Review by Dave Evans
‘The Gathering’ is Magnum’s very first cross-career collection of material. They have previously released ‘Greatest Hits’ albums - but this is their first foray into the wonderful world of the ‘Box-Set’.
As an avid fan of the band this is indeed a mouth watering prospect, not least because neatly packaged away amongst the lavish booklets and unseen photographs are 82 - count ‘em, 82 tracks, over 5 discs. Included in this is their much lauded ‘Live’ show from London’s Hammersmith Odeon 1988 - in its entirety.
So with all this Magnum material, where do I begin? Well literally at the beginning.
Disc 1
... begins with ‘Stormbringer’ a track recorded by the band in 1974 and released on Magnum’s Archive album. It’s always interesting to listen to a band’s inception, where we the fan get the chance to hear the band in its youthful almost ‘feral’ form. ‘Stormbringer’ is a fascinating snapshot of a band; who according to guitarist Tony Clarkin “were searching for a musical identity”, its quite a funky number and aside from Bob Catley’s distinctive vocals is almost unrecognisable as the band they were to become. Imagine if you will Jethro Tull jamming with Steely Dan, all flutes and silky smooth organs.
‘Find The Time’ - a session outtake from the group’s debut album ‘Kingdom Of Madness’ - similarly is a quite a smooth almost jazzy soul like number but interestingly the soundscape of the band is beginning to develop. Clarkin’s guitar sound is developing and the keyboard swathes are wrapping themselves around the song structure - Magnum’s identity is quickly taking shape.
So we are now at 1978 and the band’s debut album is released. Its obvious Magnum have hit upon the formula that would serve them so well for the rest of their career. ‘In The Beginning’ has all the classic elements intact. Soaring vocals, walls of keyboards washing colour over Clarkin’s epic fantasy vocals. This is carried through the following tracks of ‘Universe’ and ‘Invasion’ the former wonderfully demonstrating Clarkin’s ability to open up new horizons and take the listener to a new world of hope and belief amidst towers of beautiful keyboards and euphoric vocals from Catley. ‘Invasion’ by contrast - still retains Clarkin’s visions but this time the subject matter is war, a topic he is not afraid to cover, as is evident throughout their career. It’s a pointed sound, Magnum by now sounding not dissimilar to Deep Purple, such is Clarkin’s melody led guitars. What we hear is a band also experimenting with production and technology in order to encapsulate what they are about.
What is always interesting with any archive release are the alternative / demo versions of demos. Here we get the seminal ‘Kingdom Of Madness’. Its predictably rawer than the finished product, Catley’s vocals and Clarkin’s guitars are pretty much the finished product, but the experimental drum sound is, well, interesting - it would seem at times he was drumming to a different track, a foray into the world of Keith Moon perhaps? I guess we’ll never know?
‘Great Adventure’ from ‘Magnum 2’ really captures the spirit of the band at the time, classic 1970s production, Clarkin’s aforementioned imagery along with the pomp and almost progressive sound that separated Magnum from anyone else at the time.
As well as alternative versions we are treated to 7” singles, yes those things recorded on wax back in the day. ‘Changes’ heard in this compact form is a joy to behold, an uplifting song about growing up, and moving on, another example of Clarkin’s ability to tap into any subject matter. Never one to indulge in his guitar, here he is starting to push it to the forefront. As a fan of the band it is one of my personal highlights. So we’ve had the studio, alternative, single versions, how about some ‘live’ Magnum?
Well we are spoilt for choice with three tracks from Magnum’s first 2 albums ‘If I Could Live Forever’ , ‘Foolish Heart’ from ‘Magnum 2‘, and ‘Lords Of Chaos’ from ‘Kingdom Of Madness’. These live recordings show what an impressive band Magnum were becoming on stage, Catley’s vocals and Richard Bailey’s keyboards are immense throughout and the respective guitars of Clarkin and Wally Lowe sit respectfully in the setting.
