Just wanted to comment on something that has for years been a hot topic, and has been fuelled by the fantastic Rainbow release - Queen's set list content in later years.
Now I know that with such a vast and varied catalogue there was always room for more changes than we got, but when analysing a bit deeper, things were not as always clear cut as we seem to make out. We always clamour for more early stuff, and album tracks, and the concensus towards the The Works and Magic Tours was that they 'sold out' and just delivered 'the big hits' but is that really the case:
Keep Yourself Alive: Present on every tour until the Magic Tour, then reintroduced with Adam Lambert
Liar: Present on every tour until the Magic Tour, and even then a segment was 'teased' to start 'Tear it Up'
Seven Seas of Rhye: Played on both The Works and Magic Tours
Now I'm Here: An ever present from the SHA tour onwards, and reintroduced in 2014
In The Lap of the Gods.. Revisited: An album track played for several tours, and suprisingly reimagined for the Magic tour, and back in 2014 with AL
Killer Queen: Mostly an ever present until the Magic Tour, and back again now
Somebody to Love: As per 'Killer Queen'
We Will Rock You (fast): A set staple only dropped for The Works onwards, but again, performed in 2012
Dragon Attack: An album track in until the Magic Tour, and again back in
'39: non single, and always in
Dreamers Ball: Non single that was played extensively on the 'Jazz' tours
The Hero: An unexpected inclusion alongside 'Flash'?
In addition, on live outings post Freddie we have had material from The Miracle, Innuendo and Made In Heaven (and Queen Forever!), with treats such as 'Bijou' and 'Love Kills' as real suprises. Even No-One But You on a couple of occasions.
I think the fact that we are SO familiar with the singles from The Works and Magic that we see them as old and tired,and I think that is where the problem lies ('familiarity breeds contempt' and all that) - in reality they only appeared on their respective album tours (which is absolutely right) and so were in the set for a far shorter period than the early tracks I have listed above.
It would be interesting to hear if any older fans that saw them in, say, 79, 80, 81 were saying at the time, "oh, not Liar again", "I wish they'd drop Killer Queen" etc..etc...
My biggest suprise is that with 'The Game' being one of their most succesful albums, only 'Crazy Little Thing Called love', 'Another One Bites The Dust' and, suprisingly 'Dragon Attack' really lasted beyond the tour for that album. 'Save Me' and 'Play The Game' really deserved more outings, along with 'Need Your Loving Tonight' and 'Sail Away Sweet Sister'.
Anyway, just my musings that perhaps we haven't always been quite so hard done by as we sometimes think......
Any thoughts guys and gals?
mike hunt · Member since
I think it's cool we got the rainbow shows and the early 80s and the Magic tour on DVD, along with live killers, it's the perfect blend of hits and non hits. The Heavy days of the early 70s and the more pop hits of the 80s. Maybe a late 70s show on DVD will complete the list.
Oscar J · Member since
Play The Game and Save Me were played during the Hot Space tour as well.
thomasquinn 32989 · Member since
Basically, TS has just proven that the Magic Tour had a much poorer setlist than any tour before it, without even mentioning that no Queen-tour before it ever had so little variation in sets from night to night. Also, I've never heard anyone complain about the SETLISTS for the Works tour. I *have* heard many complaints about the SOUND of the Works tour, particularly the drums.
cmsdrums · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
Basically, TS has just proven that the Magic Tour had a much poorer setlist than any tour before it, without even mentioning that no Queen-tour before it ever had so little variation in sets from night to night. Also, I've never heard anyone complain about the SETLISTS for the Works tour. I *have* heard many complaints about the SOUND of the Works tour, particularly the drums.[/QUOTE]
Whilst I would have preferred some more non album tracks on the Magic Tour, I'm not sure you can give "proof" of it being "poorer"; surely it comes down to personal preference?
To start with, One Vision, A Kind of Magic, Who Wants To Live Forever and Friends Will be Friends could not have ever appeared before the Magic tour and were promoting the new album, so were expected and welcomed for their first live outing.
Then you have Radio Ga Ga, Hammer To Fall, Tear It Up, I Want To Break Free and Is This The World We Created..? which were all only one tour old, and so fairly fresh to both the band and the audience.
