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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Swedish instrumentalist Bo Hansson was probably more surprised than anyone when his 1972 masterwork, "Lord Of The Rings", became a runaway success. Yet despite - or perhaps because of -its lack of bombast, pomp and grandeur, this burnished collection of perfectly honed and haunting tunes (recorded on a four-track, folks!) perfectly encapsulates Professor Tolkien's epic. Bo had a difficult task on his hands to come up with a worthy follow-up; that he did so, with the mighty "Magician's Hat", is no less astonishing than its predecessor's success. Magician's Hat is more jazzy and dense, with a greater emphasis on the players where "Rings" had almost been a one-man band. Standout tracks are "The City", included here in original and extended versions, with its lonely saxophone beginning morphing into a swirl of time signatures and patterns, and "The Sun", where Hansson demonstrates his prowess on the electric piano without being in any sense show-offy. His musicians provide superb and sympathetic back-up - praise be, no progsters they - and it is a crying shame, even 30 years on, that this record failed to repeat the success of the Ring. The re-mastering is a treat, the sleeve notes generous, and there is a bonus track in the shape of the neat little coda, "Waltz At Dawn", slated for inclusion on the original album. Best of all, the packaging - and that magnificent front cover - have been beautifully preserved. A treat for the wee small hours.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I haven't heard this in years - many years; I once owned it on vinyl. At the time it was a bit too "strange" for me. Now, however, it's a joy and a pleasure.
It is difficult to classify - something a previous reviwer had identified.
It's like Jazzy/Prog come avante guarde and yet far more accessible than I remember.
Chunky keyboards, good supportive guitar work and plenty of funky percussion; there may some woodwind and brass in there as well.
I keep hearing Weather Report with a bit of RTF but with definite Prog undercurrents. Largely instrumental with vocal interludes the music is tight and lively; there is so much going on.
I am so pleased that I revisited this recording; whereas I was unsure of it before and gave my vinyl copy away - now, it's a revelation, as I've grown, it has grown on me!
It is difficult to classify - something a previous reviwer had identified.
It's like Jazzy/Prog come avante guarde and yet far more accessible than I remember.
Chunky keyboards, good supportive guitar work and plenty of funky percussion; there may some woodwind and brass in there as well.
I keep hearing Weather Report with a bit of RTF but with definite Prog undercurrents. Largely instrumental with vocal interludes the music is tight and lively; there is so much going on.
I am so pleased that I revisited this recording; whereas I was unsure of it before and gave my vinyl copy away - now, it's a revelation, as I've grown, it has grown on me!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Bo Hannson didn't produce much but what he did produce is so beautiful and magical and technically brilliant that he deserves a much wider audience. Most prog types I know have heard and appreciate his musical interpretation of The Lord of the Rings a piece that sublimely captures the otherworldly weirdness of the book itself. Magicians Hat follows in a similar otherworldly vein but within a broader range of musical experimentation and moods. Hansson's playing is faultless and tasteful and the album, although not containing a narrative sequence, flows beautifully.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
In the shadow of Lord of the Rings
A lot of good stuff has already been written about this album, so I would just like to add that, in my opinion, this album falls short of the quality set in his Lord of the Rings... Read more
Published 11 months ago by billbadblack
Awsome
I have enjoyed all the albums by Bo and this is equally as good as the others. Superb instrumental 70s music. Brilliant
Published 19 months ago by fitboy
QUITE A SUPRISE
This album has come as quite a suprise. For somebody who though they knew a great deal about 70s prog music I have been blown away. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2007 by C. Muscillo
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