Track Listing

1. Rockin' Chair
2. Only A Memory
3. Matter Of Survival
4. Heartbroke And Busted
5. No Way Out
6. Born To Be King
7. Mama
8. Reckless Man
9. What Kind Of Love Is This
10. Shoot
11. Cry For You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57050 in Music
• Released on: 1990-07-01
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

RUNNIN' LIKE A CADILLAC!!!
After the success that Wings Of Heaven brought the band in the U.K. and Europe, Magnum turned their attention to the U.S.A., a country that had mysteriously never quite embraced them. With this in mind, Guitarist/Songwriter, Tony Clarkin set about creating a set of tracks that would inject their basic sound with a real American hard rock flavour. Also, inspired by the cross Atlantic success that David Coverdale and Whitesnake had enjoyed in 1987, recording in L.A. with producer Keith Olsen, Magnum decided to follow suit. For extra commercial appeal, chart/radio friendly rock songsmith Russ Ballard was brought in to work with the band on a couple of tracks also.
Goodnight L.A. is arguably Magnum's loudest,heaviest album and both Bob Catley and Tony Clarkin give some of their best ever studio performances on vocals and guitar respectively throughout the record.
Rocking Chair, Matter Of Survival (both co-written with the aforementioned Ballard) and Heartbroke And Busted provide that streamlined, commercial American rock essence, the band appeared to be trying for, while Reckless Man and What Kind Of Love Is This are real balls out, heavier tracks.
My personal favourites though are the grander tracks. Mama is a powerhouse of a track with inspired vocals from Catley. Only A Memory is, slow burning, classic Magnum with some great Queenesque layered vocal effects, and closer Born To Be King is an epic that shows the band dishing out the nearest they've ever come to heavy metal.
Remaining tracks, Shoot and No Way Out are no more than decent album fillers.
The main focus of the album though seems to be Keith Olsen's production. He can't seem to be able to shake off Whitesnake. The vocals (some fantastic harmonies and effects), guitar and rhythm section are spot on, but Mark Stanway's keyboard lines often seem to disappear in the mix as the producer sets his stall out for American rock perfection. This is unforgiveable, as Mark Stanway's keyboards had by this stage become as integral to the bands sound as Catley's vocals and even Clarkin's guitar. Magnum have always been at their best when both keyboards and guitar are right there in the face and this lack of Stanway's work takes a dimension away from the bands sound unfortunately.
Another much debated issue with Goodnight L.A. is the cover. I've always liked the whole vertigo thing going on with it (the guy on the unicycle was apparently in The Wizard Of Oz!) and I think it's Magnum's best non-Rodney Matthews sleeve.
With Goodnight... Magnum followed up Wings Of Heaven rather well and full marks to Clarkin for trying something a little bit different. They managed another U.K. top ten placing with this one and Rocking Chair was another hit single, however, it never quite found the U.S. audience it was geared towards. Magnum would never attain this level of success again and harder times beckoned. Forget that though, invest a few quid and enjoy Magnum firing on all cylinders. Just a shame that Stanway doesn't get to shine. Never mind.