Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnum
Label: Sanctuary Records
Release: 1985
Rating: 5/5
“On A Storyteller’s Night” is one of those magical albums that, years and years down the line, still shines in all its glory at full strength, and keeps firing up the inspiration of countless listeners and bands around the world. For melodic rock champions Magnum, it didn’t just bring a well-earned breakthrough among the most respected acts of the day. It also set the standard for how you build an AOR masterpiece that can sound mystical and majestic and heartfelt and lovesick all at once. Magnum had been carefully preparing for this moment of triumph pretty much since the start of their career. For years they refined their unique take on melodic art rock with real finesse, and made four very good albums along the way, but every one of them lacked that final touch, that magical ingredient that would have earned it masterpiece status and cemented the band’s place among the greatest melodic rock groups of all time.
With the inimitable “On A Storyteller’s Night” they finally pulled off their first masterpiece (and, along with “Vigilante” (1986) and “Wings Of Heaven” (1987), one of only three albums that rightfully deserve that title), where all their trademark musical elements and rich ideas fell into exactly the right harmony that makes a record immortal. Alongside the “elf prince” himself, the phenomenal singer Bob Catley, who dazzles from start to finish with an outstanding vocal performance (he never put as much heart and soul into his singing on any other Magnum album), the rest of the band showed incredible chemistry too. There’s no room for dominance here, or to put it plainly, no solo showboating. Every instrumentalist’s qualities shine on equal footing.
Tony Clarkin, the guitarist, the man behind the vast majority of Magnum’s music and lyrics, and the band’s main engine next to Catley, wasn’t just hitting a creative peak as a songwriter. His playing took on new dimensions too, with loads of original riffs, delicate solo flourishes and plenty of highly melodic passages. Helping him build this album’s incredibly rich, full sound are the superb symphonic textures from keyboardist Mark Stanway, whose synth work is a lovely demonstration of why AOR grew out of progressive rock. The rhythm section is rock-solid and varied throughout, and drummer Jim Simpson deserves a special mention. He replaced original drummer Kex Gorin, and this was both his first and his only album with the band. His massive drumming style, with heavy use of cymbals, does a lot of the work in giving the individual songs their mighty sound.
But the main thing that makes this album so special isn’t just the band members’ musical chops. It’s the incredible energy and mystique surrounding practically every song on it. There isn’t a single weak track here; the power ballads and the mighty epic anthems alike sound majestic and not one bit cheesy. The lyrics are among the best in their story too, and once again, beneath the seeming cloak of fantasy themes, they mostly carry a strong critique of war of every kind and of social exploitation. The lyrical high point of the album is undoubtedly “Les Morts Dansant”, which tells of the final moments of a wrongly accused man facing the firing squad of a dictatorial regime. Some of the lyrics also hint at the bright side of certain English traits, which once again confirms that Magnum were always true English patriots.
With its atmosphere, “On A Storyteller’s Night” doesn’t just conjure up images of assorted fantasy worlds and a cabin in the middle of the woods, where on a rainy night by a crackling fireplace goblins and elves listen breathlessly to the storyteller’s tales (an image embodied by the title track and immortalized by Rodney Matthews’ excellent cover art). It also brings to mind plenty of other stories of love and tragedy from the real world. The countless ultra-melodic epic choruses ring in your ears for ages and pretty much force you to keep singing them in your head long after the album is over. Nor should we overlook the exceptional production quality, ahead of its time and credited to Kit Woolen, who had already made his name working with Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott and David Gilmour.
Singling out individual songs would be impossible, since every single one is excellent in its own way, so the best approach is a proper walk through each of them. The epic “How Far Jerusalem”, which gives you goosebumps with its mix of incredible mystique and heavy rock muscle, is pretty much the perfect opening to the album. After a dramatic intro of rolling synths, a mighty guitar riff crashes in and sets the stage for a majestic chorus. The synth textures in the background flow beautifully the whole way through, forming a stunning backdrop for the epic vocals, the rhythmic interplay and the punchy guitar passages. Meanwhile Catley’s voice tells a mystical tale of crusaders gathering in London to set off on their march to the “Holy Land”.
Next comes the phenomenal “Just Like An Arrow”, the biggest hit in the band’s history. You could sum it up in a single word – a pure AOR fairy tale that makes you want to run around the world and touch the stars! If a perfect AOR hit has ever been made, or at least something close to perfection, with a chorus that just won’t leave your ears and makes you feel like taking off on wings of weightless freedom, this phenomenal pop rocker is it, and surely one of the band’s three most glorious achievements. It’s truly unbelievable how astonishingly Magnum conjure up such a hyper-intense atmosphere, built on a central, ultra-catchy melody driven by superb drum fills, a harmonious weave of synths and guitar, and an orgasmic chorus where Catley’s voice delivers an unforgettable lyrical message. The only “flaw” is that it’s over far too fast and leaves you craving another taste. Luckily, your player has a very welcome button for that, so you can spin this immortal hit again and again.
