'The Miracle' (1989)

When this album was released it felt like Queen had been away for a very long time. That might seem an odd thing to say when you remember that the mid-80s were full of Queen triumphs, the four singles off 'The Works,' Live Aid, Wembley, Knebworth. But the 'A Kind Of Magic' album from 1986 had seemed a rather sporadic affair, with the two lead singles - 'One Vision' and 'A Kind of Magic' - already familiar before the album's release and much of the rest being a soundtrack. Most of all, though, Queen, who had always been a touring band, the best live act around, had stopped performing live in 1986. The band seemed to have slipped from view. 

'The Miracle' stands as Queen's first album of original material, apart from extraneous projects, for five years. That's a long time away in the pop world. I distinctly remember at the time feeling that Queen had somehow faded into a comfortable semi-retirement. It felt, at the time, that the band were 'establishment,' no longer trying hard and no longer relevant. Even worse, they were no longer an outrage to public decency and morality. And I think that rather diminished the reception of the album. 

It's a fine album, with quite a number of standout tracks (as indicated by the fact that the album yielded an impressive five singles). All the classic Queen trademarks are to the fore. Some of the tracks, however, are noticeably weaker than others, and it is apparent that stronger material was left off the album (I would imagine to enhance variety and ensure balance). The album is good, and the controversy over weaker moments and absent tracks allows us to speculate the ways in which the album could have been made better. It is also noticeable that the drum machines and synthesizers that so alarmed some on 'Hot Space' are back. 'The Miracle' is definitely a pop album, although Brian May's guitar is also, thankfully, prominent. All in all, 'The Miracle' has a strong claim to being the band's most coherent and even most cogent album of the 1980s. If 'Hot Space' veered too close to dance and synths and too far away from rock and guitars, 'The Works' rehashed the Queen sound in new pop directions rather than simply recovered it, and 'A Kind of Magic' got caught between projects, 'The Miracle' shows a band that has come to terms with all that they had been trying to do in the 80s and had finally settled on a new identity. At the end of the decade, Queen produced with 'The Miracle' their best album since 'The Game' at the beginning of the decade.

'The Miracle' sees Queen recovering the pop sensibility and creativity of their glory days, once more having fun with a big and bombastic sound, free from the constraints of having to try too hard to find a new direction. The synths and drum machines are still here, but are now comfortably absorbed, with the result that the synth-rock songs are, with the exception of the immense rocker 'I Want it All,' the best songs on the album. What really impresses is that the band sounds like a band again, and a band whose members are interested and excited, happy to explore being themselves rather than get too hung up on what they ought to be, musically. 

There are too many lesser tracks for 'The Miracle' to count as a great album, but it is certainly a good album, with the band showing all their old flair. The rockers are excellent, the synth-pop songs too, and the overall sound is cohesive. And then we can start playing the game of substituting the very fine numbers that were left off the album for a couple of the lesser tracks on the album and speculate how close to greatness the album could have come. 

I think the album is underrated for a number of reasons. In terms of reception, Queen had slipped from view as a result of having spent time away from both stage and studio; in terms of the album itself, the strong material is let down by the inclusion of some weak tracks. That, said, 'The Miracle' is a very good album, with a great spirit and creativity, blending a sense of fun with the serious. This was the first time that all the songs were credited to the band and not to its individual members, reflecting the way in which they worked together around the ideas that each introduced, building as they went. There is some superb guitar playing, some great tunes and melodies, and a fantastic production that succeeds in blending the solid rock of the old Queen sound with the electronica/dance/disco they had spent the decade exploring. The best tracks here - and there are many of them - afford a glimpse into the way that the four highly creative members of the band would collaborate together to create something that was so much more than the sum of its parts. The band members made it clear in interview that they had made a conscious decision to reflect the sound of the group as a whole rather than the styles and preferences of one particular individual in the group. The result is a wonderfully positive vibe, one that confronts headlong the troubles that individual members of the band were facing. The result is an optimistic album which transcends its darker edges.

'The Miracle' has something of the patchy quality that affected A Kind of Magic, and which makes for an uneven listening experience. There are some, if not lows, exactly, then deviations that militate against an entirely cohesive sound. But when the album hits the highs, it soars high. Tracks like 'The Miracle,' 'I Want it All,' 'Breakthru,' 'Invisible Man,' and 'Scandal' are among the very best numbers in the band's catalogue, all of them being released as singles with reasonable expectations of being smashes.

