Magnum: Dance of the black tattoo (Magenta)

It"'s been three years since Magnum brought out The Valley Of Tears - The Ballads, a compilation that focused on the British rock act"'s quiet, more otherworldly and dreamy side. Three years during which the idea matured to follow this successful release (top 100 of the German album charts) with a companion piece. Dance Of The Black Tattoo has turned into exactly that: a collection of songs that present Magnum exclusively as tough-as-nails rocking and extremely vibrant musicians. What makes this album so special is the fact that Magnum have gone through their impressive archive, looking for rare live cuts and outstanding radio versions and have come up with spirited live recordings and edits that concentrate on the essential components of some of their most accomplished rock numbers. Naturally, guitarist and band mastermind Tony Clarkin has used this opportunity to remaster and update all 14 tracks so that they comply with the state-of-the-art of (sound) technology. Says Clarkin: ""There have always been two aspects to Magnum: a slightly more tender and lyrical facet, but first and foremost of course our powerful, rocking side. And that"'s the element that Dance Of The Black Tattoo documents impressively.""