Re: Question

[hall%beta.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM]

>Really-From: hsut@ec.purdue.edu (Tsun-Yuk Hsu)
>
>
>
>	Anyone into Plan 9 or Magazine? What do these groups sound like? 

>					Bill Hsu

Bill,

I was reluctant to answer this question (and another like it from Fu-Sheng)
because of my drawing a blank when actually trying to describe how a band
sounds.  I could tell you what other bands they sound like to me, or what
instruments they play on the record, but what do they sound like?  I'd have
as much trouble describing what a color looked like.

Magazine had their heyday from 1977 to 1981.  They were comprised of
Howard Devoto;  vocals
Barry Adamson;  bass
Dave Formula;  keyboards
Martin Jackson;  drums
John McGeoch;  guitar/saxaphone

They released five albums (six if you count the compilation released after 
they broke up);

Real Life  1978
Secondhand Daylight   1979
The Correct Use of Soap   1980
Play   1981
Magic, Murder and the Weather   1981

Real Life contains their first popular single "Shot By Both Sides", and
"Definitive Gaze", "The Light Pours Out of Me" and "Parade" which all got
considerable airplay.  There is currently a Peter Murphy version of TLPOoM
getting popular.  Their second album "Secondhand Daylight" didn't do as
well.  I'm not surprised - it's my least liked Magazine album, but it does
contain the classic "Permafrost".  They tightened up and released "The
Correct Use of Soap" in 1980, a record a reviewer once said was about fear,
love, the fear of love, and the love of fear.  A very apt assessment in my
opinion.  Contains "A Song From Under the Floorboards", "I Want To Burn 
Again", and their cover of Sly Stewart's "Thank You (fallettin be mice elf
agin)".  1981 saw John McGeoch leave the band to be replaced on the live
album Play by Robin Simon, who was replaced by Ben Mandelson on their last
album Magic, Murder and the Weather.

Here's my suggestion Bill.  Now that your interest is piqued go look in the
nearest cut-out bin for a $4 copy of The Correct Use of Soap or Play.  The 
last album may even be in the cut-outs by now.  You can't go wrong at those
prices, and you ought to get them while they're still around.  If you like
what you hear, you can track down Howard Devoto's solo album, or some of the
Visage stuff (Visage are Steve Strange, Rusty Egan, Midge Ure and Billy
Currie (Ultravox) and Dave Formula, John McGeoch and Barry Adamson).
Howard Devoto did the vocals on one of the tunes on the This Mortal Coil
project.  Or if you want to go back in time, check out some early Buzzcocks
which is where Devoto and friends, along with Pete Shelley, first got noticed.

Happy listening,
Dan

*Interesting Aside*
The Magazine tune "Come Alive" from Magic, Murder and the Weather contains
the lyrics "Pepsi Cola, Pepsi Cola brings your ancestors back from the grave".
Apparently when Pepsi first started marketing in China, they went with the
literal translation of their slogan "Come alive, you're in the Pepsi generation"
Oops.  Caused quite a stir in stoic old China.