QUEEN – The Miracle (Collectors Edition 2022)

Brian May & Co are presenting ”QUEEN – The Miracle (Collectors Edition 2022)”, a new Box Set made up of a remastering of their 1989 album plus ’The Miracle Sessions’, containing over an hour of unreleased studio recordings including six previously unheard songs – plus intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of the band at work (and play) in the studio.
”The Miracle Collector’s Edition” brims with rarities, outtakes, instrumentals, etc.
One of the gems is the previously unheard archival Queen track “Face It Alone,” which features the late Freddie Mercury on vocals and was recorded during the 1989 sessions. The recording was rediscovered during the process of putting the collection together.

Released in 1989, ‘The Miracle’ has a poignant back story. As May would recall: “We were dealing with Freddie’s deteriorating health and pulling together to support him.” In these circumstances, Mercury delivered extraordinary performances, most powerfully in ‘I Want It All’ and ‘Was It All Worth It’, the latter, for all its dry wit, now reading like a bittersweet farewell.

The album is not one of Queen’s best, but May puts the title track among their greatest songs. And while there is much more across these discs on this Collectors Edition, it’s those previously unheard tracks that really sell this package.

‘Dog With A Bone’ is a heavy number with Freddie and Roger singing together, ‘I Guess We’re Really Falling Out’ a piano ballad that turns into a rock jam, and on both tracks the band members are heard talking through their ideas.
But the most significant track, by far, is Face It Alone, Mercury’s voice full of emotion, the title, in retrospect, so profoundly sad.
Highly Recommended

Disc 1: Bob Ludwig remaster
01 – Party (Remastered)
02 – Khashoggi’s Ship (Remastered)
03 – The Miracle (Remastered)
04 – I Want It All (Remastered)
05 – The Invisible Man (Remastered)
06 – Breakthru (Remastered)
07 – Rain Must Fall (Remastered)
08 – Scandal (Remastered)
09 – My Baby Does Me (Remastered)
10 – Was It All Worth It (Remastered)

Disc 2: The Miracle Sessions
01 – Party
02 – Khashoggi’s Ship
03 – The Miracle
04 – I Want It All
05 – The Invisible Man
06 – When Love Breaks Up (Demo)
07 – Breakthru (Real Drums And Bass)
08 – Rain Must Fall (Demo)
09 – Scandal
10 – My Baby Loves Me
11 – Was It All Worth It
12 – You Know You Belong To Me
13 – I Guess We’re All Falling Out (Demo)
14 – Dog With A Bone
15 – Water (Demo)
16 – Face It Alone [outtake]

Disc 3: Alternative Miracle
01 – I Want It All (Single Version)
02 – Hang On In There (B-Side)
03 – Breakthru
04 – Stealin’ (B-Side)
05 – The Invisible Man (12″ Version)
06 – Hijack My Heart (B-Side)
07 – Scandal (12″ Mix (Album Version))
08 – My Life Has Been Saved (1989 B-Side Version)
09 – Stone Cold Crazy
10 – My Melancholy Blues
11 – Chinese Torture (Instrumental)

Disc 4: Miracu-mentals
01 – Party (Instrumental)
02 – Khashoggi’s Ship (Backing Track)
03 – The Miracle (Backing Track)
04 – I Want It All (Backing Track)
05 – The Invisible Man (Backing Track)
06 – Breakthru (Backing Track)
07 – Rain Must Fall (Backing Track)
08 – Scandal (Backing Track)
09 – My Baby Does Me (Backing Track)
10 – Was It All Worth It (Backing Track)

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www.queenonlinestore.com/Queen/The-Miracle/