UK

MAGAZINE : After The Fact
SKIDS : Fanfare

NME 3 Jul 1982 by Amrik Rai

DEVOTO AND Jobson - two of a different kind to bring a tear to someone's eye. A kind of nostalgia that tears are far too much for and yet not nearly enough. Skids - a joyous fanfare for a discovery of painless pop pleasure. Skids careering through the ecstatic valleys and sweet suburbias of a new pop (and increasingly popular) simplicity. Magazine - an illustrated journal of the joys of pop (but never popular) music. A Magazine depicting the complexities of emotion - the narrow and crooked path where joy and dread stroll hand in hand. 'Magic - Murder And The Weather' - a slice of life. 'The Absolute Game' - a cup of tea. The albums where it all came together and all fell down. Bands that came apart- but mattered.

And now all there is left is for the scavengers to pick clean the memories. Bring in 'After The Fact' and 'Fanfare' - the sounding of trumpets with the truth well hidden. I don't need these records and I deplore their release - but here they stand - prime examples of the Virgin philosophy of 'Flog That Horse Till It Bleeds Pound Notes'. Two more records ready and willing to be asborbed (sic) into the dank dusty compilation cellar. Who buys these records anyway? The sincerest Magazine devotees will already have compiled a personal recorded memory and at a considerably lower cost. Anyone who felt enough for The Skids bought all the singles on display here a long while ago. And how much faith do Virgin really have in the memory of these bands as far - as selling records goes? Not much obviously since they have felt obliged to recruit supposed 'rock connoisseurs' to inform me (and you) that Magazine and The Skids were groups that mattered.

"I myself when writing about 'Magic - Murder And The Weather' said that Magazine went deep and were impulsive. They were for the moment and they were splendid." (Paul Morley). Magazine's moment has long since passed away - to be recalled only in darker moments of self inspection assessing the total worth of nearly 30 years of rock music. And for the sole reason that Magazine's moment was so splendid - they deserve more than to have the likes of 'Shot By Both Sides' - 'Back To-Nature' and 'A Song From Under The Floorboards' standing side by side - forcing competition - comparison and contrast - on one record. Magazine were an adventure leading the way to a greater understanding of how the rock machine could be exploited without being forced or pompous or even overly complicated. Magazine pinpointed the correct use of naturalness and 'After The Fact' doesn't. There's really nothing more that needs to be said.

'Fanfare' is another ultimately distressing exercise - but for wholly contrasting reasons. A recording of ten singles - one undistinguished album track and the obligatory 'previously unreleased' tempter falls so willingly into the compilation routine that it fails to say anything about The Skids in the process. Okay. they were a great singles band- but this isn't a single. The Skids were warm and exciting exponents of the pop thrill and this is the coldest Virgin hardsell.

1. [Shot By Both Sides]
2. [Rhythm Of Cruelty]
3. [You Never Knew Me]
4. [This Poison]
5. [Back To Nature]
6. [Song From Under The Floorboards, A]
7. [The Light Pours Out Of Me]
8. [Motorcade]
9. [About The Weather]
10. [Feed The Enemy]

US

1. [Shot By Both Sides]
2. [Touch And Go]
3. [TV Baby]
4. [Rhythm Of Cruelty]
5. [I Love You You Big Dummy]
6. [Give Me Everything]
7. [Upside Down]
8. [My Mind Ain't So Open]
9. [The Light Pours Out Of Me]
10. [Song From Under The Floorboards, A]
11. [About The Weather]
12. [Goldfinger]
13. [Book, The]