Real Life

3/5

Has all the elements one would expect from a post punk album for better and for worse. Slightly more “better” than “worse.” But probably not an album I would reach for again.

3 1/2 Stars: The post-punk new wave sound is not my favorite. Something about the droning tenor sounds of most lead singer's voices. But damn, the musicianship on this record is top notch. Great songwriting too. Nice little discovery and the main reason I enjoy going through this project.

it's alright

meh

Pretty solid.

This had some good tracks. Shot By Both Sides was a good one.

One of those bands that's a bridge between punk and new wave. The album starts off pretty promisingly with some fairly hooky and instrumentally interesting multi-part songs, but eventually devolves into fairly rote punk. The vocals have good energy but ultimately stop the band from truly excelling.

Not bad

Not bad for a post punk album. Shot by Both Sides and Motorcade elevated the album a bit. Some of the other songs are more standard diddling. 2.7/5 -> 3/5

This was kind of meh and tedious. 3 stars

This album is good, but I don't quite get the greatness of it. They occassionally stick closer to the sound of Howard Devoto's previous band, the Buzzcocks (two of the songs were co-written by Pete Shelley), and I like that sound. However, they also drift into this New Wave sound I'm less crazy about. "Shot on Both Sides", "Burst", and "The Light That Pours Out of Me" are probably my favorites. 3.5 stars.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? I guess my fantasy is all the crummy post-punk albums in the book getting replaced by the likes of Bob James, Toto and Spyro Gyra. This one ain’t the worst but it’s not great either. The singing is pretty vampiric, the band look like a bunch of turnips on the album cover and the element of saxophone throughout makes it sound like Roxy Music if they couldn’t play their instruments. Howard Levoto had a good thing going with The Buzzcocks. It’s a bit like if Bobby Gillespie quit Primal Scream before Screamadelica in 1991 to form a follow-up band Big Issue.

achei que ia ser terrível. Não goi.

NEVER AGAIN

A solid ok

This was an odd album. Couldn’t put my finger on what mainstream artist it sounded line

Well done, but not for me.

this felt like two albums - one that I really liked made up of punk rock and another that I did not care for that seemed to have been inspired by Kurt Weill.

ME parece muy divertido, con un sonido único pero se pasan un poco.

Enjoyable new wave, high 3

I am a big fan of post-punk from this era, and loved Shot By Both Sides when I first heard it as a teen. Despite this, Magazine has never been up there with the greats as Real Life is a bit of an uneven debut. Parts of the second half where they lean towards that early Fall make them sound more complete. I also like the more silly and melodic songs. Elsewhere I find the vocal performance a bit… performative(?) and the instrumentals lack the urgency of that single.

Non male ma non mi ha esaltato

I like it that I've never heard of Magazine (although I *have* heard of Howard Devoto's earlier band The Buzzcocks), and definitely haven't heard anything on this album before. My first thought with "Definitive gaze" was that I'd stumbled onto a Roxy Music/Brian Eno side project, but thankfully other tracks have their own sound, off-kilter as it is. They definitely sound more polished than many debut albums seem to be in this collection; and although I'm not sure their keyboard-heavy tracks really work as well as they'd hoped, I appreciated that they mixed it up a bit with more analog-heavy songs (like "Shot by both sides") and a few tracks blend the two nicely (like the Bowie-inspired "Burst" or the more mainstream and non-Devoto-penned "Parade"). Overall, I wasn't all that sure what to make of this somewhat experimental post-punk album, which could have really worked in their favor if they'd managed to sound less punk and more genuinely experimental rather than just dada-esque punks (more like PIL I suppose), although I was impressed at the relatively high-fidelity recording quality for the late 70s.

Odd album was campy in places and Brechtian in other places, interesting but not sure I'll listen again.

Jagged post-punk from The Buzzcock’s successors. Shot By Both Sides is a banger and whilst I didn’t know anything else, the rest is of a similar standing.

fine; liked the circusy bit tbh

i've been magazine-curious. liked it enough to revisit again.

i like it a lot surpsingly

J’aime pas le post-punk. Donc je m’ennuie. C’est tout simplement pas un album pour moi.

Really fun post punk record with just enough goofy artsy influence.

I was not familiar with this and at first glance it appears to be another example of the albums BRITISH people need to hear before they die. So according to Wikipedia, this band spun out of Buzzcocks. Cool. OK, a couple of songs in and I like this. Definitely more than the Kinks album yesterday. This is pretty good.

The vocals were initially off-putting but they grew on me. I enjoyed the album but it didn’t stand out to me and I thought it was too synth heavy at times. Fav song: Shot By Both Sides Least fav: Definitive Gaze

Not a fan of his voice. But what a crazy list of people who cite Magazine and this album as an influence and a crazy list of other projects the band members have been a part of! One of the first post punk albums and I'd never heard of it, so even though I didn't love it I'm glad I've heard it. Favourite song: Burst Least: Parade

3.5

3.5 the last 2 tracks are so good

Shots by both sides er en veldig kul låt. Ellers er resten ålreit.

not really for me, but i didn't skip much

Solid punk rock that sounds like the original vintage.

If I righteously deleted half of the bland boring new wave punk pop albums from this list…. I’d probably keep this one. It get detracted from the experience because of all the other blandness from the genre on the list, but in a vacuum, it’s got nice synths and a cool experimentation album.

