Review
by Bootleg
Encyclopedia
The Miracle Game is the second Queen release on
the Tarantura label and like many of their releases in the past three
years utilizes a previously uncirculated Mr. Peach recording. Like a
majority of the other tapes, this is a phenomenal sounding, three
dimensional stereo audience tape with capturing the entire performance.
This is the second new tape from the February 16th show to surface in the
past five years and follows the release of Prime
Jive (Wardour-030) in 2005. The Mr. Peach recording is
significantly better then the other two and is the best sounding tape
from all five shows in Tokyo on this short tour.
The setlist follows closely that utilized on the Game
tour the previous year with the cover tune “Jailhouse Rock” starting
the show. It was a surprising yet effective opener followed by the
fast “We Will Rock You” and “Let Me Entertain You.”
“Mustapha” opens the medley and after the initial
four “Ibrahim” Freddie jokes with the audience leading them to
sing “Arrah” instead of “Allah.” It is followed by “Death
On Two Legs,” “Killer Queen” and “I’m In Love With My
Car,” all pretty much standard inclusions in these tours. The
rendition of “Get Down, Make Love” is especially notable in performance
this night with the contrasting guitar themes setting the teeth on edge.
Afterwards Freddie says, “We’re gonna do a new song tonight, one
we haven’t done before. This is a song written by Roger Taylor.”
Playing “Rock It” seems to be a chore for Freddie and although he
gives a great vocal performance, he quips during the song “I gotta get
that high note” after the first verse and, after hitting it, jokes “I
really didn’t think I could do that.”
The long “Now I’m Here” impromptu includes
Freddie trying to get a beat going before “we’re gonna swing to some
‘Dragon Attack’ and you’re gonna get us stared, honey” to
Taylor. ”Love Of My Life” is introduced by Brian as usual
and is the only acoustic number in the set. This simple
arrangement with only Freddie and Brian is such a contrast with the
studio version with the piano and stringed instruments to provide the
emotional undertow. It is a credit to Freddie as songwriter
that the same emotional force is conveyed in both versions.
“Keep Yourself Alive” begins the centerpiece of the
set list, a twenty minute musical extravaganza. Taylor has a three
minute drum solo before May begins his guitar solo which, surprisingly,
isn’t dominated by the expected ”Brighton Rock” and “Son
& Daughter” motifs. A bit of “In The Death Cell” from the Flash
Gordonsoundtrack is present. Tarantura track a section as
“Execution Of Flash” which is not really played although the guitar
riffs there bear a passing resemblance. “Vultan’s Theme”
sounds very powerful in this clear recording and are segued with the the
battle theme before they play the only single from the album, “Flash”
(with Freddie playing discordant notes on the piano) and “The Hero.”
“Another One Bites The Dust” starts the lengthy
encore set which includes the first three songs on News Of The World,
“Sheer Heart Attack,” “We Will Rock You” and a triumphant “We
Are The Champions.” Seventeen seconds of the post concert
announcements closes the recording. The Miracle Gameis
packaged in a gatefold sleeve with several photos from the event. It
is again surprising that Tarantura are able to produce such an amazing
sounding recording almost thirty years after the event and just as they
released the definitive recording from Queen’s 1975 visit to Japan they
have likewise the definitive recording of the 1981 tour. |
