Queen – The Miracle

In my experience, Queen sound generally bad on vinyl, so and so on Qobuz and good on cd; this version is instead top notch and sounds f****g good!
The bonus cd is very interesting and also sound very good (I even prefer some of the original takes to those later released on the album).

The Miracle isn’t my favorite Queen album for two reasons, it’s the first time the band didn’t tour an album and for obvious reasons beyond their control and the production was very sterile. I reluctantly bought the box set just to have it as Queen are one of my favorite bands and I’ve a pretty large and impressive collection on all formats. I even bought this neat 2 CD package and while the album is the 2009 remaster which I’ve heard it’s the Sessions disc that made me realise how good the songs were and how brilliant Queen sounded in the late 80s in the studio as they patched the Miracle together. The sessions use real drums in parts that were later replaced by machines. Freddie’s vocals are still great even on the rejects cuts. It’s a welcome addition to the bands final years.
The boxset is cool but it’s was very expensive and I was annoyed by the lack of notation on dates of the sessions, which for nitpickers like myself is very important!

My least favourite Queen album. So, I can’t say I was salivating when I heard they were bringing out a deluxe edition. The big box looks nice but not £300 nice. I’m not sure I’d pay £300 for a huge Queen II box let alone this one.
So, I was nevertheless interested in the Sessions stuff and was happy that a 2 disk option was coming out.
I’ll never play Disk 1. On the rare occasion I do spin The Miracle, I’ll chuck on the pressing from The Studio Collection box. That’s good enough.
However, the second disk was what I wanted and I’ll be honest, I’m not disappointed. Sure, the songs are still the same old songs, but this alternative angle is interesting enough.I particularly like the new version of the title track which is here separated from that strange coda from the released version. I’m a sucker for studio chat too, so I’m pleased to hear a bit of that. Very poignant hearing Fred.
The non album tracks are ok. Certainly no worse than My Baby Does Me or Rain Will Fall. I can hear the germs of a great Brian song in You Know You Belong To Me. Water is interesting too.
So, it could be worse. I got my copy for £11 which I can live with.

Now Brian, on the topic of a mega Queen II box ……….