In conclusion, 'The Miracle' is an album whose high quality is let down by a handful of anomalies, meaning that the album doesn't quite punch its artistic weight. It's never classed as one of the 'great' or 'classic' Queen albums, but it could so easily have been. Comment on the album tends to focus on the strange and disturbing cover, setting the tone for its appreciation. The album unsettles and wrong-foots people. The songs have the darker tones of a mature and successful band who have been through it all and are maybe about to face even worse, even the end. The album ends by answering the end-of-days question, 'Was it All Worth It?' That the answer is an emphatic 'yes' is testament to the life-affirming qualities of the group, as expressed on the rest of the album. This was a band that was always going to go out with a triumphant cheer rather than jeers and tears.

It's a strange album. In recollection, I don't remember it doing well. It didn't seemed to loom large in popular culture. And yet there were five big singles, top ten and five hits among them, with the album itself hitting UK#1, going platinum in three countries. It is, therefore, a commercially and artistically successful album that put Queen back at the top. It just didn't seem to, not in the same way that 'A Night at the Opera,' 'News of the World,' nor even 'The Works' had done. The album barely receives a mention in Queen retrospectives. The 'controversial' Hot Space receives far more attention, as if in being loathed the vision of what might-have-been holds a certain attraction and fascination. The truth is that by 1989 Queen had 'made it' and were rock royalty, beyond argumentation and need for validation. This is Queen and we all know who they are and what they can do. Queen being Queen. A certain excitement and intensity had gone in the public identity. Queen were no longer anomalous, the music choice of oddballs and weirdos - the oddballs and weirdos were now normies. 

There is great music on this album, and it seemed to just pass the world by. 'The Miracle' makes for a curious companion to 'Hot Space,' a much greater commercial and artistic triumph, the same synths and drum machines but without the controversy and complaint. 'Hot Space' still generates the heat in debate, 'The Miracle' no comment at all.

The Miracle (1989)

"Party"

To my ears, 'The Miracle' got off to an appallingly bad start with 'Party' and 'Khashoggi's Ship.' Queen had many qualities, one of which was knowing how to prepare and plan the shape, feel, and coherence of albums and concerts. The band were meticulous when it came to attention to detail. Queen albums and concerts were impeccable in the placing and pacing of tracks. Take a listen to any Queen album and notice the superb ways in which they begin and end, maximising the impact of the material and making for an unforgettable experience. In my days as an academic I had to do a lot of presentations, which I loathed with a vengeance. I struggled to fit my typicaaly ample content to a coherent and comprehensible form and was therefore constantly on the verge of boring people to death. Also, I sometimes had to speak on subjects I knew little or nothing about. I learned that if you have a strong start and a strong ending, you can get away with any manner of muddle in between. With 'Party' and 'Khashoggi's Ship,' Queen start with a muddle, something which took the shine of the great tracks which follow immediately. Queen know how to start and finish a record (and concert). My feeling is that they wanted to get the album off to a lively start, in the manner of 'Tie Your Mother Down' on 'A Day at the Races' or 'Brighton Rock' on 'Sheer Heart Attack,' or the way in which they would open concerts with blistering pace and power, and these were the best available tracks for the slot. The songs are just not strong enough and would have sounded better buried between strong material on the album. They are lively and upbeat, an attempt to get the party started. But seem more than a little forced. "Party" does, at least, have a good, vibrant rhythm and a superb guitar part.

"Khashoggi's Ship"

'Khashoggi's Ship' follows immediately after 'Party,' making for a double-part (and party) opener. It sets a heavy tone, with Brian May's guitars to the fore. The lyrics are loosely based on Adnan Khashoggi. The song packs a punch, with hard rock and tempo changes. But it seems more than a little contrived and is more clunky rather than inspired. The lyrics are lazy and uninteresting. It sounds like the band were consciously invoking the scope and dynamics of 'Queen I' and 'Queen II,' but without the energy and inspiration. The decadent subject-matter betrays the fact that this is a band that was huge and successful, existing - and coasting - rather than aspiring. The vocal and guitar harmonies are exhilarating and energetic, as in the best Queen, but the songs themselves are distinctly average. The way that the songs segue into one another recalls Queen at their very best on 'Queen II' and 'Sheer Heart Attack,' but the material isn't strong enough to even approach those heights. Every successful act, in time, starts to perform as a parody of itself. Queen never plunged those depths for the reason they remained creative and innovative to the end. But the pitfalls of trying to recapture past glories are apparent when the quality of the material is less than great. I can see what the band are trying to do here, I just don't think it works, meaning that the album gets off to a flat start, which is the worst thing possible, colouring impressions and expectations for the rest of the album.