It's definitely one of the best "experimental" and "influential" punk albums on the list (as there are SO MANY). There is enough fun variation that keeps the album fresh while maintaining some semblance of sense. The vocalist does really sound strangely familiar to Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil (idk why they aren't on the list).

That was solid and I’ll likely revisit it at some point.

Great

Ok 3/5

This was a pretty cool album to listen to. Some of the songs on here I would skip, but overall a really good listen.

I like a lot of English post-punk but this is Nehemiah decent. The Stranglers are next on my list and they are much better.

pleasing

Psychedelic rock, I'm digging it.

A fine listen but just kinda meh.

Aesthetically close to the mark yet always held a little further back, Magazine is a band that's been waiting for me all along. Definite Gaze, Shot by Both Sides, The Light Pours Out of Me are all songs I recognize and yet I don't remember seeing the distinctive record cover before. These are all songs that have slipped into the stream at one time or another without the band getting the recognition they might be due. Perhaps it's the everyday nature of their moniker, perhaps it's that their blend of post-punk was both too new wave and too art rock to find a distinct lane to get pulled forward through time in. In music and cultural history it seems like time leaves behind things that are difficult to classify or promote through a singular attribute, and yet these can be some of the most rewarding of cultural production. Take the other artist John McGeoch is associated with (Siouxsie and the Banshees) for instance, the image and sound of that band is self-propelling. I get the sense that more time with songs one through nine would be rewarding, and yet it's Thursday at 5:28 in the morning, I'll listen to something like 10 more hours of music today in various states of attention. Just as much as Magazine's debut is worthy of being picked up I know that I'll probably set it down and walk away soon enough.

I might not be a fan of post-punk, but this was okay.

Band and production isn't bad, singer ruins it a little for me. Overall fine but forgettable. 3/5

Was hoping this would be a fun punk album but it was kinda just the fall

Seldom good, often bizzare, sometimes dreary.

평범하고 나쁘지 않았다. It was ordinary and not bad.

I liked this, but at the end of the day it was just an average album that I didn’t like anything enough to save and I’ll probably never listen to again.

At first listen I was not really into this. Another UK post-punk album. But as it rolled on I found it just fine. Maybe that’s the problem. Sure the Buzzcocky vocal delivery and some interesting musical moments help it along here and there, but I’m probably just tired of the over abundance of post-punk/new wave records being delivered throughout this which unfortunately is causing potential good ones to lose their luster.

This was a wild ride. The synth piece in the first couple songs grew on me and then it disappeared! Thought the guitar was solid mostly…good tone and some really interesting phrasing. Vocals grinded on me a bit. I liked it but not enough to go higher.

I enjoyed the variety, bass lines and guitar playing.

Early example of post-punk music. It lacks something compared to other artists like Siouxsie & the Banshees. Musicianship? Quality vocals? Songwriting? I don’t know for sure, but I don’t care for it as much as later more polished post-punk. Does that even make sense? Polished post-punk? Eh, whatever, it’s a 3 stars from me. 3 stars

pretty cool

Good Reminds me a little of Sparks Good. I think with a bit more time id like it even more, but for now we'll call it a 3

Interesting. I knew Shot By Both Sides, but the synths and dub styles of the first two tracks was a nice surprise. A shame there wasn't more, and the later half of the album isn't quite as arresting, but definitely worth a listen. Strong 3 / weak 4.

Pretty good, was not familiar with this, which is surprising . Will definitely listen again

Has a few nice songs on it but is sort of drudge work otherwise. Point for creativity at least.

Not my favorite. They had the misfortune of following Elastica in my listening order, post-punk that I preferred. Shot by Both Sides was decent, Motorcade was interesting. Nothing else kept my attention.

Meh

Leuk, netjes, prima, 3 sterren

Beetje The Fall-vibes. Best dope eigenlijk. Sterke 3, net geen 4.

It was okay. Some nice moments but not for me. 5.1/10

Decent late '70s punk. The musicianship is decent but the vocalist is all vibes.

Yeah, this is a good listen. Another band I know nothing about! a solid 3

Started out great. Killer post punk with Roxy Music sprinkles. Side A was an easy 4 stars. But the back half lost me, just meandering and annoying.

Enjoyable listen, was waiting to be blown away, but still solid album

Had some cool tunes

Good songs, not a memorable record whatsoever.

Favorite Track: Shot By Both Sides

A little frustrating - there are genuinely good moments in this album, and it feels almost goth-rock in places. It should be right up my alley. However, there were also a good number of moments that just kind of annoyed me, so it’s hard to say how much I enjoyed it. Seeing them live in the right setting, I think I’d be much more willing to overlook those annoyances. Favorites: Shot By Both Sides, Motorcade 3

A bit hit and miss, but some fun stuff here.

Weird album. I don’t love really any of it, I like most of it, it’s good! But the best moments of this album are little guitar runs, or effects, or a vocal melody. Lots of ideas from this one, but I don’t think it’ll be a top album for me.

Listenable and occasionally fun.

punk kai goth. nice

An ok post-punk / New Wave album, but nothing really stands out.

It’s possible I’m undervaluing this just because I heard a PiL album a few back, and this is a much less impactful version of a similar thing. I liked it fine, and I bet I would like it more if I heard it a few times and it settled in. A 3, but a revisit-one-day 3.

