Magazine: Play (Virgin Records/1981)

Manchester's Magazine were one of the finest bands to come out of the post/punk movement. Forming in 1977 after leader Howard Devoto left The Buzzcocks, the band released three excellent albums on Virgin Records. In mid-1980, guitarist extraordinaire, the late-John McGeoch left the band to join Siouxsie & The Banshees. He was replaced by Robin Simon for the Correct Use Of Soap tour (he can also be seen with the band in their appearance in the film Urgh! A Music War). Considering Simon had big shoes to fill in replacing the ever-innovative McGeoch, he fares pretty well here. 


Recorded in late Summer of 1980 at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia opening for XTC, Play is something of a neat little sampler of sorts. It contains the classic Magazine cuts “Because You're Frightened”, “The Light Pours Out Of Me”, “Model Worker”, “Permafrost”, “A Song From Under The Floorboards” and their deconstructionist take on Sly And The Family Stone's “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”. The only glaring omission here is the classic debut single “Shot By Both Sides” (which was the band's only real UK hit). The band sounds in fine form and they certainly have more command than your average opening band.

 Recommended for fans of The Buzzcocks, post-punk and new wave.

 This is the video review:


 

The Electric Prunes: I've Got A World Of My Own (Sundazed Music/2016)

This Record Store Day birthed a single from The Electric Prunes. The Electric Prunes are well-known for the singles “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” and “Get Me To The World On Time”. Both songs were recorded in 1966 and were outtakes for the band's self-titled debut album. The Hollies cover “I've Got A Way Of My Own” features Byrdsian backing harmony vocals and the jaunty “World Of Darkness” sounds like an R&B garage rock standard.

A nice and welcome release from a band that doesn't have their back-catalog exploited as much as other bands.  

Here's The Video Review:

Prince & The Revolution: Parade (Paisley Park Records/1986)

Parade is Prince And The Revolution's third and final album. It's also Prince's eight and also doubles as the soundtrack album to the motion picture Under The Cherry Moon. After the Revolution's dayglo psychedelic experimentation on the Around The World In A Day album, Prince took a step back in terms of excessive arrangements. Parade is Prince's minimalist funk album. The album went platinum in the US, was a top five album and made many critic lists' Album Of The Year. The album also spawned three great singles - the masterpiece “Kiss”, the lightly psychedelic pop of “Mountains” and the more r&b flavored “Anotherloverholenyohead”.

The album is unsuspectingly a heavy listen while simultaneously a light, minimal affair. The album starts with the triumvirate of “Christopher Tracy's Parade” (which was originally titled “Wendy's Parade” and is the name of Prince's character in Under The Cherry Moon as well as his pseudonym for “Manic Monday”), “New Position” (a sexy double entendre) and “I Wonder You” (a psychedelic offering with lead vocals by keyboardist Lisa Coleman). “Do U Lie?”, “Venus De Milo” the title track are all cut from a similar light jazzy pop cloth. “Sometimes It Snows In April” is arguably Prince's greatest ballad and given his untimely death being in April, it now carries and additional weight. The funky “Girls & Boys” was a UK-only single and reached #11 there.

The album, as well as Prince's entire Warner Brothers discography is more than overdue for a proper remastering and reissuing. And if that ever happens, the outtake “An Honest Man” and the B-Sides “Love or Money” and “Alexa de Paris” are begging to be included in said reissue. Parade is an unsuspectingly pleasant, welcome and understated addition to his wonderful catalog. Although Parade ended up being de facto final album by The Revolution, they did record one more. Dream Factory was a double album and eventually morphed into the brilliant 1987 Prince solo album Sign O The Times.

Parade is a highly recommended album.   

Here's The Video Review: