Reading most of the posts on Queenzone you would think that "A Kind Of Magic" is a horrible album, but Here in The States when I talk to highlander fans they love the music and many, upon watching the movie went out and bought the album. It amazes me that hardcore Queen fans could be so down on this album, but the average music fan loves it. (read amazon reviews).
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I think it's a splendid album. In my opinion, the movie's only good because of the music, though. Hence why each successive movie sucked. Plus, terribly trying to explain things, and attempting to make up for lax continuity also made them suck, but I like to think it's because of the music anyway.
I don't care what people will say about this but I think both the album and movie are underrated: they're both good pieces of fun. I think they support each other (when you know both of them). A kind of magic is really nice and Highlander has an original story, nice settings...
^ I agree I loved the album before I saw the movie. When I saw the movie it made me love it that much more.
I love the album... I am an child of the 80's and it was my first fav queen album ever!!!!
The movie is a great idea gone horribly wrong.
The music they made for the movie is the best stuff on the album. The other stuff is not as good.
The music they made for the movie is the best stuff on the album. The other stuff is not as good.
I really love this album, although I am not a highlander 'fan'. I did like the movie, but I'm not a fan.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]mike hunt wrote: [/QUOTENAME] It amazes me that hardcore Queen fans could be so down on this album, but the average music fan loves it. (read amazon reviews). [/QUOTE]
It's no wonder an average rock/pop listener loves this album. It has good pop tunes (One Vision, AKOM, FWBF), lovely ballads (OYOL, WWTLF) and great guitar tracks (POTU, GTP). And if you love the album, you gotta love the music. It's perfect for the atmosphere in the movie.
On the other hand, when a hardcore Queen fan listenes to this album, he/she compares it to the old Queen albums like ANATO or ADATR. Though AKOM is quite good album in its own, there's no way it could beat those 70's masterpieces.
It's no wonder an average rock/pop listener loves this album. It has good pop tunes (One Vision, AKOM, FWBF), lovely ballads (OYOL, WWTLF) and great guitar tracks (POTU, GTP). And if you love the album, you gotta love the music. It's perfect for the atmosphere in the movie.
On the other hand, when a hardcore Queen fan listenes to this album, he/she compares it to the old Queen albums like ANATO or ADATR. Though AKOM is quite good album in its own, there's no way it could beat those 70's masterpieces.
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]mike hunt wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Reading most of the posts on Queenzone you would think that "A Kind Of Magic" is a horrible album[/QUOTE]
Yes, horrible, but in positive sense. It's more like "horrible". How can I not love it? That's one of my favourite Queen albums and first Queen album I bought. I bought it because of Princes Of The Universe, I heard it on Highlander movie and immediately fell in love with it. I don't understand people who don't like it. There are fantastic songs on it like Who Wants To Live Forever, Friends will be friends, A kind of magic, One vision, Princes of the universe and so on. Actually: all songs are great!
Yes, horrible, but in positive sense. It's more like "horrible". How can I not love it? That's one of my favourite Queen albums and first Queen album I bought. I bought it because of Princes Of The Universe, I heard it on Highlander movie and immediately fell in love with it. I don't understand people who don't like it. There are fantastic songs on it like Who Wants To Live Forever, Friends will be friends, A kind of magic, One vision, Princes of the universe and so on. Actually: all songs are great!
It’s a putrid album, devoid anything worth wild. Their second worse offering. A bunch of lightweight pop songs drenched in awful synthesizers. That’s the reason most hard-core Queen fans dislike it. Especially in the USA.[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]<b><font color=666600>Music Man wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I think it's a splendid album. In my opinion, the movie's only good because of the music, though. Hence why each successive movie sucked. Plus, terribly trying to explain things, and attempting to make up for lax continuity also made them suck, but I like to think it's because of the music anyway.[/QUOTE]
AKOM is a great album and Highlander is one of my fave movies. Didn't know regular fans disliked AKOM. It got to No 1 in the UK. The album is probably a little disjointed because some of the songs appear in Highlander but not all, giving an irregular feel to the album but I think the songs themselves are strong enough to stand up to that.