5/10 Best songs: Motorcade Honestly, this album is the peak of this list's meta: 80s English new-wave rock band otherwise unknown outside of the island. Decent music, but never really moving to "good" or even "interesting." I don't mind the album - for what it is it's listenable, and I never felt a burning desire to turn it off. But it's just more of the same, endless numbers of bands the list's writer enjoyed when he was (presumably) a teenager and never got over.

I like the energy. This was OK.

I read the description briefly and confidently misidentified Shot by Both Sides as Walking on Both Sides, which is by Pink Turns Blue. I was a bit disappointed when I figured out my mistake, a few seconds into the first song. But anyway, as it turns out I knew this record too. It's alright.

Not bad!

I enjoyed this a bit. Needs more time / listens to really sink in.

surprisingly tolerable punk music, way more listenable than the stuff I've heard before. An easy one and done listen, also a little more psychadelic too. It does drag pretty heavy at points (Burst specifically).

Not my cup of tea but I didn’t actively dislike it. Totally fine punk music. I’ll never listen to it again!

If the vocals were stronger this would be a 4 for me. Love the chilly production and guitar work but vocals for me are weak and too buried in the mix.

Circus punk

Pretty cool off the wall alternative rock

Another band completely new to me. I enjoyed this. Oddly, it reminded me of Hawkwind in places. I found it entertaining throughout and it didn’t really outstay its welcome.

The Good: I’ve always preferred magazines to newspapers! The Bad: That is’t real… life… The Ugly: Uncertain what kind of magazine this is… If someone would’ve bet me money, I’d have said that the opening song is more than familiar, at least to me! I got all excited thinking that, perhaps, I’d been enjoying Real Life for longer than I thought. So I greedily clicked the wikipedia button, thinking that I would be told that Definitive Gaze has been used in mayor tv series, or movie productions… or something… to find that the name doesn’t even link to a separate Wiki page… Then it dawns on me… I’ve been playing catch up on about 15 odd albums which, for one reason or another, I’ve not had the chance to really sit down and listen to… and this is one of them. I have, however, started listening to this album on a couple of occasions… which means that this is where I’d heard the first song over and over again… Now I need to consider whether or not trying to finish this list is good for my sanity… Back to the band… I kind of like it, sometimes I love it… but at no point is there a “wow, I really needed to hear this before I die!” kind of feeling going on. The consensus seems to be that, Mr D in all his wisdom, is pissing off one too many persons with his list. This here not being a bad album, just uncertain why we’d have to hear it… So yeah, sorry… 3*

The album cover is great

No thoughts

The opener was a bit of an identity crisis: punk, psych, space, prog. But I guess a scatterbrained approach is a feature not a bug for punk. Uneven, but with some fun stuff. Definitively Gaze and The Light Pours out on Me are my highlights.

kinda cool

приятно, но чёт вообще ничем не зацепило

Shot By Both Sides - драйвово звучит. Трекич звучит очень знакомо. Басуха так заполняет пространство шикарно, хоть ее и не так ярко слышно. На альбоме ремастере 2007 года есть вариант этого трека single version - он какой-то никакой, очень бледный. My Mind Aint So Open - мясо. Вокал меня здесь меньше всего бесит. Goldfinger - йоуууууу. Агент 67. Звучание разнообразное, музыка очень неплоха. Мне вокал не нравится. Слишком панковский для меня. Но ваще альбом ООООЧЕНЬ приколдэсный, не зря послушал. Накинул бы 4 звезды, но хейтер вокала, поэтому 3. Вот когда в такой манере мужики поют, мне не нравится.

Fine enough, album cover kinda freaks me out

This is a lot more hard rocking than other British post punk stuff I've had in this project. It serves it well. The apathy the vocalist has for sounding good works a lot better when the instruments have attitude, as they do here. I liked this and would listen again.

some interesting sounds, but the overall texture stays pretty constant, and the vocals don't exactly help.

Ihan positiivinen ylläri taas nollaodotuksilla. Mukavasti meni sunnuntain aamupäivä tätä fiilistellessä. Ei nyt kuitenkaan ihan nelkkuun asti

Vähän erikoista ja jännää, muttei ärsyttänytkään.

Ekana posina voi sanoo, että tää on luonut mahiksen Kollaa Kestäälle tehä Syksy -nimisen veisun, on meinaan kova! Ja on toi orkkiskin. Mut kai tää on jotain post-punkin alkutahteja. Sillai se on kyl taas genrenä hyvin hähmänen hahmottaa. Levyn alku on tiukkaa vääntöö ja nelonen on melkein kirjotettu koepaperiin, mutta loppua kohen menee turhan päämäärättömäks ja semmoseks, ettei biisit kuulosta niin loppuun mietityiltä vaan enemmän ”lyyvääs tää naruile ja lähetään imeen binii” -henkisiltä. Vahva kolkki.

Tää oli ihan positiivinen yllätys. Kivaa uuden aallon räimettä. Ehkä oli kyllä parikymmentä minuuttia liian pitkä, mutta ei keskenään malttanut jättää kun katsoin että viimeisenä on Goldfinger ja mietin että noinkohan se on ihan Bond-coveri, ja olihan se. Ja oli muuten levyn paskin biisi. Tuskin tulee tähän enää palattua, mutta ei kyllä myöskään harmittanut tätä kuunnella. Selkee kolmonen.

Bounced off me

Trying to be Bowie.

