Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
To Generation X, their childhood was arguably one of the weird and wonderful as television programmes especially that were geared towards their mindset were often trippy and alluded to a sense of the pursuit which would not be tolerated in any other time; and one in particular springs to mind as the former winners of the Scottish Traditional Music Awards ‘Best Live Act’ attest to the heavens their splendid new album, and the lively, animated, passion that expands from within.
The Magic Roundabout may just be a groove of coincidence title wise, but there is something vigorously addictive to the musical get together that sees the definition of a supergroup actually meaning what it says on the tin. Maybe not the big names that encountered each other such as E.L.P. or even The Travelling Wilburys, but a collective of performers to whom super means inclusive, which means pleasure, which leads to an album that is not only a dream to listen to, but which is also fun.
For Scotland’s Session A9 the bright and fascinating mostly instrumental album of The Magic Roundabout is a captivating and fearsome piece of industry, and even lingers wonderfully in the living memory of Tom Waits and the much-missed Robbie Robertson through their interpretation of two classics in The Heart of Saturday Night and Twilight.
The album is one that reminds the listener of a trip perhaps to vaudeville crossed with all time music hall belief and insistence, it is in itself a trip, one where the mind swirls with eager anticipation and unforced colours unifying and separating at will, and the blast, that sense of noise and occasion is a kick of unrelenting cool; this is no cartoon, but is sure is animated to the limit.
Across reels and tunes such as Rachel’s Graduation Day, the chaos and groove of the album track and in homage to Swindon’s notorious and remarkable traffic installation, The Magic Roundabout, Inspector John Duff of Braemar Police Mountain Rescue, Friday The 13th, and the aforementioned covers, the group immeasurably find the banter of music one to be admired and played with a glint in the eye and a smile on the face of beauty.
A terrifically inspired recording, one of total control but with its own insistence of supplying a trip of groove to the day for the listener; a roundabout in which to gratefully nod yes to.
Ian D. Hall