Queen Live Magic
  Full ReviewUser Ratings (3)
Tracklist:
1. One Vision
2. Tie your mother down
3. Seven seas of Rhye
4. A Kind of Magic
5. Under Pressure
6. Another one bites the dust
7. I want to break free
8. Is this the world we created
9. Bohemian Rhapsody
10. Hammer to fall
11. Radio ga ga
12. We will rock you
13. Friends will be friends
14. We are the champions
15. God save the queen


Release Date: 1986

You Say:
2.5
average

Recommended by Reviewer:

Queen - Live at Wembley 1986
Queen - OnFire (Live at the bowl)

2
poor
gblackman (25 Reviews)

2008-10-03 | 13 comments | 430 views

Summary: Still as the album does cover different venues, other than a certain particular concert (like Live at Wembley did) it therefore still has some interesting moments.

2 of 7 thought this review was well written

Released a few months after their 1986 A ‘Kind of Magic Tour,’ “Live Magic” covers a mixture of some of the best moments of the tour, although the hack knack effort and the unnecessary editing down of some of the songs do make this an at times annoying experience.

A best example of this is how "Seven seas of Rhye" is performed from nowhere before it just seemingly jumps to "A Kind of Magic," instead of following "In the lap of the gods...revisited," and leading to "Tear it Up," as it had done during the tour. There are many instances when this happens.

Although, admittedly, the band do play well throughout, sadly songs like “Tie your mother down,” “Another one bites the dust,” “I want to break free,” perhaps most criminally “Bohemian Rhapsody,” "Radio ga ga," "Friends will be Friends" and “We will rock you,” have been dramatically, yet obviously cut to a shorter length. The album has less songs than were officially played at the “A Kind of Magic Tour,” and is now kind of redundant, especially since the ‘1992’ release of “Live at Wembley 1986,” which documents the entire ‘Magic Tour’ without taking any short cuts.

Still as the album does cover different venues, other than a certain particular concert (like Live at Wembley did) it therefore still has some interesting moments. For example, ‘One Vision’ is efficiently played and is much better live than it’s studio release. Also the song ‘A Kind of Magic’ performed in ‘Hungary’ behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ is an excellent performance. Other highlights include ‘Under Pressure’ and ‘Another one bites the dust,’ which are all played to their original length (Although Another one bites the dust was cut a bit in the middle section, it doesn’t ruin the overall listening experience of the song). There's also a delicate performance of 'The Works' accoustic track "Is this the world we Created."

There is nothing wrong overall with the quality of the bands playing throughout the album, and die hard ‘Queen fans’ might enjoy this, but for those unfamiliar with the band, the constant ‘short cuts,’ and obvious ‘edited out sections’ may turn out to be a major turn off.

TO CONCLUDE

Perhaps a bit redundant now thanks to the superior ‘Live at Wembley’ release, it still has some of Queen’s best live moments. But the album was made to be compressed on vinyl and the short cuts made to do so may for the listener be less forgiving than forgiving.

2/5

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marksellsuswallets


Comments: 2053
10.03.08


Most of these sentences are pretty awkward tbh...and even though its a live album you could have gone into just a little more detail about how the individual performances measure up to the album versions and things of that nature...

Digging: A Days Refrain/Neil Perry - A Days Refrain/Neil Perry Split - EP

wakeupdead


Comments: 1562
10.03.08


It seems that you hate every Queen album except A Night At The Opera..... why would you torture yourself into listening to each and every album and review them all?

Digging: Protest the Hero - Kezia

Erratic


Comments: 492
10.03.08


So you gave this a score of 2 because of the editing?

Digging: Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...

Iamthe Nightstars


Comments: 69
10.03.08


what's with all the Queen reviews? And why are they all negative?

Digging: Cynic - Traced In Air

gblackman


Comments: 50
10.03.08

Album Rating: 2

yeah this album is cut up all over the place. Also it is redundant now especially because of the Live at Wembley package.



It's also refered to by critics as one of the worst live albums ever made. Ok I disagree with that as I have heard worse (Led Zeppelin The Song remains the same) but I think it was more due to it being a disappointment than bad.

einsteinsbiscuit


Comments: 13
10.03.08


Quote:
Also the song ‘A Kind of Magic’ performed in ‘Hungary’ behind the ‘Iron Curtain’




"words" fail me.

Digging: Shugo Tokumaru - Exit

rotterdog


Comments: 18
10.03.08


"Still as the album does cover different venues, other than a certain particular concert (like Live at Wembley did) it therefore still has some interesting moments."



...um... what? That's your summary?



How about: "While not as good as their Live at Wembley album, this collection of live tracks contains some interesting moments due to the diversity of venues." Ok, that's not great, but... man. Read your reviews out loud before you post them.

AtavanHalen


Comments: 2862
10.04.08


We get it. You hate Queen.

Ban plx

Digging: The Drones - Havilah

bastard


Comments: 1125
10.04.08


well, my troll posing of this guy has been fun...

time to reveal the truth of his pos's!

This Message Edited On 10.04.08

Digging: Cynic - Traced In Air

badtaste


Comments: 511
10.04.08


NEEDS MOAR TRACK BY TRACK

Digging: Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls

P13


Comments: 1217
10.04.08


Needz moar CAPITALS



N

E

G

Digging: 65daysofstatic - One Time for All Time

rebb


Comments: 33
10.06.08


Bad review is bad.

Negged.

Digging: Cynic - Traced In Air

gblackman


Comments: 50
10.24.08

Album Rating: 2

Quote:
Most of these sentences are pretty awkward tbh..




Sorry about that.



Quote:
and even though its a live album you could have gone into just a little more detail about how the individual performances measure up to the album versions and things of that nature...






I was thinking about that but honestly the album isn't that good. And is now redundant because of Live at Wembley.



Quote:
So you gave this a score of 2 because of the editing?




LOL.



Yeah there's alot of obvious cutting of songs here. The most annoying is Bohemian Rhapsody, which skips the schlamouch section completly (yeah it was pre-recorded but still).



Quote:
what's with all the Queen reviews? And why are they all negative?




Sheer Heart Attack 3/5

A night at the opera 4/5

Live Killers 3/5

The Game 3/5

Greatest Hits 5/5



There's around five positives there.







Quote:
...um... what? That's your summary?







How about: "While not as good as their Live at Wembley album, this collection of live tracks contains some interesting moments due to the diversity of venues." Ok, that's not great, but... man. Read your reviews out loud before you post them.




sorry but this album isn't that interesting and is as I've already stated here and in the review redundant because of Live at Wembley.

















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