Television for people who don’t like jazz

Could do without this opening track, but it has it's moments. Shot by Both Sides, some alright melodies. I like the guitar on Burst from 2:13 to 2:38. The Great Beautician in the Sky makes me feel dizzy, like im on a spinning fair ride. The Light Pours Out of Me would be a great live song. Especially if the lead singer needed to leave the band playing while they sneak out the back because they saw someone they in the crowd that they owed money. Ends off with another nausea inducing track. Sure put it on the list. Why not eh!?

Somehow I overlooked this band til now. Good stuff, reminds me a little of a punkier Roxy Music. Motorcade is nice and spooky. Parade is good too: "It's so hot in here: What are they trying to hatch?"

If you want to talk about real life, you should talk to Len Houmous 2.8 3/9 Shot By Both Sides

3.5/5 slightly funky and punky

Very enjoyable almost progressive punk sound. 3.5 stars

"Burst" randomly being the most David Bowie-coded song off this album??

While I liked the music on this one quite a bit, I didn't really care for the vocals. They moved it away from something I would call pretty good and closer to just OK. Still, it was a cool album. I'd be interested to see how it fares on a relisten. Overall: 3.1/5

Review - the highs are highs but the lows are low. I've tried listening to this album a few times and never really figured it out. Very influential based on when it was released. Clearly ahead of it's time. Doing post punk about a year after punk broke. Shit By Both Sides is a great single but not really indicative of the rest of the album. There are some great post punk songs here (post punk is when the atmosphere is gloomy and the bassline is good). But then there's also songs like Parade, which may genuinely be one of the worst songs I've ever heard. I feel I must dock a whole point from this album just for it's presence. A fine album but with a bit more effort into some of the filler songs (or a bit more ruthlessness in deciding what songs to leave behind on the cutting room floor) it could've instead been great. Rating - 6.5/10 Need to hear? YES

Decent Punk

Real fine.

I don't think I was in the right mood for this one today, I could see myself getting VERY into it if the planets ever align.

Not what I expected from 1978, in a more cool way. Liked the alt/punk vibe and sound. Much more like what I was listening to a decade later.

I gave it a few playthroughs throughout the day, and while it did get better with each listen, I think it ultimately leans a little more towards noise rock than art rock for my tastes. Both the percussion and lead guitar are a bit overbearing at times, the sax (though thankfully infrequent) is pretty dreadful, and the vocals... yeesh... I appreciate its relevance, though, and I'm glad this project brought it to my attention.

This was interesting enough. Probably something I’d like more with another replay. I do find it a little too messy to give that time and attention.

Full of energy and feeling an album that probably felt dangerous at the time has lost some of its edge over time. I would have loved to be heard this when it was released.

Yeah was OK but like others in this list, despite a couple of replays, there wasn't a song I really latched onto. Not one I'd buy.

Sure-

I had never heard of this band. I did enjoy the album and I wasn’t sure I would. Not sure how I feel about “post punk,” but I enjoyed it and felt the New Wave vibe. I’m glad to have been exposed.

This is actually pretty chill rock. Not bad.

Disappointing album, really. Eh, now that we have brought the essence to light, we have separated those who read my reviews for my aimless babbling from those who, like my professors, who at the end of the check write under a three or at best a shaky four: "What did the writer want to say? ". Nothing much, but plenty of it. Anyway, Real Life is an album that attracts my attention because it is one of the first post-punk albums, the cover looks spectacular, and Shot By Both Sides is an incredibly electrifying song. I somehow hoped that the album would lean more towards punk, considering the previously mentioned song and the previous engagement of the vocalist in the Buzzcocks, but I only got a post, from the post-punk. And it's not even that blood-curdling, scary, punky post-punk like Pop Group, PiL, or Nick Cave, but some futuristic, more conventionally rock-oriented post-punk whose main attraction is Devoto's lyrics, vocal performance, as well as whether you are attracted to improvisation with progressive and even krautrock. Unfortunately, only Devoto's vocal performance could be a passing point for me, the rest is li-la.

A perfectly cromulent album. Neither pulled me in nor pushed me away

Sounds like the Buzzcocks....because apparently it's the original guy that isn't Pete Shelley. Also included a future Banshee. It's ok for the early wave of British punk, but echoes that signature Buzzcocks sound. One cool tune, but that's about it. Otherwise, probably a staple of the genre/era, but dang near 50 years later, it's somewhat unremarkable.

Great stuff front to back

An interesting collection of tunes. The way the songs are presented the vocals and lyrics seem secondary to the instruments being played and oddly enough that doesn’t present a problem. These musicians are talented and produce a lively, upbeat sound. A couple of the songs (e.g- The Great Beautician In The Sky) give off circus vibes but in a creative way. No complaints from me.

Ehhhh

This is a very English album, and very late-70s album. For post-punk this definitely felt like a bridge to New Wave, but I have to say that the Casio Synth was appreciated but a good reminder how far sound quality has come. Some of this sounds like the influence for modern Wizard rock (yep, it’s a thing), with The Great Beautician in the Sky being the best example. Definite Gaze and My Tulips were my favorite tracks here because they felt the most progressive for 1978. I would like to wax poetic more but that’s all I can say about this. Good listen…once.

