Review of Magic Hotel Album by Toploader

Toploader - Magic Hotel
Magic Hotel

Toploader

Magic Hotel

Sony

At some point in-between 2000 and late 2001 everyone in the UK had heard of Toploader. Dancing in the Moonlight shot into the singles chart in early February and had a major impact in the singles chart for the rest of the year, to name but a few singles Achilles Heel & Just hold on were all released off Toploaders Debut album Onka's Big Moka.

Toploader - Magic Hotel ' www.contactmusic.com

Magic Hotel is follow up to Onka's Big Moka, the Album took its name from the LA hotel that they stayed in whilst recording in the same studio where the Beach Boys made 'Pet Sounds' . All of the album was recorded in LA apart from 3 tracks where they used Dave Eringa who works with the Manic Street Preachers to produce the tracks. The rest of the album was produced by George Drakoulias known for his work with primal Scream and the Beastie Boys.

Magic Hotel is written in the same style as their previous album but sometimes on listening it sounds slightly over produced and can't help but feel that the tunes have been played around with too much.

Time of My Life is the opening track on the fresh album and has the same life as a good old 70's rock tune. Many of the songs on the album e.g. Leave me Be have a light hearted flow. The Midas Touch was one of the first songs that Joe ever wrote and is based on a story in Greek Mythology this song features a large string section and is a very powerful sound on the track. Never forgotten is Dan the groups guitarist favorite track and is also opened with a strings section. The inspiration for Stupid Games came from Einstein's Monsters written by Martin Amis, and is yet another easy listening track.

To around the album up if you enjoyed Toploaders previous offerings you will enjoy Magic Hotel. Some of the tracks were played on Van Morrison's piano unfortunately no true genius is found on this album but the band have always said to capture the band at their best you have to go and see them live!

Toploader embark on a 43 date tour around the UK for a gig near you see below:

OCTOBER.

5th Bristol Colston Hall

6th Southampton Guildhall

8th London Forum

9th London Forum

10th Swindon Oasis

12th Isle of Wight Ryde Arena

14th Folkstone Leas Cliff Hall

15th Margate Winter Gardens

16th Crawley Leisure Centre

18th Milton Keynes Sanctuary

19th Newport Leisure Centre

20th Birmingham Academy

21st Leicester De Montford Hall

23rd Liverpool Royal Court

24th Middlesborough Town Hall

25th Newcastle City Hall

27th Motherwell City Hall

28th Dundee Caird Hall

29th Glenrothes Rothes Hall

31st Glasgow Barrowlands

NOVEMBER.

1st Carlisle Sands Centre

2nd York Barbican

3rd Grimsby Auditorium

5th Bradford St George's Hall

6th Sheffield City Hall

7th Derby Assembly Rooms

9th Manchester Apollo

10th Preston Guildhall

11th Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

13th Wolverhampton Civic

14th Cambridge Corn Exchange

15th Norwich UEA

17th Oxford Apollo

18th Southend Cliffs Pavilion

20th Exeter Uni

21st Reading Rivermead

22nd Brighton Centre

24th Portsmouth Guildhall

25th Plymouth Pavilions

Dec.

1st Watford Civic

2nd Ipswich Regent

4th Belfast Waterfront

5th Dublin Olympia

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Listen to Toploader - 'Time Of My Life'

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