Escape Music has announced the re-release of much loved vocalist BOB CATLEY (Magnum, Avantasia) “The Tower“ album on Vinyl and CD including bonus tracks, with new artwork by the legendary artist Rodney Matthews.
The Vinyl will be limited edition of 500 copies, and 1000 CDs only – all will be numbered 001 to 1000.
Since formed 1972, Catley was the frontman of Magnum for more than two decades. But in the Nineties the band split and the formation of Hard Rain in 1995 with bandmate Tony Clarkin pursuing a more Pop-rock direction – didn’t sit well with Catley, and after a headline performance at The Gods in the late 90s, a conversation with Bruce Mee of Now & Then Records saw Catley agree with a decision which eventually led to his debut solo album, 1998’s ‘The Tower’.
This record was completely written by Gary Hughes of TEN, with the arrangements completely decided to be in the vein of classic Magnum. ‘The Tower’ itself was recorded by various members of TEN, including the amazing Vinny Burns (Dare) on guitar.
‘The Tower’ is an instant classic. Catley’s voice is as powerful and passionate as ever and Gary Hughes’ music and lyrics capture the classic Magnum essence & sound.
If there had been any mists of oblivion creeping over Magnum’s legacy, they were all swept away with a blast of melodic hard rock of highest quality that is ‘The Tower’. Collaborating with Hughes, the brain of TEN, Catley managed to – not only prove himself as a solo artist in his own right – but also released an album that rivaled the best Magnum albums of the past.
“The Tower” begins with style. The mellow beginning of the opening track “Dreams” flows on with a celtic sounding melody that takes the listener back to the misty moorlands of ancient Britain. Then, without a warning, the pace tightens and the song transforms into a brilliantly executed duel of a piano and electric guitar and builds into a song that immediately gives a promise of one hell of a hard rock record. And simultaneously lifts the expectations for the rest of the album through the roof.
Remarkably enough, those expectations are met as soon as the second track, entitled “Scream” begins, very sneakily, straight from the end of “Dreams”.
Personally I can easily lift “Scream” as the definite highlight of “The Tower”. Even though the whole album consists of first class material, there’s the kind of magic in “Scream” that still sets it above it’s surroundings. Gary Hughes always had a knack of writing killer melodies, but this time his writing pen was truly on fire.
“Scream” features inventive, catchy and emotional melodies; both slow ballady parts and catchy midtempo verses. And when the song’s chorus begins, it shoots into your brain, causes an instant addiction and returns in the silent hours of the night to haunt you till you get up and listen to the song again. Add to this a set of excellent lyrics, Catley’s strong delivery and voilá – a true hard rock masterpiece has been created.
Very neatly composed “Deep Winter” is another premium example of the album’s strength. It’s an acoustically driven song that verges on up-tempo yet, rather controversially, reaches a very melancholic mood. Catley shines on this one too, fitting his voice perfectly to reflect the lyrical contents of solitude, longing and bitter sweet memories of once burning love, now frozen and lost as if underneath the snow and coldness of a merciless winter, never to return again.
In addition to the ones previously mentioned, “The Tower” has seven more tracks to offer. All very melodic, very atmospheric and very good.
The music ranges from very subtle moments of Catley singing with only a lone piano in the background, to arrangements that reach proportions easily describable as epic. There isn’t really a single weak moment amongst the tracks though some songs might get left in the shadow of the really superb ones.
If there ever was a perfect British melodic hard rock album, this could well be it.
After releasing “The Tower”, Bob Catley’s solo career really took flight and brought on a series of great albums. The 1999 follow up “Legends” and 2001’s “Middle Earth” continued the flourishing collaboration between Catley and Hughes.
By the time of 2003’s “When Empires Burn” saw Bob joining forces with keyboardist Paul Hodson and became, what Catley cheerfully calls “his heavy metal album”. 2008 the latest of Catley solo releases so far, “Immortal” saw the light of day, and underlined his reputation of being able to deliver solid material time after time.
During this time, of course, also Bob’s main band Magnum got reunited and keeps on delivering their trademark brand of hard rock to the music fans ‘cross the globe.
On release 1998 by Frontiers Records (their 8th release), the many positive reviews concluded that ‘The Tower’ had succeeded beyond its wildest imagination… and Bob Catley’s solo career had been launched with amazing success.
So, check it out – and then, rush off to the shops to get your hands on a copy of “The Tower”. Every home should have one.
01 Dreams 6:46
02 Scream 7:34
03 Far Away 6:03
04 Deep Winter 5:27
05 Fire And Ice 5:35
06 Madrigal 6:45
07 Steel 4:58
08 The Tower 6:33
09 Fear Of The Dark 6:31
10 Epilogue (instrumental) 1:53
11 Just Like An Arrow (Live) 3:53
12 Lonely Night (Live) 3:59
13 On A Storyteller’s Night (Live) 4:48
