Customer Reviews

Live at Wembley Stadium

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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"Queen Live at Wembley" captures the band at its most lively, playing in front of 400,000 on July 11th and 12th in 1986. Supporting the music of their latest studio album "A Kind of Magic", Queen's 2 performances at Wembley were backed by outstanding visuals and a 160 feet wide stage (if you're looking for this, get the DVD). As a double live album, these performances stand up to any studio work done by Queen.

"One Vision" is an emphatic opener, with Brian May's heavy guitar and Mercury's powerful vocal driving the song the whole way. "Tie Your Mother Down" is performed in the same vain, as Queen quickly established a heavy rock sound early in this concert. Queen then assembles into a few short, excellent performances of two 70s classics ("In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisted" and "Seven Seas of Rhye) and the hard hitter off "The Works" album "Tear it Up". "A Kind Of Magic" is an excellent, extended live version and "Another One Bites The Dust" has strong energy. "Under Pressure" has one of Mercury's best vocals from the show. "I Want To Break Free" is altered from its studio counterpart to have May playing the synth sections and creates an entirely new sound. The "Brighton Rock Solo" is a 9 minute electrifying, raunchy guitar performance from May. "Now I'm Here" is excellent too, and equally heavy.
The acoustic tunes from the show are just as valuable, with Mercury bringing us down to earth in "Love Of My Life". Brian and Freddie follow this with another moving tune "Is This The World We Created...". The medley of tunes is a nice ode to some oldie tunes. "Hammer To Fall" is another good rocker, and Roger Taylor makes this one with his backing vocals. "Radio Ga Ga" builds amazing crowd energy, and that helps for a great transition to the closing of the show.

Overall, Queen gave two of their most astounding, heavy and beautiful shows at Wembley in 86 and it's all captured in this double album. For the visual aspect of the show, check out the DVD. Currently, there is alot of controversy surrounding the touring of Queen and Paul Rodgers. If you have some kind of problem with this new band, then check out this great live release, Queen Live at the Bowl, or Live Killers. Highly recommended.

I love this CD. I was listening to my Mom's copy of it for at least a month before I decided that I better get my own copy of it if she ever wanted hers back. I have it on repeat in my car. Freddie just makes me smile to listen to him. The fact that its a live CD makes it even better. My favorite Queen song ever is on here too. Radio Gaga is the best song to listen to after a bad day at work. Heck the entire cd is. I love love love Queen!

Excellent album! One of the best Queen live shows ever. As a true Queen fan a appreciate the decision to include bonus tracks, especially the one from Budapest, never released on any Queen album before. Rare are also A kind of magic, Another one bites the dust and Crazy little things called love (the latter two No. 1 in US in the 80s) which are from the Friday show not that much publicly known (just from the new 2003 DVD). Also the Tutti Frutti on disk two is released here in its full length contrary to the 1992 EMI/UK version. If you are a Queen fan, do not hesitate. Well done Hollywood Records!

Queen's Live at Wembley '86 was originally released in June of 1992.
The album was recorded on Queen's final tour with its classic lineup at the now demolished old Wembley Stadium in London on July 12, 1986 (the band sold out two nights and could have done a few more Wembley gigs but was not available so it ended at Knebworth Park (which deserves a release for pure historical value)).
Regardless, this is a pretty damn fine show featuring a good mix of (then) new songs (The pulsing opener "One Vision", a killer "A Kind of Magic", a stunning "Who Wants to Live Forever" and a great but short "Friends Will Be Friends") and classic ones ("Tie Your Mother Down", "In the Lap of the Gods (Revisited)", a short "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Tear it Up (with a teaser of Liar)", "Under Pressure", "Another One Bites the Dust", the pulsing "I Want to Break Free", "Now I'm Here", the acoustic "Love of My Life" and "Is This the World We Created", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Hammer to Fall", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Radio Ga Ga", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions") despite some obvious vocal overdubs (as this came out on video in the late 1980s in Europe) on "One Vision", "A Kind of Magic", "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "We Are the Champions".
Also, there was a little jam called "Impromptu" which showcased Freddie's dynamic vocal range and Brian May's 9 minute guitar solo called "Brighton Rock Solo".
Also, the band decided to incorporate several 50's-era tunes into one medley ("You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)", "Hello Mary Lou" (although Led Zeppelin did it better on How the West Was Won) and "Tutti Fruitti" (which was extended on this remastered version of Live at Wembley) and also the 40s song Big Spender which was part of the first encore. Certainly it is a slicker package than Live Killers and better than Live Magic but not as great as Queen On Fire Live at the Bowl (recorded in 1982 and released in 2004) nor Queen Rock Montreal (recorded in 1981 and released in 2007).
The Live at Wembley '86 album reached #52 on the US charts in 1992 but would eventually go Platinum with a million copies sold in the US over time.
In August of 2003, to coincide with the DVD release of this show, Hollywood Records in the US and Canada re-released Live at Wembley '86 with a new title Live at Wembley Stadium with FOUR BONUS TRACKS including killer versions of "A Kind of Magic", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from the first Wembley performance July 11, 1986 (which was better than the versions on the regular album and also overdub free) and "Tavasi Szel Vizet Arast" which was recorded at Nepstadion in Budapest, Hungary on July 30, 1986.
This live album is recommended!

