Barcelona [Special Edition]

SUMMARY - a re-recording of the 1988 album keeping the original vocals but replacing the previous musical track with an orchestral arrangement remaining 80% true to the original but with extra flourishes. Also contains an instrumental version of the re-recorded album, a CD of out takes (all of which are found on the large 2000 Freddie box set) and a DVD of songs whose original soundtracks have been replaced with the versions found in the album. REVIEW - a real refresh of the much-loved, cult album fusing pop, rock, gospel, classical, oriental and piano music. Is this what the album would have been if Freddie had had the time or the inclination to write for an 80-piece orchestra? We will never know but, for me, this is not necessarily an improvement on a much cherished collection of songs but I loved every minute of the reinterpretation of it. Songs like Ensueno and Guide Me Home have not been much altered with, but the title track, La Japonaise (the true treat of the original album), The Fallen Priest and The Golden Boy have been given a brand new drama and urgency. The version of Exercises In Free Love is not to be missed. The outtakes are interesting but you'll probably only listen to them once out of curiosity. The videos are as good as ever - I love Montserrat chasing Freddie around the stage on The Golden Boy. The new edit of the Barcelona video features many rushes not seen before. The instrumentals album is punchy but obviously let down by no Fred or Monty (as you'd expect!) As a life long Freddie fan, I loved it. RECOMMENDED FOR - those who love the 1988 version NOT YET RECOMMENDED FOR - those unfamiliar with the work. Buy and fall in love with the ground breaking original and hear Freddie's version first. When you know it word for word, buy this version and get ready to have your breath taken away ... again PS 10 out of 10 for Amazon pre-ordering. Arrived on the day of release.

Wonderful to hear Mercury sing this genre in collaboration with the soprano Caballé. A real treat.

I have always loved this album. I was terribly excited when I found out about the nature of this project, having wondered for a while why no re master of the original was forth coming. When it turned up on my doorstep on the day of release (thankyou Amazon) I couldn't wait to hear the results. I had already listened to the preview on youtube, however that really didn't prepare me for the difference between the original album and this beautifully packaged jewel. The difference the fully orchestrated music has made is tremendous. By this I don't mean that the changes are always dramatically different to the old, though on occasion they are,but its the quality of depth they add to the songs that elevate this recording to a different level. Whilst much of the music was always very beautiful, the orchestration enriches the music and I think invites us to treat it more seriously. It is more "classical" in its nature now. It also emphasizes or reveals more the beauty of the music. Take for example the orchestrated Exercises in Free Love. Before this I hadn't realised just how lovely the music actually is. Or Guide me back.This has always been one of my personal favourites. The music is gorgeous, the lyrics heartbreaking. The new orchestrations add considerable depth and drama to this song and indeed throughout the album. I just love it. The only quibble I have is that it would have been nice to have a re mastered version of the original album with the deluxe package. If you have always loved this album then you will not be disappointed. If you are coming to it new, then you are in for a considerable delight. For me it really is the peak of Freddie's post 70's writing and recording.

Great album

I was a Queen fan in their early days when they were primarily a rock band. Blues and rock are my main genre but I do try and listen to anything if it's good. I purchased this on the strengh of a Freddie Murcury documentary on Sky Arts recently. I do like some Opera as the music and melodies can make the hairs on your body stand up, so I thought I'd give Barcelona a try. The orchestrations by Stuart Morley and the FILMharmonic orchestra are without doubt superb but there was very little that made the hairs on my body stand up. Maybe I was expecting too much having been spoilt some beautiful pieces in Opera or may be I got it wrong and it was not meant to be an operatic album. However I'm glad I bought it as Freddie and Montserrat Caballe are excellent. I especially liked tracked 6 "Guide me Home" and track 7 "How Can I go on" which is ironic as Freddie was Ill and died five years later. Yes it's a good album but not as good as I expected.

A great cd by a great performer. Excellent

This CD arrived beautifully packaged from 'Unique Place' in Switzerland and it was very reasonably priced.The combination of the voices of Freddy Mercury and Monserrat Caballe is wonderful and the music is very emotional and moving. In many ways it tells the story of their relationship, which in itself is very emotional. I had heard 'Barcelona ' before but it is not on many other CD's ( if any ?)I didn't know what to expect from the other songs on the album, but I was very impressed and found all the songs musically excellent The second song is 'La Japonaise' which Freddy sings in perfect Japanese .I can totally recommend this album -- you will enjoy it .

I became a Queen fan after the release of Bohemian Rhapsody which added a whole new dimension to this extraordinarily gifted group. Within this could be seen the classical influences that were to continue to be a part of Freddie Mercury's creativity for the rest of his life. Barcelona showcases this very well and it was a stroke of genius to bring Freddie and Montserrat Caballe together to record the material on this album. Doubtless more than a few classical purists would have recoiled in horror that Montserrat should agree to such a collaboration but the end result would certainly have been strong encouragement for many Queen fans to include classical music in their choice of musical preferences. I say "Bravo" and if this is not in your collection - you have a serious gap that needs to be filled!