Add in Seven Seas of Rhye, and In The Lap of the Gods.. Revisited and that's two old classics that would have been welcomed by the vast majority.
Tie Your Mother Down was expected, but was possible the best live version of the track for a long time.
Now I'm Here could have bene dropped to be honest.
Love Of My Life had always been the standard singlaong/interaction moment and no-one would expect that to be missing?
A handful of unexpected covers was actually a suprise.
Another One Bites the Dust saw it's best live version, and Under Pressure was at the time their only other no 1 single in the UK (after Bo Rhap) so is justified.
Bo Rhap, WWRY and We Are The Champions are probably the only three absolute certs.
Whilst not a fan of the Magic Tour NOW because of the familiarity of the versions, at the time I thought it worked very well, and so am just outlining the above as a counter of your claim to "proof" that it was "poorer" than others.
I do agree however that The Works tour setlist was a corker, with a great mix of tracks, but just sadly (as you say) suffering from a really poor audio mix and sound on all fronts, and a below par performance at a number of shows.
Doga · Member since
I always had the impression that during the Magic Tour Queen wanted to copy the Live Aid show. the second part of the magic tour shows have the same setlist than the Live Aid, in earlier gigs of the tour even We Will Rock You was shortened to one verse.
cmsdrums · Member since
Vocal harmony · Member since
The sound on The Works tour was defined and loud. The one thing that didn't sit well was RT's use of pads for some portions of some songs, that wasn't a sound issue but rather a musical choice of instrument type.
The PA ( Clair Brothers s4 and subs ) was the same as the two previous tours, as was the FOH guy ( Trip ).
Audience recordings from any tour only show how the band were playing, and maybe whether or not the vocals were audible. The overall real sound will never transfer accurately from a venues vast ambience through a small mic in to a hand held recorder.
queenfan78.1 · Member since
Keep Yourself Alive: Present on every tour until the Magic Tour, then reintroduced with Adam Lambert
Liar: Present on every tour until the Magic Tour, and even then a segment was 'teased' to start 'Tear it Up'
Seven Seas of Rhye: Played on both The Works and Magic Tours
Now I'm Here: An ever present from the SHA tour onwards, and reintroduced in 2014
In The Lap of the Gods.. Revisited: An album track played for several tours, and suprisingly reimagined for the Magic tour, and back in 2014 with AL
Killer Queen: Mostly an ever present until the Magic Tour, and back again now
Somebody to Love: As per 'Killer Queen'
We Will Rock You (fast): A set staple only dropped for The Works onwards, but again, performed in 2012
Dragon Attack: An album track in until the Magic Tour, and again back in
'39: non single, and always in
Dreamers Ball: Non single that was played extensively on the 'Jazz' tours
The Hero: An unexpected inclusion alongside 'Flash'?
All due respect, but keep yourself alive wasn't played on the hot space tour, Liar wasn't played after '77, a couple times in '79 and '82. '39 wasn't performed after '79. Just saying.
I like the magic tour, but always felt they should have played with the set list more.
queenfan78.1 · Member since
Sorry, forgot about the short version of liar from '84
Oscar J · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]
Tie Your Mother Down was expected, but was possible the best live version of the track for a long time.
[/QUOTE]
Compared to the 70's versions, it sounds like Status Quo. It's so tame!
ANAGRAMER · Member since
Let's not forget the inclusion of FWBF in the magic tour set list ..... Oooft
Oscar J · Member since
I hate Friends Will Be Friends! :(
TomP63 · Member since
But then again, Hammer To Fall, live at Wembley is a stunning version, speaking of a tame version, I found the versions as on the Works Tour a bit tame, hasty done so the speak. At Live Aid Hammer To Fall is almost flawless, but the defintive version, for me that is, must be the Wembley one...
Tom
dysan · Member since
Good thread. I would be happy replacing the covers on the Magic Tour for some other Queen songs. Actually, with a few exceptions, I could loose the covers from most of the gigs. Exception to the rule - the edit of the RNR Medley on Rare Live is probably my favourite Queen moment.