Incredible recording sound quality ! I love the background sound, cheering throughout the concert. When you're down and out, don't miss the second CD, it will restore your energy !

I don't have the cd of this concert, but I do indeed have the dvd, and I can tell you that this show was simply astonishing. The band never sounded better than they did that day. Freddy has the crowd in the palm of his hand, his consumate showmanship shining through on each and every song. The rest of the band was also fantastic on that magical day, especially Brian May, whose playing on songs like "Now I'm Here" and "Hammer To Fall" are ample proof that his talents are grossly underrated.

As far as the setlist goes, it is a great selection of songs. Some of the highlights include "Tie Your Mother Down", "Under Pressure", "Another One Bites The Dust", the oldies songs, "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You" / "We Are The Champions". But the album as a whole is fantastic and belongs in any cd collection. I also recomned the accompanying dvd.

Queen is one of the greatest bands ever...that said, much can be expected of them from their live shows, and this concert is no exception. Fans of Queen from the first 'half' of their illustrious career may not jive well with the band on this performance. Don't get me wrong, this is an AMAZING show, in front of 65000 screaming fans. However, Queen got a little too showy and a bit less concerned with the music itself. In the old days, there were just four guys on stage, Freddie handling quite adeptly all the piano parts. They rocked like the great rock band they were, with no breaks for air. Now...Freddie hardly plays at all, with the addition of stage musician Spike Edney. He dances and sways and sings wonderfully, but it's all show. Then, the song selection...it's comprised mostly of Queen lighter tunes from their post-Jazz second half: One Vision, World We Created, I Want To Break Free, Bite The Dust, Kind Of Magic, Under Pressure, Radio Gaga. These are great songs, but to me, don't compare to Don't Stop Me now, Spread Your Wings, Death On Two Legs, Somebody To Love, Brighton Rock (why do the solo without the song? Why?), Liar, Keep Yourself Alive, Dead On Time, Sheer Heart Attack, the list goes on and on. THESE are the songs that made Queen the great rock act they are. NOT Who Wants To Live Forever. Then, I can never understand why bands elect to do Blues Medleys when there's such an amazing library of wealthy songs to choose from. Ask anyone in that stadium that night, I'm sure they'd agree that they'd rather hear a few more QUEEN songs than Tutti Frutti and Hello Mary Lou. Again, this is a great show from a great band, but I'd rather have LIVE KILLERS any day of the week.

I hear that there will be other classic concert releases from QUEEN, including the wonderful Rainbow '74 show. This I'll be looking forward to.

Live at Wembly Stadium is simply a triumph. The sound, the instrumentation, the crowd reactions... this (in my opinion) Is probably the best live album that I have heard in release.

Why do you ask? well let me tell you!!!

This album was recorded so well that you really do feel like you are in the middle of the audience. Each instrument, vocal, and audience noise was recorded and mixed to perfection... So well in fact that this album at some points comes off like an actual 'studio album'. Most live recordings are bare and sparse where this recording comes off as a very professional and crisp event.

In terms of musicallity, here we see Queen playing very tightly and more polished than they had in years. Freddie's voice is also in finer form live than it had been in a long while... Since the late 70's in fact.

Here we begin to see a more 'mature' queen who are more in-tune with eachother than before, and this live show was definitely a pre-curser to brilliance in recording that was to come!!!

Basically this is a well-recorded live album that showcases not only the hits of one of the biggest bands on the planet but also the showmanship, humor, and awesome musicality that can never be replicated or replaced. We love and miss you QUEEN!!

Buy it, fall in love with it, listen to it until it breaks, then repeat the cycle..

I STRONGLY suggest buying the DVD as well... That is even better than the CD!! But do buy both...!

All The Best,
-The AndyMan-

Queen Live At Wembley ranks right up there any of the greatest live albums of all time. In my opinion, the same level as Eagles Live, Kiss Alive I & II, etc... As a live band, Queen takes a back seat to nobody! Also recommend buying the dvd Live At Wembley. It'll be one of the greatest things you'll ever see or hear! Promise!

This was an amazing performance by Queen, and sadly the bands second last. It starts out with One Vision, and includes some of my favorite Queenhits of all time such as the rock opera masterpiece In The Lap Of The Gods, Seven Seas Of Rhye, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Now I'm Here. They also do a smashing rendition of Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Radio Gaga, Under Pressure and I Want To Break Free, and Is This The World We Created, among others.
Also included some tongue in cheek renditions of some old 50's hits like (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart), and Tutti Frutti.
I wish the band had actually sung Brighton Rock, instead of making it just a guitar instrumental. I know Brian May is one of the best guitarists ever, but Brighton Rock is actually one of my favorite songs, and that's whatI wanted to hear , not just the background guitar music to the song.
Peronally, I don't think it is quite as good as Live Killers.
Nonetheless it was a fantastic concert, by one of the best bands ever.