"The Miracle"

The title track is one of the best songs Queen ever did, originating from Freddie Mercury. The song begins in mellow mood, but becomes celebratory the greater the list of all those things in life that could be considered miracles grows and expands to the final message: the greatest miracle of all would be peace on Earth. It is a song of hope, and a dream of peace and unity. John Deacon has described the lyrics as "naïve." They very probably are. An ideal without an effective politics is idle; but a politics without an ideal is infernal.

"A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing. And when Humanity lands there, it looks out, and, seeing a better country, sets sail. Progress is the realisation of Utopias." (Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism).

'The Miracle' is progressive in this sense. Apart from the hopeful quality of the message, the song is itself musically very good, very rhythmic and melodic, closing with a great tempo change. The song is a grower, its qualities being insistent rather than immediate. And once the rhythm and melody grab you, you start to believe every word of the hopeful message.

There was something of a Beatles' revivalism going on in the late 1980s. In terms of sound and feel, I would class 'The Miracle' with the likes of 'Sowing the Seeds of Love' by Tears for Fears. It has that same 'I am the Walrus' vibe and 'All You Need is Love' lyricism going on, which is no bad thing at all. Beyond that, there is the sheer optimism of the message, the hope for the better world that is within human reach, as a result of human effort, so long as human beings choose reason over stupidity. 

This was the fifth and final single from the album of the same name, and it didn't make too much of an impact (UK #21). The song sums up the band for me, joyful, optimistic, and idealistic as well as entertaining, funny, and camp. And quality. 

The idealism of 'The Miracle' is the complete antithesis of the decadence of the album's double-opener. I think the band committed a major error in track sequencing here, because the effect is jarring (to my ears and brain cells at least), detracting from the qualities of 'The Miracle' whilst enhancing the deficiencies of 'Party' / 'Khashoggi's Ship.' I also think the song should either have been released as the lead single or not at all, exploiting anticipation of the new Queen album. With the album now out and familiar, and four singles already released, the thoughtful qualities of the song could easily come to be overlooked. The song is idealistic, mystical even, with its vision of a future peace and harmony via the miracles being worked on Earth. The message is inspirational and the music expansive. The song displays a maturity and gravitas that gives some indication of what was to come on 'Innuendo.'

"I Want It All"

If 'The Miracle' is one of the best expressions of the idealism and optimism running through Queen's music, then 'I Want It All' is a seriously in-your-face hard rocker, expressing all the over-sized ambition and bombast of the band. The song is a classic statement of the hard rocking qualities of the band. Originating with Brian May, the song packs a lot of powerful guitar into its very considerable punch. This is one of the heaviest, loudest, and most vibrant songs the band ever recorded, with Freddie delivering an incredibly powerful vocal that more than matches the hard rock sound. It's an immense track. I would guess that Freddie would have been disinclined to go too far down the hard rock route, for the reason that it exerts too great a strain on the vocals. But this track shows that he could have done it with aplomb. Then there is the great melody, not to mention the stunning guitar solo by Brian May. 

Many fans express the great regret that Freddie never got the opportunity to sing this track live. It makes 'Hammer to Fall' sound like 'Love of My Life.' Live, it would have been a treat for the fans, and an immense strain for Freddie. He could have done it, though. Had it been performed live in concert, had Queen continued touring, I am sure this song would now be recognized as one of the elite Queen songs. It's right up there with the well-known and well-loved as one of the greatest songs Queen ever recorded. 'I Want it All' is not so much the summit of 'The Miracle' as the volcanic eruption at its centre, with the multi-layered vocals and May and Deacon scorching their fretboards all the way through. I'm always left pondering how the entire album could have been better appreciated had it opened with this number, but can appreciate why it didn't - this song is both masterpiece and centrepiece. Open with this track, and it is all downhill after. If you come in at your peak, then there is nowhere else to go. 

