Capitol Records 'A Kind Of Magic' US Singles Fail

We all like different things. I think WWTLF drags the whole album down. It stinks the place up.

haha... ^ ... I think it's a CAREER highlight... so that shows my regard for it. Though I don't like the single version... it's horrible to ruin the depth of a song that's an experience. Funny how there are so many varied opinions.

If it was placed somewhere sensible on the tracklist I could put up with it. Like Is This The World.. on The Works. Spool tape to the end ready to go again.

Thank you, I really dislike WWTLF. Fucking borefest.

I think it's a lovely song.

WWTLF is a bit too sentimental, but works so much better live. "Friends..." would have never been huge in the States or anywhere, to be honest. It's just average.

Ok maybe saying it dated badly was unfair, but I just mean it's a bit... well... I don't know, there's just something overly commercial about it. It's like every track on it was designed with commerce and sales in mind, in a sort of 80s bombastic way. Compare that to the stuff they did with A Night At The Opera, or Sheer Heart Attack, and somewhere in there you'll get my meaning. Yes they changed, they had to change, and they were writing for the Highlander film, but I feel that A Kind Of Magic is a commercial LP rather than a real Queen album. There's a lot good about it of course, and Freddie's singing on it is in places absolutely sublime. Every member of the band plays well on it, and it has some nice hooks. I do enjoy listening to it when I want a nostalgia trip back to my childhood.

I feel it's a commercial success of an LP and an artistic flop. I think Barcelona was an artistic success, and The Miracle and Innuendo had a lot more of the old Queen sound back than A Kind Of Magic did. Who Wants to Live Forever, for me is a boring song, but it's a wonderful piece of singing, and with the orchestra it sounds pretty lush. It's a boring song though.

Of course A Kind Of Magic is also significant in that it's the last album toured by Freddie, and that's important to us, but it doesn't make it their best album by a long shot. I think my favourite album musically is Heart Attack.

I love the single version of Who Wants To Live Forever, a nice loud finale. Wish Freddie sang the whole thing on the single/album versions. Not a fan of Brian’s singing on Queen songs (except No One But You)... love his solo songs though, he developed a rock edge.

I love Queen’s 80’s stuff. I love their old stuff, but will I relate to the lyrics more on their 80’s songs, so it’s a more emotional event for me while listening to songs than listening to something for pure pleasure. I’m a depressed individual with a long list of breakups LOL.

I know a guy who loves Highlander. It’s one of his favorite films and the funny part is that a lot of Highlander obsessed fans place Queen’s A Kind Of Magic album in high regard, they consider it Queen’s best work.

Anyone notice a lack of heartbreak songs by Freddie after 1985? Jim Hutton, we could have had so much more... so hearing Friends Will Be Friends is as close as we go in the breakup department from Freddie... plus I love the instrumental track.

Here’s something interesting I read.

Haha. Neat clip. Which book or mag is it from?

I've said it before, but I actually think the live WWTLF with AL is fantastic.

*ducks for cover*

https://stewartstaffordblog.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/queen-one-of-a-kind-of-magic/

[QUOTE] [b]dysan wrote:[/b]

I was thinking about PISCTP and thought 'well, it was 1986 and that sound was in' and give Chain Reaction by Diana Ross as an example. Then I realised they are almost exactly the same :/[/QUOTE]

Good example and I always thought PISCTP was a copy of Chain Reaction tbh

I think we talked about it before, but I wonder how this would've faired if given a full release supporting Live Magic in late 1986

https://www.discogs.com/Queen-Under-Pressure/release/7775134

A
Under Pressure
B
Medley (We Will Rock You - Friends Will Be Friends - We Are The Champions)

I don’t think it would have sold too well. Maybe a top 20 but probably not a top 10.

But most like 20’s.

I wish Queen would have done something to have focused on the USA more, especially Freddie since that’s what the public enjoyed best. Queen were always played on MTV in the USA even if the single tanked, but Freddie in particular should have done more interviews and Queen should have kept touring. Queen’s US tours were so long because they performed at a lot of unknown small cities. They should have hit the big cities, instead of just not touring.

Their decision to do another album only every 2+ years didn’t help any, either.

And I still say single choices were poor at times. Some songs would chart higher on the radio charts than an actual A side!

As for The A Kind Of Magic album, I think Friends Will Be Friends and Who Wants To Live Forever should have been issued as US singles. Friends Will Be Friends in particular. With heavy promotion and Freddie going to the US to help promote it. The public needed some traditional Queen music.