Random thoughts: * This felt like a bit of a hidden discovery and what I was hoping to find more of out of 1001. * This was like the Stranglers but less pornographic. * There should be a 3.5 for albums like this. I like it more than average but it's not in the very good or classic category. * Shot By Both Sides was a key track but overall I like the constant vibe that was coming off this album. * I could have been swayed to like this as I was listening with the house all to myself. Which means it could have been any album and I would have liked it. * I'll revisit this one again. At least I hope to.

fun album

Favorite track(s): My Tulpa, Shot by Both Sides, The Light Pours Out of Me

Reminds me of the stooges and lou reed and I like pop punk, which this is an early example of. but I need more time to dig into it to go above a 3

"Hey! Is that the new Juno 106 synthesizer?" "Sure is. I'm trying out all the settings." "Maybe one at a time instead of all in one song?" "Hogwash."

Kinda neat brit prog rock

Good post-punk and not mad it’s on the list, but I would rather throw on Gang of Four’s Entertainment! or Pink Flag by Wire.

Meh. Not really what I was in the mood for today. It’s good for what it is I suppose but punk rock is not something I’d typically listen to. (3)

I read the wiki summary of all albums I don’t know before I listen to them. At this point I’m automatically expecting each unknown band to have “English rock band” in the first sentence on its wiki. Every time I see it, I shudder. It’s gotten so repetitive that I’ve gone past the stages of anger, it just makes me chuckle now. So how’s this one? Solid. Probably a little ahead of its time. Moments like the weird patchwork of noises that fade out on "Recoil", or the circusy "Great Beautician in the Sky" which was a personal favorite. The whole album is worth it just to hear the manic 'you can tell me all about it go and tell me all about it' line. Lots of attitude lots of heart. I'm gonna 3 this one but I'll probably kick myself for not giving it more stars in hindsight

Real Life was a bit too experimental for my taste so i dont really vibe with it much. Eso dicho, Shot By Both Sides es sendo palote de cacion, la añadi a mis playlists. Por esa cancion na mas le doy 3/5 al album

Artsy post-punk is not what I was expecting, but it is what I got. It's not that I hate this, but it's done so much better and more interesting way. This is a genre of music that time has not been kind to and it's really showing it's age. One extra point for being one of the forerunners.

Enjoyable Likes: Shot by Both Sides, Burst

Favorite Track: Shot By Both Sides

Ping piss I have no idea

not bad. Post Punk new wave. this album is one of those tranistional album when punk was losing steam and the new wave sound was starting up. i believe this is one of the first new wave type album. it was fine. "Shot by Both Sides" is the most well known song on the album. "Motorcade" and "The Light Pours out of Me" are others that stand out.

It took me a minute to get through the album and actually enjoy it, but once I got used to the unique vibes, it's quite good. 3.5/5

I paused reviewing this for a few days after having read some reviews. Felt I needed to listen a few more times to check if there was something obvious I'd missed. I imagine I could listen a few more times again and it may grow on me a bit more. It's OK and I can see it was influential and so worth listening to, but this isn't any better than OK as an album in itself for me

This album is super cool! A lot of like post punk stuff I don’t understand or enjoy because it just seems like weird, subpar poetry with some sucky and quirky instrumental but I was rockin out to this

This album gives me circus vibes in a weird punk way. I almost certainly won't be returning to this album but it wasn't terrible.

Shot by both sides is great. The rest I wanted to like but failed

OK, but I'm glad that post-punk didn't stagnate at this level. ★★★

More tolerable than most post-punk on this list.

I was really grooving along to the first track on this album until they started singing. Kinda hope I can find an instrumental, because the music was fun. The vocals are less jarring on other tracks, but overall I'm definitely enjoying the music far more than vocals. I'm listening to the 2007 remastered version which has 'Shot by both sides' twice, and I liked it more on second listen. Possibly something that I'll come back to, but not a fave.

A decent enough listen, but the lyrics seem lazy. Maybe it’s just punk nonchalance, but that’s my take.

the vocalist? weird. like genuinely weird. i don't even know if i liked it or not, but i can say it's too distracting. but man… the instrumental is insane. genuinely liked the lyrics too, very suitable, nothing too crazy, but cool. this album screams the rocky horror picture show and other cool cult movies. very theatrical. has a nice flow, nothing too extreme, but very nicely executed. 100% sure if i listen more i'll end up obsessed. i loved the guitar, it's dirt but not disruptive, everything matches. this is what if the clash, bowie and black sabbath had a funny child. That voice is sitting on the fence for me right now. the rest of the album is begging me to fall in love, but the vocalist keeps playing hard to get. if the weirdness clicks on repeat listens, this becomes a 5. for now, it's a "respect but not obsessed", with a heavy side-eye toward obsession. i can be totally wrong, but i believe alex turner is trying to bring this energy to arctic monkeys, it resembles something in the delivery.

Gut! Vocals mag ich nicht immer.

i like this fine - kind of giallo vibes sometimes so i have to rate it

This is proto-everything-I-love… but I don’t connect to it. I honestly don’t know why. Maybe it was just not the moment for me to hear it? Maybe it was the vocals? They’re eclectic and unique. I usually like that, right? Who knows. It just wasn’t for me but I respect it in the pantheon of music.

dobar album.

This album is alright, nothing too exciting, it was fine just leaving it in the background, and all songs were pretty similar-sounding, but I don't know if this was super popular because it was released fairly recently. It would've been a lot more popular maybe a couple of decades earlier, but it's okay.

I don't really have much to say about this album in particular; it's one of, if not the first, British post-punk albums and that alone warrants its placement on this list. What I find more interesting, in a broad sense, is the web of connections between artists that you discover through the course of doing a project such as this. This band helps create a connective tissue between Buzzcocks, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Siouxie and the Banshees, and probably other acts. This is just an example of the links that one can find through this project.