With 'I Want it All,' Queen proved, having attained the heights of pop success, that they could still rock as hard as they had done in their early days, which is a lot harder than most nearly all others. I don't like to get into comparisons too much, but they can help make a point (as well as stoke pointless and irresolvable controversies). I loved Deep Purple back in the day. I was thrilled when Purple reformed in 1985, bought 'Perfect Strangers,' looked forward to the concerts. I revisited these Purple concerts from 1985, and they don't pack anything like the same power as Queen. There is much more to power than loudness, and more to generating excitement than shrieks and noise. It takes real talent to turn up the volume and keep control. Queen generate heat and intensity with ferocious guitar and vocals, but keep the quality with harmonies that other bands can only dream about. There are few bands that could have conceived a song as loud and as ambitious as this, and fewer still that could have pulled it off.

I loved the song the moment it came out. It had been recorded in 1988, the year I graduated, and it summed up my take on the world I now saw standing in front of me, a virgin territory for me to conquer (gee, Queen encouraged some outsized ambitions!). Anything seemed possible. But you have to take it. I don't remember it being a huge hit, but that might have something to do with the fact that this song is so immense I expected it to own the #1 spot for all time, as its qualities both demanded and deserved. I am pleased to record that it peaked at UK #3, which isn't too bad at all. The song is a declaration of intent, of what and by whom who knows. It has that anthemic quality that characterises many of the Queen songs. It's not hard to see why I loved them as a puny little boy getting put-down and pilloried at school. But look who's still standing, and standing tall! It was good to have Queen with their large claims, and even larger talents, in my corner. Aim high and take it from there. Oh, and to repeat, this is loud and hard, one that brings out the teenage boy in all of us. It's got the great Queen choir on there, too, peerless vocal harmonies at full tilt. I love it when drums and guitar cut loose and go hell-for-leather in pursuit of who knows what. So this was Fred knowing that he had AIDS and was facing his final years. Unbowed, undaunted, unbeaten, and unbroken. Awesome! Way to go, Fred! 'Gotta find me a future, move out of my way.'

"The Invisible Man"

"The Invisible Man" is an infectious number driven by John Deacon's insistent up front bass-line and Roger Taylor's percussive drumming. Some take a dismissive view of the song on account of its similarities to Ray Parker jr's 'Ghostbusters.' Over time, though, it's own unique qualities have come to the fore. The song sounds as daft as a brush, but has really intriguing lyrics about seeing people as they really are, going beyond their public façade and veiled emotions. If I read correctly, the 'invisible man' becomes 'invisible' after being rejected by the girl he likes, only for him to become the only thing she is able to think about. She can't get him out of her head, but can't get him back either. He's her "meanest thought" and her "darkest fear." It's about 'invisible' people, the people you don't see and don't hear in the normal course of things, but miss when they are gone for good. Typical quirky Queen, then, with seemingly slight exteriors concealing an incredibly serious and substantial interior. You remember - in a way that the critics forgot - that for all of the overt and entertaining fun and frolics, this was a band composed of members of high intelligence, astro-physics, electronics, art, and dentistry. The beat and bass line driving this one on are irresistible. 

The song was the inspiration for the theme song of the Nickelodeon cartoon "Danny Phantom". After show creator Butch Hartman got the go-ahead to create "Danny Phantom," he went to his composer, Guy Moon, and told him, "I don't care what music you use, just give me a bass line like this," and played "The Invisible Man." That killer bass line drives it on and is incredibly catchy. Written by drummer Roger Taylor, this track has real oomph. It should have resulted in the continuation of Taylor's classic hits for the band, building on 'Radio Ga Ga' and 'A Kind of Magic.' Maybe people really did make the mistake of thinking it daft. It hit a respectable UK #12. I thought it a #1 smash for sure. Occasionally, this band were too subtle for their own good, inviting people to believe they were as dumb and crude as they liked to play, just to allow the thick-alecs to pose as smart-alecs.

