11. A Kind of Magic by Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqzbej78JHM&list=PL-Dlrh3xUEoR5hvzcGlIuUlYYebLWdnv4
I was a BIG fan of the original Highlander film (the sequels were pretty bad) and the Highlander TV series. And one reason I liked them so much was because Queen wrote the soundtrack songs used on both. I think the music on this album does a fantastic job of capturing the themes explored in the film and the television series--life, death, love, hate, friendship, grief, sacrifice, loyalty, betrayal, cruelty, kindness...and more. My nephew Ryan and I can talk about these shows for hours. He liked the TV show so much that he named his first son Mac (which was Duncan's nickname on the show). We have discussed at length changes that would need to be made in a remake of the series which would avoid the plethora of problems that the storyline had in the movies and TV show. But one thing we wouldn't change would be the use of Queen's songs as the soundtrack to the series.
Now, if you're a Queen fan and not a fan of the Highlander shows, then you probably think this is an okay album, but not Queen's best work. And I can see why you might think that--because you're not considering the context in which the songs were written or their ultimate purpose. But if you take those things into account, I defy you to find a better movie soundtrack for any movie by any rock group. And it's infinitely better than Queen's soundtrack to Flash Gordon. In fact, It's a Kind of Magic is so good as a movie soundtrack that it ended up being in two movies! "One Vision" wasn't included anywhere in the Highlander movie, but it ended up being included in the movie Iron Eagle. However, the lyrics to "One Vision" are definitely based on the Highlander film. So when I hear the song, I imagine either Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod or Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod fighting bad guys with Japanese swords, not Louis Gossett Jr. as Colonel Charles "Chappy" Sinclair fighting bad guys with an F-16 fighter jet.
There is a major clunker on this album though. Listening to "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" is much more pain than it is pleasure.
The 2011 remastered version of the album has a nice piano / synthesizer instrumental "Forever" which is just a variation of "Who Wants to Live Forever." It's played by Brian May, not Freddie Mercury.
Also, there were two songs in the movie that were performed by Queen that aren't featured on It's a Kind of Magic. And after you hear these two songs, you'll understand why that's a good thing.
A Dozen Red Roses for My Darling
New York, New York
Although the album was released in 1986, I really didn't see the Highlander movie until 1988. And the TV show started in 1992. And that was when I started listening to the songs on this album more and more. So most of my memories associated with this album are of the early to mid-'90s when I was a new husband and a new dad and was teaching 7th grade at Irving and trying my hand at being a toy store owner. Shortly after the TV show ended in May of 1998, I ended up moving to grad school in Logan. And since I didn't have my weekly viewing of the TV series to prompt me to listen to the songs as much, I ended up listening to a lot of new music in a vain attempt to make all of the HTML coding I was doing a little less boring. But I do remember that "One Vision" became somewhat of a battle cry for me, as I was one man with one goal--to get my PhD. I used to listen to that song whenever I felt discouraged with my academic progress, and it always managed to psych me up. And although it took me a hell of a long time to finally reach that vision, I somehow got through it with the help of my family and friends. Actually, during those same years that I spent in grad school, Brian May was going to grad school to get his PhD in physics. He graduated in 2007, and I finished up mine in early 2008. Of course, he had started his studies 30 years earlier, so that made me feel a little less bad about taking 10 years to get through mine.
Anyway, this album is almost my favorite Queen album because of all the reasons I listed above. That's right. Almost. It was close to the top, but it didn't quite make it. Which is kind of sad, but we just have to accept it. Because in the end, there can be only one.
Nardo
#11: Queen—A Kind of Magic. Ah, I remember the first time I saw “Highlander” the movie as if it were yesterday. But, that’s not because I saw it for the first time yesterday. Actually, it was two days ago.
ReplyDeleteYes, that’s right, I had never seen the movie “Highlander” until Tuesday! Sacrilege? Blasphemy? No, just never got around to seeing it. I have seen many (but nowhere near all) episodes of the television series, but the movie series had eluded my eyes all this time. (For what it’s worth, I did enjoy the episodes of the television series that I did see.)
But, as I tried to evaluate “A Kind of Magic” as an album, I thought now would be a good time to finally take in the movie. As I watched, I took notes. Here are some of my observations:
*Every movie should start with a Sean Connery voice-over.
*”Princes of the Universe” makes a great opening song, but they could have been a little more imaginative and creative with those opening credits.
*Pro wrestling! My excitement in seeing some pro wrestling featured was more than matched by my disappointment that none of the wrestlers featured ended up with their head chopped off after a lengthy swordfight. (A pro wrestling sword fight would have been phenomenal!!!)
*First sword fight in the parking garage with some random old guy who is not a professional wrestler. But, look at those flips! He may not be a wrestler, but he’s a fantastic gymnast. He’s a regular Oldguy Korbut! (Is it too late to be doing Olga Korbut jokes? Probably.)
*If you parked in that car garage, can you imagine trying to explain what happened to your car insurance agent?
*Flashback to battle with Clan Macleod. Ouch, that didn’t go so well.
*POLICE SQUAD!!! It’s Frank Drebin’s partner! Hilarity is sure to ensue!
*Nice use of “Gimme the Prize.” He’s obviously not just “a” Kurgan, he’s “The” Kurgan!
*Quote: “I’m Candy.” “Of course you are.”
*Swordfight between Connor and The Kurgan is interrupted by a fortuitously timed police helicopter.
*Clan Macleod: I’ve been to some pretty bad family reunions, but no one has ever tried to burn me at the stake at one.
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ReplyDelete*Back to the present, that’s a nice man-cave you’ve got there, Mr. Nash.
*Peacock feathers! Finally, Sean Connery!!! (All movies would be made better if they featured an Egyptian Spaniard with a Scottish accent wearing an outfit the prominently features peacock feathers.)
*Quote: “You have the manners of a goat, and you smell like a donkey.”
*Dang, I was not expecting the death of the Egyptian Spaniard to happen so quickly in the movie. I was looking forward to seeing how he would incorporate peacock feathers into his wardrobe in modern-day New York.
*I wonder how many machine-gun toting vigilantes are roaming the alleys of New York City? (Probably not as many as there were back when this movie came out. Would you call that progress?)
*Quote: “Nuns. No sense of humor.”
*You may poo-poo it, but I want MORE of Queen singing “New York, New York!” Especially if it features a duet with The Kurgan.
*The Kurgan is an even crazier driver than Scapell.
*SILVERCUP! Life would be more fun if more buildings featured giant neon signs atop them.
*This climactic swordfight at the SILVERCUP sign goes on for quite some time. Where’s that damn police helicopter now?
*The Prize? Total knowledge, plus a nice picnic on a meadowy mountainside.
My conclusion? It’s a fun movie, and I can certainly see why you and Ryan like it so much. Some things have not aged well, but other things have aged in a way to make the movie more enjoyable now than it would have been when it first came out.
Queen’s songs work wonderfully with the movie. They’re fantastic, and I appreciate them a bit more than I did before watching the show. The day after watching the movie, the songs stuck in my head were: 1) “Who Wants To Live Forever,” 2) “Gimme the Prize” 3) The theme from “Police Squad,” and 4) “Princes of the Universe.”
As much as I like Queen, I didn’t buy any of their albums between “The Game” and “The Miracle” when they first came out. “Hot Space,” “The Works,” and “A Kind of Magic” kind of fell through the cracks for me. But, I now definitely appreciate this album much more than I did before Tuesday. (I guess I lost my head there for a while.)