Queen: Made In Heaven - 1995

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This was Queen-Freddie Mercury's posthumous swansong album, made up of parts of songs recorded by an ailing Mercury in his final months before his passing in November 1991. Not all of the songs date from Mercury's final months, however, as many of them are created from snippets of songs recorded during sessions for earlier albums and Mercury's solo albums. 

Indeed, it was only A Winter's Tale, Mother Love and You Don't Fool Me that met the first criteria. Anyway, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon worked on them over subsequent years, along with other previously unused songs, adding new instrumentation. The result is an obviously poignant, but eminently credible album, which many Queen aficionados prefer to its predecessor, Innuendo. 

It's A Beautiful Day dated from 1980's sessions for The Game. It is a bit of an ambient creation, made up of Freddie’s strong vocal over an equally powerful orchestration. It doesn’t quite get there, for me, although it serves ok as an opener. Made In Heaven was originally from Mercury's 1985 Mr. Bad Guy solo album and is a grandiose, typically latter-era Queen number that features some classic May guitar. 

Let Me Live came from the sessions for 1984's The Works. It had originally been recorded with Rod Stewart. It is a rousing, gospel-backed number that has a few echoes of Somebody To Love. It is my favourite on the album. There is another great May guitar solo to enjoy as well. 

Mother Love was Mercury's final vocal performance, and the last song he wrote with Brian May. It has a lovely, laid-back backing, some sumptuous mid-song guitar and a most evocative vocal that is almost too poignant to listen to. Freddie does a great job, though. My Life Has Been Saved was a John Deacon song from 1987. It is a pleasant enough piano-powered, typically-Deacon number. 

I Was Born To Love You also originally appeared on the Mr. Bad Guy album. It is vibrant, catchy and singalong if not a little showy. Oh ok that’s a bit unfair, it’s great. Ha, ha, ha, it's magic - as Freddie might say. 

Heaven For Everyone was easily one of Roger Taylor's best songs for Queen, and was written in 1987. It is a really nice song that builds up superbly. Freddie's voice is so clear, so emotive and deeply moving. It is simply a beautiful song and is a suitable one to have appeared on Queen's final album. I love it when Freddie speaks the line "this could be Heaven for everyone" over Brian's gentle guitar lines near the song's end. It is up there with Let Me Live as the best this album gave us. 

Too Much Love Will Kill You is an incredibly touching song written by May and thought to date from around 1987-88. Freddie’s vocal is so powerful on this one. When related to the nature of Mercury's demise it is depressingly relevant.

Another of my favourites has always been the dance-y groove of You Don't Fool Me, which was one of the last vocals laid down by Mercury. It is in the Queen-funk style. A Winter's Tale was the last song Freddie Mercury wrote and it is sadly maudlin one, perhaps suitably, but containing some reflective “beauty of the world” lyrics. 

It’s A Beautiful Day is reprised in heavy Queen style - a throwback to the mid-seventies - including a touch of The Seven Seas Of Rhye that I appreciated. 

Although I am very much a “phase one” Queen fan and the material on here is not so much my thing, I can appreciate it and it stands as a fond farewell from a group that left their mark, led by their remarkable, unique singer.

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