Out of the furnace that's punk came Magazine. More Roxy Music than Sex Pistols, but in truth, Magazine lives within its own world. Howard Devoto is the foundation where the music serves his lyrical and vocal talent. Not a classical singer in the Bowie mode, but more of the street urchin who's deformed and not quite ugly, but beautiful. "Secondhand Daylight" is the second album by Magazine. It's different from the first in that the sound or songs are most majestic and cinematic in its scope. It has been said that the band wanted John Barry, the film composer, to produce this album. That would have been a natural relationship between the icy professionalism and amoral aspect of Barry's work against the Magazine aesthetic of emotional loss and slightly unbalanced in a world of harsh realities.
Magazine made great albums, but "Secondhand Daylight" has always been a favorite of mine, and I notice hardcore Devoto fans prefer this album the most, compared to the others. The scope is larger and the talents of the band are pretty magnificent. John McGeoch is an underrated guitarist with plenty of elegance and orchestrational sense in playing within the band's grooves. Dave Formula is the keyboardist with the closest abilities to 'think' soundtrack music in the Magazine texture, and drummer John Doyle and bassist Barry Adamson are dream players, within the context that's Magazine. Elegance comes to mind when listening to this album. Not by wealth, but education. This is smart music made by aware musicians. "Permafrost" is perhaps the perfect Magazine/Devoto song. It builds and builds and the language was shocking when I first heard the song in 1979. I remember it being direct and to the point, and when I hear it now, it's like honesty being played out in a world of ill illusion.
Devoto has the Dylan bite but I prefer his poetry to the American master songwriter. He has Johnny Rotten's snare, but there's a great deal of tenderness in his anger. The jazzy overtures that show up here and there is close to Bowie/Mike Garson's approach to throwing that additional texture into the mix. I'm also haunted by the beautiful opening of side two's "The Thin Air" which may be McGeoch's greatest moment on vinyl/tape.
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