Magnum – Magnum II – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Description

Magnum – Magnum II – 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Magnum II finds Magnum working out the balance that would become central to their music: strong melodies, a taste for dramatic arrangements and enough guitar weight to keep the songs rooted in hard rock. Originally released on Jet Records in 1979, this second studio album follows Kingdom of Madness and brings producer Leo Lyons into the picture. Lyons, known as the bassist in Ten Years After, had also produced UFO. His involvement places the record within a familiar British rock tradition, while the songs reveal a band with its own interest in keyboards, atmosphere and storytelling.

‘Great Adventure’ gives that combination an inviting entrance. The guitars and keyboards share the space around Bob Catley’s singing, and the hook keeps the arrangement from feeling overburdened. ‘Changes’ offers another accessible point of entry; it was one of the singles drawn from the album, along with ‘Foolish Heart.’ These songs show how comfortably Magnum could work within a concise format even when their broader musical interests leaned toward progressive rock. There is a useful tension between the directness of the vocal melodies and the extra detail supplied by the instruments, giving the material something to return to beyond its choruses.

The quieter approach of ‘Reborn’ opens up another part of the record. Its acoustic character gives Catley room to sing with a different kind of emphasis, away from the more forceful material. Elsewhere, ‘The Battle,’ ‘If I Could Live Forever’ and ‘So Cold the Night’ suggest the range of moods Tony Clarkin was bringing to his songwriting. Clarkin wrote the original album’s ten songs, and the consistency of that writing helps connect the shifts in tone. Magnum II moves between compact rock numbers and pieces that make more room for atmosphere without losing the recognizable voice at its center.

The lineup pairs Catley and guitarist Clarkin with bassist Wally Lowe, drummer Kex Gorin and Richard Bailey on keyboards and flute. Bailey’s presence is especially helpful in understanding why the album reaches beyond a straightforward guitar-band sound. Keyboards are part of its identity rather than an occasional decoration, and Catley’s expressive singing gives the arrangements a clear focal point. ‘Firebird’ and ‘All of My Life’ complete the original program before this edition’s additional material. For listeners coming backward from Magnum’s later records, the album offers an early view of the partnership between Clarkin’s writing and Catley’s delivery.

This Music on Vinyl edition presents Magnum II on one black 180-gram LP in a reflective mirror sleeve. It includes the complete original album followed by two bonus tracks, ‘Lonesome Star’ and ‘Everybody Needs,’ at the end of side B. Those additions expand the program while preserving the original ten-song running order. The result is a useful edition for anyone exploring Magnum’s early catalog: a record with recognizable melodic instincts, a more exploratory instrumental character and a singer already able to carry both its direct rock songs and its quieter moments.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic

Release Details

Artist

Magnum

Album

Magnum II

Format

180 Gram Vinyl Record

Media configuration

1 LP

Original album release

1979

Label

Music on Vinyl

Vinyl color

Black

Vinyl weight

180 grams

Catalog number

MOVLP2781

This edition release

2022

Track Listing

Side A

Great Adventure

Changes

The Battle

If I Could Live Forever

Reborn

So Cold the Night

Side B

Foolish Heart

Stayin’ Alive

Firebird

All of My Life

Lonesome Star (Bonus Track)

Everybody Needs (Bonus Track)