Live Magic (1996) 


 

 1. One Vision
 2. Tie Your Mother Down
 3. Seven Seas of Rhye
 4. A Kind of Magic
 5. Under Pressure
 6. Another One Bites the Dust
 7. I Want to Break Free
 8. Is this the World We Created
 9. Bohemian Rhapsody
 10.Hammer to Fall
 11.Radio Ga Ga
 12.We Will Rock You
 13.Friends Will Be Friends
 14.We Are the Champions
 15.God Save the Queen

 

Although this one originally came out back in 1986 in many parts of the world — right after the tour it documents — it didn’t get a proper U.S. release until a full decade later. By that time, Live at Wembley ’86 had already been released, and at first glance, it was easy to dismiss this one as somewhat redundant. After all, the setlists are pretty similar, and both cover the same tour. So if Wembley is the big, sprawling, two-disc package, then this feels like its trimmed-down cousin.

But that’s not quite fair. Take a closer listen, and you’ll notice a few key differences that make Live Magic worth revisiting. First off, this isn’t one continuous concert — it’s a compilation of performances from various shows. That gives it a slightly different energy, and you get the sense that the venues themselves might have been a little smaller, which lends a more intimate feel to the whole thing. It’s also very clear that the band (or whoever was in charge of curating this) chose the strongest moments from the tour. No wasted space.

Now, if you’re someone who wants to hear every second of a Queen concert — all the between-song banter, every deep cut, and all the crowd interaction — then Live at Wembley ’86 is still the gold standard. But if you’re just in the mood for a lean, powerful highlight reel from a band at the height of its live powers, this one actually delivers better than you might expect.

To be honest, I’m a little torn myself. I usually prefer full shows when it comes to live albums, but there’s something about the tight pacing here that keeps me coming back. It’s streamlined without feeling hollow. Yes, there are a few tracks I wish they’d included, but what’s here is strong enough that I can live with the omissions.

Most die-hard fans probably own both at this point anyway, but if I had to choose one to listen to on a regular basis? Oddly enough, I might lean toward this one.

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