I thought it was time I launched the music section of this Substack. I’ve had this piece cooking for a while, I think it’s about done—medium rare?
Anyway, here goes… hope you enjoy it!
MAGNUM THROUGH THE AGES
In the vast tapestry of British rock history, Magnum stands as a distinctive thread, weaving a narrative of resilience, musical mastery, and a dedicated fan base. Formed in Birmingham in the mid-1970s, Magnum has endured the test of time, crafting a legacy that goes beyond conventional rock paradigms.
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
The genesis of Magnum can be traced back to 1972 when guitarist Tony Clarkin and vocalist Bob Catley laid the foundation of what would become a seminal force in British rock. The band’s early years were marked by perseverance, playing countless gigs in the Midlands and honing their craft before releasing their debut album, “Kingdom of Madness,” in 1978.
Like so many other bands who launched their careers in that decade, Magnum experimented with progressive rock in their early recordings and shifted to hard rock later on. Over time, they blended both along with symphonic elements to create a unique sound, well served by Clarkin’s melodic guitar work and Catley’s distinctive vocals.
Another strength of the band’s is their skill at crafting vivid little tales, wonderfully illustrated by Rodney Matthews’ cover art. “Chase the dragon,” “On a storyteller’s night,” or “Princess Alice and the broken arrow” are all good examples of this—to name just a few.
Magnum never recorded a concept album, and one can only wonder why. They came so close so many times; and their style seems well-suited for a feat of this scale. Albums such as the aforementioned “On a storyteller’s night” and “Princess Alice” give us a glimpse of what that might have been like.
FRUITION AND TRIBULATIONS
The band has gone mostly unnoticed for most of their career—at least in regards to the general public. They are however more popular in niche markets, in particular among hard rock and progressive rock fans.
While none of their singles have charted, some of their albums have cracked the Top 10 in Europe—the first to do so being 1988’s “Wings of Heaven.” The follow-up “Goodnight L.A.” did almost as well. Numbers dropped after this, though their last three albums were quite popular in Germany and Switzerland.
The band went through several upheavals over the years as members came and went. They even officially broke up between 1996 and 2002.
It is worth noting that the only two consistent members of the band are co-founders Bob Catley (vocals) and Tony Clarkin (lead guitar and songwriter).
PHOENIX RISING
Though the band reformed in 2002, it would take five years before they put out another great album (“Princess Alice”) and a decade before they found their flow and released a series of phenomenal albums.
It is quite stunning and unique how they managed to not only reinvent themselves but maintain such a high level of quality at such an incredible pace. Most bands this old tend to spend more time on the road than in the recording studio and it is not unusual to wait over five years for a new release—if one comes at all. Meanwhile, Magnum released six albums in ten years (2012-2022), five of them mind-blowingly good.
And they’re still going, too... A new album (titled “Here comes the rain”) is due out in 2024!
Magnum’s journey through the annals of British rock is a story of persistence, evolution, and unwavering dedication to their art. From their humble beginnings in Birmingham to their resurgence in the 21st century, Magnum has exemplified the essence of a rock band that refuses to be confined by trends or time. Their music, a rich tapestry of melody and storytelling, continues to captivate audiences, proving that the spirit of Magnum is not just a chapter in rock history but an ongoing saga, echoing through the hearts of devoted fans and reverberating across the landscape of British rock.
DISCOGRAPHY
This discography only includes recordings with new material—which means mostly studio albums, plus a select few collections.
A solid debut that hints at the greatness to come. It mixes standard fare tracks (“Universe”) with straight hard rock (“Baby rock me”) and engaging prog (“Kingdom of madness”).
Highlights include the title track, “Invasion,” and the closer (“All come together”). With a special mention for the Moorcock-inspired “Lord of Chaos.”
With this album (produced by the bassist of Ten Years After), the band refines their classic sound—a unique brand of melodic hard rock with frequent progressive elements. This is most obvious in songs like “So cold the night” (with its epic intro), “Firebird,” and “All of my life.”
This album (produced by the guy who did the first few—and best—Kansas releases) marks what arguably was the peak of Magnum’s early career. Their sound is now unmistakable—heavy, martial, melodic, progressive. You can clearly hear it on tracks like “Soldier of the line,” “Sacred hour,” and “The teacher.”
Also worth noting: this was the band’s first cover designed by Rodney Matthews. He would do many more for them in the following years.
Though not quite as solid as the band’s first three releases, “The eleventh hour!” still delivers their particular brand of hard rock. The progressive elements are here smoothed out and less apparent.
The album did not perform as well as previous ones, in part due to a strained relationship with the band’s record label which denied them a big-name producer. Guitarist-songwriter Tony Clarkin ended up producing this album himself.
One of the band’s more famous albums. This is in part due to its iconic cover (again drawn by Rodney Matthews) but also to a solid tracklist including powerful songs such as “How far Jerusalem,” “On a storyteller’s night,” and “Les morts dansants.”
For this album, the band hooked up with Queen, recording in their studio under the supervision of drummer Roger Taylor and frequent Queen producer David Richards. The result was a more commercial sound, a sort of mix between their own, Queen’s and Survivor’s (most obviously on the title track).
Highlights on this one include “Need a lot of love,” “Holy rider,” and “When the world comes down.”
This album introduced a new logo the band would use on several other releases.
Initially intended to be recorded by the same people who did “Vigilante,” it ended up instead being produced by a Dutch guy.
It’s one of the band’s weaker records, despite being their first to achieve both critical and commercial acclaim. The only two standout tracks are “One step away” and “Don’t wake the lion.”
