The problem with this album is that it’s all one-paced. And Magnum have always had the quality to vary styles on their records, from epic to powerful to romantic. But here all we get is one aspect of their talent. And after a while it becomes very boring.
The best tracks on The Valley Of Tears – The Ballads are an acoustic reworking of Lonely Night and a live version of When The World Comes Down. The rest are all songs from from recent years. Some, like Back In Your Arms Again and Broken Wheel, have been re-recorded for no discernible reason. The rest have been remixed and remastered.
The problem is that because this concentrates only on the band’s output during the last decade, their best ballads, such as Sacred Hour, are overlooked. So what is included here does not represent the finest Magnum moments in this area.