The first disc contains three of Clarkin’s finest pieces; ‘The Lights Burned Out‘, ‘Soldier Of The Line’ and ‘The Spirit’, all tracks from Magnum’s 3rd album ‘Chase The Dragon’, demonstrate a band full of class and confidence. ‘The Lights Burned Out’ - here as an outtake version - is outstanding, Catley’s vocals manage to be both soaring and vulnerable, and the pomp of the band is in full flow. By contrast ‘Soldier Of The Line’ is Clarkin revisiting the theme of war this time from the viewpoint of the soldier on the frontline. It is a desolate affair, full of fear and bravado, Catley’s vocals perfectly encapsulating the adrenaline pumping through the soldier’s veins as he faces the unknown.
‘The Spirit’ is unrivalled in terms of its Tolkein-esque imagery, Clarkin’s lone acoustic guitar opening and Catley’s wistful vocals leading to a bombast of drums and spinet sounding keyboards from Mark Stanway. Simply stunning!
Track-listing; Stormbringer / Find The Time (session outtake) / In The Beginning / Baby Rock Me / Universe / Invasion / Kingdom Of Madness (Alt version) / Great Adventure / Changes (single remix) / The Battle / All Of My Life / If I Could Live Forever (live) / Foolish Heart (live) / Lords Of Chaos (live) / The Lights Burned Out (session outtake) / Soldier Of The Line / On The Edge Of The World / The Spirit / The Teacher.
Disc 2.
So we have heard the inception and development of Magnum, now we have a band seemingly in full flight, certainly creatively. ‘Back To Earth’ (released on the expanded edition of ‘Chase The Dragon’), is a bombastic track, full of Kex Gorin’s tumbling drums, and Catley’s soaring vocals. The epic sound of the band is now fully formed.
Further surprises are sprinkled throughout this Box-set; in the form of 7” B-sides. ‘Hold Back Your Love’ is a wonderful example of Clarkin’s tender and mournful writing, coupled with Catley’s emotional vocals. It always surprises me how tracks in their own right sometimes aren’t deemed strong enough for star billing on an album - such is the case here. What it does demonstrate though is the strength and breadth of Clarkin’s writing that a solid tune such as this didn’t make the final album cut.
Similarly ‘Long Days Black Nights’ was another single B side, it’s a song that on any other occasion would be a certainty to make it onto an album. However, in this case ‘Chase The Dragon’ was such a strong album, songs such as this mid tempo rocker were simply destined to miss the boat.
So move forward to 1983 and album number four ‘The Eleventh Hour’. Here we are rewarded with ‘True Fine Love’ another session outtake and golden nugget. This is a real bar room stomper of a track, the band treating us to some real boogie woogie. Stanway in particular is obviously in his element with his honky tonk piano tinklings and what’s this slide guitar? Yes Clarkin stepping outside his comfort zone to indulge in some bottle neck rhythm and blues. Ok so its not a signature Magnum sound - but what fun !!
‘The Word’ is presented here also in all its orchestral pomp and pageantry. Yes it might seem indulgent but Magnum and orchestral arrangements were a marriage made in heaven, as their later releases would show.
‘The Eleventh Hour’ is further represented with the following epics; ‘The Prize, ‘Breakdown’ and ‘Vicious Companions’. ‘The Prize’ is a wonderful example of the band’s, or more importantly Clarkin’s vision, for all things epic. Here Clarkin takes us on a ride through his mind and by the end we all want the prize, such is the thrill of this song. ‘Breakdown’ is a song I always envisaged being played to Kings and Queens in a castle hall, it has a baroque feel to it thanks to Stanway’s spinet sounding keyboards. Yet the subject matter is dark and claustrophobic and another example of Clarkin‘s sublime writing skills. ‘Vicious Companions’ likewise has a touch of paranoia to it - a cautionary tale of not suffering fools in life.
So now we get to the point in time of Magnum that changed my life, and to a large degree their lives also. Its 1985 and album number five ‘On A Storyteller’s Night’. This is widely acknowledged as the band’s breakthrough album, and is the album which first exposed me to Magnum. Interestingly it’s first representative in this Box-set is ‘All England’s Eyes - the demo version’. It retains the classic keyboard swathes of Stanway, yet Jim Simpson’s drums seem loose and somewhat thin but a good example of a song in its pre-production form.
