Wednesday 27 May 2020

Queen "The Miracle" (1989)


There is now just two more records to go and so our journey resumes with an obvious low point for these British legends! The Miracle see's out the decade with the gaudiest, over produced and sterile sound to date. The bands eclecticism manifests with a bold metallic edge fit for the cheesier strain of arena sized Heavy Metal.

Brian May's beaming guitar features heavily throughout yet somehow its bold synth tones and song writing of the fading 80s Synthpop scene dominates the vibe. His solo work is often quite the delight, dexterous shredding finds itself overlooked as its brief arrivals do little to combat the overall theme that leans heavily of borrow ideas.

A fair helping of these songs have elements clearly borrowed from the Synthpop and classic Heavy Metal scenes. The Invisible Man may have a killer baseline and drum groove but Freddie's singing imitates the Ghost busters theme song to little merit. I Want It All is the one iconic song however the title track misses its mark sorely.

 Despite this sounding resoundingly negative, the album has its listenable tracks and quite a few musical arrangements and ideas that certainly peaked my interest. Was It All Worth It has simply booming symphonic elements at play, a joy within a dull song. On all fronts their is at least something to be enjoyed yet I feel for Freddie. Its a weak contribution, little of his singing exploring the emotional ranges he is so capable of.

Some lyrics clearly deal with his health and diagnosis which were likely a contributing factor. Its a sad observation unfortunately however it all felt a bit routine and dialed in. The album was poorly received at the time and I think rightly so. It may be easy on the ears and simple to digest but there just isn't a lot to take away from this. Two left now!

Rating: 4/10