There are lots of groups and artists that often let me down, but one man that has been consistent is Bob Catley. He never disappoints, through many decades, bands and four terrific solo efforts. While his solo material is pompous and big Euro-rock that is quite enjoyable, nothing compares to the team of Catley and Clarkin when they are clicking right, and its pleasing to report that the second disc under the
Magnum banner since their reunion a few years back, is a rock solid effort that might not stand right beside some of their best, but is an improvement over their last appearance.
"Breath of Life" was the CD that ended the
Magnum drought, and many were disappointed with it. As par for the course, the band had once again reinvented themselves, as they seem to do after every other disc, and the results were mixed. Personally, I thought "Breath" fared well, pulling them into the modern day but retaining elements of many of their classic sounds. "Brand New Morning" takes it one step further and goes even more retro, slathering on the guitar in thick heavy chunks a'la "Goodnight LA", but then again just doesn't have enough of the pompy
AOR anthemic feel of "Wings of Heaven". Tony Clarkin's writing is sharper and more on point than last seen in "Breath" and Bob Catley, well the man just keeps improving with age. His voice is as rich and delightful as ever, and as usual is one of the main draws of the band. Clarkin really knows how to work the song structures around that legendary voice, and thus milks more energy and depth out of the resulting tracks than should really be there. The addition of ex-Thunder skin pounder Harry James is also of note, since he really puts the backbone in the songs, with a performance that sets this particular
Magnum rhythm section apart from past lineups.
The major drawback of the disc is the production, which suffers greatly. In this day of high tech equipment that can sometimes over polish a disc, it seems inexcusable that a release of this magnitude could be released with such a raw sound. Some tracks sound almost live, and every single cut is guilty of lacking that glossy clean feel that we are used to hearing from the band. Even the mid 80s "On A Storyteller's Night" has a crisper production laid upon it, but then again that's a classic that time can't touch.
What we do have on display here, is a band that can form a new sound by taking bits and pieces of the old and combine those assets with experience in the musical art and make a disc that's worthwhile to listen to. This one has a few cuts that take more time than usual to sink into but the journey is one worth taking, for this is a very cohesive album with a few nice surprises.
The opener,
"Brand New Morning" is a bouncy little beast of a rocker that incorporates some nifty drums and lots of guitar and shows off the vocals of Catley quite nicely, without going overboard. Things are kept rather straightforward until the simmer down mid section that puts the spotlight on piano, light tapping percussion and wispy vocals that ricochet and echo in the background.
"It's Time to Come Together" ramps up the melodic angle quite a bit but suffers with a cheesy chorus. For some reason it just doesn't come together with the rest of the song, but the verses are well done and keep it from becoming an overly cheddar encrusted fest. It's just something about that chorus.but the rest works and keeps you coming back for more. Oddly enough it's probably the cheesy quirks that will make this one a replayed favorite over and again.
"We All Run" sees
Magnum headed in a different direction again, this time towards a pace that's more mid-tempo.
We are treated to a cool pacing that has this rolling effect, very smooth and easy on the ears. The music is rather simple and organic, not a lot of frills but the beautiful smoky vocals offset by bits of soft moody piano lend it that extra dash that makes it special.
"The Blue and the Grey" is both reflective and relaxing, yet it also seems to be missing a few key ingredients that could potentially put it over the top. The main drawback is the pacing which is quite slow and with its running time feels rather long winded in the end. A potential grower, but it is not anything that is going to knock you out of the box on the first time out. Of note is the guitar which is well done but kept in check.
"I'd Breathe For You" also feels laid-back but has a forcefulness lurking behind the exterior that sets it apart. Very percussion driven with some help from the electric guitars as well, but it is the drums that have an usual feel and lend it the twist of vengeance.
Finally we grab onto a song that whips the band back into melodic shape with
"The Last Goodbye". It has a luscious chorus that grabs ahold and won't let go, like the best of
Magnum from their mid 80s past. Rhythmic and catchy as hell, this is probably the pick of the album, just based on its replay value alone. Excellent stuff and what I yearn to hear more of from the Clarkin/Catley duo.
"Immigrant Son" sees an even rawer feel than anything that has come before, and often falls into that "almost live" trap that was discussed earlier. The rough riffage is based around rhythm guitar that is quite dark indeed with tons of vibration in the topping electric fills. The chorus swerves into another mode, with warm piano to lighten up the sound and an unexpected forward appearance by the bass that kicks in, to much delight.
"Hard Road" sees Clarkin shedding the edgy six string tones for the opening in favor of a crisp guitar hero type feel that melds well with the synth flowing to surround, all with the touch of gentleness. Then it all kicks into moodier territory, which lasts seconds before a basic piano and vocal transition evenly to this almost ballad-like atmosphere. It switches between this
AOR-ish moment and back to the rougher moodiness, this presentation is overall reminiscent of the one-off Coverdale/Page project. A chorus that snapes and bites versus the verses which are rolled in a melody covered coating that definitely display the heart of classic
Magnum.
Finally it's the grand epic of the album,
"The Scarecrow". The opening is quite extended, as most songs striving to be epics often contain. This one dives right into bass and synth, slowly building for a good couple of minutes of leisure that consistently grows with intensity before reaching a topping off point where the song starts to take a little more flight with more assurance in its wings. It struts at this point for a brief period then cools off, and opens up with a slight increase in aggression to become a rather smooth sailing melodic friendly brand of rocker.
We are several minutes in and its time for the gimmick.
"The Scarecrow" continually dips into screeching haults for the drama factor, and then adds in some thumping skin pounding by Harry James that really does much to help power the song as it moves past the mid point, the area where the big jam session comes in. Here's where the attention can wander depending on your tastes. This sounds very much like a section ripped out of one of the Hard
Rain releases, and kind of kicks dirt all over the welcoming mat to the point this guest is not really all that welcome invading this song as it is anymore. Just before you might be ready to kick the houseguest out, the guitars sweep in and clean up the mess to allow the track to roll on before boredom can take complete hold. The ending makes up for the jam session intrusion (which many will find to be a sheer delight I might add) with tons of background supporting vocals, and the song finally flying into full blown epic feel, closing out with a guitar solo. With an almost ten minute running time, there is likely to be some weaknesses, but the song is pulled off quite well in retrospect.
Which
Magnum you are expecting to show up for the party depends on the incarnation you are most attached to. I personally prefer the over-the-top very 80s synthensizer extravaganza of "On A Storyteller's Night" and "Vigilante" and the more
AOR bent "Wings of Heaven" but this "new"
Magnum has a place as well. If in future releases, the melodies can become a bit more focused and infused with catchier qualities they might be onto something that could turn them from a currently "good" hard rock band into shades resembling that of their former glory. A concentration on more accessible melodies would work well with the darker, rawer approach that the music has taken its turn into. Either way, fans of the band or hard rock will find a lot to like here, as long as you bring some patience to the table for the more epic productions and an open mind for a few of the rest. An overall much better offering than the still quite enjoyable previous outing, "Breath of Life", "Brand New Morning" has a more maturity and a potential to grow on the listener over time.
Written by
Alanna Saturday, September 4, 2004
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