The album’s opener, ‘How Far Jerusalem’ is next up and as a teenager it is the first song that made my hairs stand up on end. The opening ethereal bars of the keyboard set up a vision of anticipation and foreboding, this in my opinion is Clarkin at his song writing best. The mixing and production values of this album were in a different league to its predecessors.
Next up is ‘Just Like An Arrow’ without doubt my favourite ever Magnum song, it has it all, a catchy hook-laden riff, tumbling drums, the perfect keyboard accompaniment, sublime vocals… and a classic Clarkin guitar solo. I can’t speak highly enough of this tune, quite simply it changed my life as a teenager growing up, and for Magnum its was the point that their lives also changed for the better, ‘On A Storytellers Night’ for many is an album that has never been bettered – quite arguably the band’s commercial and creative peak.
Clarkin returns to the theme of war and conflict once again with the sublime ‘Les Morts Dansant’ (The Dancing Dead). It is an epic tune that sets out the fear and unfair nature of warfare. It starts with the lines... “Cannons rolled in the valleys lay thunder, while the guns lit up the night, when it rained and both sides wondered who is wrong and who is right?”. Here Clarkin, in a few instinctively penned lines, sums up the futility of war, both sides fighting, each facing the same outcome - death. When he describes the soldier facing the firing squad it’s quite simply breathtaking. The bullet that hits the soldier, hits you the listener with the same velocity!
This is why Magnum are lauded by fans and critics alike - their ability to conjure up such vivid imagery and then take you for a journey through their rich and varied landscapes. So how does a band follow up such a successful album, well in Magnum’s case, they hire Queen drummer Roger Taylor to produce the next album.
‘Vigilante’ was released in 1986 and saw the band take a new direction sonically. The production of this album was at the very least lavish and predictably the sound was more akin to that of Queen, poppy and polished with Mark Stanway’s keyboards pushed to the forefront. ‘Lonely Night’ one of the strongest tracks to be lifted from the album, is a very infectious tune, full of clean drums and cut-glass guitars from Messers Micky Barker and Clarkin respectively. The keyboards of Stanway are very evocative of the time, full of samples and synthesiser loops. The album’s token anti-war song ‘Need A Lot Of Love’ is included here, written by Clarkin about the Berlin Wall and conflicts in Northern Ireland. Thankfully the production values compliment the sensitivity of the issues, and Stanway’s keyboards dove-tail beautifully with Catley’s emotional vocals.
The 80s synthesiser returns with a vengeance though with the 12” version of ‘Midnight’ (You Won’t Be Sleeping), this is a wonderful song but not aided in its overblown format. I also remember the video well, set in a ‘Lord Of The Flies’ type survival drama, scenes of home fires, islands and youthful power struggles. Yet if the band thought they were going to get an exotic video shoot they were sadly mistaken, all the band footage was shot in the UK. In a way it kind of summed Magnum up at the time - so close to greatness, yet slightly lacking that real big break.
Interestingly the strongest song on the album was the title track ‘Vigilante’, based around Clarkin’s barbed wire guitar riffs, it’s a straight forward rock tune. Once again Stanway’s keyboards complimenting the building tension of the track; it was a sound that would serve the band well for their following album ‘Wings of Heaven’.
Track-listing; Back To Earth (Single A-Side) / Hold Back Your Love (Single B-side) / Long Days, Black Nights (Single B-side) / True Fine Love (session outtake) / The Word (orchestral version) / The Prize / Breakdown / Vicious Companions / One Night Of Passion / Road To Paradise / All England’s Eyes (Demo) / How Far Jerusalem / Just Like An Arrow / On A Storytellers Night / Les Morts Dansant / Lonely Night / Need A Lot Of Love / Midnight (You Won’t Be Sleeping) (12” remix)
Disc 3.
