902. the light pours out of me

“My first impression of Magazine front man Howard DeVoto was that he looked pretty much like I’d expected. Not what you’d call a conventional leading man. Which made sense given the unconventional manner in which he snarled out his venomous tales of torn up romance and confusion. And yet he was telling the truth, and thus the light just poured out of him. It poured out of the whole Correct Use of Soap album, or perhaps you knew it as The Alternative Use of Soap (a few different tracks, a few different mixes, same fired up, angst-driven post-punk or new wave, or whatever). Either way, it was a sense of a future I could get behind. Not exactly pretty, but perhaps beautiful.” (Philip Random)

magazine-1980

921. Western Pomise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk82GuIE2dY

By 1980, so-called New Wave was working through at least its ninth mutation. In the case of Ultravox, this meant parting ways with original front man John Foxx, hooking up with new guy Midge Ure and going distinctly (some would say pompously) Modern with monster album (at least in Europe) Vienna. “There really isn’t a bad track. Some dubious lyrics maybe, but the feel of the thing, its sharp, pristine elegance, more than makes up. One of those albums that absolutely nails its time.” (Philip Random)

1061. ceremony

“Spring 1980. I first hear of a band called Joy Divison. Apparently, they’re like a new wave Doors. Which is all I need to hear. I head down to Quintessence Records prepared to pay big bucks for an import. Except, ‘Sorry,’ says the guy at the counter, ‘we’re sold out since the main guy killed himself.’ Ouch. Less than a year later, we start to hear New Order, the band that rose from those ashes – cool and eerie and sounding exactly like the future.” (Philip Random)