For once I do think that this band will only appeal to a few on here and that's understandable but they remain a perennial favourite for me. A sound that has Prog elements but also a classic commercial Rock sound that was neither (un)fashionable enough to muscle in on the AOR sound perforating the airwaves in the 80's or oblique enough to appeal to diehard prog fans meant that Magnum never really gained an audience outside of the U.K. I do think that this was a damn shame as Tony Clarkin (songwriter, guitarist, main man) is a brilliant, maligned songwriter .
Their music gained the tag 'Pomp Rock', which is a term I know that a few are unfamiliar with outside of the U.K. The term was pegged to them for the fact that the lyrics, album covers and certain musical motifs were influenced by U.K 70's prog but their sound was slightly glossy and radio friendly. Sort of an unofficial soundtrack to Lord Of The Rings type mythology.
Chase The Dragon, Mirador and On A Storytellers Night are highly regarded albums amongst fans and remain defiantly unfashionable but undeniably listenable for many British Rock fans.
The late 80's saw the band achieving some minor commercial success with the album Wings Of Heaven but studio pressure reduced the band to soppy AOR ballads despite the inclusion of some of their very best tracks such as Wild Swan, One Step Away and the epic Don't Wake The Lion.
A natural successor to bands such as Yes (without the noodling) and Barclay James Harvest, Magnum remain a band that in a different time and place would have been huge.
Have some snippets:
The tempo change at 1:14 and the breakdown at 2:30 are perfection.