"Breakthru"

Queen's innate creativity, musical dexterity, and sheer energy are all on full show in this track. "Breakthru" is a combination of two songs: "A New Life Is Born," a glorious acapella section written by Freddie Mercury, and "Breakthru", the boisterous main body written by Roger Taylor with input by the others in the key change. The pace and the basslines of the song maintain such a relentless and accelerating rhythm that it sounds like the band are traveling on an express train. The video for the single reflects this, showing the band performing atop a private steam train by the name of "The Miracle Express". "Breakthru" was the second single from The Miracle, entering the charts on July 1, 1989 and peaking at UK #7. A big hit, then, and a personal favourite. I thought it something of a return to the feel of 'Don't Stop Me Now,' but with saner, more balanced lyrics for those who can't quite manage the full-on hedonism of those who really want it all.

The song is a favourite of Brian May's, who describes it as 'full of energy,' 'the track, speaking lyrically, is about breaking through to the next part of your life.' The chance would be a fine thing. I look upon "Breakthru" as my perpetual declaration of intent, the national anthem of my perennially underperforming self as I carry on promising myself - and others - that this time, more than any other time, I will at long last break through the barriers that have constantly kept me from shooting to the full heights of my immense potential. Or maybe I am still under the spell of Mr Fahrenheit. I'll settle for making myself useful to others and to society in some way. 

The song came out in the summer of 1989. I had graduated the previous year with top honours, threatening to unleash myself on the world once I had had a 'sabbatical' ... I was now another year on and had done absolutely nothing with my degree. Frankly, I had no idea what I should be doing with it. The song helped me to look upon the world with renewed purpose and vitality. It contained a promise if not exactly a plan, but that was something much more than I had at the time. The video of the band performing on the train reminded me all the world of the lyrics to "Don't Stop Me Now," showing an unstoppable force in full flow. I took the opportunity to redeem the commitment I had made as I became a teenager in 1978 to be the 'shooting star leaping through the sky,' the 'tiger defying the laws of gravity,' the 'racing car passing by,' the 'rocket ship on my way to Mars,' the 'satellite' that is 'out of control' and last but not least the 'sex machine ready to reload like an atom bomb about to Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, explode.' I didn't quite know what any of that meant back in 1978 and, come to think of it, I wasn't any the wiser in 1989, either. So I thought it sane and sober to settle on becoming an express train. I thought it time to redeem some old promises and start to fulfil some of my potential. It's still time. Over thirty years on, and I'm still riding the wild wind in my inner world, but not the outer. And I am still planning to explode on the world with all the vigour of 'Mr Fahrenheit' himself.

The song is 'classic Queen,' from the ethereal choral introduction to the pumping beat and finally to the thrilling explosion. Whilst that might describe a lot of things, it describes nothing more perfectly than the perfect Queen song. 'Somehow I have to make this final breakthrough ... NOW!' Don't stop me NOW! Then the train comes crashing through the wall. And on and on the express goes through one tunnel after another. And another wall with the word "NOW" spelled out in capital letters. This is a much livelier and much less po-faced variant of the aphorism carpe diem. The song has not one but two great solos, the first played by John Deacon on bass, the second by Brian May on lead guitar. If you really listen to this song you suddenly appreciate the extent to which John Deacon drove the band, that pulsing bass line of his absolutely rocks. Brian May gets all the attention, not surprisingly given his thunderous guitar. But just lend an ear to that Deacon guy on bass. This express train wasn't sped forwards by fuel; John Deacon powered it forward with that insistent bass line.

And it is worth presenting the important context in which this song was made. Freddie Mercury had been told some short time before this that he had AIDS, which was then a death sentence. He would undoubtedly have thought that he had no more than a few years left to live. And his response to that cruel fate was this! Freddie was terminally ill at this point, and yet his performance exudes an irrepressible energy. It was so good to see Mr. Fahrenheit back and at his upbeat and joyous best. I love the enjoyment that is shared among the band members in this video. I strongly suspect that they all knew that this would probably be the last blast of the 'good times' that Queen's music had always celebrated, the last time they could perform as the outrageous boundary-testing band Queen had always been, before the effects of Freddie's illness would start to show on his face and wear down his body (but not his indomitable spirit). For a man who was facing the end, this song and its performance is just so inspiring. Come on folks! If Freddie can do it, you, too, and make that final 'breakthru.' NOW! 

This is Queen at their thrilling, life-affirming, best, summing up everything Queen ever stood for. We need this song and video to breakthrough the various walls being built around us in the age of fear and constraint, as well as the walls we build ourselves. Freddie knew he was dying and gave us this! Stop whining, get on that express train!

