Hansson is just briimming with diverse musical ideas from a wide range of infuences, and he weaves them together into an enduring thematic whole. Unlike so many other progressive rock bands of the time, Hansson lacks the somewhat grandiose pretensiousness other groups seemed to engage in that now makes their music seem dated and unsophisticated. Hansson's vision seems to be pursued for its own sake, and this has lasted. This is an absolutely outstanding recording. This 1972 album is no different, although musically it finds him exploring jazzier styles a bit more than on his debut album Lord of the Rings (1970). The jazzy styles are featured a tiny bit on the lengthy opening track Big City. For those of you that do not like the sound of jazz on a Bo Hansson album - fear not. In large part, the music on Magician's Hat is mellow prog rock that mixes Swedish folk styles and European classical music and features Bo's excellent spacey organ, mini-moog, and mellotron playing. Although Bo is a multi-instrumentalist, he is supported on Magician's Hat by a flute/sax player, guitarist, and drummer. There is some great ensemble work along with good playing by all members. This remastered album is very nice and features restored cover art, great sound quality, and lots of informative liner notes.
