ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN SINGLES : #055

aka The Vinyl Villain incorporating Sexy Loser

#055: Magazine– ‘Rhythm of Cruelty’ (Virgin Records ’79)

Hello friends,

this is how discogs introduce Magazine: “Magazine were an English post-punk band active from 1977 to 1981, then again from 2009 to 2011. The band was formed by Howard Devoto after leaving punk band Buzzcocks in early 1977. Devoto had decided to create a more progressive and less “traditional” rock band.”

Well, I think there is no arguing that – in hindsight – Magazine were, at least in comparison to, let’s settle for “Buzzcocks punk”, more progressive and less traditional. But the question is: how did you see this development back in 1978 or thereabouts? I mean, if memory serves correctly, Devoto was seen as a bit of a betrayer to punk when leaving Buzzcocks … just in order to front this strange modern New Wave combo. Comparisons were inevitable – and, as it turned out, they were inevitable for quite some years to come, which was nonsense from the beginning on, as far as I’m concerned.

What I am trying to say is: a lot of people rather wasted their time complaining about Devoto having left Buzzcocks and blaming Magazine for it than closely listening to early Magazine with an open mind. I am convinced that that would have helped everyone a lot, the buying public …. and Magazine as well.

Me, I never had such problems. Why? Well, because I was too young again – I missed both ‘Real Life’ and ‘Secondhand Daylight’ and Magazine only came to my attention via ‘Play’, the live album from 1980. And boy, it blew me away! The quality is awesome and so is the delivery. If you don’t know this album, get hold of it now! But I digress, singles it is in this series and singles it shall be!

There are five Magazine 7”s which are almost equally good, and if my own rules wouldn’t forbid it, they were all included in the 111 – box: ‘Shot by Both Sides’, ‘Give Me Everything’ (because of its B-Side, ‘I Love You You Big Dummy’), ‘A Song From Under The Floorboards’, the 2022 release of ‘The Light Pours Out Of Me’ … but no, this is the one, because it is a) marginally better than the other four and b) will meet with the approval of at least one overseas reader, one which probably would sue me unhesitatingly if I chose something else than this today, just because he can:

mp3:  Magazine – Rhythm of Cruelty

Magazine’s fourth single, still a killer tune – for Jonny.

Take good care, you lot,

Dirk