Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Magnum
Label: River Records
Release: 2004
Running time: 78:00
Rating: 5/5
In 1985, after years of grinding it out, switching labels twice and putting out a pile of excellent but overlooked studio records, Magnum finally landed their long-overdue breakthrough into the big leagues of their trade with the masterpiece »On a Storyteller’s Night«. The five-piece, made up of versatile guitarist, songwriter and lyricist Tony Clarkin, charismatic and wiry singer Bob Catley, blond keyboard wizard Mark Stanway, bassist Colin ‘Wally’ Love and drummer Mickey Barker, who had replaced Jim Simpson before the UK leg of the tour kicked off, finally stormed the peaks of the melodic rock Olympus and became one of the main musical attractions of the eighties. The tour for that studio gem, which built sonic bridges between fantasy, dreams and reality, was truly magnificent, and the band was in the best possible form, as the otherwise very rare official live documents from that period clearly show.
Among them, »The Rivers Sessions« deserves a special place. It’s a historic live document with excellent sound quality, fronted by a dream setlist, recorded on the »On a Storyteller’s Night« tour in Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow. With the exception of »Steal Your Heart«, Magnum play »On a Storyteller’s Night« almost in its entirety, and as a bonus they throw in a fair number of classics from their earlier studio work. Boby Catley, one of the best British AOR singers of all time, delivers the individual evergreens just as masterfully as on the studio albums, while Tony Clarkin and Mark Stanway, as usual, are a marriage of superb technical tightness, virtuosity and atmospheric harmony. Despite the still fresh reputation of the former longtime drummer Kex Gorin and later Jim Simpson, who had already packed his bags before the UK tour began, the rhythm duo is surprisingly in sync, as the old wolf and original member Wally Love backs Barker’s massive drum barrages and cunningly timed transitions with his dynamic bass lines.
»Before First Light« is a well-chosen, energetic opener, and right from the start of the show you can clearly hear the crowd joining in and getting hyped, while »The Spirit«, a classic from »Chase the Dragon« (1982) that never hid its NWOBHM elements, heats up the atmosphere almost to delirium. As expected, the main attraction of this recording is the »On a Storyteller’s Night« classics, led by the hyper-dramatic »How Far Jerusalem«, the title epic, the unforgettable power ballad and B-side single »Two Hearts«, the pacifist gem »Les Mort Dansant« and the hit single »Just Like An Arrow«. The latter is introduced with a thank-you to the Scottish crowd and a big dose of pride. After all, following a brief crisis that nearly buried them before the release of the »storyteller’s night«, Magnum had for the first time won wider recognition on the other side of the Atlantic too.
A successful showcase of the older material comes in the form of an excellent version of »The Prize« from »The Eleventh Hour« (1983), the heavy metal gem »Chase the Dragon« from the album of the same name, the evergreen »Changes« from »Magnum II (1979)« and the obligatory prog rock treat »Kingdom of Madness«, which originally comes from the legendary self-titled debut from 1978 and can’t be missing from any live show. Mark Stanway’s »star« moment, of course, comes on the unforgettable epic »Sacred Hour«, where his synths conjure up the magical multi-harmonies that are the trademark of this legendary evergreen. The show, and this recording, closes with the encore, the excellent power ballad »The Last Dance«, where Catley, backed by subtle piano, gets one more great chance to show off the contemplative side of his exceptional voice in a heart-wrenching way.
»The River Sessions« is a first-class live treat that catches Magnum right in the middle of their greatest artistic bloom, when there was no debate over which British band was able to challenge the biggest American melodic rock giants of the day for the AOR throne. Alongside the live albums »Marauder« (1980), »Invasion Live« (1989), »The Early Years Live« (1990) and »The Spirit« (1991), it’s a leading contender for their best official live album and a must-buy for all fans of the golden Magnum era, when this legendary band was still developing nicely and ‘growing’ from album to album.
Lineup
Tony Clarkin – guitar
Bob Catley – vocals
Mark Stanway – keyboards
Wally Love – bass guitar
Mickey Barker – drums
Production
Tony Clarkin
Tracklist
1. Before First Light
2. The Spirit
3. All England’s Eyes
4. The Lights Burned Out
5. Endless Love
6. How Far Jerusalem
7. On a Storyteller’s Night
8. The Prize
9. Les Mort Dansant
10. Just Like An Arrow
11. Two Hearts
12. Soldier of the Line
13. Changes
14. Kingdom of Madness
15. Sacred Hour
16. The Last Dance
