This is the debut album from, in Sweden, very wellknown guitarrist Janne Schaffer. He was 28 when this album was released and features some also wellknown artists like Björn J:son Lindh and Ola Brunkert. The music is mostly instrumental and a lot of funk can be heard, mixed with rock, folk and jazz. Here and there it sounds like pornmusic but it's a rather okey album even though there ain't much vocals on it. The 8-minute "Jordbruksmaskinen" ("Harvest machine") is a progressive killer-song.

This album started a long career leading to playing with ABBA, Toto, Bob Marley, Ted Gärdestad and many many other swedish artists. He plays a Larrivée guitar but on this album it's a Gibson Les Paul. 

Drummer Ola Brunkert also played with ABBA (on all their albums) and recorded for many many other artists. He died in 2008 after a fall, 62 years old. Pianist Björn J:son Lindh is one of sweden's most known compositiors, he died of a tomour in 2013, 69 years old. Percussionist Jan Tolf died in 2005, 56 years of age.

1)Halkans affär (6,5)

2)No registration (7,0)

3)Kulan (5,0)

4)Titus (4,5)

5)Jordbruksmaskinen (8,0)

6)Daniel sover (-)

7)Did you ever love a woman (B.B. King) (6,0)

8)Fillins mignon (6,0)

9)Vindarnas madrass (7,0)

Score: 6,25

Janne Schaffer-guitars (b.1945)

Bengt Karlsson-guitar

Stefan Brolund-bass (b.1947)

Ola Brunkert-drums (1946-2008)

Björn J:son Lindh-piano and flute (1944-2013)

Sven Larsson-trombone

Håkan Nyqvist-trumpet

Slim Notini-vocals and piano

Jan Tolf-percussion and congas (1949-2005)

Malando Gassanna-congas

Jan Bandel-vibrafon and tabla (b.1944)

Another album, their 15th, by Birmingham melodic rockers Magnum. They have kept to their symphonic style since the end of the 1970's and they won't change now! This album continues their style that they have crafted since their 2002 comeback-album "Breath Of Life". It's not very interesting, I've heard this all before too many times, but as it's always with this band; it's never bad! Not an album I would buy or listen too very often. Same personell as the last album and it reached nr. 55 in the UK, nr. 19 in Germany and nr. 28 on the Swedish charts.

1)Black skies (7,0)

2)Doors to nowhere (7,5)

3)The visitation (6,0)

4)Wild angels (6,0)

5)Spin like a wheel (8,0)

6)The last frontier (5,0)

7)Freedom day (7,0)

8)Mother nature's final dance (6,5)

9)Midnight kings (6,5)

10)Tonight's the night (6,0)

Score: 6,55

Bob Catley-vocals (b.1947)

Tony Clarkin-guitars (b.1946)

Al Barrow-bass (b.1968)

Harry James-drums (b.1960)

Mark Stanway-keyboards (b.1954)

Once again Magnum lays back in AOR-land, it's very soft and melodic but there are more interesting songs on this album than on the last album "Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow" but sometimes and towards the end of the album it gets too uninsteresting and soft, as many times before with this band's albums. I want the 70's and 80's back! Harry James of Thunder-fame replaced Jimmy Copley who had played on the last album.

1)Intro (-)

2)Cry to yourself (7,0)

3)All my bridges (7,5)

4)Take me to the edge (8,0)

5)The moonking (7,5)

6)No one knows his name (6,5)

7)In my mind's eye (6,5)

8)Time to cross that river (6,5)

9)If I ever lose my mind (6,5)

10)A face in the crowd (6,0)

11)Feels like heaven (7,0)

12)Blood on your barbed wire thorns (7,5)

Score: 6,95

Bob Catley-vocals (b.1947)

Tony Clarkin (Anthony Michael Clarkin) -guitars (b.1946)

Al Barrow-bass (b.1968)

Mark Stanway-keyboards (b.1954)

Harry James (Gary Milton James) -drums (b.1960)

Produced by Kansas producer Jeff Glixman, Magnum's 3rd album saw a change of keyboardist. Richard Bailey left and 28 year old Mark Stanway came in, Mark is in 2014 still a member of the band. He made his 1st appearance with the band at the Reading festival in 1980 and this album was recorded the same year but it took 2 years before it was released. It has some really strong songs that are still played live, such as The Spirit and Sacred Hour and the album peaked at nr. 17 on the british charts. It's the first Magnum-album to feature Rodney Matthews' famous artwork.

Compared to the first two albums the music on this album is more straight forward and guitar-bass orientated. With their new keyboardist the keyboards were not as important to hear in the foreground any more. Why I don't know. The progressiveness of the former albums were partly still there but not at all as before.

This is a really good album that everyone should own!

1)Soldier of the line (8,5)

2)On the edge of the world (8,0)

3)The spirit (9,0)

4)Sacred hour (8,5)

5)Walking the straight line (7,0)

6)We all play this game (7,0)

7)The teacher (7,5)

8)The lights burned out (7,5)

Score: 7,88

Bob Catley-vocals (b.1947)

Tony Clarkin (Anthony Michael Clarkin) -guitars (b.1946)

Wally Lowe-bass

Kex Gorin-drums (1949-2007)

Mark Stanway-keyboards (b.1954)

This is the 13th album from Magnum and it's unmistakebly Magnum but the albums from these years are so much alike eachother and so are the songs on this album. It's as melodic as ever and here and there there is some progressiveness but it dissappears in the too melodic mess. The drumsound is too rough. The cover promises much but the album don't live up to it. But it's never bad though! Tony Clarking is too much of an good songwriter for that. Not an album I would care too listen to very much. It reached nr. 70 on the british charts and nr. 60 in Germany. For this album Magnum took in sessionplayer Jimmy Copley on drums. He has recorded with Tony Iommi, Paul Rodgers, Pretenders, Tears For Fears and many more.

1)When we were younger (8,0)

2)Eyes wide open (6,5)

3)Like brothers we stand (7,0)

4)Out of the shadows (7,5)

5)Dragons are real (7,5)

6)Inside your head (6,5)

7)Be strong (6,5)

8)Thank you for the day (7,0)

9)Your lies (7,0)

10)Desperate times (6,5)

11)You'll never sleep (7,5)

Score: 7,05

Bob Catley-vocals (b.1947)

Tony Clarkin-guitars (b.1946)

Al Barrow-bass (b.1968)

Jimmy Copley-drums (b.1953)

Mark Stanway-keyboards (b.1954)