Queen - A Kind of Magic

Title: A Kind of Magic Artist: Queen Release Date: 6/3/1986 Re-Released On: 8/31/2009 Label: Toshiba, Toshiba EMI UPCs: 4988006796744, 4988006818217, 0077774626750, 077771247613, 5099926798714, 498800679674 Genre: Rock Styles: Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Arena Rock, Album Rock, Dance-Rock, Art Rock Moods: Dramatic, Elaborate, Energetic, Epic, Playful, Swaggering, Theatrical, Aggressive, Bravado, Complex, Confident, Freewheeling, Indulgent, Passionate, Quirky, Slick, Whimsical, Ambitious, Campy, Cheerful, Exuberant, Fun, Light, Lively, Outrageous, Rousing, Sexy, Tense/Anxious, Yearning, Bittersweet, Sentimental, Party/Celebratory, Silly, Witty Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 5 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. One Vision
2. A Kind of Magic
3. One Year of Love
4. Pain Is So Close to Pleasure
5. Friends Will Be Friends
6. Who Wants to Live Forever?
7. Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)
8. Don't Lose Your Head
9. Princes of the Universe
10. Forever

Year Type Label Catalog # 2007 CD Toshiba EMI 65852 2004 CD Toshiba 67352 2004 CD Toshiba EMI 67352

A Kind of Magic [Bonus Track] [Hollywood] A Kind of Magic [Bonus Tracks] [EMI]

By the release of 1986's A Kind of Magic, Queen's stature as a prominent rock band in the U.S. had slipped considerably, while in all other parts of the world (especially Europe), they remained superstar hitmakers. A Kind of Magic was their biggest album yet in England, where it reached number one, remained on the charts for 63 weeks, and spawned several hit singles -- the epic title track, the tuneful pop/rocker "Friends Will Be Friends," and one of their most haunting ballads, "Who Wants to Live Forever" (also included was the Live Aid-inspired hit anthem "One Vision," which was originally released as a single in 1985). Most of the songs were written for the movie Highlander -- "Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme)," "Princes of the Universe," the aforementioned "Who Wants to Live Forever," etc. -- but instead of issuing just a movie soundtrack, the band added a few non-movie tracks and made an official Queen release out of it. It may not have been as cohesive as some of their other albums, but A Kind of Magic was their best work in some time. Queen would embark on a sold-out tour of outdoor stadiums in Europe upon the album's release, which would sadly turn out to be their final tour. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Name Credits Brian May Fender Rhodes, Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards Chuck Gamage Illustrations David Richards Producer Eddy Schreyer Digital Remastering Eric Tomlinson Engineer Freddie Mercury Keyboards, Vocals Joan Armatrading Vocals John Deacon Guitar, Keyboards, Guitar (Bass) Josh MacRae Producer Lynton Naiff String Arrangements Michael Kamen Orchestration Mike Smith Illustrations National Philharmonic Orchestra ?, Orchestra Peter Hince Photography Queen Producer Richard Gray Design Roger Chiasson Illustrations Roger Taylor Drums, Keyboards, Vocals Spike Edney Keyboards Steve Gregory Saxophone