Noisy

Clever lyrics, good melodies, good music but for me it was sometimes derailed by annoying repitition (lyrics, electronic sounds) 3

gostei de algumas mas algumas lost the plot

Reminds me of The Clash a bit, but nowhere near as good. Reasonably enjoyable.

Solid post-punk rock, catchy, fun hooks.

This album is a real mixed bag for me. It really jumps the gamut as far as post-punk goes. Some more straight punk type stuff, some more goth rock type stuff (Like Motorcade), some weird 70's post-punk type stuff like David Bowie and Iggy Pop were doing. Overall, it's better than most 70's post-punk I've listened to (Especially the aforementioned Motorcade), but with the quality IMO being pretty hit and miss, it's not doing a ton for me personally.

Couple of good songs - Shot by both sides is fun

decent

Hele albummet har samme vibe som "should i stay or should i go" med The Clash. Er ikke altid til punk, men det her går lige an. Synes det havde highlights, fx åbningsnummeret

It does a good job of being more good than interesting. The most important metric of albums on this list.

Had never heard of this band. Not bad. I appreciate their energy. They don’t sound like everybody else. The vocalist’s tendency to over-enunciate when wanting to be dramatic is a bit annoying. But using 3/4 time is a nice touch (The great Beautician in the Sky)- sounds like a punk waltz with a bit of merry-go-round music thrown in. I’m not saying this is one of my favorite albums, but at over 700 albums in, it’s nice to hear something with originality.

Pleasantly surprised by how engaging and unique this sounded. Seamlessly fusing new wave and punk with a gentle dash of reggae. I wont call this a tastemakers choice but someone out there definitely likes this album more than most. But even if I fall in that camp I'm glad this expanded my knowledge of the genre.

Similar feels to Pink Floyd , more punk… the 70s were wild

2/3. Listened through this one twice since I didn’t give it a fair shake the first time, and ended up liking it quite a bit. I’m not sure if it’s just the synth sounds (is that an ARP Pro Soloist?) that call back to a lot of prog for me, but this sounds like a unique fusion of prog musicality and instrumentation with punk energy. Pretty cool.

This was alright

I'm not a big fan of punk but I can understand the appeal. This album wasn't anything amazing. "Shot from both sides" was a good listen

Based on the description and Wikipedia I thought I would really like this but it really didn’t catch my ear - a little too synth-y or prog rock or something that just isn’t very me - has me thinking what is post punk

Not terrible, but a bit too much New-Wavey for me. Really the turning point in the punk movement. 6/10

pretty neat

this album is pretty cool. lots going on here and only a couple boring tracks. this time period is a huge blind spot for me so this was cool to listen to

good

Best Song: Burst The best way to describe this is, not noteworthy. It isn't terrible or anything, it is just nothing memorable. It sounds like your standard pre-New Wave that was creeping up around this time. I have made it no secret I don't like New Wave so pre-New Wave that hasn't gone full New Wave doesn't get a pass. 3/5.

This would be awesome if the lead singer could carry a tune. It’s mostly very good during solos and instrumental sections, but the weak vocals hold it back. Doesn’t end well either - I was turned off by “Parade”.

Motorcade and Shot from both sides - fantastic. The Goldfinger cover made me laugh. Not sure I’ll listen to the album again - I wasn’t that wowed by it but it was very fun.

I was strangely captivated by this. Initially, the attitude — mostly in the lead vocal — made me wary, but I settled into the aesthetic and found myself engaged. Seemed less out to prove anything and more self-assured than I expected.

There was definitely some cool music here, at moments reminding me of Roxy Music, though the singer bothered me. He has a little bit of Robyn Hitchcock's nasally snarl but without the charisma.

This didn't register with me. I listened and have nothing of note

The man with the hotdog sells lemonade, someone over there needs first aid, you live and learn, and you have no choice

Good shit

Pretty good

I have listened to "Shot by Both Sides" many times, but never to the whole album. "Definitive Gaze" and "My Tulpa" where great discoveries, two energetic and inventive songs with great bass lines. The rest of the album has good moments but, for me, it is not on par with the first three songs. 3.75/5

Feels like a Ramones cover band

2.7.

Ill probably need to have it a second listen before I get to a conclusion bc it seemed like smtg id usually enjoy... it just didnt struck me this first time

Fine

Liked it, only about halfway through will have to go back 3.6 stars 6.9/10

Was too young for this when released. Heard of them (and Devoto / Barry Adamson) but not explored. Opening Synth heavy track was catchy. Shot By Both Sides sounded like a Stranglers song. Recoil is a less tuneful edgier Buzzcocks. Then much more post punk artsy Burst and Motorcade. A bit different overall with some mildly interesting or weird experimentation - e.g. Fairground intro and annoying intonation in Great Beautician track. The Light Pours Out of Me was decent - a bit goth like. Overall not quite enough for a 4 for me.

Apparently this is my 13th postpunk album out of 183. That seems like altogether far too many. The best parts of this album reminded me of Midnight Oil (who apparently aren't represented in this list...how can we sleep while this injustice goes unrectified?). The worse parts of this album just reminded me that this wasn't Midnight Oil. I still don't know what postpunk is, but based on my ratings, one unifying characteristic of postpunk albums is that if Brian Eno wasn't involved in their production I will distain them. Anyway, this album was pretty good!

