Made in Heaven

I think the album has some underrated songs like Made in Heaven, Heaven for everyone, mother love and my life has been saved. A Winter's Tale is my favourite song from it. I love the way they create a fantastic atmosphere and it's great to play around christmas time. Should've been a bigger hit.

I guess I missed the other reviews of each album in this series, but I'll comment on this one.

Made In Heaven is an album with something of an identity crisis. There is no way, try as we might, that hardcore fans can divorce what they know of how this album was created with the experience of listening to it AS a complete album. How can we listen to the remade songs and not know that we're listening to a remade song? I struggle with it too. And that's not to say I don't like this album. I like it very much. I think Brian, Roger, John and David Richards did a heck of a job creating a cohesive work out of unfinished songs, "scraps" (as someone accurately states) and older material.

"It's A Beautiful Day": The album opener which, like "Procession" or "The Dark," sets the tone for the album's themes of melancholy optimism, hope and sadness. I first heard this song's Single Version as it appeared on the "Heaven For Everyone". I still think that is the best version of the song, but for the album, it has a different job, that of a Prelude, a quiet introduction to the rest of the work

"Made In Heaven": Pounds its way in and promises the great dramatic opulence few can achieve like Queen. Taking their cue from Freddie's original version, the band give us the first serving of their full trademark sound. Play this one loud!

"Let Me Live": Like moving out of a dark, majestic forest into a broad, misty plain, This gospel-flavoured lament showcases another Queen trademark, vocal harmonies, here enhanced with, among others, Brian May Band alumni Miriam Stockley and Cathy Porter. A personal favourite (though the removed vocals on the Promo Version add so much more).

"Mother Love": The only time Queen and Freddie Mercury stare into the great unknown. This was almost too powerful and sad for me to listen to much after it came out. It's one of the most unwavering looks by a man at his own mortality that has ever been recorded in my opinion.

"My Life Has Been Saved": Stepping back from the edge of utter despair, this re-recorded B-side reminds us that life goes on and there is hope. I like both recordings for some of the same reasons and some different ones. This was the first version I heard, not having acquired the Original Single Version until a bit later.

"I Was Born To Love You": The most rocking track on the album and the complete antithesis of "Mother Love". Like Freddie's original, this is so upbeat and cheerful that we're reminded just how catchy and fun Freddie's songs could be.

"Heaven For Everyone": Touched on in the other songs, the album's theme is most explicitly explored here, in this re-recorded song from The Cross & Freddie Mercury. Our world has serious problems but all is not lost. we have it in ourself to make it better. There is sadness, there is anger, but there is also hope.

"Too Much Love Will Kill You": First a Queen song for The Miracle, then a Brian May solo track and now a Queen song again. Where Brian sang a lament, Freddie's comes across as a warning, whether you apply the reality of his death to the meaning or not. You can make mistakes and they will take their toll; it will cost you if you're not careful.

"You Don't Fool Me": I've previously described this song as a snapshot of a city at dusk, with an electric blue sky reflected off the cold steel glass of skyscraper, between which the lights of the cars and signs dance and glitter. A song literally built from nothing, it contains one of Brian's best guitar solos in my opinion. We've entered a place where, like the previous song warned us, love and lust can betray us.

"A Winter's Tale": Closing the album with hope, peace and contentment, long sought after in "Mother Love" and found before these brothers in arms finally let go of their fallen comrade. This is a winter and Christmas standard in my home every year and sounds a little out of place in August (though not as much as "Thank God It's Christmas") unless I'm listening to the whole album.

"It's A Beautiful Day (Reprise)": bookending the album and building off the single version, this piece leads us to believe the album will end with percussive cacophoney (and it does if you're listening to the LP or cassette). Instead, it slips into a long mellow musical landscape; someplace surreal and peaceful. I don't subscribe to the point of view that the three tracks which make up this piece are three seperate (linked) pieces. I've always held that these are one song, amusingly cut into three sections for the band's amusement. "Yeah" is not a song, it's part of the Reprise, as is the continuing ambient section.

