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Magnum - 1985 On A Storytellers Night
Background The early-mid eighties period saw the development of UK band Magnum, from being more than just a support band to a full-blown musical entity in their own right. Coming to attention during the late seventies, the band released a few albums of traditional UK pomp on Don Arden's label Jet Records, plus support tours with the likes of fellow 'brummies' Judas Priest and US rock legends Blue Oyster Cult. Their 1982 and 1983 efforts 'Chase The Dragon' and 'Eleventh Hour' consolidated on the work to date, thrown in there were a few appearances at the annual Reading Festival. By the time 1985 rolled around, Magnum were on the brink of something special - history will show that the album 'On A Storytellers Night' proved to be that special catalyst.. The Songs Mixing mythical imagery and commercial pomp somewhere between Grand Prix and Asia, 'OASTN' has a balanced mix of songs onboard, skirting around the shorter intense bursts to the more drawn out passages akin to the best labor intensive prog bands out there. The latter is best reflected on the classic opener 'How Far Jerusalem' - with a dramatic keyboard intro. Plus we've got the fatalistic 'Les Morts Dansant' ('Dance Of The Dead'). Or there's the superb myth and magic of 'On A Storytellers Night'. Equally effective are the commercial fireworks of 'Just Like An Arrow', 'Before First Light' and the delicate AOR of 'Two Hearts'. The parping pomp hits home on 'Steal Your Heart', reminiscent of the aforementioned Grand Prix, while 'All Englands Eyes' follows in the same vein. The wistful ballad 'The Last Dance' finishes up on an air of grace and grandeur. In Summary Simply a 'must-have' album for any supporter of AOR and melodic rock - and one which sits quite nicely in my Top 50 albums of the eighties decade. The band followed this up with a couple of superb efforts: the commercial enterprise of 'Vigilante' and the chart success that was 'Wings Of Heaven'. Both albums well worth obtaining for those followers of British pomp. However, the pick of the bunch is this timeless classic, still making for great listening years after the event. Related Articles Magnum - 1978 Kingdom Of Madness Magnum - 1985 On A Storytellers Night Magnum - 1986 Vigilante Magnum - 1988 Wings Of Heaven Magnum - 1990 Goodnight LA Magnum - 1991 The Spirit (Live) Magnum - 1992 Sleepwalking Magnum - 2004 Brand New Morning Magnum - 2007 Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow Magnum - 2009 Into The Valley Of The Moonking Magnum - 2011 The Visitation Magnum - 2012 On The Thirteenth Day Copying of material without permission is not permitted. Posted by gdazegod
on August 17, 2003 ·
7 Comments ·
1696 Reads ·
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