Pretty good! 3.5/5

it was ok

Post punk art rock. OK. 3/5

This was decent arty punk but nothing mindblowing

Quite enjoyed this one, and it would have scored higher if not for the pretty awful vocals. The actual music was really good and better than I expected, as I'm usually not a fan of post-punk stuff. 2.5/5

Didn't have a long listen, seemed interesting, but sounded uncomfortable at times.

Some more of that late '70s turn-of-the-decade wacky experimentalism, cool and enough to be enjoyed for a listen

Very much a mixed bag of some great songs and some that felt a bit underwhelming.

This one's pretty decent overall. It doesn't sound like the 70's (not that the 70's necessarily sound bad, it just feels ahead of its time). It's got some cool tracks but a few are weaker. There's some really great guitar motifs. Favorite tracks: "Burst," "The Light Pours Out of Me"

This album will take some time to get into, I think. Even though Shot By Both Sides is a fantastic song, I prefer Devoto’s work with Buzzcocks,

nice enough

pretty listenable. wiki mentions this as one of the first post-punk new wave albums. i dont hate it.

Distinct for its time, bud does not age well

This is not for me

Eccentric post-punk. Not really for me, but not bad either.

Like it, can't see me relistening often. But glad it found me.

twas aight

I've never listened to this album (66). Closer to punk than post-punk, which is always a good thing.

seems like the post-punk classic but it was just okay to me.

I feel like if I had listened to this on a different day I might put it in the 4-5 range, but today I found the vocals annoying and I couldn't always vibe with the music. But again, I think I'm just not in the mood to fully appreciate this record today. 2.7

Not unenjoyable - worth another listen

I love British post punk, but this was just kinda "meh"

3.0 (41:24, 9 tracks in original 1978 format (couldn't find), 13 in the 2007 remastered, debut album) Basically, Magazine is spinoff after the Buzzcocks broke up - Howard Devoto created a more progressive sound now known as "post-punk" (then new wave or artistic rock). They released only 3 albums before breaking up in 1981 and the lead guitarist forming another spin off Siouxsie and the Banshees, Deveto formed a less successful solo project.) Better in headphones. I have to respect how groundbreaking this was at the time as the 'post punk' genre had not been invented yet but overall there wasn't anything I loved. I'd listen to it again.

No es un mal álbum para nada, puedo guardarme alguna canción para el futuro

A really interesting record, released between punk and the rise of post-punk. _Pre-post-punk?_ Art house gets a bad press when it comes to music. But Real Life shows that it needn't be up its own arse. Shot By Both Sides amplifies the fucked by left and right message throughout. No future, etc.

Never heard this (or heard of it) before. Probably not a good sign than I thought they were German. I've heard worse though, tbh.

Sharp choppy wiry punk. Exciting. The light Pours Out Of Me is God Tier.

Never heard of this band - but was excited to see they are an offshoot of the Buzzcocks. That first riff hooked me - it's rad !!! As it went on it was ok ... not earth shattering but pleasantly different

Some of it was kinda cool. Was hoping to enjoy it a bit more.

Had they know print media would be dying in a few decades time, do you think they’d have chosen a different name?

Some songs I liked, some I was hoping would be over soon. Reminds me of the Clash.

As far as art rock goes, it wasn't bad I guess. I didn't have strong feelings one way or the other.

This isn't what I wanted to start my Monday morning with. If this were Friday afternoon I'd probably have liked them more. Very reminiscent of The Damned.

Rv

A little Bowie-esque at times

This one feels halloween-y! Love the harpsichord ish synths and sort of goth-wave stylings. I can't describe it well, but there's something a little bit musical theater about it too. Like in the song "Parade."

Du rock

I enjoyed this. Some bangers. It's the baseline of what I enjoy but doesn't fully scratch an itch. 3.5* in reality

Great stuff, I want to buy a synth now

Not my favourite, but it did sound good.

I quite liked the guitar lines on this

Completely bounced off me and sounded like so much else I've already heard here.

Shot by Both Sides, Motorcade, Light Pours Out of Me were all saved, great songs. Rest were fine. Will return to those songs but not the album.

pretty good

I thought I had never heard of this band. Until 'Shot By Both Sides' came on. Ah yes I remember that. I wonder why they didn't break into the bigtime because a lot of this album is really good. Though it kinda loses its way towards the end. Solid.

I like it. It’s unusual and loud. But it actually makes you feel something when listening to it. That’s pretty special. I feel like there’s so many similar albums that have tried so hard to achieve the meaning and sense of direction that this album has, that have simply just created a meaningless mess of melodies they haven’t bothered to turn into a proper song and stupid spat out lyrics and titles that are trying to make them seem poetical and listening to them just annoys you. But this album is good.

I understand where this comes from and where it's going, but it's a style that's just not for me. Great energy, fun guitar licks, but the vocals kill it. There's nothing happening here that The Clash doesn't do better.

Cool sound thought it was going to be way duller

I had no clue what to think heading into this album, and I was impressed. It started off strong and tasteful with the first couple tracks (the synth on "Definitive Gaze" was hot), then it just kinda petered down I felt. Didn't hold up on my initial thoughts. All in all, still solid. Just didn't hold up throughout.

Short, sharp and pogoable - just what you want from a punk album

Listenable

i liked it alright

Futuristic pop rock music, sometimes like Talking Heads sometimes a little bit of punk.

Some solid tunes but mostly very average.

