Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Magna Carta's second and third albums are combined onto one CD on this 1999 reissue, with the addition of historical liner notes. Magna Carta's second LP, Seasons, was dominated by the 22-minute, nine-part suite title track, which took up all of side one. "Seasons" was indeed a grand conceptual work inspired by the changing of the seasons. Its laudable ambition apart, it's pretty ordinary, mild pop-influenced early-'70s British folk-rock. There's a dated preciousness as it slightly varies the pace from jolly full-band good-time folk-rock and pastoral harmonizing to twee, fairytale-like narration and almost pop-like orchestration. The six standard-length songs on side two can strike an almost too-cheerful pop-folk bounce, with soft rock orchestration and harmonies that make it vaguely reminiscent of American sunshine pop at points. Simon & Garfunkel are an obvious influence, too, on songs like "Give Me No Goodbye" (overlaid with slight sitar licks), "Scarecrow," and "Elizabethan," though Magna Carta could make Simon & Garfunkel sound almost heavy in comparison. The closing "Airport Song," which was plucked from the LP as a shot for a hit single, goes furthest into pop with its bossa nova beat and easy listening arrangement, though the Simon & Garfunkel influence in the vocal harmonies is nearly overwhelming. Magna Carta co-founder Lyell Tranter was replaced by talented guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Davey Johnstone for Songs From Wasties Orchard, which benefited from a little more guts and earthier folk colorings. They were still playing Clark Kent to Simon & Garfunkel's Superman, however, on songs like "Time for the Leaving," "Sunday on the River," and "Good Morning Sun," whose lyric "Good morning sun, how ya doin'?" bore a too-close resemblance to Simon & Garfunkel's feel-good classic "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." Though Johnstone gave a Celtic lilt to numbers like "Sponge," the band's brand of folk-rock was just too mild-mannered (and, on songs like "Home Grown," too incessantly good-time in its celebration of country life) to make a difference. "White Snow Dove" brings in a minor-keyed, doleful British folk aura that effectively breaks up the mood, though it's not typical of the album.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Tony Visconti, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Davey Johnstone, ComposerLyricist - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Davey Johnstone, ComposerLyricist - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Chris Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Magna Carta, MainArtist - Glen Stuart, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1971 Mercury Records Limited
Album review
Magna Carta's second and third albums are combined onto one CD on this 1999 reissue, with the addition of historical liner notes. Magna Carta's second LP, Seasons, was dominated by the 22-minute, nine-part suite title track, which took up all of side one. "Seasons" was indeed a grand conceptual work inspired by the changing of the seasons. Its laudable ambition apart, it's pretty ordinary, mild pop-influenced early-'70s British folk-rock. There's a dated preciousness as it slightly varies the pace from jolly full-band good-time folk-rock and pastoral harmonizing to twee, fairytale-like narration and almost pop-like orchestration. The six standard-length songs on side two can strike an almost too-cheerful pop-folk bounce, with soft rock orchestration and harmonies that make it vaguely reminiscent of American sunshine pop at points. Simon & Garfunkel are an obvious influence, too, on songs like "Give Me No Goodbye" (overlaid with slight sitar licks), "Scarecrow," and "Elizabethan," though Magna Carta could make Simon & Garfunkel sound almost heavy in comparison. The closing "Airport Song," which was plucked from the LP as a shot for a hit single, goes furthest into pop with its bossa nova beat and easy listening arrangement, though the Simon & Garfunkel influence in the vocal harmonies is nearly overwhelming. Magna Carta co-founder Lyell Tranter was replaced by talented guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Davey Johnstone for Songs From Wasties Orchard, which benefited from a little more guts and earthier folk colorings. They were still playing Clark Kent to Simon & Garfunkel's Superman, however, on songs like "Time for the Leaving," "Sunday on the River," and "Good Morning Sun," whose lyric "Good morning sun, how ya doin'?" bore a too-close resemblance to Simon & Garfunkel's feel-good classic "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." Though Johnstone gave a Celtic lilt to numbers like "Sponge," the band's brand of folk-rock was just too mild-mannered (and, on songs like "Home Grown," too incessantly good-time in its celebration of country life) to make a difference. "White Snow Dove" brings in a minor-keyed, doleful British folk aura that effectively breaks up the mood, though it's not typical of the album.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 19 track(s)
- Total length: 01:16:48
- Main artists: Magna Carta
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: EMI
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 1999 Mercury Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 1999 Mercury Records Limited
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.