Queen - A Kind Of Magic (2012 SHM-SACD)

A Kind of Magic is the twelfth album by British rock band Queen, released in 1986..It was the band’s first studio album to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy.

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.