So its 1988 and with the momentum slightly stalled, Magnum brought in producer Albert Boekholt to produce album number seven ’Wings Of Heaven’. Clarkin still had ideas for songs that had been knocking around during the ‘Vigilante’ album. One such idea was ‘Days Of No Trust’ - a song seemingly about the state of the world at the time, the ongoing wars, the Reagan /Gorbachev talks, nuclear weapons and the futility of it all. The 80s we must remember were very delicate times politically and the fear of someone pressing the button were very acute and Clarkin taps into this paranoia perfectly with this song. ‘Wild Swan’ in contrast could be seen as the escape from it all, like a single white dove of freedom, taking us on a journey over landscapes. As the subject matter dictates, its wonderfully depicted by Catley’s soaring vocals and Stanway’s colourful, inspiring washes of keyboards, this is everything ‘Vigilante’ wasn’t, subtle and solid.
Possibly Clarkin’s most ambitious song is included here ‘Don’t Wake The Lion’ (Too Old To Die Young). Another tune that taps into the difficult subject of war but the inspiration came from an unlikely source - a conversation Clarkin had with the band’s sound engineer. A Lancashire comedian was mentioned, one of his lines was “It were the day that war broke out”, from this one line a 10 minute epic was spawned. It was a song Clarkin wanted to be read by German and English people alike, with the same emotional outlook. The song is obviously an anti-war piece but its sub-text is also ‘Too Old To Die Young’, or the live fast and leave a good-looking corpse, so as a whole can be viewed as a study of modern society - from war and conflict to the perils of modern life and temptations. As Clarkin once described “you’d tell a child off for letting things get out of hand, and yet we as adults are prepared to destroy the planet.”
‘Start Talking Love’ is Clarkin’s paean to loneliness and missing the touch and feel of a woman however it’s a surprisingly uplifting tune. It tells of how we’d move mountains to be back in the arms of the ones we’ve loved and those we‘ve let go. So once again we can see the strength of Clarkin’s song writing.
To me this is also the band’s best produced album, whilst ’On A Storytellers Night’ was the band’s most consistent album material wise, ‘Wings of Heaven’ has the tightest sound for me personally. Micky Barker’s drums are immense throughout and Catley’s vocals are consistently sublime.
We are also treated to three single B sides / bonus tracks. ‘Crying Time’, ‘C’est La Vie’ and ‘Maybe Tonight’. The first is a wonderful orchestral piece, strongly led by violins and cellos; it brings to mind Kate Bush such is the epic production and Catley’s mournful delivery. The strongest of the three however is ‘Maybe Tonight’, whilst clearly deemed not right for ‘Wings Of Heaven’ it’s a magnificent up tempo rocker, full of all Magnum’s trademark pomp and bombast, in retrospect a song perfectly fitting for the ‘Vigilante’ era.
If ‘Wings of Heaven’ was all about dealing with difficult and sensitive subject matters, then 1990s ‘Goodnight LA’ was almost the opposite. A rather brash album, it was produced in America by Keith Olsen, chosen due to his success with Whitesnake’s ‘1987’ album and obviously in an attempt to crack the American market. Clarkin himself usually the sole songwriter in the band, agreed to share writing duties with the likes of Jim Vallance and Russ Ballard. What transpired was a slightly soulless album. It contained the lead-off single ‘Rockin Chair’, with Magnum trying to tap into Whitesnake’s ‘tongue-in-cheek’ territory. Its a Ballard co-write and a great up-tempo hard rocker but just not what Magnum are about.
Also included here is ‘Heartbroke And Busted’, and is a definite album high-point but also tellingly, a Clarkin self-penned song. It’s full of great hook-lines and sublime melodies. I feel songs such as ‘Mama’, ‘Shoot’ and ‘Reckless Man’- all Clarkin penned songs could have been included here. As they are more akin to what the band are about.
Of the B-sides the strongest is ‘Hanging Tree’, this has a fantastic infectious groove to it and would, I feel, have sat very well in context with the rest of ‘Goodnight LA’.
Track-listing; When The World Comes Down (12” full length version) / Vigilante / Days Of No Trust (12” extended version) / Wild Swan / It Must Have Been Love / Don’t Wake The Lion (Too Old Too Die Young) / Start Talking Love / Crying Time (Single B-side) / C’est La Vie (12” bonus track) / Maybe Tonight (Single B-side) / Rockin’ Chair / Heartbroke And Busted / What Kind Of Love is This? / Hanging Tree (Single B-Side) / Cry For You (Single B-side)
Disc 4
Of all the discs in this Box-set, this disc is the most telling. It covers a difficult era in Magnum’s musical history. Realising his decision to share writing duties on the previous album wasn’t particularly a fulfilling or successful one, Clarkin went back to basics with ‘Sleepwalking’ and returned to the role of chief songwriter, and tellingly, for the first time since ‘The Eleventh Hour’, was the album’s producer.