Made In Heaven represents the last Queen album featuring the familiar line up. It's not Queen's last album, it's simply Queen's last album with Freddie Mercury. As well as being an honest and successful effort in closing that chapter, the album represents Queen's career as a whole. Represented are Queen and solo tracks, a B-side and new songs. It carries with it that fractured past, but gains strength from the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

rhyeking wrote:

"You Don't Fool Me": I've previously described this song as a snapshot of a city at dusk, with an electric blue sky reflected off the cold steel glass of skyscraper, between which the lights of the cars and signs dance and glitter.
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Dude, I know exactly how you feel.  I once spent an entire first date with a post it stuck to my left shoe. I still cringe.

Totally enjoyed this thread and the comments...

First  of all, I stay away from ranking songs on a something of 10 basis.  I think more of how the songs fit the album.  Are 'Doin Alright', 'The Night Comes Down', 'Nevermore', 'You Take My Breath Away', 'My Meloncholy Blues' etc.....10/10?  Most likely not.  Where the songs are on the albums, the flow, and...of course, the songs.....well, the sum of the parts...

anyhoo.............if one were to grade it against other 'codas'...re:   Led Zeppelin's 'Coda' for example......this release far outshines the mighty Zep.  And any other post-mortem releases.

Recall the time when MIH was released, how you all felt at the time.........the sadness for Freddie, the realization that 'this was it', the trepidation of 'will it be any good', ............and years later, it was, and still is, a magnificient finale.

I have problems with the excessive drums at times (as do my speakers when the volume is up)......but me and my friends still love it.  I do not include 'You Don't Fool Me' on my version.........it does not fit the flow, I never liked the Queen 'funk'.  That being said,  I wish the keyboards were piano and not synth, but the guitar solo is one of Brian's best.........so I don't hate it.  It's just that 'A Winter's Tale' is so much better following TMLWKY (oh, and what a bonus to the wife to have Freddie sing the lead to that track).

Due to cassette time limits of the time........eliminate YDFM, and include about 5 minutes of Track 13...............and it is one of their five best albums.  'Let Me Live' would garner a ranking of 15/10 for me............finally, all three do LVs (what took them so long for that?!?!?!). 

(sidenote:  I would really have thought that Q+PR would have performed this one........think about it,)

MLHBS.......two years later before I heard the original.......I like them both equally.

Mother Love and A Winter's Tale (why wasn't this on GH3...it hit #5 in the UK gawdamnit)...........who did anything better during that time?   ABD and HFE........fab.

Queen.........as I knew them. 

We listen to 'Innuendo', various Freddie solo stuff, and this CD (in its entirety) every November. 

wish I could write a review as well as so many before me........but I tried.  I (we) love this album.  So did my R n R friends in Michigan.  It was great then, it's great now, and it will be great twenty years from now.  Timeless.

Goodco, I ask this not with the intention of being disparaging or contrary, so please don't think I'm implying you're in anyway "wrong" or not entitled to your opinion. I'd just like to know what you think.

Do you suppose excluding songs you don't like from your versions of Queen albums hinders any chance that the songs' merits will someday outweigh or overcome those things about the songs you don't like?

Put another way, if you kept the songs on the album, do you think they would ever grew on you?

When I first heard the song "Sheer Heart Attack" I really didn't like it. As in I actively didn't care to hear it. I'd either fast-forward through the tape or turn it down if could reach the volume knob on my stereo. I don't know what it was about it that turned me off exactly, but my best guess was just the harshness of the style. The revving guitars, the inaudible lyrics, the feedback at the end. I was like, "What were they thinking?"

There were times when I couldn't turn it down or forward through it, so I was forced to listen to it (sitting at my drafting table, working on an art assignment). Gradually, little things popped out of the "noise"...Brian's little guitar wails...a few lyrics got my attention...most significantly I started hearing the guitar riff played beneath the feedback. I stopped turning song down when it came on and found myself liking it as much as any song on the album. And all this took place easily over about a year.

Maybe that was a benefit of playing it off a cassette (or in some cases LPs, of which most of my Queen collection consisted at one point), where skipping a track was more involved than just hitting the "next" button. Or like today where it's as easy as excluding it from the playlist altogether.

Anyway, I'm just curious about your thoughts on this? Are these songs, for you, beyond redemption?

