Track Listing

1. Soldier Of The Line
2. On The Edge Of The World
3. The Spirit
4. Sacred Hour
5. Walking The Straight Line
6. We All Play The Game
7. The Teacher
8. The Lights Burned Out
9. Back To Earth
10. Hold Back Your Love
11. Soldier Of The Line
12. Sacred Hour
13. Long Days, Black Nights
14. The Lights Burned Out
15. The Spirit
16. Soldier Of The Line

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11449 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 68 minutes

Customer Reviews

A Sacred Hour!!!
If you're a talented songwriter/musician, like Tony Clarkin, sooner or later you'll create a batch of songs that blows everything else you've done up to that point out of the water. If you're a hard working band, like Magnum, constantly on the road, sooner or later you'll find an audience willing to listen.
'Chase The Dragon' shows everything finally coming together for Magnum, both musically and commercially, as they seriously found their way into people's front rooms.
Up until 1980, Magnum were a respected band with a relatively small following. They had spent years playing live in pubs and clubs, while supporting higher profile bands in bigger arenas. Their first couple of albums had met with mixed responses. 'Kingdom Of Madness' had performed admirably, considering it had been released slap bang in the middle of the punk explosion, but follow up 'Magnum II' had failed even to chart.
However, a live album, 1980's 'Marauder' had made the U.K. top 40, and they had even had a hit single with their 'Magnum' E.P., which made the top 50.
With 'Chase The Dragon', Magnum had matured as a band. Whereas the first two albums were soaked with the bands influences, like Yes, Styx and Queen, this album showed Magnum defining their own style. And whereas, the production on the first two records was flat and tinny, Jeff 'Kansas' Glixman's production is closer to the band's live sound, and is therefore louder and beefier.
Opening cut, 'Soldier Of The Line', still ranks as one of Magnum's best album starters. Full of drama and power, it was restored to the band's live set in 2005, to the delight of the fans.
'On The Edge Of The World' is a catchy toe tapping rocker, complete with swirling keyboards.
Following track 'The Spirit' is one of Magnum's many signature pieces, and effectively mixes folk with heavy metal. Special mention has to go to Tony Clarkin for some awesome guitar pyrotechnics, and Kex Gorin, for some pounding drums. Great stuff.
'Sacred Hour' comes next, and is another one of those signature tunes. It starts with a great keyboard solo, and is full of top power playing and a top vocal from Bob Catley. No live set would be complete without it.
'Walking The Straight Line' is another catchy, poppy rock track with a decent riff, and 'We All Play The Game' is a gorgeous, acoustic guitar based slice of folky balladry.
'The Teacher' is a powerhouse of a number that has you reaching for the air guitar, and album closer 'The Light's Burned Out' is a nice piece of bluesy rock with singalonga chorus.
This remaster also comes complete with bonus tracks, the standout one being 'Back To Earth', which is a galloping, swashbuckling piece of hard rock. It also used to be a very popular live track.
There isn't a bad song on 'Chase The Dragon' and then new keyboardist Mark Stanway, who had replaced Richard Bailey makes his presence felt with a style that seems almost based in classical music. It lifts the quality of Tony Clarkin's songs, and seems to raise everybody else's game as well.
Special mention also has to go to Rodney Matthews, who contributes his first ever Magnum album cover, giving the band a visual side.
This album deservedly, provided Magnum with sales that put them in the top 20, back in 1982, and is without doubt their first masterwork, and most accomplished album of this era.
They might have been carelessly pigeonholed with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement which was happening at the time, but Magnum's music bore no resemblance to either Saxon, nor Iron Maiden.
Having said that, with 'Chase The Dragon', they had made an album that could more than match any of those acts for power and musicianship. The difference was they had injected it with melody, intricate playing, and sheer brilliance.
Absolutely wonderful.

Classic
Only one 'meh' song on this which is 'Walking the straight line'. Every other one is a belter and every one a classic. From 'Soldier..' to the singalong ballad closer. My personal favourites are 'Spirit' (of course, catchiest song ever), 'We all play the game' and 'Teacher.' This and 'On a storyteller..' contain some of the best material the band have written.

overlooked.
It's 2008. I'm 41. I think I was about 18 when I heard this album (switching off? you will be 41 soon, just you watch) and I confess to buying it for the cover, I was crazy about prog rock at the time and loved YES, Roger Dean etc, so bought this on the basis of the cover.

And then I bothered playing the album. It's 2008 and if you are in marketing, then listen up, it's not about smoke and mirrors and perception, it's about the actual item. So here is the moment that they teach you about.

The needle drops (yes it was turntable, this was long ago) and my spine chilled, the opening track was/is just a awesome - really atmospheric, The rest, well I spent my time deciding which was the poor track based on the fact that they were all great - it's really great rock album, if you rate melody of course.

Anyway, tonight I tuned into Radio 6 music and Bruce Dickinson was droning on... now he is the grandaddy of metal, don't get me wrong, anyone with a career this long, a pilot's licence, etc must be cool in a way, but I have to say he presides over the kind of music that is all power chords and adrenalin. Perhaps he should play some Magnum and introduce some melody and subtle tracks in there too Alistair