Customer Reviews

Real Life

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are echoes here of Pink Floyd and Captain Beefheart and maybe a premonition of Joy Division and all being played by a bunch of punk rockers! This was Howard Devoto's first LP after surprising everyone by leaving the Buzzcocks just as they were poised on the brink of great things. In retrospect, the Buzzcocks would never have been as sucessful as they were with Howard's more grating voice and if this was the music he wanted to make there would have been no easy compromise. There is certainly no sign of the Buzzcocks' frenetic guitarwork or fey lovesongs. Instead we have Devoto's distinctive rasp and a band that includes future members of Siouxsie's Banshees, Nick Cave's Bad Seeds and er... Swing Out Sister (!). The highlight is the magnificent "The Light Pours Out Of Me" - the album is essential for this track alone. Maybe not as commercial as The Correct Use of Soap but it's a hard call which is the better place to start listening to Magazine; which you must!

It's difficult to tell that Real Life is over 20 years as Devoto and co. were years ahead of their time. This debut album from Magazine showed incredible maturity and is filled with top music. Highlights include Definitive Gaze,Shot By Both Sides and The Light Pours Out Of Me. Real Life is a must buy for any lover of good music

21 years after its release and this album still sends me to places most modern 'rock' couldn't even dream of. howard devoto's bratty drawl evokes an era when it was hip to be anti-establishment and anti-authority, yet his songs drip with a more personal internal melodrama. yes they used synthesizers, yes they were 'prog-rockish' but hey, they were DARK, and they were direct and they were/are magnificent. this was a landmark achievement for british post-punk and i recommend it to anyone who wants to rise above the bland offerings from contemporary british/american slaves to corporate radio. "time flies, time crawls, like an insect, up and down the walls"- i'll have a blast of whatever howard was on.

Had to laugh when I saw a previous reviewer's mention of Wax Trax (in Denver), as this is where I was turned on to Magazine. They were indeed playing Magazine when I was in the store, and I was so impressed I picked up "Play.", their live album. After that, I picked up everything Magazine I could get my hands on.

While this is not my favorite Magazine album -- I fall into the "Secondhand Daylight" camp -- this is still a very powerful document, and fairly bristles with a sophisticated punk energy. And it's unique enough that it can't be simply pegged with a convenient genre-tag, and still doesn't sound dated (unless one dates things by the presence of synthesizers, as some no doubt do).

While the music is driving and always interesting, the real strength is in the lyrics and in Devoto's intense and affected delivery; he declaims like a Bowery street preacher drunk on bathtub gin and Nietzsche.

If you're looking for something entirely "new" and exciting in music, look no further. For the first time Magazine listener, I'd recommend either this, "Correct Use of Soap" or "Play" (one of the great live recordings of all time, imho).

And to the good people of Wax Trax: thanks! (are they still there, I wonder?)

There are some remasters that significantly improve the sound quality over the original CD's release (The Cure, Jesus & Mary Chain); some remasters actually sound worse than the originals (Siouxsie and The The's immediately come to mind); and then there are some that are just unremarkable. Don't get me wrong: the Magazine remasters sound fine, the audio quality just isn't a huge leap forward from what was on the original CDs. On top of that, the bonus tracks that are offered are all available elsewhere.

Bottom line: If you're a die-hard Magazine fan, you probably have all the tracks that are on here, and chances are slim you'll notice a difference in sound. If you're new to Magazine and are looking for a good place to start, don't think twice about picking this up.

after howard devoto left the buzzcocks he formed MAGAZINE...truly one of the best bands from the post punk era...this debut is a classic, it could stand the time of all rock ages, not just the punk era...the music is flawless, fast paced, but with craftmanship not yet seen during the 77-79 years..."shot by both sides"...a classic, "burst", "recoil", classic rock...the whole disc rocks....intelligent music for the folks who started with the sex pistols...a must....

Come on. I mean, Howard Devoto AND Barry Adamson together on the same cd? Please. How could you go wrong. I don't care if you say you don't like punk. I don't care if you think nothing good came out of the 70's. This is one of the top 10 albums of all time for anyone who has heard it. Buy this cd and follow it up with Secondhand Daylight and your mind will open up like the flower that it is.

THE NEW REISSUES OVERALL:

SOUND: The mastering job makes a noticeable difference. The mix remains true to the originals, but there's more definition around the edges of each part - resulting in more powerful dynamics and an overall clearer sound. They refrained from maxing out the volume, which also helps with the dynamics.

MUSICAL CONTENT: They did it exactly right. Every non-album studio-recorded a-side and b-side has been slotted onto the ends of the appropriate albums. Previously, you had to buy the four albums, the non-album collection "Scree," and an additional disc to get the original a-side version of "Shot By Both Sides." (There was a great live 3-song b-side on an e.p., which is now only available on "Scree." Some alternate 2002 mixes of "Magic Murder and the Weather" songs are only available on the boxed set, "Maybe It's Right to be Nervous Now." The third disc of that box - the complete Peel Sessions - was released as a stand-alone cd in November, 2008.)

PACKAGING UPSIDE: Magazine had great album covers, but the Virgin cds all printed a diagonal banner across them indicating that they were budget cds. So that has been rectified. Also, the new cds come in clear jewel boxes and have nice artwork adaptations beneath the cds (which also have album-specific graphics on them). Typography on the spines is also specific to the albums and their visual aesthetic.

PACKAGING DOWNSIDE: The Virgin cds did a good job of adapting the back covers of the albums for the jewel box, and only the new "Correct Use of Soap" really tries to do that (poorly). The printing job is okay but not great. The typography on "Soap" and "Magic" is a little wonky, and the background color on "Soap" far more yellow than the original artwork/album. The Virgin cds also included the complete lyrics. The new cds do not have any lyrics. There's no additional graphic content either - photography, single covers, or anything else. Aside from the credits, all you get are mediocre essays that don't tell you much if you're already a Magazine fan.

The first Magazine Cd or lp is essential,its also incredible beautifull with the great Howard devoto qand future Bad seed barry Adamson
I saw Magazine Live once A true "beautifull but powerfull punkband
live theyreinded me of Joy division
Check out their next 2 albums too Second hand day light is simply ..incredible

I've been listening to this band since the late Seventies and I can safely say if you pick this up you'll probably be listening to them a quarter century from now. It's great to read all these positive reviews from the younger generation; the music travels well. Ignore me, read the other reviews, they're dead on.

I bought this album the same day I bought my first Wire LP. Wot a day that wuz! If that band or this one is news to you then jump at them, it could change your life. Spoiled me rotten.