Remember, as May says, 'you don't pass the same way twice in your life.' And remember, as Elvis sung, if you do it your own special way, then 'once is enough.' Or was that Nietzsche?

"Rain Must Fall"

Along with the double-opening, "Rain Must Fall" and "My Baby Does Me" count among the lesser tracks on 'The Miracle.' It's hard to judge whether the problem is a drop in quality or a change in style and tempo. The tracks seem out of place. Both are in the category of synth-oriented soul/funk music and, to that extent, have something in common with the much derided 'Hot Space.' They are fairly idle and innocuous numbers, representing something of a breather on a high energy album. The arrangements are pretty bland and spare for a Queen song, and Brian May is barely present. The songs are the work of Mercury and Deacon, reviving the 'Hot Space' sound - and controversy - that breaks with the guitar ready heaviness of the 'classic' Queen sound. The songs stand out for that reason. We may refer to them as 'lesser' - and many do, dismissing them as throwaways that should have been left off the album - but we should also appreciate them, in classic Queen style, as 'different,' and therefore as adding variety. Songs like this break up the song cycle and prevent monotony by introducing different sounds and textures. The Queen albums of the seventies were characterised by a great variety of songs. Queen albums were never predictable, and more often than not were surprising and, occasionally, alarming. So the best way to see these songs is not as 'lesser' material - which is hardly a criticism on an album with so many standouts - but as different, a change of pace. Critics here are being overly-puritanical. It doesn't do to impose taste when it comes to Queen albums. 

For what it's worth, I actually enjoy 'Rain Must Fall' very much, it is very jaunty and uplifting, with a great melody and a spirit soaring guitar solo from Brian May. Not every song has to be a showstopper and chart topper. Queen's high standards in this regard had spoiled us. 'Rain Must Fall' is a cheery slice of pop music, reminding me of Kelly Marie's 'It Feels Like I'm in Love,' a UK#1 that Mungo Jerry had originally written for Elvis. That's quite an image to have in mind when making the effort to appreciate the qualities of the song. I'm nothing if not eclectic. It's not for no reason that Queen are my favourite band.

"Scandal"

'Scandal' is a seriously good song on muck-raking media journalism. It didn't do much as a single, peaking at UK #25, but the release was worthwhile in that it have us a great video, allowing Freddie to make his point against those who had made, and would go on to make, his life a misery. It is a great performance from Fred, a plea, really, that, sadly, and predictably, would fall on deaf ears. That said, the song was actually written by Brian May and draws on the problems he had been having with the British Press over his personal relationships. In an interview with the video magazine Hard'n'Heavy (1989, Volume 3), May confirmed it was the antics of the British tabloid press which inspired this song: "It's something which has affected us, individually, as members of the group recently. It's very strange, 'cause we were fairly famous for a long time in England, you know the last 15 years or whatever, but we didn't become a prey to these kind of scummy papers until recently. And it's not related to what you are doing, you know. They are not interested what music you play, or anything. They just want the dirt, and if they can't find any they'll invent it if they choose to pick on you. So we were all going through a lot of changes in our lives and suddenly it became a big problem, you know, in a similar way... you've heard about what they did to Elton, you know? These stories about Elton, and everything, which he sued them for and got a million quid (NB. slang for pound) off 'em. You know, great. Well they did very similar things to me particularly, and to a certain extent to Roger, and Freddie also had been through it a little while before. But this thing is total... you know, steam in and destroy someone's life. They really are the scum of the earth. You can't exaggerate it too much."

Beyond the song's message, musically it is bang on the money. The song has a great riff running through, dark and brooding and accusatory, working so well with the lyric. It's rather a deep song for the pop charts, but more than merited single release, becoming the fourth single from the album. It is the album's most underrated track, and perhaps one of the most underrated songs in the band's catalogue, its poignancy increased when one becomes aware of how the media treated Freddie Mercury in his last years. The guitar on 'Scandal' is just a searing combination of pain, emotion, rage, and accusation. May recorded the keyboards and guitar in one take, with Mercury doing likewise with his vocals. The result is a rage and rawness that is molten, never hardening in time. 'Scandal' is a superb song, going to show that behind all the good-time frivolity and jollity, Queen had a serious edge.

