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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wings Of Heaven represents Magnum's commercial peak. It also happens to be one of the finest British rock albums of the late 1980s.
What guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin manages to pull offf here, is creating a set of songs which balance the band's early sound (Chase The Dragon, Kingdom Of Madness), with the more streamlined sound of the previous two records (Vigilante, On A Storytellers Night). The result is an album of breathtaking quality.
Days Of No Trust, Start Talking Love and It Must Have Been Love are irresistibly accessible tracks, and its no surprise that all three were hit singles at the time. Pray For The Day, One Step Away, Don't Wake The Lion and my personal favourite, Wild Swan are much bigger, more complex tracks that give a tip of the hat to former glories, and Different Worlds is a good if a little forgettable album filler.
The production is crisp, slick and powerful and the cover artwork is stylish, evoking memories of U2's Unforgettable Fire sleeve.
It's no surprise that Wings Of Heaven made the top ten here in the U.K., or that Magnum would end this period as perhaps the most popular band of their ilk in Europe. It's just a shame that more difficult times lay ahead for the group. For the time being though, this was a band at the peak of their powers and if anyone can track down the live video (no DVD as yet sadly) of their show at the Hammersmith Odeon from the Wings... tour (I grabbed a copy from this website), you'll know what I'm getting at. Sublime.
What guitarist/songwriter Tony Clarkin manages to pull offf here, is creating a set of songs which balance the band's early sound (Chase The Dragon, Kingdom Of Madness), with the more streamlined sound of the previous two records (Vigilante, On A Storytellers Night). The result is an album of breathtaking quality.
Days Of No Trust, Start Talking Love and It Must Have Been Love are irresistibly accessible tracks, and its no surprise that all three were hit singles at the time. Pray For The Day, One Step Away, Don't Wake The Lion and my personal favourite, Wild Swan are much bigger, more complex tracks that give a tip of the hat to former glories, and Different Worlds is a good if a little forgettable album filler.
The production is crisp, slick and powerful and the cover artwork is stylish, evoking memories of U2's Unforgettable Fire sleeve.
It's no surprise that Wings Of Heaven made the top ten here in the U.K., or that Magnum would end this period as perhaps the most popular band of their ilk in Europe. It's just a shame that more difficult times lay ahead for the group. For the time being though, this was a band at the peak of their powers and if anyone can track down the live video (no DVD as yet sadly) of their show at the Hammersmith Odeon from the Wings... tour (I grabbed a copy from this website), you'll know what I'm getting at. Sublime.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
How this band are not one of the biggest in Britain i will never know. This offering was released when commercial rock had an opening in the mainstream in the late 80,s. Wings of Heaven is undoubtedly the most commercial that Magnum released and contains songs that still remain favourites 20 years later. Don,t Wake The Lion is my favourite but my opinion is put the cd on from the start and listen to some of the best songwriting by a british band since the beatles. There is not a filler on the cd and every song could be a hit single.Take my advice and try this YOU WILL ENJOY IT.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Magnum are like that old cardigan you juct can't throw out, despite the hole at the elbow. These guys produced some fine melodic rock during the 80's, finishing with this masterpiece at the end of the decade. 'Wings...' has it all, good pop rock in 'Days of No Trust' and 'Start Talking Love'; fine Magnum standards (in no way are they 'standard' in their execution) with 'One Step Away' and 'Pray For The Day'; cracking little ballad 'Must Have Been Love' and then there's...
Well there's 2 blow away tracks!! Tony Clarkin wrote some great songs in his time and it seems he used all his experience to write 'Wild Swan'- the song that includes the lyric 'On Wings of Heaven', and it does just that when listening to the wonderfully, descrptive words infused with Tony Clarkin's fine guitar.
The other track is the final number on the album. I saw Magnum on this tour and couldn't believe they did this live. It was breath taking. Truly wonderful...
'Don't Wake The Lion' is, is... get the headphones out, dim the lights, sit back and close your eyes. Allow yourself to be took thru a journey. A song that describes the hope, despair and grim, futile reality of war. A great use of sound affects that adds so much depth and extra dimension to a song that is in itself a mini opera.
Magnum came to their peak at the wrong time, a victim of grunge!! But what a peak! If you want to own a piece of 80's classic rock then this is it, and then some...
Well there's 2 blow away tracks!! Tony Clarkin wrote some great songs in his time and it seems he used all his experience to write 'Wild Swan'- the song that includes the lyric 'On Wings of Heaven', and it does just that when listening to the wonderfully, descrptive words infused with Tony Clarkin's fine guitar.
The other track is the final number on the album. I saw Magnum on this tour and couldn't believe they did this live. It was breath taking. Truly wonderful...
'Don't Wake The Lion' is, is... get the headphones out, dim the lights, sit back and close your eyes. Allow yourself to be took thru a journey. A song that describes the hope, despair and grim, futile reality of war. A great use of sound affects that adds so much depth and extra dimension to a song that is in itself a mini opera.
Magnum came to their peak at the wrong time, a victim of grunge!! But what a peak! If you want to own a piece of 80's classic rock then this is it, and then some...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Magnumas good as ever
Again Magnum have hit the mark. Well written and performed songs, giving it their all, as they always have done.
Published 8 months ago by Malcolm Craik
A must for Magnum fans
I'd been meaning to buy this on cd for a while - cassettes don't get much of a look in any more do they?
I love this album. Read more
I love this album. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Geddy
My awesome introduction to Magnum
Until I heard Into The Valley Of The Moonking I was convinced this was about as good as Magnum could get. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Lucioperca
Probably Magnum's finest.
Its hard to think that this album is over 20 years old, it still sounds really contemporary. The production and musicianship are superb, a completely different sound from the... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Rob Young
Almost a classic
This is almost a classic album. Days of No Trust sets things off in rocky style before Wild Swan takes flight, a bon fide Magnum classic - a real epic and emotional soundscape. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2010 by I. A. McFarlane
Brilliant
I first heard these on Planet Rock, and couldn't wait to hear the album Brilliant going to get the rest now!
Published on 20 Nov 2009 by Gail Aldridge
More commercial and pop
Well... Although I don't dislike this album, I don't like it too... :) This is an extension of Vigilante, but taking the pop and commercial part further. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2009 by A. David Garza Marin
Now You're Talkin'!
This was the 'Hair Metal' age of Magnum. They'd done bombastic, Queen-tinged prog rock and then settled into their own sound which was kind of a cross between Iron Maiden and... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2009 by ratmonkey
Very, VERY good
If you like melodic, emotional soft rock and BRILLIANT songwriting...you'll love this album. Magnum's finest without a doubt.
Published on 16 Aug 2006 by Adamski
An oldie but VERY goodie
I bought this on cassette back in the day (1988) and listened to it until I nearly wore it out. Since then I've bought a few copies of it on various formats and still love it now... Read more
Published on 4 April 2006 by Graham Ebbrell
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