Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnum
Label: Jet Records
Released: 1980
Length: 78:45
Rating: 4/5
In 1980, Britain’s melodic rock champions Magnum were at a crossroads in their career. Their second studio effort »Magnum II« (1979) hadn’t repeated the commercial success of the cult debut »Kingdom of Mandess« (1978), so their label at the time, Jet Records, leaned on the band to put out a live album with eight songs. Those were recorded on the follow-up tour with Blue Ӧyster Cult in late 1979. The result was Magnum’s first live album, »Marauder«, featuring tracks from a show at London’s Marquee club on December 15, 1979, so it’s no surprise that it contains nothing but performances of material from those two studio records. That version of Magnum, which keyboardist and occasional flautist Richard Bailey left soon after »Marauder« came out, was packed with prog rock tendencies, mostly thanks to him, even though they already had one foot firmly planted in the melodic hard rock that would make them famous over the next few years.
Interestingly, the production on »Marauder«, with sound engineering assistance from Chris Tsangarides, was handled by none other than former Ten Years After bassist Leo Lyons, who did a stellar job, so that in terms of sheer sound quality we’re talking about one of the better live recordings from the early eighties. Maybe Lyons, who also produced »Magnum II«, was a bit too diligent, because with all that polish it sometimes doesn’t even feel like a live document, although you can clearly hear the crowd between songs, and luckily the short banter and song intros from singer Bob Catley were left untouched.
The pompous epic »If I Could Live Forever«, with its lovely Mellotron intro, is an almost perfect opener for a live recording and already had all the positive traits of the later Magnum energy catalysts. Alongside Catley and Bailey, the third key ingredient of the Magnum sound was guitar and songwriting wizard Tony Clarkin, who serves up razor-sharp guitar phrases on the epic, punchy »The Battle« that instantly ‘blow the crowd’s heads off’. »The Battle« was always one of those quintessential Magnum classics on which storyteller Clarkin, with his rich imagination, neatly fused epic, warlike arrangements with ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ mythology. On »Foolish Heart«, laced with fiery piano arrangements, Magnum show a subtler side for the first time on this recording and hint at why they quickly grew into masters of crafting spirited, melodic rock bouncers.
Of all the performances on »Marauder«, »In The Beginning«, the opening track from the cult debut »Kingdom of Madness«, comes closest to progressive rock. Thanks to the synth textures it honestly recalls early Marillion, which means Magnum weren’t far from becoming part of the neo-prog movement. On the other hand, the excellent version of »Reborn«, where you can even hear the flute, proves that hard rock fervor had always been running through their veins. »Changes«, which came out as a single in its studio version and as such is one of the more commercially minded cuts from their early days, is, with its anthemic chorus, one of the peaks of the whole of »Marauder«.
The whole band was in fantastic spirits that night, and you can hear at every step that they had an ambition smoldering in their hearts to one day climb to the very top of the melodic rock scene (which they pulled off a few years later). »So Cold the Night«, another of the rare art rock-leaning creations of their career, comes across as hugely convincing live too, and the fusion of hard-hitting guitar passages and witty synth textures is especially satisfying. Catley was in exceptional vocal form that night and sang individual Magnum standards from both first records practically flawlessly. The original version of »Marauder« wraps up with the pompous burner »Lords of Chaos«. With densely packed, punchy guitar passages and fiery drum fills, Magnum stage yet another epic journey into a world of forgotten legends.
The expanded 2005 reissue of »Marauder« included the rest of the concert, which originally came out in 1980 as the EP »Live at Marquee«. This batch of bonus tracks opens with the complex »Magnum II« power ballad »All of My Life«, which even has a shy jazzy touch thanks to Bailey’s piano. The pompous art rocker »Great Adventure«, with which the band once again invites the crowd on a trip to unknown worlds, sets the already pretty heated concert atmosphere properly ablaze.
»Invasion«, one of the rougher pieces from the early Magnum days, which in its direction strongly recalls some of the NWOBHM movement’s output, stirs up the stormy mood even more, while the rendition of the evergreen »Kingdom of Madness« is the triumphant finale of the Marquee show. As a cherry on top, the »Marauder« reissue also features live recordings from a gig in Nashville in 1982, when keyboardist Mark Stanway was already in the lineup. By then, the live classics from the first two albums that had stuck around were »Kingdom of Madness«, »Invasion«, »All of My Life«, »Reborn« and »Changes«.
»Marauder« is an incredibly strong live debut from a relatively young band with just two studio releases behind them. The pressure from Jet Records clearly paid off, as the album landed a solid spot on the British charts of the time and so alerted a wider audience that it was worth getting to know a group that was only just starting to craft its best work. Even today, »Marauder« offers a great look at where Magnum stood in the early part of their career and roughly what their early live shows were like, back when there wasn’t yet a lot of varied studio material to draw on.
Lineup
Bob Catley – vocals
Tony Clarkin – guitar
Wally Lowe – bass guitar
Kex Gorin – drums
Richard Bailey – keyboards, flute (on 1 – 12)
Mark Stanway – keyboards (on 13 – 17)
Production
Leo Lyons
Track list
1. If I Could Live Forever (4:07)
2. Battle (2:21)
3. Foolish Heart (3:08)
4. In the Beginning (7:57)
5. Reborn (5:58)
6. Changes (3:51)
7. So Cold the Night (4:33)
8. Lord of Chaos (3:48)
Bonus tracks from the 2005 reissue:
9. All of My Life (6:17)
10. Great Adventure (4:24)
11. Invasion (3:55)
12. Kingdom of Madness (4:10)
13. Reborn (5:40)
14. Changes (3:26)
15. All of My Life (6:16)
16. Invasion (5:24)
17. Kingdom of Madness (4:14)
