The posthumously released two-disc Live at Wembley '86 proves once and for all that
Queen was a superior live band, and like
the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones, and others, had far too many hits to fit into a two-hour show. Recorded in the band's native England at the gigantic Wembley Stadium on the A Kind of Magic tour, the group was at their peak of popularity back home. This would unfortunately turn out to be the band's last tour, and it showed the group including old rock & roll covers, classics, then-current songs, improv, and overlooked album tracks.
Queen opens up the show with the near-heavy-metal roar of "One Vision," and adds lively renditions of the well-known "Tie Your Mother Down," the
David Bowie collaboration "Under Pressure," and the band's very first hit, "Seven Seas of Rhye." Also included on disc one is the early, forgotten show-closer "In the Lap of the Gods," the beautiful (and sadly prophetic) ballad "Who Wants to Live Forever," and a downright funky version of "Another One Bites the Dust." Disc two opens with a pair of acoustic numbers, including the perennial crowd fave "Love of My Life," but soon switches gears to some good old rock & roll covers. Spirited and fun versions of "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)" and "Tutti Frutti" expose
Queen's roots, while the band's own "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" fits in perfectly with all the '50s hoopla. Casual fans will recognize "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Radio Ga Ga," and "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions." Although most
Queen fans prefer the unfairly criticized 1979 concert album
Live Killers, Live at Wembley '86 does a good job of balancing the well-known for the uninitiated and the lesser-known for the hard-core fan. Live at Wembley '86 should not to be confused with the double album/single-disc
Live Magic, which was released in 1986 in England and 1996 in the U.S. [The album was also released with four bonus tracks.] ~ Greg Prato