Again...not trying to pick a fight. Just curious.

to rhyeking:

feel free to email me at

I could write for hours on my preferences.  For now........my age (52), my Michigan friends and roots, a work area that had cohorts visit for 10-45 minutes at a time.  Do you think I'd want someone sitting there for ten minutes and hearing 'Pain Is So Close To Pleasure' or 'Back Chat' or .............

As with all the individuals on this message board that listen to various LPs.of various artists....it's what we like and dislike.

Not limited to Queen. Or the solo releases.  Beatles 'For Sale', Sgt. Pepper, White Album, Get Back/Let It Be'......REM, REO, Dream Theater, etc..........sometimes it was one song or three.  Various other artists...........to hell with the album, only 1-3 tracks were worth putting onto a 'best of' or assorted disk.

Boring perhaps, but..........I was working in the garage this week, limited to a cassette deck, and put on my Aerosmith 'Toys In The Attic' from almost 30 years ago.  'Big Ten Inch' was deleted.  I hated it then.  I still hate it.  It sounded 'childish' and still does. 

It all comes down to preferences

Hey, I'm all for mix tapes (now CDs) at work. You gotta know your audience.

What about at home? In the car?

I just hate to see you (or anyone) miss out on the chance to fall in love (or just fall in like) with something that didn't grab them at first. I appreciate, too, that some stuff may never grab you. That's just life.

I think Richard and YV should have a 'sticky note' or column, devoted specifically to what everyone on the board that posts would have prefered for each album.  I've made a comment or three on various ones, I do enjoy reading the various changes (ie....Jealousy after DSMN really has me thinking of changing my JAZZ order).  Whenever various newbies come up with a comment....well ....after a while...........one either does not post, or one just glances onward to another thread.

the zone ain't workin so well today

doin alright as to the thread, and adding on........GH 1 and 2 could, and should, have had the orders changed.  Don't get us started as to GH 3............

I listened to Made in Heaven before I ever listened to their solo material, so these are the versions I heard first.

To me, these are the best versions of each song. The only original that I think is equally as good is Brian's TMLWKY and, eventhough I enjoy Roger singing Heaven for Everyone with The Cross, I see no point in listening to Freddie singing that song with an inferior band.

My Life has Been Saved is kinda "meh" for me, but the B-side version has a bit more guitar and I like it. It still sounds like a B-side.
The Mr. Bad Guy songs sound soooo dated.

funny how the hard core queen fan puts down some of freddie's solo stuff,  but whenever i put in the solo collection DVD for  friends who arn't big Queen fans they alway's enjoy  the ride of solo freddie mercury.   Sometimes they even enjoy it more than queen.  I was born to love you as an example of queen fans saying how dated it is,  but whenever i put that DVD on people's eye's don't leave the man,  and ususally love the dance sound of the song...... "entertaining"   is the word they use.  "talented" is another.   They also are impressed by the musical directions he goes in.  Barcelona and then living on my own as an example.  I still think music fans, including so called Queen fans  still don't realize the talent that was Freddie mercury.  that he could go from singing living on my own and then the next video showing him sing the golden boy with an opera diva.  All on one short DVD.    Pretty amazing if you ask me,  and deserves way more respect than he gets around here.

@BRENSKI:

MIH is very much (pardon hte poor analogy) like a patchwork quilt that
your aunt/grandmother might make. it was put together with love and the
best of intent, but generally it was made from bits n bobs and really
honestly, if it hadn't been made by someone you love, you'd probably
never have kept it. some of the material used for this particular quilt
wasn't the best and does  appear a little frayed around the edges.

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HEY!

i happen to be very fond of that quilt!! It saved me that one night on the park bench...

Saved me it did.

Oh Lord, i thank the lord above... my life has been saved?

Speaking on that song... it's pretty grisly if you think about it... B side of Scandal was it?

As for the album... the band was in the "miracle" phase when i first found out about them... casette of Live Killers... Radio Play BoRhap, STL, YMBF...etc... and one video of "I Want It All" that oddly was on circulation on a public access show...

So when i managed to get a job and some funds (i was young)... i bought up the albums in random order. MIH was actually the last purchase i'd made. I think it rates strongly.... as a favorite, it's in my top 3.... (which is always a tie) The album is definitely orchestrated...but it's STRONG... songs like "You Don't Fool Me" add the usual flavor that most Queen albums had... and oddly keep it from being a Requiem.