"My Baby Does Me"

'My Baby Does Me' is classed alongside 'Rain Must Fall' as one of the 'lesser' tracks on 'The Miracle.' Both songs would be seen in new light if we could come to see them as 'different' and appreciate their unique qualities. They have them, even if they are not to everyone's taste. 'My Baby Does Me' falls into the category of synth-oriented soul/funk music and, as a Deacon and Mercury collaboration, may be considered a moody and mellow follow-up to 'Cool Cat.' That might be enough to have some people switching off, but those of us who enjoyed 'Cool Cat' rather like the song. That said, for all that it is a Deacon and Mercury collaboration, it is Brian May's sumptuous guitar riff that holds the attention.

My view is that the band were consciously attempting to ensure variety and balance on the album, with some songs picking up the pace and some taking them down. It seems we are destined to live forever under the shadow of 'Hot Space,' so great was the trauma it caused, with tracks like 'Rain Must Fall' and 'My Baby Does Me' here, and 'Pain is So Close to Pleasure' from the previous album, dismissed as offcuts from that early eighties experimentation with dance/disco/funk/pop. It's not a great song; in truth, it is idle and meanders inconsequentially. It has a nice low-key feel, though, certainly enhanced by the guitar, which redeems the synths and drum-machine sound and banal lyrics. It sounds like a work in progress, a kicking around of ideas before working them into some listenable form. Undeveloped, then. In my view, the song is actually pretty decent, and just needs a proper set of lyrics.

"Was it all Worth It"

As it began, so it ends. If the double-opener of the album falls short, then so too does the album's finale. 'Was It All Worth It' is a clear attempt at vindication by a band whose members were evidently aware that the end was drawing near. The song is far better than the two which opened the album, but is less than the masterpiece that the band deserved to have as a final statement. That would come with 'The Show Must Go On.' Perhaps the end was not close enough to add the emotional charge that was required. That said, I have come to appreciate the song more as the years have passed, with all its thunderous and defiant bombast. It gets overlooked because it wasn't quite the end in 1989, and the song isn't in the class as 'The Show Must Go On.' But it's getting there, a climax of experimental rock opera approaching the heights of 'Innuendo.' The best was yet to come.

The song boasts a grand and brilliantly arranged introduction with blazing keyboards and guitar, opening into a hard-as-nails metal riffs, delivered with all the ferocity of the Queen I and II days. The vocals switch between the melodic and the bombastic effortlessly, fitting in perfectly with the song's arrangements. If this was indeed the end, then the band ended on a positive note - it was all worth it. What I find incredible is that the song, so obviously a 'no regrets' goodbye, wasn't quite taken to be that at the time. The meaning certainly passed me by. We had all heard the rumours about Freddie's health, and it was more than a little suspicious that Queen had stopped performing and that Freddie was hardly seen in public. And yet the album was so good and the music so vital, that the end didn't remotely seem like an end at all. And we all thought that Freddie was indestructible. The most remarkable thing of all is just how creative and powerful the band became as they did indeed come face to face with the end.

"A New Life Is Born"

Now we come to the tracks that were left off the album, which critical fans insist should have been used instead of the 'lesser' (different) material. 'A New Life is Born' is a demo, written by Freddie at the time of 'The Miracle,' with its first 27 seconds used to great effect as the introduction to 'Breakthru.' This version is slightly different, with the line 'somehow I have to make this final Breakthru'..... now' missing, cutting into a slow song that features just Freddie at the piano, ending rather abruptly. Freddie ad-libs around lyrics in their undeveloped state, and the song clearly stands in need of being finished.

"Hang on in there" (1989 B-side to the "I Want it All" single).

Exhibit A for all those in the 'this should have been on the album instead of' x, y, and z camp. I tend to avoid such controversies, not least for the reason that they tend to overrate the excluded and underrate the included, yielding no advantage either way. I must say, though, that 'Hang on in there' is really rather excellent and would have strengthened any album it appeared on.

The fact is that the band had so much material available to them at the 'Miracle' sessions that they were really spoiled for choice. In the end, some incredibly good songs failed to make the cut, for (I would judge) reasons of variety, balance, and pacing. As much as I defend the 'lesser' songs on the album, I do think that this one should have been on the album, taking its place as a cool and classy addition. It's a great number that combines some fantastic acoustic work with some immense hard rock riffing. The lyrics express a great positive message about never giving up your hopes and carrying on working towards your goals. No matter the odds against you, you've just got to 'hang on in there.'

