Kind Of Magic, A - Queen > Reviews > Don't lose your head

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	some really great songs
Disadvantages:	not the most musucally innovative album they did, and not enough Brian May solos .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The 1986 album that provided much of the soundtrack for "Highlander" I can't listen to the album without thinking of the film - a superb piece of cinema. I shall go through track by track.

"One Vision" - An upbeat energetic track "all we need is one world wide vision". It's not the most lyrically complex of songs, but it makes you feel like you ought to get up and do something.

"A Kind of magic" the line comes from Highlander, when the man himself explains is having failed to die after being shot repeatedly. This song largely refelcts on the plot of the film with lines like "there can be only one" it's a good track, very catchy.

"One Year of Love." "Just one year of love is better than a lifetime alone." This was one of the songs that I almost expected to find in Moulin Rouge, but sadly it wasn't there. This is a song to tug on the heartstrings - a tale of lost love, of aching for someone who can no longer be touched or held. Always poignant, always moving, Freddie Mercury has a real skill for conveying painful lyrics.

"Pain is so close to pleasure." I have to say that this song makes me think of Diana Ross - it really is a bit cheesey - at least its consciously cheesey. Not my favourite song on the album.

"Friends will be friends." A real anthem celebrating the joys of friendship - its the kind of song for hanging on to a load of comrades and swinging drunkenly from side to side whilst singing.

"Who wants to live forever" This is the one song everyone remembers from "Highlander" and from this album - exquisitly painful it dwells on the transience of all things. This song has the power to make anyone cry, the tune is haunting and the mood is eery. An excellent song - worth buying the whole album just for the sake of this track (that the others are really good is just an added bonus.)

"Gimme the prize" another one from the film, drawing ehavily on Highlander concepts for the lyrics and sampling some of the dialogue - it's up beat, but not that memorable in the context of this album.

"Don't loose your head." I'm rather partial to lyrics, and there aren't that many lines in this song - mostly repeats of the title and "Don't loose your heart." it's ok, but nothing special.

"Princes of the Universe." An imaginitive take on the origins of the various combatants who fight for the prize. It's an interesting song, it certainly gets your attention, but its not the sort of song your are likely to end up humming.

The cd version has three further tracks - another "Kind of magic" more "Friends will be friends" and an instrumental version of 'Who wants to live forever." I think this is actualy a shame, the album would sound a lot better for being compact and these additions detract from the rest.

I do like the art work on the cover - cartoon versions of Brian May, freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon adorn the front. Be warned however, the booklet contains a very alarming picture - the band in long brown flasher macs. I suspect that they are all (with the exception of Freddie) trying to look like Christopher Lambert, but sadly they look more like dubious blokes in flasher macs who really should have had a shave. But never mind - they were great, and it would seem unfair to hold this momentary lack of sense against them.