Queen: Magic Years, Volume One - A Visual Anthology (1987)

Directors: Rudi Dolezal, Hannes Rossacher
Writer: Simon Witter (commentary)
Stars: Michael Appleton, Barbara Baker, Roy Thomas Baker

From their formation in 1971 at London's Imperial College to the sensational presentation of their 'Best Single in the Last 25 Years' award for "Bohemian Rhapsody" Queen's early days are depicted with unseen archive footage, gripping video montages, and the humorous reminiscences of their peers, predecessors and now famous fans. From Jackie Stewart to Paul McCartney, they've all got a tale to tell. Early black and white Queen interviews are intercut with footage of their first Rainbow concert, first TV airplay, first Top of the Pops appearance ("Killer Queen") and video tapings of their early hits "Keep Yourself Alive" and "Liar" which have never been seen before. Queen's visual interpretation of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is uncontestedly acknowledged as the first important music video and this volume contains a comprehensive overview of the videos that have firmly placed Queen in the vanguard of the genre they kickstarted back in '75. Vol. 1 closes with a candid portrait of Queen at work in the studio which, condensed from the only session filming ever permitted during the band's studio career, unflinchingly depicts the techniques and tensions involved in the recording of one of their biggest hits.



Queen: Magic Years, Volume Two - A Visual Anthology (1987)
Queen: Magic Years, Volume Three - A Visual Anthology (1987)

More in My Blog