The Week UK 24 March 2019

A Kind of Magic is the twelfth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 3 June 1986 by EMI Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US. It was their first studio album to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy. A Kind of Magic was Queen's first album to be released since they had been acclaimed for their performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert. It was an immediate hit in the UK, going straight to number one and selling 100,000 copies in its first week. It remained in the UK charts for 63 weeks, selling about six million copies worldwide (600,000 in the UK alone). The album spawned four hit singles: the album's title track "A Kind of Magic", "One Vision", "Friends Will Be Friends", and "Who Wants to Live Forever", which features an orchestra conducted by Michael Kamen, while the last track, "Princes of the Universe", is the theme song to Highlander.

Originally released on 12th March 1993, the album hit the No.1 spot in both the UK and Ireland and sold over 6 million copies worldwide. The four disc box set contains the album on the first CD and bonus material spread over three further discs. Of course all of those previous bonus tracks are included, but so too are unreleased early demos, a live performance from 31 July 1994 at the Féile Festival in Ireland and a series of radio sessions from 1992-1993. The box includes a poster and four postcards.

Having rescheduled their March and April tour dates due to the ongoing Covid-19 emergency, elbow have brought forward the release of ‘Live at The Ritz – An Acoustic Performance’. Recorded in October 2019 in the intimate surroundings of The Ritz in Manchester, the album includes acoustic versions of tracks from ‘Giants of All Sizes’ alongside older favourites.

Charlie Walker - Four Original Epic Albums (2019) {2CD Set, Morello Records MRLL89D rec 1965-1971}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 659 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 242 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 36 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1965-71, 2019 Epic / Morello Records / Cherry Red | MRLL 89D
Honky-Tonk / Country / Country-Pop / Nashville Sound

Like so many country entertainers of his era, Charles Levi Walker (born in Copeville, Texas on November 2nd 1926) grew up in rural surroundings, spending his early years picking cotton and being inspired by the sounds of country music. After short spells with Imperial, Decca and Mercury Records he secured a deal with Columbia in mid-1958 and on his first session, June 5th 1958, recorded a new song from the up-and- coming songwriter Harlan Howard, then a fork-lift driver in California. Produced by Don Law, ‘Pick Me Up On Your Way Down’ brought success for both singer and writer. The record climbed to #2 in the US country charts during a 22 week chart run. It also set Charlie Walker’s direction in the many recordings that followed. A honky-tonk hero was born!