The latter marks an odd return to prog, while all the other tracks stick to more traditional formats. The ballad “It must have been love” and the catchy rocker “Pray for the day” are also interesting, though all the other songs on here sort of feel the same.
Magnum returned with a much stronger opus. It starts right off the bat with a heavy and catchy tune that also served as the first single: “Rockin’ chair.” This is followed by an uneven mix of bland tracks (“Hardbroke and busted,” “No way out”...) and gut-wrenching bombs (“Only a memory,” “What kind of love is this”...) The record ends with the powerful “Born to be king” which harks back to some of the band’s earlier epics
It should be noted that this was the first album to include songs co-written with others. Up until now, Tony Clarkin had written every single song on his own. This time, he co-wrote three with Russ Ballard, one with Jim Vallance, and another one with Sue Shiffron.
Another great album that starts with a bang and ends with fireworks. Though there are a few weaker songs here and there, they are outnumbered and outweighed by the gems that are “Stormy weather,” “The flood,” “Only in America,” “Sleepwalking,” and “The long ride.”
This is a collection of songs recorded between 1974 and 1982 that were, at the time, unused. It’s an odd assortment of prog (“Sea bird,” “Find the time,” “Kingdom of madness”), hard rock (“Stormbringer,” “Master of disguise,” “Everybody needs”), rock ‘n’ roll (“Slipping away,” “Captain America,” “True fine love”), power ballads (“Without your love,” “Lights burned out”), and pop rock (“The word”). The best piece on here is without doubt the proggish opener, “Sea bird.”
Acoustic re-recordings of classic songs. The collection includes a beautiful a capella version of “Only a memory,” and a fascinating reggae interpretation of “Need a lot of love.” Other highlights are “The prize,” “Without your love,” “Shoot,” and “Soldier of the line.”
This was the band’s last studio album before their 1995 breakup. It’s mostly straight-up rock anthems—typical AOR fare—without much interesting going on. Only two tracks really stand out: the powerful opener (“We all need to be loved”) and the rock heavy “Rock heavy” (see what I did there?) “Hush-a-bye baby” also has its moments. And like with “Wings of Heaven,” this album ends with a prog epic—though “On Christmas Day” isn’t quite as good as previous tracks of the same type.
This album—the band’s first in eight years—leans more heavily toward a hard rock sound. It includes two tracks co-written with Sue McCloskey, marking the second time Magnum has used an outside writer in three decades.
As often, the record is a mixed bag, starting with some forgettable tracks. The second half, however, is more engrossing. Special highlights include the title track, “That holy touch,” “The face of an enemy,” and “Just like January.”
An overall better effort than the previous, though only three songs truly stand out. The title track that opens the album, the much slower “The blue and the grey,” and the catchy “I’d breathe for you.” The record closes with another epic (“The scarecrow”) though this one is not as captivating as previous ones.
After a series of weaker releases, Magnum returns with a hard-hitting album—clearly one of their best, in this humble reviewer’s opinion. Interestingly, it marks both a return to form (with a more prog-oriented style) and the adoption of a more modern sound. The songs are epic, heavy, catchy.
The strongest tracks here are the epic “Like brothers we stand,” the proggish “Out of the shadows,” the Christmasy “Thank you for the day,” and the closer “You’ll never sleep.”
The band tried to make another record like the previous one, but only partially succeeded on tracks such as “The Moonking,” “No one knows his name,” and “Time to cross that river.” It is also worth mentioning that many of the songs have elements of prog in them.
Though this album is overall much better than the previous, only a couple of songs truly stand out. Mainly “Freedom Day” and “Mother Nature’s final dance.” As often with Magnum, the opening and closing tracks also have some moments of brilliance.
An incredible album, filled with killer material. Most tracks here have a heavier edge—one in particular (“Dance of the black tattoo”) can easily be labeled as metal. Other highlights include “All the dreamers,” “Didn’t like you anyway,” and “See how they fall.”
The previous album was incredible... this one blows it out of the water. It’s a phenomenal release with some of the strongest material the band has ever recorded. Trying to come up with standout tracks is difficult, because all of them stand out in their own way. I do have two favorites: “The art of compromise” and “Wisdom’s had its day.”
On a side note, this is also the most progressive album the band has released in a long time.
Another incredible album, at least as good as the previous, and just as progressive. In a series of powerful songs, the one that perhaps stands out the most is the phenomenal “Afraid of the night,” while the one I find the least convincing is “Your dreams won’t die.”
The band is on a roll, with four incredible albums in a row. It follows a similar model of hard-hitting proggish songs with catchy melodies as the previous two. My favorite here, among a slew of fantastic tracks, is the epic “Welcome to the cosmic cabaret.” Also of note: Tobias Sammet (of Edguy and Avantasia fame) is featured on the title track.
Another stunning release from Magnum. It is quite startling how a band so old manages not only to put new material out so fast but also to maintain an outstanding level of quality and creativity.
The best tracks on this one are “The archway of tears” and “The serpent rings.” The weakest links: “Not forgiven” and “Man”—though both of these are progressive enough to include captivating bits.
After five strong albums, this one came as a big disappointment. None of the tracks here stand out, while more than half feel weak and irrelevant. Let us hope they can rekindle that flame with their next effort!
And that covers all of the band’s releases to this day.
But let it be known that Magnum has a new album due out on January 12, 2024, titled “Here comes the rain.”
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Are you familiar with this band? What do you think of them?
What is your favorite song and/or album by them?
Let us know in the comments!
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Text (c) 2023 by Alex S. Garcia.
Header image: a recent picture of the band, obtained from their official website.
Band logo: also obtained from their website.
Album covers: see individual entries for sources.