The run of outstanding songs continues with the title track, an epic fairy tale, “On A Storyteller’s Night”, where fables and legends come to life again by the crackling fireplace and Magnum deliver yet another unforgettable AOR classic. Like all the great rock epics, it has a short dramatic intro on piano and rolling synths, with a melancholy vocal steering the way. All of that suddenly spills over into an orgasmic chorus built around the anthemic catchphrase “keep your night light burning”, laid over a tasteful bed of synths and a potent guitar riff. Clarkin also takes the time for a very tasty heavy rock solo, which leads into the next run into that magical chorus, one so singable it hooks you long after this wonderful song has ended.
“Before First Light” is a somewhat more down-to-earth, classic melodic rocker with a standout guitar riff and witty arpeggios, mighty rhythmic shifts and the inevitable anthemic chorus, where Catley once again pours his whole soul into the vocals. A classic, just like almost every song on this album. The string of phenomenal tracks goes on with the dramatic epic mentioned earlier, “Les Morts Dansant, which tells the tragic story of a political prisoner before the firing squad and his last thoughts. The band gradually builds the drama through a melancholy keyboard buildup and deeply felt singing, leading to an anthemic chorus that stirs up both nostalgia and compassion for all the victims of oppressive regimes. The interplay of mighty keyboard textures, punchy guitar riffs, drum fills and powerful vocals is finger-licking good once again, and Magnum prove themselves masters of epic drama all over again. It’s the closing lyrical metaphors that are key to this song sinking so deep into your heart.
The energetic, romantic “Endless Love” boasts a mighty heavy rock riff, tied together by an excellent vocal performance and dramatic synth passages. What’s especially impressive is the move into the dramatic section, dominated by rich instrumental passages and a monumental chorus. The ear-grabbing pop rocker “Two Hearts” is another outstanding song with plenty going for it. It opens with a wonderfully inventive riff and witty synth effects, then moves through juicy instrumental passages into an anthemic, highly singable chorus. You could say it’s a slightly less intense and dramatic cousin of “Just Like An Arrow”, so it’s no surprise the two kept each other company as the album’s only singles.
“Steal Your Heart” is also a first-class AOR anthem, impressing with a simple but very catchy melody and a central chorus that’s perfectly captured in the interplay of a punchy riff and heart-wrenching vocals, the kind of thing that belongs in every self-respecting car stereo. Magnum show a somewhat harder side again on the great patriotic anthem “All England’s Eyes”. It’s less about a catchy chorus than about very good instrumental stretches and a secretive, mystical vibe. Both Clarkin and Stanway turn in superb solos on their instruments. And for the grand finale there’s the romantic, nostalgic “The Last Dance”, an almost dreamlike close to the album, and without exaggeration the most beautiful power ballad in the band’s history. Accompanied by piano, this gorgeous ballad lets Catley’s deeply heartfelt singing shine to the very end and closes “the storyteller’s night” in the ideal way, as the warriors head off to a well-earned rest.
“On A Storyteller’s Night” is the embodiment of everything best about this wonderful band’s musical voice and about melodic rock in general. It’s an album you simply can’t praise enough, so any critical write-up is bound to do it an injustice. With it, Magnum earned their place among the immortal and most respected English rock bands, and built a wonderful melodic rock bridge between fantasy and reality. At the same time, it became something of a yardstick, a slightly unfair one, against which all of their later albums have been measured ever since. Although a string of excellent Magnum releases followed, with plenty of unforgettable AOR standards, “Wings Of Heaven” standing out in particular and rated by some fans almost as highly as “Storyteller”, none of them repeated its intense magic and perfection that lasts from start to finish. So “On A Storyteller’s Night” isn’t just one of the best melodic rock albums. It rightfully ranks among the greatest achievements in rock history, and as such belongs in every household. “Keep your night light burning”.
Lineup
Bob Catley – vocals
Tony Clarkin – guitar
Wally Lowe – bass
Mark Stanway – keyboards
Jim Simpson – drums
Production
Kit Woolen
Tracklist
1. How Far Jerusalem (6:26)
2. Just Like An Arrow (3:22)
3. On A Storyteller’s Night (4:59)
4. Before First Light (3:52)
5. Les Morts Dansant (5:47)
6. Endless Love (4:30)
7. Two Hearts (4:24)
8. Steal Your Heart (3:59)
9. All England’s Eyes (4:47)
10. The Last Dance (3:43)
Album length: 45:49
