Toploader - Magic Hotel - Album Review

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.

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

View Toploader Interview

Listen to Toploader - 'Time Of My Life'

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