. This isn't even a decent song but a really bad song with Freddie Mercury singing in the Bee Gees' style. It can compete as the worst Queen's song ever. The fifth track "Friends Will Be Friends" written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon was another song chosen to be released as a single. The B side of the single was "Friends Will Be Friends (Extended Version)" and "Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Theme)". Fortunately, it has nothing to do with the previous song. This is a very beautiful song with good lyrics and that became as one of the most well known Queen's songs. The sixth track "Who Wants To Live Forever" written by Brian May was also chosen to be released as a single, with "Killer Queen" and "Forever" as the B side. Despite be a soundtrack song, it's, in my humble opinion, one of the most emotional ballads made by the band. This excellent beautiful ballad remains, without any doubt, the best and one of the most beautiful musical moments on this album. The seventh track "Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Theme)" written by Brian May, and as I said before, was one of the songs chosen to be the B side of their single "Friends Will Be Friends". It's a strong rock song with some various lines from the film, in the same vein of many songs from the film "Flash Gordon". This is the hardest and most oriented guitar song on the album. It isn't a bad song but I don't like particularly of it. The eighth track "Don't Lose Your Head" written by Roger Taylor was chosen to be the B side of their fifth single "Pain Is So Close To Pleasure". Despite has some nice keyboard parts, this is, without any doubt, a weak song. It remains with "Pain Is So Close To Pleasure" the two worst songs on the album. The ninth and last track "Princess Of The Universe" written by Freddie Mercury was the third song chosen to be released as a single, with different songs chosen as the B side, depending on the country. It's the shortest song on the album and is really a very good rock song. This is, without any doubt, one of the highlights on the album. It represents an excellent way to close the album and brings to our memory, the good old Queen's days.

Conclusion: In the point of view merely progressive, "A Kind Of Magic" isn't a great album because we can't find on it, practically any kind of progressivity. However and despite "A Kind Of Magic" be based on the soundtrack of the film "Highlander", and in a non progressive point of view, I sincerely think that we are in presence of a real good album. It has, in my humble opinion, two great songs "Who Wants To Live Forever" and "Princess Of The Universe" and three good songs "One Vision", "A Kind Of Magic" and "Friends Will Be Friends". The rest of the album has average songs or bad songs like "Pain Is So Close To Pleasure", which is the worst of all. Still, I really can't deny the fact this album is a good one, actually. But overall, I wouldn't recommend you to buy this album unless you are a die hard fan of Queen. There are better albums to check before. So, after all I said before, I really think the fair rating for this album is 3 stars.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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