Definite punk sound but with keys and better playing. Punk meets prog meets mid 80s new wave synth pop. Very cool album.

fun

Tässähän oli ajatusta. 3,5 tähteä

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Musa ihan jees! Laulajan ääni ja tyyli lähinnä ärsytti.

An even more British version of The Cure, is it possible? Nothing reached me quite like The Cure though (2.5/5)

Post punk, Bowie-esque.

01) Definitive Gaze - 8,0 02) My Tulpa - 7,0 03) Shot by Both Sides - 8,0 04) Recoil - 7,0 05) Burst - 7,0 06) Motorcade - 7,0 07) The Great Beautician in the Sky - 6,5 08) The Light Pours Out of Me - 7,5 09) Parade - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,33 (73/100) Current ranking: 321/673

not bad but wouldnt go out of my way to listen again

The Temptations are a whole ass vibe. Super funky and smooth, and very much about social issues of the time. I like the experimental nature of it too. Not necessarily something I would listen to all the time, but in the right situation it's super cool. I hear a lot of influence of Marvin Gaye in this too.

Bara svona miðlungs

Solid first album, way ahead of it's time for 1979. Some big hits. Some of it sounds like spooky carnival music though.

Second listen cause I had to be sure; yeah punkish vibes Television but it didn't get over the hump of gloriousnessness.

My opinion of this swung wildly throughout the day. I don’t remember hearing these guys before now. It was a little irritating getting started, but by "Motorcade” and "The Light Pours Out of Me,” I wanted to give it another shot. The Buzzcocks lineage isn’t obvious. It sounds way more Bowie meets Roxy Music. I think I like it, maybe a lot? I’ll revisit it soon.

I would have liked this album more if the longer songs had been cut down. It kind of felt self indulgent.

This is a weird one. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, I also didn't think it was just OK. 3 stars

Nothing special. Not offensive, not particulary interesting.

Unique sound, psychedelic with good drums.

This album was pretty fun! Some weird creepy circus vibes going on haha, I enjoyed it but don’t know if I would listen again

Psychedelic punk plus the Cabaret soundtrack-ish? Can't believe I've never even heard of them before. Shot by Both Sides added to Liked

This album would be near perfect but for some reason it chose to jump off a bridge by the end.

There was a part of me as I was thinking about this band that I would get the names mixed up. I would say Television in my head when I meant Magazine. I can see this being an important album as it firmly sits between the Punk and New-Wave genres. While this might sound harsh that it excels in neither of them but was solid all around. A good album for fans of both as you won't be disappointed.

2.9 // punk, but sometimes sounded like clown - carnival music. weird, but honestly didn't hate it

Mid

Yeah I’m somewhat lost with this one. I thought punk was supposed to be the antithesis of prog rock, and yet somehow this seems to bridge both and more. The experimentation and general doing its own thing’ness is enjoyable, but at the same time it’s really hard to love any of it. Shot by both sides, is the only song I fully liked. I feel I should listen some more, but for today it’s a sit on the fence 3*.

Unfortuntely boring, would give 2.5 stars if half ratings were possible.

I appreciate the innovation for the time. Some highlights are early goth sounds and killer bass on 'Motorcade'.

Once I pushed past the opening track (which I didn't care for at all), this album got better as it progressed. I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting to hear, but I mostly enjoyed whatever the hell this was supposed to be. Post punk? Maybe. New Wave? Not really. Either way, it wasn't bad.

Very Punk sounding but explores more production and instrumentation. Some places refer to this album as New Wave - I’d say it bridges a gap between 70’s Punk and 80’s New Wave. Notable songs include My Tulpa, Shot By Both Sides, Burst, Motorcade, The Light Pours Out of Me.

I see the vision on this one, and to be fair they nearly pulled it off. I just think that a but more polish would have done this album wonders.

Tidigare ohört för mig. Är rätt förtjust i postpunk-eran överlag och här finns absolut en del lyssningsvärt, (My Tulpa, Shot by both sides, Light pours out of me) i synnerhet när det blir mer post än punk. Som helhet höjer det sig inte över genomsnittet i genren.

Not too bad of an album. Lots of post-punk bands can be heard influenced by this one. 3/5 just for that factor. I enjoyed the album but I don't feel a need to hear it more than a few times in my life.

3.5 The first half is incredible. The songs are much stronger than in the second half. I really didn't like the vocalist, but I guess I could get used to him. I guess Barry Adamson is not completely useless after all?

I really like Howard Devoto but this album disappointed me.

Some interesting elements, particularly in the title track, but a little unfocused overall to deliver more than a light 3.

I'm questioning my taste in music a bit and also contemplating on how tastes are formed. I'd be lying if I said that I enjoyed listening to this album. Maybe I was just born too late ('93) any my taste developed differently? Whereas I liked the overall sound of the production, parts of this album genuinely felt repetitive and annoying to me to listen to. I'm sure academically / musically it's an interesting, complex dive but I don't see myself re-listening to this in the future.

An interesting late 70s album from the former Buzzcocks vocalist. Two favorite tracks on first listen were "Definitive Gaze" (the opener) and "The Light Pours Out of Me" (which sounds like a lot of the throwback to this sound indie music from the early 2000s). Some weak tracks, but an interesting listen throughout!

3.5 for me, another album I’ll go back to after this is all over.

++: Definitive Gaze, Shot by Both Sides, Recoil, Burst, The Light Pours Out of Me, Parade +: Motorcade, The Great Beautician in the Sky +-: My Tulpa 7,0/10