Unfortunately ‘Sleepwalking’ didn’t reach the heights of previous Magnum albums, ‘Stormy Weather’ is the stand out track, a brooding piece, full of atmospheric keyboards and typically classy Catley vocals. By contrast ‘Only in America’ is Clarkin’s take on American culture and celebrity. Its a cautionary tale of modern life and the need for success, perhaps a bitter taste was left in the mouth after the band’s ‘Goodnight LA’ experience? The single B side ‘Just A Little Bit’ is an example that the band still had the tunes in their armoury. As the flip side to ‘Only In America’ it’s a real gem of a track and once again, was worthy of inclusion on the album itself.
1994’s ‘Rock Art’ is represented by two tracks ‘We All Need To Be Loved’ and ‘The Tall Ships’. The former is an almighty rocker, in terms of Magnum’s music. This is ‘Heavy‘ with a capital H, a relentless bombast of drums and an abrasive, almost thrash metal guitar from Clarkin shows the band still have the energy running through their collective veins. ‘Tall Ships’ by contrast sees them in almost ‘country music’ territory, it’s a strong enough song, but once again, not ultimately what the band are about.
Fittingly as Magnum disbanded after ‘Rock Art’ the two ‘live’ tracks included are ‘The Last Dance’ and ‘Sacred Hour’, almost poignant titles. The former is a wonderful track from their ‘On A Storytellers Night’ album, and ‘Sacred Hour’ is lifted from their ‘Chase The Dragon’ album, ‘live’ they are both given a meatier sound, especially the latter, Clarkin’s guitars riffing away majestically, and Stanway’s keyboards sounding mightier than ever.
The band re-emerged in 2002 with ‘Breath Of Life’, once again a rather apt title, bassist Al Barrow was recruited by the band, who had worked with Clarkin and Catley in their side-project, Hard Rain. Slowly they seemed to be picking up the hunger once again, and this, the title track, shows the band doing what they do best - producing top quality, hook laden and classy songs. Although this is the sole representative of ‘Breath of Life’ its shows the band on their way back creatively.
‘Brand New Morning’ followed in 2004 and once again it’s represented here by the title track. Harry James is now on the drum stool, and the album’s title is a reflection of Clarkin’s view on life. After suffering a heart attack in 2002, its a band re-born and a songwriter with a new outlook. Every day is precious and this new ethos can be heard with the band’s last two albums ‘Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow’ and ‘Into The Valley Of The Moonking’.
In 2007 Magnum produced the aforementioned ‘Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow’ to great critical acclaim. Many seeing it as a return to the heady days of ‘On A Storytellers Night’. As such the band have re-emerged triumphant and ready to take on the world again. The ‘tongue-in-cheek’ majesty of ‘Dragons Are Real’ is a joy to behold, and sees a band happy to laugh at themselves, whilst respectfully acknowledging their past.
We are brought up to date with the inclusion of ‘The Moonking’ from 2009s ‘Into The Valley Of The Moonking’. This album saw a new edge to Magnum’s sound, and in particularly Clarkin’s guitar playing and its perfectly demonstrated here with his ballsy and bluesy style.
So for 4 discs we have been on a musical journey of styles and creativity. From the band’s early experimentation, trying to find an identity; through to a band firmly setting out their stall but subsequently losing their way a little. As clichéd as it may sound this has been a rollercoaster but one that ends on a high. Magnum are back with a vengeance. We are left with a ‘live’ reminder why Magnum are loved and respected by so many – ‘A Face In The Crowd’.
Track-listing; Where Do You Run To (12” Single B-side) / Stormy Weather / Only In America / Just A Little Bit (Single B-side) / Maybe Tonight (Acoustic version) / Without Your Love (Acoustic version) / We All Need To Be Loved / The Tall Ships / The Last Dance (Live from Farewell tour) / Sacred Hour (Live from Farewell tour) / Breath Of Life / Brand New Morning / Dragons Are Real / Thank You For The Day / The Moonking / A Face In The Crowd
Disc 5.
