Queen | A Gift Made in Heaven

11.06.2018 – Twenty three years ago to this day Queen released its fifteenth studio album “Made in Heaven”, which was recorded between 1991, 1993 and early months of 1995 prior to its release. This was the last album that Freddie Mercury has recorded sometime in 1991 before succumbing to the AIDS virus that has taken his life on 24 November 1991. “Made in Heaven” was critically and financially received become a platinum record five times selling 20 million copies all over the world following Mercury’s death four years earlier. It was way better album compared to its previously released Innuendo and it’s was definitely fitting title for its album.

Before and after Freddie Mercury’s death the album was being produced and posthumously a tribute to the voice of Queen. There were two versions of the cover for the album in CD and LP format.

The CD cover photo was shot at dusk, depicting Irena Sedlecká's Mercury sculpture located at Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland, on the front, with May, Taylor and Deacon gazing at the Alps on the rear cover; meanwhile, the LP cover photo was shot in the same spot at dawn, depicting the same statue on the front, but with May, Taylor and Deacon gazing at the sunrise on the rear cover.



The tracks included in “Made in Heaven” as listed below in CD format:

1."It's a Beautiful Day"
2."Made in Heaven"
3."Let Me Live"
4."Mother Love"
5."My Life Has Been Saved"
6."I Was Born to Love You"
7."Heaven for Everyone"
8."Too Much Love Will Kill You"
9."You Don't Fool Me"
10."A Winter's Tale"
11."It's a Beautiful Day" (reprise)
12."Yeah" (hidden track)
13."13" (hidden track)






This could be considered the last official album for Queen with |Freddie Mercury, which was an interesting subject without the need to dissect each song the entirety is composed of classical and slow rock vibe. Clearly a fitting swan song for the band that made you appreciated them for their ever evolving musical genre. If Mercury was alive today this could have been a different album altogether.

Originally acquired from a seller at Marion Sunday Market a few months back and it was basically being ignored by passersby, though not sure if there’s a difference from the US release or the ones sold in Europe. But it seem there’s no difference as this was sold in Australia, which was one of the decent CDs being sold on that day for $2.00 AUD which was quite a steal.

Without the need to dissect the album that has 13 tracks was impressive for something that the band had a bit of challenge after Mercury’s passing. Most of the songs were recorded previously or being re-recorded in ‘Queen Format’ like “Made in Heaven” and “I was Born to Love You” originally released from Freddie Mercury’s “Mr. Bad Guy” album that sounded new with changes to the pace in one of the songs.





There are two tracks that is quite interesting with the other being a mystery while the other the rock version of “It's a Beautiful Day (Reprise)." Though the last one aptly called “13” which was released in vinyl format in 2015 this reprise version of “It’s a Beautiful Day” contains the “Yeah” recording of Mercury from the song “Seven Seas of Rhye.”

Listed as “Track 13” in the original CD format for “Made in Heaven” is a mystery with running time at 22 minutes and 32 seconds and there were debates from fans which were an experiment by producer David Richards using with an Ensoniq ASR-10 sampler. Details of how this track was put together were shared through its Wikipedia page.



Overall I’ve never own individual albums of Queen. It was Greatest Hits I that got me interested during the tailed of the band’s popularity with “Bohemian Rhapsody” back in 1991. But I’ve first heard Queen through Flash Gordon with its soundtrack and then “One Vision” from the movie “Iron Eagle.” Mostly Queen stayed relevant not only as the rock band, but from making their songs part of the soundtrack.

“Highlander” was one of them it weren’t for Queen who knew this film would be memorable as the songs that was used for. “Made in Heaven” was entirely sort of new to someone who knew about the band only from the films. Queen continues to be relevant even without Freddie Mercury now that “Bohemian Rhapsody” the film is already making round in cinemas all over the world.

It’s good to be a fan of the band and this album even though 23 years old was a gift “Made in Heaven.”