The Magic Position is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf. It was released on 26 February 2007. The album features collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Edward Larrikin of Larrikin Love as well as backing vocals by Wolf's sister Jo Apps and also bass and alto clarinet instrumentation by Derek Apps. The album was preceded by the singles "Accident & Emergency" and "Bluebells".
| The Magic Position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 February 2007 | |||
| Genre | Folktronica, indietronica | |||
| Length | 40:49 | |||
| Label | Loog | |||
| Producer | Patrick Wolf | |||
| Patrick Wolf chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Magic Position | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Drowned in Sound |   [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| NME | [4] |
| No Ripcord | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[6] |
| Playlouder | [7] |
| Slant Magazine | [8] |
| Stylus Magazine | A[9] |
| This Is Fake DIY | [10] |
Music critics and Wolf himself have noted that this album marks a departure from the musical style of his previous two albums, with this one being more pop-oriented. He cites Boney M and Giorgio Moroder as influences.[11] Slant Magazine named The Magic Position the best album of 2007.[12]
As of 2009 the album has sold 20,400 copies in United Kingdom.[13]
Critical response
editThe Magic Position received general acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82, based on 27 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[14]
Track listing
edit- "Overture" – 4:40
- "The Magic Position" – 3:53
- "Accident & Emergency" (featuring Edward Larrikin) – 3:17
- "The Bluebell" – 1:11
- "Bluebells" – 5:17
- "Magpie" (featuring Marianne Faithfull) – 3:57
- "X" – 1:05
- "Augustine" – 4:19
- "Secret Garden" – 1:49
- "Get Lost" – 3:17
- "Enchanted" – 2:07
- "The Stars" – 3:51
- "Finale" – 1:57
Digital download
- "The Marriage" – 2:46
UK enhanced edition
- "Bluebells" (music video)
Japanese edition
- "Underworld"
- "Adder"
- "Ari's Song" (Misprinted as "Ali's Song")
- "The Marriage"
- "Accident & Emergency" (music video)
- "The Magic Position" (music video)
Canadian edition
- "The Childcatcher" (live)
- "Luna & Libertine" (live)
Singles
edit- 23 October 2006: "Accident & Emergency"
- 1 January 2007: "Bluebells" (download-only)
- 26 March 2007: "The Magic Position"
- 2 July 2007: "Get Lost"[15]
Personnel
edit- Patrick Wolf – lead vocals, Bosendorfer grand piano, Kawaii Modular synths, baritone & soprano ukuleles, mountain dulcimer, 5- and 15-string kanteles, clavichord, clavinet, programming, theremin, harmonium, autoharp, bells, gongs, handclaps, locks and keys
- Victoria Sutherland – solo violin
- Marianne Faithfull – vocals on "Magpie"
- Jo Apps – backing and sister vocal
- Derek Apps – bass and alto clarinets
- Katy Wright – solo cello
- Mark Rudland – trombones
- Flip Phillipp – vibraphone and glockenspiel
- Edward Larrikin – vocals on "Accident & Emergency"
- Richard Eigner – drums
- Werner Dafeldecker – double bass
- Jeremy Shaw, Richard Eigner, Patrick Pulsinger and Anna at Eastcote – handclaps
- Andreas Kaufmann – first violin
- Alexej Barer – second violin
- Raphael Handschuh – viola
- Rozaliya Rashkova – cello
Charts
edit| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[16] | 46 |
| US Top Heatseekers[17] | 42 |
References
edit- ^ Christopher, James (26 February 2007). "The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ Dobson, Gareth (26 February 2007). "Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ Dave Simpson (23 February 2007). "CD: Patrick Wolf, The Magic Position | Music | The Guardian". London: Music.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "NME Album Reviews - Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position". NME. 16 February 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position - Music Review". No Ripcord. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position". Pitchfork.
- ^ "Playlouder MSP Music Service". Playlouder.com. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "DVD Review: Music and Lyrics". Slant Magazine. 5 October 2023.
- ^ "Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Oooops". This Is Fake DIY. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ Lindsay, Cam (May 2007). "The Amorphous Patrick Wolf". Exclaim!. p. 15. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
- ^ "Features - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine.
- ^ "Billboard". 18 July 2009.
- ^ "The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ Billboard.com - Discography - Patrick Wolf - Get Lost
- ^ Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position - Music Charts
- ^ Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Patrick Wolf