Highlander 4 was also a good movie but the less said about 2 & 3 the better!
Highlander 4 was also a good movie but the less said about 2 & 3 the better!
[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]louvox wrote: [/QUOTENAME]It’s a putrid album, devoid anything worth wild. Their second worse offering. A bunch of lightweight pop songs drenched in awful synthesizers. That’s the reason most hard-core Queen fans dislike it. Especially in the USA.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I think the songs are quite good, but you've hit a good point. I think they were using an Oberheim for all their synth patches. Why no Moog or Jupiter? Why wasn't 'Pain Is So Close' played on a Fender Rhodes? I was 16 and playing better boards at the time, never liked the OB.
Actually, I think the songs are quite good, but you've hit a good point. I think they were using an Oberheim for all their synth patches. Why no Moog or Jupiter? Why wasn't 'Pain Is So Close' played on a Fender Rhodes? I was 16 and playing better boards at the time, never liked the OB.
The music of AKOM fits perfectly in the Highlander movie. If you're a Highlander fan you must like its soundtrack also.
On the other hand, you can love the album but be indifferent about the movie. But in the end, the only thing which matters is each person's opinion.
On the other hand, you can love the album but be indifferent about the movie. But in the end, the only thing which matters is each person's opinion.
It's funny how everyone refers to the movie...I got introduced to Queen basically through Highlander, but not the movie. I got hooked on the TV show, and for a long time was desperatly trying to get my hands on the CD for "The group that did the theme song". To this day, I haven't seen the movie, but I watched the TV show right up to the very end. I got the AKOM album after I'd been familiar with Queen music through the show (mainly WWTLF and POTU) and have to admit that there are wonderful tracks on the CD, but overall I wasn't to terribly impressed with songs like "Gimme the Prize" or "Don't Loose Your Head". Even though I thought the album was kinda weak (except for a few strong tracks) it didn't turn me off to Queen, because somehow I could just tell that "There was something more here...something bigger and better." I tried for a few years after the release of that track to get my hands on some of the older albums, with no luck at all, until I'd almost forgotten about it, had gone off to university and one day found the Platinum Collection Greatest Hits at a store. I bought it, and through it and the help of some others managed to track down the older albums, which I've been very impressed with and which validated my instict that "There was something more" to Queen than "Princes of the Universe" and "Who Wants to Live Forever".
The songs in my opinion are sub par at best. The best song on that album is “One vision” and that was already issued as a single. Also the production of that CD sounds flat and uninspired. The same could be said about the pervious two CD’s. After 6 years and 7 albums of never using a synthesizer, they suddenly fall in love with them and use them on just about every track till the very end. I have nothing against synthesizers when they are used to enhance a tune. What happens a lot of the time is that they tend to rob songs of their rock n’ roll feel. Their albums used to have such depth and resonance. And it wasn’t until “Innuendo” that they finally got that back. I wonder what their albums would have been like had Roy Thomas Baker stayed their producer. Seems like “Mack” & “Richards” were more “Yes” men or engineers than real producers.[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Micrówave wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]louvox wrote: [/QUOTENAME]It’s a putrid album, devoid anything worth wild. Their second worse offering. A bunch of lightweight pop songs drenched in awful synthesizers. That’s the reason most hard-core Queen fans dislike it. Especially in the USA.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I think the songs are quite good, but you've hit a good point. I think they were using an Oberheim for all their synth patches. Why no Moog or Jupiter? Why wasn't 'Pain Is So Close' played on a Fender Rhodes? I was 16 and playing better boards at the time, never liked the OB.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I think the songs are quite good, but you've hit a good point. I think they were using an Oberheim for all their synth patches. Why no Moog or Jupiter? Why wasn't 'Pain Is So Close' played on a Fender Rhodes? I was 16 and playing better boards at the time, never liked the OB.[/QUOTE]