Obra maestra

クィーンの音楽だけでも最高ですが、クラシック最高のソプラノとの融合は迫力があり気分爽快です。

Men det är för mycket besvär med att klaga på det. Men ändå tråkigt.

anyone who is a fan of Queen and of course Freddie Mercury knows (from his songwriting) that he is a fan of the theatrical, the dramatic and of course the operatic. HIs vocals are near-flawless and it's hard to listen to him and not be enraptured by the power of his voice. It may sound as if I am overselling him, but anyone who has heard him and were fans of either Queen or his solo work knows there is no way to actually do that. So take his considerable talents (both vocals and songwriting) and pair him up with one of Opera's premier divas Montserrat Caballe, and you have an undeniable masterpiece. Perhaps overlooked in his lifetime due to his rock roots, this is a great operatic performance. Freddie had a way of reaching out and pulling you in with his vocals and live he could make you believe that he was singing directly to you, though you were one among thousands. The live orchestra that is used on this set is a great addition, while some purists may balk. I'd think Freddie would approve. The quality of this album is still the main attraction the vocals sound more vibrant than ever. There was a lot of love shown for this album by those involved in the reissue, and it shines through. The first cd is the album with the new orchestra taking the place of the synthesized stuff (from the original album) and the effect isn't as noticeable as you might think. That isn't to say the performance is lacking in any way.The orchestra sounds great. I am simply saying that it does not distract you in anyway and sounds natural so if you are a fan of the original you won't feel as if a great injustice was done. The Second cd is great to listen to, and is more for completists than for casual listeners. Most notable though is that there are a few demo versions which include either alternate/original lyrics or simply Freddie-only vocals, which is a treat, don't get me wrong but it is something most music enthusiasts wouldn't really miss unless they are (like me) someone who loves to hear the process it took (in a semi-step-by-step sort of way) how the album evolved. But, I am sure those who are reading this are looking forward to this disc most of all, as we are all wanting the best version we can find of anything Freddie related. The third disc (though technically this should be the fourth) is the dvd, and it looks great. Not sure why collector sets aren't including blu rays by now, I assume cause of cost, is beyond me. The sound of the dvd is on par with the rest of the collection and the official video has been re-synched using the orchestral backing instead of synths. So it all has a unifying sound (and again it makes it sound more natural and you don't feel like you are being short changed). The live performances look great too especially due to it's age, and as is usually the case with older video there seems to be a slight aura around the performers (due to lighting and how it shows up on tape) though it's not a negative thing as it's as good as it's ever going to be, It seemed to add a bit of an ethereal quality And anyone who is watching this dvd will consider it bittersweet considering it was one of his last performances. overall it is a great addition to any music-related collection as it's definitely a profound moment in time and the meeting of two vocal giants, and should be viewed at least once by anyone who is a fan of real music. The extras are nice but if I had one complaint it would be that it focused too much on the making of the orchestral version rather than the making of the original album. This should have been more Freddie-centric in my opinion. Though anyone who has the Great Pretender blu ray or dvd will recognize part of the interviews from this dvd. But, here it seems more in context and more organic. The Great Pretender dvd, though worth owning, tended to showcase soundbites rather than keep things in context, which left the viewer with a much different impression of Freddie than they should have. So if you watch that one, hopefully you know enough about Freddie so you can keep things in better perspective. The final cd, though nice to have, is a bit of an oddity, as it's the orchestral part of the album sans vocals. Which I guess is nice to have, but as someone pointed out this would be great for anyone into Karaoke but who in the world can match vocals with these two? As it is part of the overall collection, in that context I say it's nice they included it, but what would have been better in my opinion is if they included the ORIGINAL album with synths, and then maybe just the orchestra backings. all would have fit nicely on one cd. that way purists would not have anything to complain about (just like star wars fans always complain that the theatrical versions of IV-VI were not included with the blu rays) my thoughts on this is that the first cd should have been the original, the second should have been the new orchestral versions, the third should have been the demos/rarities as well as just the orchestral backing...and of course include the dvd, which is worth the price of this set by itself. Casual fans will probably be satisfied with the reissued version of the original (usually found for a fair price on amazon) but anyone who loves Freddie's music will find this is something they shouldn't be without. Even such a great operatic voice like Caballe seemed in awe of Freddie's vocals. Just watch them perform together and you'll see. While there was a lot of love put into this collection there was an equal amount of love from her as well. they had great chemistry. and for rock critics who blew this off as a one-off or a bad experiment or Freddie being over-indulgent all I can say is why do people who hate music try and write about something they know nothing about? While the fact that this is opera may have scared people away in the past, it seems like today's audience is much more in-the-know about what Freddie was all about so they know that vocally he is virtually unrivaled so even people who are not opera fans will find themselves blown away. by this performance, and on top of that add Montserrat Caballe's vocals and you have a rock n' roll masterpiece. One that everyone should experience at least once....

Questo cd è una ristampa perchè sia Mercury e Caballè registrarono le canzoni su basi. Questa riedizione è un omaggio alla grandiosità di questi miti assoluti. Da ascoltare e riascoltare. All'interno la storia di come nacque "Barcellona" e di questa amicizia.