Real Life (Magazine album)

Real Life
Studio album by Magazine
Released	June 1978
Recorded	March–April 1978 at the Virgin Mobile and Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Post-punk new wave art rock
Length	41:24
Label	Virgin
Producer	John Leckie
Magazine chronology
Real Life (1978) Secondhand Daylight (1979)
Singles from Real Life
"Shot by Both Sides" b/w "My Mind Ain't So Open" Released: 20 January 1978

Real Life is the debut studio album by English rock band Magazine. It was released in June 1978 by record label Virgin. The album includes the band's debut single "Shot by Both Sides", and was also preceded by the non-album single "Touch and Go", a song from the album's recording sessions.

Real Life has received critical acclaim and is considered a pioneering post-punk record. It has also been described as new wave^[1] and art rock.^[2]

Background and recording

The album was written over the preceding year by the band, with Howard Devoto providing all of the lyrics. The two earliest songs, "Shot by Both Sides" and "The Light Pours Out of Me", were co-written with Devoto's former Buzzcocks bandmate Pete Shelley. The majority of the material on the album was written by Devoto in collaboration with guitarist and founding member John McGeoch. "Motorcade" was co-written with the group's keyboardist, Bob Dickinson, who played with the group in mid-1977 before being dismissed. The music for the album's final track, "Parade", was written by Dickinson's replacement, Dave Formula, with bassist Barry Adamson.

Having toured much of the album through 1977 and early 1978, the group's then lineup of Devoto (vocals), McGeoch (guitar and saxophone), Adamson (bass), Formula (keyboards) and Martin Jackson (drums) recorded the album in sessions using the Virgin Mobile and at Abbey Road Studios between March and April 1978. The album was produced and engineered by John Leckie.

The original artwork and monoprint for the album was designed by Linder, with photography by Adrian Boot.

Release

Real Life was released on LP and cassette in June 1978. It peaked at No. 29 on the UK Album Chart.^[3]

The album was reissued in remastered form by Virgin/EMI in 2007, along with the other three of the band's first four studio albums, and included four bonus tracks and liner notes by Kieron Tyler.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
BBC Music	favourable[4]
Stylus	B+[5]
Uncut	very favourable[6]

Real Life has been critically acclaimed since its release. Melody Maker declared that "no one that has the slightest interest in the present and future of rock 'n' roll should rest until they've heard Real Life".

Legacy

Real Life is included on several "best of" lists.

• It was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[7]
• It was included in The Guardian's similar "1,000 Albums to Hear Before You Die" list in 2007.^[8]
• Sounds ranked it No. 89 in their "100 Best Albums of All Time" list in 1986.^[9]
• In 2006, Uncut ranked it No. 37 in their "100 Greatest Debut Albums" list.^[9]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Howard Devoto. 

Side A
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Definitive Gaze"	Devoto, John McGeoch	4:25
2.	"My Tulpa"	Devoto, McGeoch	4:47
3.	"Shot by Both Sides"	Devoto, Pete Shelley	4:01
4.	"Recoil"	Devoto, McGeoch	2:50
5.	"Burst"	Devoto	5:00

Side B
No.	Title	Music	Length
6.	"Motorcade"	Devoto, Dickinson	5:41
7.	"The Great Beautician in the Sky"	Devoto, McGeoch	4:56
8.	"The Light Pours Out of Me"	Devoto, McGeoch, Shelley	4:36
9.	"Parade"	Barry Adamson, Dave Formula	5:08

2007 remastered edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Music	Length
10.	"Shot by Both Sides (Original Single Version)"	Devoto, Shelley	4:01
11.	"My Mind Ain't So Open"	Devoto, McGeoch	2:18
12.	"Touch and Go"	Devoto, McGeoch	2:58
13.	"Goldfinger"	John Barry, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley	3:50

Personnel

Magazine Howard Devoto – vocals John McGeoch – guitar and saxophone Barry Adamson – bass guitar Dave Formula – keyboards Martin Jackson – drums

Personnel John Leckie - producer, engineer Mick Glossop and Magazine - producer ("Shot By Both Sides" (Original Single Version) and "My Mind Ain't So Open") Hayden Bendall - assistant engineer (Abbey Road) Adrian Boot - photographs Linder - monoprint, design

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1978)	Peak position
UK Album Chart	29[3]

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1978	"Shot by Both Sides"	UK Singles Chart	41[3]

References

1. Kellman, Andy. "Real Life – Magazine | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
2. Monroe, Jazz (12 March 2015). "Radiohead's The Bends At 20: The Story Of An Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Cynicism Classic". NME. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
3. "Magazine | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
4. Easlea, Daryl (13 March 2007). "BBC – Music – Review of Magazine – Real Life, Secondhand Daylight, Correct Use of Soap, Magic, Murder and the Weather". BBC Music. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
5. Parrish, Peter (4 May 2007). "Magazine – Real Life / Secondhand Daylight / The Correct Use of Soap / Magic, Murder and the Weather – Review – Stylus Magazine". Stylus. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
6. Mueller, Andrew. "Magazine – Reissues – uncut.co.uk". Uncut. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
7. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
8. "Artists Beginning with M (part 1)". The Guardian. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
9. "Magazine Real Life". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 15 February 2012.

External links

• Real Life (Magazine album) at Discogs (list of releases)