Magazine
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: General Music Discussions
Forum Description: Discuss and create polls about all types of music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69202
Printed Date: November 26 2024 at 15:42
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Magazine
Posted By: Textbook
Subject: Magazine
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 03:56
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Magazine were one of the first and best post-punk bands (along with Wire who I may give a thread to later.) Their first three albums are all highly recommended (the fourth and final was a bit weak) but it is their debut, Real Life, that is their crowning achievement. It's frequently on best album of all time lists, but its appeal and fame seems to be within the industry- Radiohead are huge fans for example- and they never really seemed to reach the ears of the masses.
Emerging when Howard Devoto left British punk legends The Buzzcocks because he found their style too limiting, Magazine emerged in 1978 as an already fiercely accomplished band on Real Life. Devotos intentionally ugly vocals, more sneered than sung, turn off some people but it's all part of the atmosphere. And what an atmosphere. They helped found the entire gloom rock scene that runs from Joy Division and The Cure to Interpol and The National. They use expert production and excellent musicianship together with fine song craft to make expansive tracks of frosty paranoia. If you like sinister music, they are unmissable.
Here are four tracks from Real Life. I may review their discog fully here later but in the meantime I really hope you give these songs a spin and give Magazine a try as I think they deserve a place in history they don't currently have.
If you like these songs, buy the album if you can because it's all good, no weak tracks on it.
Definitive Gaze- Listen to at least a minute. I love the production here and what they do with the keyboard.
Shot By Both Sides- The closest thing they had to a hit single. Brilliant intro.
Motorcade- Perhaps the most representative Magazine song. Chilly, icey, ominous, executed and conceived well.
The Light Pours Out Of Me- My favourite Magazine song. The drum beat, the bass line, the guitar riff, the chorus, the middle eight, all hit the spot fantastically.
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Replies:
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:13
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http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7584&KW=Magazine&PID=510556#510556 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7584&KW=Magazine&PID=510556#510556 http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7584&KW=Magazine&PID=510556#510556 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47559&KW=Magazine&PID=2806139#2806139 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47559&KW=Magazine&PID=2806139#2806139 ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:13
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^ Yeah, great band and so damn clever. Note how intense the audience is in Motorcade ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:25
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Truly excellent band, with some truly excellent musicians. Barry Adamson went on to form the Bad Seeds with Nick Cave, his solo music is featured in Jarman's The Last Of England, Lynch's Lost Highway and Natural Born Killers, Diamanda Galas guested on one of his solo albums; Dave Formula went on to join Post Punk Art Rockers Ludus and Robert Wyatt guested on his yet to be released solo album "Satellite Sweetheart"; and John "one of the most influential guitarists of his generation" McGeoch went on to fame with The Banshees and PIL ~ Radiohead's "There There" was inspired by McGeoch.
Magazine also influenced another 90s New prog band, Mansun, this track was co-written by Devoto and Mansun:
------------- What? |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:32
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One of my favourite bands of the late 70s early 80s. I prefer the second album though. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:38
I think Magazines place in history is already pretty well secured, having directly influenced people as diverse as U2, Radiohead, The Smiths and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. ------------- What? |
Textbook wrote:Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:41
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Well I'm glad to hear people here are up to speed on them. I've mentioned them in other forums and been rewarded with blank silence.
I know about Mansun and Magazine- in fact I found Magazine through being a Mansun fan as Mansun vocalist Paul Draper rants about them at the slightest provocation.
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:49
Up tp speed? Cheers for being condescending mate. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 04:54
^ 
I was trying to think who was headlining when I saw Magazine ...
 ... it was Magazine  , Simple Minds and Blancmange where supporting./edit: just checked on the Intermess - it was April 1979 - Life In A Day had just been released, Secondhand Daylight came out the previous month ------------- What? |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:12
| I log on to PA, quietly singing Shot By Both Sides to myself as it's been stuck in my head all morning and whaddyaknow? A new Magazine thread! Easily the best recommendation I got in my Post-Punk thread a few months ago. I've listened to Real Life a truly unhealthy amount. I really should move on to their second album soon... |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:16
It's a far more polished affair...evoking sylilih Roxy Music and a pinch of Floyd. Maybe a hint of Bowie too. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:23
Sounds like it's worth a punt then, though I rather like the raw edge to Real Life. That mix of punky grunt, slightly grandiose arrangements and 70's synths just seems to come together perfectly on that album. |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:31
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Secondhand Daylight is probably an even better capturing of the Magazine aesthetic, even more sonically accomplished and oppressive. However it doesn't have the hooks of Real Life which means it may not interest the uninitiated like Real Life will.
BIG NEWS
I knew Magazine had reformed and were playing concert dates but I just found out that it is confirmed that they are currently working on a new studio album, their first since 1981. Normally these kind of announcements terrify me as you picture a lot of clueless old has-beens stitching together some old cobblers they can peddle while they tour the nostalgia circuit but I'm willing to give Magazine the benefit of the doubt as I don't think they're like that. I'm VERY interested to see what they can do with modern production technology. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:38
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Good news. They had a too brief career. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: July 14 2010 at 05:46
| Chris S: re:audience intenseness, a lot of people think a sign of a great band is the crowd bouncing frantically up and down. I think that's a sign of a good band. I think the sign of a great band is the audience rooted to the spot unwilling to dance or even move because it would detract from their focus. |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: July 15 2010 at 15:57
It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
I'm another one on this site (Of a small but intelligent bunch
) who keeps on (and on)about how great they were (are). I come down on the side of Real Life. However, I am also a big fan of the other great album - 'The Correct Use of Soap' less proggy still, though but no less marvelous than the other to and then there's the other one Magic M and W that is not so good hopefully the new one will be better than the last.
------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: July 15 2010 at 16:26
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I like them too. They are something like progressive punk-pop, at least on 'real life'. The album I like the more is 'magic, murder and the weather' which is more funk-punk. Another band in the post-punk area that I got interested in recently is Simple Minds : I think their albums 'real to reel : cacophony' (Jim Kerr and his bandmates were highly into 'the lamb lies down...' at this time), and 'sons and fascination' are some of the best post-punk albums I ever heard. They released two more good albums after that : 'New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)' and 'sparkle in the rain' (breathtaking drumming on this one ! Mel Gaynor was invited duing the 1998 edition of batnight, a Paris yearly meeting of 10 of the best drummers in the world) but more melodic and not really post-punk anymore (brilliant though !). ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 15 2010 at 23:42
^ yes, we must never forget them, Sons & Fascination , Reel to Reel.. ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |