I'm trying out this idea: in the midst of movie reviews and news and stuff, I will do an "Album of the Week," where I talk about an album I have really been digging lately. I'll publish one every Tuesday, presumably.
The first album I wanna talk about is post-punk band Magazine's first album "Real Life." Magazine was formed by a fella by the name of Howard Devoto, a founding member of the Buzzcocks (it's the buzz, cocks!) He left Buzzcocks after about an EP or so, and they got way less interesting as they went on to pioneer pop-punk (so they have a lot of terrible music to answer for). Devoto, on the other hand, jumped into post-punk in the defining infant years of the sub-genre.
"Real Life" is an explosive, genre pushing album that achieved things that would not have been possible in the confines of the punk aesthetic. The punk attitude is still alive and well (especially on tracks like "Shot By Both Sides," and "My Mind Ain't So Open," the former was actually partially written before Devoto left the Buzzcocks), but the first track's spacey synthesizers, reggae guitar shuffle and lush arrangement makes it clear that this album is reaching further than raunchiness of first wave punkers.
The music here is very textured, but never at the expense of the songs. Mostly guitar driven songs are punctuated or expanded by all kinds of synthesizers and studio techniques. It is an incredibly produced album, but not in such a way that the studio ever gets in the way of the musicians or overexerts itself. A good example is the song "Motorcade," which drifts in on a dreamy synth line until picking up subtly processed vocals that sound like someone trying to communicate from another realm. Eventually the song catches fire, and the rock and roll energy of the guitar melts your speakers (bear this in mind, with Christmas™ coming up, you may wanna ask for new speakers).
The album is cohesive and the songs really create piece that comes together quite nicely. Still the variety makes it a really entertaining listen from start to finish. We aren't getting the same disparate idea's like what "London Calling" or "Wowee Zowee" throw together, but there isn't a monotonous or redundant moment anywhere to be found.
This is one of my very favorite albums and is a must listen for any fan of post-punk, cool synthesizers or the Buzzcocks. The songs are well crafted and catchy, as well as unique and adventurous. This really was a groundbreaking album in the way it blended, expanded and pushed genre conventions. I especially like the songs "Recoil" and the circusy "The Great Beautician in the Sky."
So get a hold of this album as soon as you can. Excelsior!
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