Queen
Live Magic

THE REVIEW

Ladies and Gentlemen, I proclaim this album the... absolute worst live album by Queen.

That's right! You heard me. Because let's be honest, if a group or artist decides to release a live album, there are two reasons: either the tour or that specific performance was so well-liked by the artist themselves, or we're facing a huge commercial stunt. Well, actually bad, because when Mercury and company (or whoever decides for them) wanted to release this live, they did it with the second intent.

Reviewing a live album is like reviewing a compilation: you can only say how it was played, arranged, sung, selected, etc., and I would have done it if Queen (or whoever decides for them again) hadn't chosen to chop up almost every single track, leaving me with scraps. The CD is only one (unlike previous live albums usually consisting of 2 CDs) and it's short both in length and tracklist (a mere 15 tracks). "One Vision", "Tie your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "We are the Champions", "Friends Will Be Friends"; all songs that find their meaning in concerts are chopped and shortened, stripped of all the emotion that a live performance should evoke. Let's not even talk about "Bohemian Rhapsody" stripped of its historic operatic interlude and "Is This The World We Created?", which lasts just over a minute, cut right when the intensity was building. The uncut tracks remain "Hammer To Fall", as gritty as usual, and "A Kind Of Magic", with the usual great Freddie.

So folks, this is a true marketing ploy, aimed only at swelling the funds of "someone". Fortunately, "Live At Wembley" was released sometime later; so if you have the chance to buy the improved version, DO IT and DO NOT buy this record.