First, I'll go on record saying that I like this album a lot. Some fans don't, and that's fine. This thread shouldn't become a back and forth debate ("It rocks!" vs "It sucks!").
What I want talk about is how I've noticed over repeat listenings, as well as listening to things like the unreleased demos medley and the karaoke versions, that some songs have a distinct pieced-together feel. This doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the album and I don't mean it to be a criticism.
Here are a few observations:
This, by all accounts, was a creative period for the band. The sessions seem to have involved a lot jamming and experimenting. No doubt the band fed off each other and recorded everything, from specific demos to just playing for the sake of playing.
The instrumental jam on "The Miracle" (the title track) sounds like it comes from one such session, placed in the song after most or all of the rest of the song was finished. Listening to the karaoke version, you can hear more closely where at the end of the jam, leading into the "That time will come..." finale that the drums don't quiet line up.
"Breakthru" we all know comes from two other works, the unfinished "A New Life Is Born" by Freddie and the pretty complete "Breakthru" by Roger. I wonder if, before completing the song as we know it, it had a different beginning or intro.
"My Baby Does Me" has the same back percussion backing track as "I Guess We're Falling Out". The finished song, again as we know, came from "My Baby Loves Me". I wonder which came first ("Falling Out" or "Loves Me"). Were they trying different things with that backing track?
"Hang On In There" owes its third movement to the "Fiddley Jam" bit as heard on the Medley Tape. Going back to "Falling Out", part of the guitar finale of *that* demo bears a striking similarity to the tempo change of "Hang On". Anyone else notice this?
"Stealin'", though not an album track, I still consider it a Miracle track. The 11:42 demo appears to have simply edited and reworked into the standard version. All the sections of the released version are present in the demo and it seems like nothing at all was re-recorded or overdubbed. Someone cut the demo down to a workable song. I've always like the released version, just thought I'd say that.
Again, spotting these things doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the album. If anything, I gain a greater appreciation of the album by seeing the creative process at work in its construction.
IT soundslike yuou haven't heard the "real" album just demo's and mp3's of siome of the tracks...
I like every song on the Miracle. It opens with 2 songs directly effected by Freddie realizing his mortality and creatively channeling that in to a medley of two well packaged songs that reflected back in an upbeat way (I still say the big bad sucker (fucker) in Khashoggis ship is a metaphor for AIDS).
The miracle is a very easy tack to listen to the same with I want it all and the invisible man. I love the build up before the guitar solo. very good bass and drums.
Breakthru is esy to listen to, maybe because songs like that have been heard so many times. I love Rain Must Fall, Freddie's voice sound good on that track. Scandal is one of my favorites. I love the video, I also love Freddie sings "Tooday the headlines tomorrom hard times but no one really ever knows the truth from the lies and in the end the story deeper musi hide, deeper and deeper and deeper inside) You can feel so much emotion.
I love My Baby Does Me, I love the bass and guitar. Reminds me of Adult Contemporary inspired smooth jazz that was popular around that time (like Anita Baker, John Ingram, etc). On I want it all you can definitely feel Freddie writing from his heart in the first verse.
About the demos I love I guess we're falling out. A great ballad. Because Queen coovered so much ground it's easy to forget that there's nothing that sounds like the song in their catalog. It would've been a great addition on the Miracle. I love A Fidley jam because of that quasi Progressive heavy guitar movement that appeared in Hang on in there. Hang on in there itself is definitely one of my favorite songs. I love the message, very inspirational. Can pick me up if I'm feeling bad. All and all I love the sessions I think they were great and paved the way for the better Innuendo sessions.
rhyeking wrote:
"Breakthru" we all know comes from two other works, the unfinished "A New Life Is Born" by Freddie and the pretty complete "Breakthru" by Roger. I wonder if, before completing the song as we know it, it had a different beginning or intro.
Well, there is a different intro on 12" version of Breakthru, so that might give us a clue.
To the first reply, I say:
Oh, please!
This was the fifth or sixth Queen album I bought. I loved it then and I loved it now. The observations I'm making are based on YEARS of listening to the album (first on cassette, then vinyl, then CD), and then listening to supplemental material such as demos, karaoke mixes, etc. If you feel threatened by an attempt to explore the creation of a piece of art, post on the General Discussions page about your favourite Freddie solo song and leave the scholarly discussion to the rest of us.
This is an attempt to engage fans who are interested in a serious discussion of the craft of album making. What I'm observing and sharing are what I consider clues as to how this album came to be, the creative decisions made by the band throughtout 1988 which resulted in "The Miracle".
(eyes rolling) Yeah, I'm basing this discussion on downloading some MP3s off Limewire, like a cheese-eating high school boy! Give me a break.
Messenger Of Leah wrote: Speaking of Innuendo, I've got a lot of the US promo singles with the NOW! and ALMOST NOW! edits.
You mean Breakthru, right?
Shit yeah, thanks!
What the hell was I thinking at the same? When I wrote it yesterday, I just got another single of 'Breakthru'... I must of been listening to Innuendo at the time.