The tone and note of the album resound, but like so many people hear have said, it gives a keen listener a reflection of life and a suggestion that "geezus, really get your shit together...APPRECIATE IT. Cause this ride ain't forever".

..all this WITHOUT sappiness.

That said... lose "I was born to Love you"... weakest track... Bri, Rog & Deacy should have redid "Body Language"

Made in Heaven. Just listened to it earlier toaday.

It's a Beautiful Day - 6/10 - Not meant to be a 10/10
Made in Heaven - 10/10 - Outstanding track
Let Me Live - 10/10 - Fantasticaly emotional
Mother Love - 10/10 - unique and piogant
My Life Has Been Saved 10/10 - One of Queen's greatest ballads
I Was Born to Love You - 10/10 - Good feelin rock n roll ballad
Heaven for Everyone - 10/10 - Brilliant, powerful with a good meaning
Too Much Love Will Kill You - 10/10 - Great power ballad
You Don't Fool Me - 9/10 - The solo is fab
A Winter's Tale - 10/10 - Best track from the album
It's a ..... 8/10 - Good ending in the content

Made in Heaven was not what it was promised to be - pre release it was hyped as Queen's last album recorded as Freddie's health failed. In reality it was bits and bobs left over from the Innuendo sessions and others and then some of Freddie's solo stuff , reworked, thrown in + My life has been saved (originally a scandal b side).

I remember picking it up in a Record store and being dissappointed seeing 'Made in Heaven' and 'I was born to love you' among others in the tracklisting.

I think the band were a little dishonest about the product during promotion for sales purposes.The casual listener may not have been familiar with some of Fred's solo stuff but to us die hard fans it was a bit of a kick in the teeth after all the anticipation.

And talking of 'My life has been saved' why take off Brian's Guitar signature ? the best thing about the song ! Nice enough melody but let's face it the lyrics are pretty duff.

With all this in mind it is difficult to consider it a proper Queen album. The final creative chapter will always be Innuendo to me. MIH is nothing more than an addendum. 

On the positive side, the four full originals songs are rather good and could have probably found their way on to any Queen album and objectively as a whole the album stands up rather well against stuff like 'A Kind of Magic'.

It's a Beautiful Day — 5/10 (just vocal improvisation without any prominent backing track)
Made in Heaven — 9/10 (great version, much better than Freddie's solo version and even 12" mix)
Let Me Live — 10/10 (great song)
Mother Love — 6/10 (not as good as it could be)
My Life Has Been Saved — 9/10 (original single mix is better)
I Was Born to Love You — 10/10 (my favourite song from this album, great improvement over Freddie's solo version)
Heaven for Everyone — 10/10 (again, very good version, even better than the Cross one, but it's shame that there's no Roger's lead vocals)
Too Much Love Will Kill You — 10/10 (don't know why, but all re-takes on this album are much better than originals)
You Don't Fool Me — 8/10 (good)
A Winter's Tale — 10/10 (Christmas and New Year is coming, good reason to listen this song)
It's a Beautiful Day (Reprise) — 10/10 (great rocker)
Yeah/Untitled — 10/10 (very odd and very interesting)

It's a Beautiful Day (Single version) — 8/10 (this mix loses some good pieces from the end of 'Reprise')
It's a Beautiful Day (Ross Robertson/DJ Koma Remix) — 9/10 (great remix)
Rock in Rio Blues — 9/10 (great vocals and great quality)

You Don't Fool Me (Late Mix) — 10/10 (best version of this song and one of best remixes ever)
You Don't Fool Me (Dub Dance Single Mix) — 9/10 (another good one)
You Don't Fool Me (B.S. Project Remix) — 7/10 to standard version and 8/10 to edit (some interesting disco tunes throughout whole song)
You Don't Fool Me (Dancing Divaz Remixes) — 1/10 (awful remixes!)
You Don't Fool Me (Remixes by Freddie Bastone) — 1/10 (really bad mixes, especially 'Queen Forever Megamix')
You Don't Fool Me (Sexy Club Mix) — 1/10 (crap and nothing more)