Tom G Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Agree about The Loneliest Place In The World,
> absolutely superb track.
>
> I looove The Tower too, it's a dead heat between
> it and When Empires Burn for my favourite BC solo
> album.


I like When Empires Burn a lot, but it could stand losing a couple of songs. It definitely comes in as #2 though. Middle Earth probably would fit #3. Spirit COULD have been good if you re-recorded it. Then you get Legends (really Ten with Bob Catley on vox), and the lyrical abyss that was Immortal. Catley, as good as he is, can only work with what he is given, and there was nothing lyrically to work with. Nice melodies, but soulless empty songs.



But neither quite reaches the height of
> those magical Magnum albums. I think it's mostly
> in the lyrics, Clarkin is a genius. Never on the
> wrong side of cheesy unlike Gary (mind you he is
> one of my favourite lyrics writers ever) who is
> responsible for some incredibly sappy ballads and
> dodgy lyrics.

I can agree sometimes on the lyrics, but early Gary Hughes is better than the more recent output. One thing Hughes managed to get on The Tower is that mystical Storyteller's Night (and to a lesser extent Eleventh Hour) feel.



>
> And the ridicilous sex songs of late has to go.
> It's not a wrong subject per se but he can do much
> better than that.

agreed 100%.




>
> I do think Bob's solo albums brought out the best
> in Gary. They are all brilliant. It also helps Bob
> is a masterclass singer, he really becomes one
> with those songs.

Fear of the Dark is right down Catley's alley as the type of material he excels on. With Gary being a huge Magnum fan, it probably made him step up his game a bit--especially on that 1st album.
Kevin