B̤o̤ H̤a̤n̤s̤s̤o̤n̤ | M̤a̤gi̤c̤i̤a̤n̤'s̤ H̤a̤t̤ Full Album (1973)

 Bo Hansson (10 April 1943 – 23 April 2010)^[1] was a Swedish musician best known for his four instrumental albums released in the 1970s.

Recording and release

The genesis of the album can be traced back to the early 1970 recording sessions for Hansson's first solo album, Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings.^[4] As work on that album neared completion, the prolific Hansson also began working on additional material that was not intended for the album.^[4][5] After his debut album had been released in December 1970,^[6] Hansson continued to work on these left-over fragments and also composed additional material at his summer house in the Stockholm archipelago.^[5] Recording sessions for Magician's Hat took place at Studio Decibel in Stockholm, with contributions from a number of session musicians, including Rune Carlsson, Gunnar Bergsten, and Sten Bergman, all of whom were veterans of Hansson's first solo album.^[3]

 

Track listing

All tracks composed by Bo Hansson except where noted.

Side 1

1. "The City" – 7:20
2. "Divided Reality" – 6:17
3. "Elidor" – 1:34
4. "Before the Rain" – 1:31
5. "Fylke" – 1:50
6. "Playing Downhill into the Downs" – 1:39

Side 2

1. "Findhorn's Song" – 1:43
2. "Awakening" – 2:43
3. "Wandering Song" – 3:13
4. "The Sun (Parallel or 90°)" – 7:07
5. "Excursion with Complications" – 3:23

2004 CD reissue track listing

1. "The City" [extended version] – 11:29
2. "Divided Reality" – 6:17
3. "Elidor" – 1:34
4. "Before the Rain" – 1:31
5. "Fylke" – 1:50
6. "Playing Downhill into the Downs" – 1:39
7. "Findhorn's Song" – 1:43
8. "Awakening" – 2:43
9. "Wandering Song" – 3:13
10. "The Sun (Parallel or 90°)" – 7:07
11. "Excursion with Complications" – 3:23
12. "The City" [edited version] – 7:20
13. "Waltz at Dawn" [previously unreleased outtake] (Bo Hansson, Kenny Håkansson) – 5:51

Personnel

• Bo Hansson – organ, guitars, synthesizers, slide bass guitar, mellotron
• Rune Carlsson – drums, congas, cowbell
• Kenny Håkansson – electric guitar
• Rolf Scherrer – acoustic guitar
• Gunnar Bergsten – saxophone, flute
• Sten Bergman – flute
• Bobo Stenson – electric piano on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Owe Gustavsson – bass guitar on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Pelle Ekman – drums on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Göran Freese – saxophone
• Bill Öhrström – congas
• Jan Ternald – cover painting