Originally published by L.S. Media. September 5th 2011.

A Kind of Magic was Queen’s second attempt at creating a film score and after the underachieving and almost disastrous attempt of Flash Gordon it would have been natural for the band to shy away from getting into bed with any film producer who wanted them to run the risk of ridicule again, however A Kind of Magic had all the ingredients, all the creativity and all the genuine pulling power that Flash Gordon was robbed of.

If there could be any slight to the band for the album it could be that yet again the majority of critics at the time rubbished the album, perhaps with Rolling Stone Magazine being the worst with their opinion that the album was nothing more than “Heavy Plastic”.

One listen to the album though 25 years ago and now today with the release of the 2011 Re-Mastered Editions would lead the listener to conclude that the efforts the band had made to deliver a creative masterpiece in The Works had continued and equaled with the latest album. Brain May never sounded better on his trademark guitar and his influence on the album re-established him as one of the greats of his generation and beyond.

A Kind of Magic was the vehicle, not just for the group to show they could quite happily produce great songs for a movie but also for a partially successful film and television franchise as well. Highlander the film, with its take on myth, magic and immortality played straight into the nature of Queen who years before had produced a fantasy like album in Queen II and with nod to rock, slight elements of metal and abundance of emotional music became interlocked with the film eternally. Nowhere was this more important on one of the finest songs ever created by the band, the heart breaking Who Wants to Live Forever?

Unlike in the U.K., where the band reclaimed the top spot in the charts with the album, A Kind of Magic received its worst placing on the American Billboard charts since the bands second album Queen II, charting at only number 46, it still sold enough copies to true fans in that country though to achieve gold status.

A Kind of Magic would be the last album by the group that was accompanied by a tour, the spectacular Live Magic; it showed Freddie and the rest of the guys at their absolute best, artistically and emotionally and its with a loving and ironic smile that the haunting melody of Who Wants to Live Forever has been covered by so many different artists from Shirley Bassey to Katherine Jenkins giving the song an immortally all of its own.

A Kind of Magic was certainly that, just enchanting.

Ian D. Hall