Magic Hour (Cast album)
1999 studio album by Cast
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Magic Hour is the third album by the English band Cast, released in 1999.[1][2] "Beat Mama" and the title track were both released as singles, and reached number nine and number 28 on the UK Singles Chart respectively.
| Magic Hour | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 May 1999 | |||
| Recorded | Ridge Farm Studio Air Studios | |||
| Genre | Rock - Orchestral pop | |||
| Length | 68:28 | |||
| Label | Polydor (547176) | |||
| Producer | Gil Norton | |||
| Cast chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Magic Hour | ||||
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Critical reception
Mike DeGagne of AllMusic praised Power's songwriting as "way above 1997's Mother Nature Calls" and his musicianship being "extremely sharp" throughout the track listing, while also highlighting Peter Wilkinson's performance as "more professional and [more] focused" than with his other bands, concluding that: "Even though none of the songs can match the strength of "Guiding Star" […] Magic Hour still stands up as the group's second best recording."[3] Jamie Atkins of Record Collector said the album and its successor Beetroot showcase a band attempting to "break new ground [...] It all just lacks wit, imagination and conviction".[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Power.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beat Mama" | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Compared to You" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "She Falls" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Dreamer" | 3:43 |
| 5. | "Magic Hour" | 3:08 |
| 6. | "Company Man" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Alien" | 5:26 |
| 8. | "Higher" | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Chasing the Day" | 4:20 |
| 10. | "The Feeling Remains" | 3:54 |
| 11. | "Burn the Light" | 4:01 |
| 12. | "Hideaway" | 24:42 |
- Note
- "Hideaway" ends at 6:40. After 13 minutes of silence (6:40–19:40), the hidden song "Solo Strings" begins, which is an instrumental version of "Alien" conducted by David Arnold.
Personnel
- Cast
- John Power – vocals, guitar
- Peter Wilkinson – backing vocals, bass
- Liam "Skin" Tyson – guitar
- Keith O'Neill – drums
- Production
- Gil Norton – producer, mixing
- Danton Supple – engineer, mixing
- David Arnold – string arrangements
- Nicholas Dodd – conductor
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
Charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[6] | 6 |