The final disc in this Box-set is a recording of Magnum’s seminal London Hammersmith Odeon gig in 1988. This was during the band’s ‘Wings Of Heaven’ era. They had cracked the Top 40 and were playing to the biggest arena audiences of their careers. It was also incidentally the first tour I caught them live, so this recording brings back some great personal memories.
Just one look at the track-listing and you can see why it was such a great performance. Starting with the classic ‘Vigilante’ the band hit the stage running. Clarkin’s guitar sounds immense, and Catley immediately engages the audience. Micky Barkers bombastic drumming is a particular highlight. Virtually all, if not all, of set-list has been mentioned throughout this review, but to hear the likes of ‘Wild Swan’, ‘On A Storytellers Night’ and ‘How Far Jerusalem’ live is a joy to behold. They are all wonderful tracks in their own right but when witnessed live show the true dynamics of the band; Catley leading the crowd with every swoop of the hand and ringing every last drop of emotion from his body. To me he has always been like a band leader - powered up for battle by the music absorbed within him. And whilst visually or sonically Clarkin is never going to be Yngwie Malmsteen, he has one thing that all those showman guitarists lack, he has class - his playing is solid and unfussy. Remember this is the man behind 99% of Magnum’s song writing.
The gig’s highlights for me are ‘Don’t Wake The Lion’ (Too Old To Die Young), a track that’s clocks up over 10 minutes, yet never outstays it’s welcome. ‘Just Like An Arrow’ is without doubt the band’s most revered song and here it sounds as vibrant as ever - Catley singing like the cat that’s got the cream and Stanway’s keyboards sitting subtly in the background. Barker’s drumming is as ever spot on. This momentum is followed by the riff-fest that is ‘Kingdom Of Madness’. Clarkin demonstrating his guitar muscle perfectly, it’s a brooding number, leading to a typically majestic performance and Clarkin’s guitar solo builds cleverly to a euphoric ending.
The final coupling of ‘The Spirit’ and ‘Sacred Hour’ bring this celebration of a great band to a triumphant end. The former sees Catley alone with Clarkin’s acoustic guitar, building beautifully to a spine-tingling crescendo. Aptly ‘Sacred Hour’ finishes proceedings. This is what Magnum are all about, the silky keyboard intro courtesy of Stanway leads to a sublime and powerful song, and as they say….leave ‘em wanting more!
As concerts go, that was definitely one of the best I have ever witnessed and as a live recording to sum up Magnum’s music…well its just about perfect!
Track-listing (All Live); Vigilante / Wild Swan / Start Talking Love / On A Storytellers Night / Need A Lot Of Love / How Far Jerusalem / Lonely Night / Days Of No Trust / Don’t Wake The Lion (Too Old To Die Young) / Midnight (You Won’t Be Sleeping) / Just Like An Arrow / Kingdom Of Madness / The Spirit / Sacred Hour
The ‘Gathering’ also comes with a 60-page booklet containing previously unseen band photographs, and for all Magnum fans there are collector-spotting catalogue items and rare pieces of memorabilia.
Classic Rock Editor Dave Ling also contributes a ‘Story Of Magnum’ - an extensive account of the band.
The cover artwork comes courtesy of the legendary Rodney Matthews, the artist behind so many of Magnum’s classic and iconic album sleeves.
And finally with a band who have been going for over 30 years, you get an comprehensive Discography and a list of personnel, everyone who has contributed to Magnum musically over the years.
In short, what you are getting here is a lavish package of Magnum’s music, from humble beginnings to present day, this is the band laid bare, everything is on show here. If you are not yet a fan and want to find out more about the band - then you will be treated to 82 tracks over 5 discs, what better way to acquaint yourselves with Magnum. If you are a fan of their music I urge you to purchase this box-set, it is not ‘for complete-ists only’ - this is the Real Deal. However much you think you know Magnum, there are surprises and treats galore here. And, what better way to celebrate the band you already know and love?
