Play (Magazine album)

Play is the first live album by English post-punk/new wave band Magazine. It was released in December 1980 by Virgin Records (International) and in April 1981 by I.R.S. Records (US).[3] It peaked at No. 69 on the UK Album Chart.[4] It was Magazine's sixth 1980 release.

Play
Live album by
Magazine
ReleasedDecember 1980
April 1981 (US)
June 2009 (Play+)
RecordedMelbourne Festival Hall, 6 September 1980
Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall, 21 July 1978 (Play+)
GenrePost-punk
Length43:09
90:35 (Play+)
LabelVirgin, I.R.S. (US)
ProducerMagazine, John Brand
Magazine chronology
The Correct Use of Soap
(1980)		 Play
(1980)		 Magic, Murder and the Weather
(1981)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Pitchfork Media[2]

Content

The live album consisted of a recording of the group's performance at Melbourne Festival Hall in Australia on 6 September 1980. The performance was part of a world tour in support of the group's third studio album, The Correct Use of Soap, released earlier that year. The majority of the album is composed of songs from the first and third studio albums. The original album is notable for including a performance of the B-side "Twenty Years Ago", while omitting the group's best-known song, "Shot by Both Sides", which was cut from the original album release along with gig opener "Feed the Enemy".

Personnel

The short-lived lineup of Magazine that performed Play had formed due to the departure of founding member and guitarist John McGeoch. In his place was ex-Ultravox guitarist Robin Simon. Simon left the group on completion of the tour and was in turn replaced by Ben Mandelson for Magazine's fourth studio album. Simon's recording history with the group is limited to Play and tracks from another Australian gig on the 2009 compilation Live and Intermittent. The rest of the group consisted of Howard Devoto (vocals), Barry Adamson (bass and backing vocals), Dave Formula (keyboards) and John Doyle (drums).

Production

The album was produced by Magazine and John Brand. Design was credited to Malcolm Garrett with photography by Birrer.

Release

The album was originally released as an LP and cassette in December 1980. The album was subsequently released as a budget album on LP, cassette and CD in the late 1980s. A Japanese edition of the album was released in 1995 with three bonus live tracks recorded at the Russell Club in Manchester on 3 May 1980,[5] which had been released as B-sides to "Sweetheart Contract". A remastered edition, titled Play+, was released by Virgin/EMI in 2009, augmented by the two deleted songs from the Melbourne Festival Hall gig and a bonus disc featuring a 21 July 1978 performance at Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. The 1978 gig featured the Real Life lineup of the group with McGeoch and original drummer Martin Jackson.

Reception

Play received mixed reviews, mainly due to the absence of "Shot by Both Sides".

Track listing

Play (Original release)
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Give Me Everything"Howard Devoto4:27
2."A Song From Under the Floorboards"Devoto, Barry Adamson, John Doyle, Dave Formula, John McGeoch4:15
3."Permafrost"Devoto4:59
4."The Light Pours Out of Me"Devoto, McGeoch, Pete Shelley4:46
5."Model Worker"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch2:57
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Parade"Devoto, Formula, Adamson6:05
7."Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"Sylvester Stewart3:49
8."Because You're Frightened"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch3:53
9."Twenty Years Ago"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch4:00
10."Definitive Gaze"Devoto, McGeoch3:48
Total length:43:09

Play+ (2009 re-release)
Disc one - Melbourne Festival Hall, 6 September 1980
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feed the Enemy"Devoto, Formula4:12
2."Give Me Everything"Devoto4:27
3."A Song From Under The Floorboards"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch4:15
4."Permafrost"Devoto4:59
5."The Light Pours Out of Me"Devoto, McGeoch, Shelley4:46
6."Model Worker"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch2:57
7."Parade"Devoto, Formula, Adamson6:05
8."Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"Sly Stone, Sylvester Stewart3:49
9."Because You're Frightened"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch3:53
10."Shot by Both Sides"Devoto, Shelley5:19
11."Twenty Years Ago"Devoto, Adamson, Doyle, Formula, McGeoch4:00
12."Definitive Gaze"Devoto, McGeoch3:48
Total length:52:45
Disc two - Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall, 21 July 1978
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Definitive Gaze"Devoto, McGeoch4:14
2."Touch and Go"Devoto, McGeoch3:17
3."Burst"Devoto4:14
4."The Light Pours Out of Me"Devoto, McGeoch, Shelley4:58
5."My Tulpa"Devoto, McGeoch5:03
6."Shot by Both Sides"Devoto, Shelley5:06
7."Give Me Everything"Devoto4:42
8."I Love You You Big Dummy"Don Van Vliet3:51
9."My Mind Ain't So Open"Devoto, McGeoch2:30
Total length:37:59

Personnel

Chart positions
Chart (1980) Peak
position
UK Album Chart[4] 69
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gollark: AI is simply not good enough yet. The only solution is me as supreme eternal world dictator for life.
gollark: I see.
gollark: Maybe the design was bad or maybe people messed up the execution. But a good design factors in some degree of problems in the execution side.
gollark: The existence of working ways to modify them as needed isn't guaranteed.

References
  1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Magazine - Play". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  2. Joshua Klein. "Magazine - Play". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  3. http://www.amcorner.com/irscorner/m/magdev.html
  4. "Chart Stats - Magazine". www.theofficialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  5. http://www.discogs.com/Magazine-Play/release/662194
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