Customer Reviews

Correct Use of Soap

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Devoto's Magazine was clearly progressively ahead of all British and American contemporary prog-rockers in its day. They effortlessly placed abstract musical concepts alongside Devoto's signature mordant wit.

When 'The Correct Use Of Soap' was first released, it was not the blatant commercial compromise that some deaf rock critics have incorrectly suggested. Rather, it just wasn't as 'clanky' as their two previous efforts and therefore more spinnable for radio. 'TCUOS' was a tentative step in the direction of new-wave that the post-punk/prog-rockers were at the time taking. Only Magazine took each step fitted in avant-garde shoes.

Each individual song on 'TCUOS' has its own stark merits from the next. 'Model Worker' sounds like a Pere Ubu that's not afriad to get its lyrical wires crossed. 'Because Your Frightened' unquestionably exemplified avant-punk even better than Wire of Gang of Four did. 'Philadelphia' sounds like a more subdued (but brainier) Jesus Lizard.

Magazine is without a doubt the greatest band of all time. Sure, there are a bunch of overpaid charlatans posing as music critics who have led you to falsely believe otherwise all these years. Because they share this opinion collectively, I refuse to acknowledge any of them as members of the human race. Anyone who has heard this band's recordings surely must concur. If not, they must fall in the same catagory.

Magazine remains to this day an undiscovered gem even in a time when Nick Drake has been culled out of the archives. There's absolutely no excuse for that. Do yourself a favour and purchase Magazine's first four LP's whilst you're still alive. You won't regret it.

As for all these critics who have kept you in the dark all this time, I will personally pay each and every one a visit to give them a Singapore caning to the face.

This third album by the legendary band Magazine is generally considered more accessible than Real Life or Second Hand Daylight. There's something almost classical in the arrangements and the playing although the music still has the punk edge, especially on songs like Because You're Frightened and Model Worker. You Never Knew Me with Laura Teresa's atmospheric backing vocals is particularly graceful and moving. Ever the poet, Devoto rhymes 'philadelphia' with 'healthier' on the song of that title. I Want To Be Burn Again has its eerie moments and the arrangement, especially the swirling cascading synths, reminds me of what Peter Murphy would do later in the eighties. The Sly Stone cover Thank You (Fallettin Be Mice Elf Agin) could probably be termed 'plastic funk' by analogy with David Bowie's plastic soul on Young Americans. But the highlight of the album for me remains the weird atmospheric Song From Under The Floorboards, an awesome number with mysterious hypnotic appeal. To me, it's on a par with Devoto's strange masterpiece called Rubbish on the Luxuria album. Devoto is a man of many talents but unfortunately not prolific enough. This album is therefore to be treasured.

Oasis, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, The Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, The Charlatans UK, The La's. Any day now people will start writing doctoral dissertations about why the world's greatest rock bands have come from Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool. Add to that list Magazine, perhaps the most criminally overlooked of all Manchester bands. "The Correct Use of Soap" is one sly, powerful left hook full of lyrical wordplay, frightfully intelligent arrangements, and stylish sentiment. If Nabokov had formed a rock band instead of writing novels, it might have sounded like this.

When this album came out in 1980 I listened to it for months. It didn't sound like any record out at the time. It was literary. It went beyond the limitations of punk. Does any good punk record have keyboards on it? "Because You're Frightened" sounds like a encapsulation of the first two records. "Model Worker" is a hyper ballad for real. It is a commentary on America and the work ethic. "I'm A Party" sounds a lot like the fourth record. I didn't relally care for that one. This is Magazine's last great recording. "Philadelphia" is modern funk at breakneck speed. It's not really sure what this song is about. There are many references to America in general on this whole album. Maybe they were getting into Philly Soul and Sly Stone at this point? "I Want To Burn Again" sounds like Bowie. John McGeogh's guitar on this song (and others) is amazing and often copied. McGeogh left the band after this record and joined Siouzsie and The Banshees and PIL. "Sweetheart Contract" is a great song. It's one of those non-singles that is tucked into an album. This album has no filler. It's starts off great and end brilliantly with "A Song From Under The Floorboards." This is a song that takes its inspiration from Doestoevsky. His book "Notes From The Underground" should be checked out. This is a song that is written from the point of the view of its protagonist. This song is world weary. It is nihilistic. "I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit..." is a great line and sums up everything that Magazine was about. If Magazine would have stopped here, they would have probably been regarded in the same light as Sex Pistols, Ramones, and Wire. But they went on and did another uninspired album (without McGeogh) and messed it up. I haven't heard this record for years. Then when I was in New York City, it was all anyone was playing in clubs. It had been rediscovered by a new generation.

There are arguments over which is the best Magazine album: Real Life, Correct Use of Soap and some even go with Secondhand Daylight. The only reason that CUOS is the best is that it was the group's third album, and the result of three years of working together and perfecting the unique sound on 1978's Real Life.
CUOS does sound more commercial than its predecessors but it was simply the evolution of Magazine's sound. Bizarrely, it is their most uplifting album, but under the layers of bouncy pop sensibility (there's even a Sly and the Family Stone cover!) lurks the tortured soul of Howard Devoto, which was especially tortured by the death of his father at the time of its recording. Songs like "I'm A Party" and "Song From Under the Floorboards" revel in sardonic self-pity and hatred while "I Want To Burn Again", the obligatory break-up track, is a depressing-cause-it's-true piece that even veers into the edge of a love ballad, albeit Howard Devoto style.
Are you brave enough to correctly use the soap? You can dance to this record but you can also cry to it...maybe at the same time...how many do you have like THAT in your collection?

Howard Devoto, lead singer of Magazine and former drummer of the Buzzcocks, claims that this record was too commerical. Strange, it doesn't seem commerical. Along with Real Life, this is Magazines most listenable album. The remake of Thank You ... by Sly and the Family Stone is especially good (eeire). But there are tons of strong tracks - A Song From Under the Floorboards, and You Never Knew Me, are great slower paced songs. However, Magazine speeds things up with Philadelphia, and You Love Me Because You're Frightened. Model Worker is also very very good. If you like underground music from the 80s, you like this.

I have heard few bands contrive any album that is as progressive and dynamic as Magazine's "the correct use of soap". A true "non pop" alternitive musical achievement, with haunting lyrics, and obtuse chording. Somthing for people with an open mind for fresh music. It'll keep you hopping.

Think of Magazine as a melange of early Brian Eno, The Velvet Underground and Suicide, but with witty lyrics. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

this is awesome! I've had this for some time now, just didn't review it. It is awesome and herky jerky and poppy and fun. I won't chime in much more than this. if you like music that has a kick to it, like old xtc, you'll love it. if you are a post punk fan, you'll probably dig it as well, it is a classic to be sure

This album is filled with top notch songwriting. "Song From Under The Floorboards" is a classic and keeps drawing me back to listen to the rest, which is pretty darn good. The other Magazine albums do nothing for me. Not even a stand out song. Get Soap and that is all you need.