This is undoubtedly one of the strongest B-sides that Queen ever issued, even alongside the album tracks that were issued on singles. It's a heavyweight composition, with great lyrics, powerful guitar and drums, and fantastic bass line. The song is progressive and modern, with great scope making for an expanded instrumental at the end. The message and the music are truly inspirational, with clear anticipations of "Innuendo." It is a song to put on and play if ever you feel your spirits sagging.

"My Life Has Been Saved"

There are two different versions of this song in the Queen catalogue, the 1989 B-side to the "Scandal" single and the version that was reworked for the "Made in Heaven" album of 1995. Both have their merits and their demerits. If the 1995 version can be criticised for being over-produced, then the 1989 can be criticised for being under-produced, with all the hallmarks of being crammed and busy, rushed out before being properly worked out. The negatives, however, are outweighed by the many positives. The 1989 version sounds so free and spontaneous, with Freddie's scatting, and has great feeling, with Brian May's beautiful guitar playing prominent throughout. This is another great song written by John Deacon. As to why this and "Hang on in There" were left off "The Miracle" album, I can only repeat my speculation: the band were looking for a balance of mood, movement, and variety on the album. Tracks like "Party" and "Khashoggi's Ship" brought something to the party that the tracks left off didn't. I have no doubt that these tracks would have strengthened the album.

"Chinese Torture"

This track is a dark instrumental which conveys the horror and fear that Chinese water torture arouses in its victims. The track made its first appearance in the final concerts of Queen's 1986 Magic Tour as part of May's guitar solo. May obviously had a high regard for the track, give that he also included it in his solos in the Queen + Paul Rodgers shows of 2005 and 2006.

"Hijack My Heart" (1989 B-side to the single "The Invisible Man")

A Roger Taylor song (although credited to the band as a whole), this song has Taylor taking on the lead vocals. It's a solid mid-tempo rocker with a thumping beat. It's pretty basic for Queen, telling the tale of a man who falls in love with a woman, despite his original annoyance at her rudeness and mannerisms. 

"Stealin'" (1989 B-side to the "Breakthru" single)

Wonderful slice of rock'n'roll with a light and easy swing, the instrumental break allowing May to show off his guitar skills whilst Mercury scats away. The twelve minute demo reveals a playful jam with a real groove. It sounds like a good idea in need of further development to take form as a proper song. But it has a great feel as it is. Principally composed by Mercury (although credited to the band as a whole, in line with all the songs from these sessions), the song is a tongue-in-cheek tale, spoken as much as sung, of a man who spends his life committing robbery. It's not a finished song, and so isn't a candidate for an album placing. But it is great fun, loose and spontaneous, a vehicle enabling the band members to show off what they can do as musicians, as Freddie improvises his vocals. Great joyful jam session and just so enjoyable to hear.

"I Guess We're Falling Out" (1988 demo, from "The Miracle" studio sessions, Montreux 1988)

This is such a great demo that it is to be regretted that the band were never able to finish it. Unfortunately, there is no second verse, with Freddie's ad-libbing in the absence of lyrics. The first verse, however, is superb. This song has real hit potential, boasting an irresistibly catchy chorus. Musically strong with fantastic vocals from Freddie, this track is begging to be completed, in the manner of the material on 'Made in Heaven.' Did the band make the attempt in 1995? On the evidence of the demo, this track could have been a masterpiece.

"Dog with a Bone" (1989, Miracle sessions)

Recorded during sessions for 'The Miracle,' 'Dog With A Bone' has a good claim to be the best ever unreleased Queen track. Sung as a duet between Roger and Freddie, it is a rock-blues style jam featuring superb work from Brian on guitar throughout. It has the 'I Love Rock'n'Roll' vibe to it, that same slow grind. Another of those tracks which strengthens the case for those who argue that whilst 'The Miracle' was a good album, it could so easily have been a great album, on a par with Queen's seventies' classics.

"Brother Of Mine

Rumoured to originate from 'The Miracle' sessions in 1988 or 1989, nothing is known about the track.