Magazine: The Biography of the Band: A Biography of the Band

Great detail . Well researched book about Manchester’s greatest band

If you're a 'Magazine' fan then you'll love this book! I do!The pictures of the band in the early years with Bob & practise shots are great!It's great to see pics of your fave band & hear what they have to say about it all.I don't normally read books but I do love Magazine - always have & always will.Only gripe I have is there's not much about how good a bass player Barry Adamson is!Whe you listen to all the Magazine albums & hear how he got better & better it really baffles me how he can be so overlooked!He can play every style of music, punk, funk, jazz, weird even!I also agree with what Bazzer says in the book, that 'secondhand Daylight' is Magazine at their best!Great 'bassy' sound on that album! And 'so what' if it does start off a little 'Pink Floydy'!I'd rather be in a band that sounded a bit like Floyd than in a band that sounded like culture club!!

A very good book undermined somewhat by the lack of an author's voice. Four stars, then - number five missing, AWOL, presumably carrying the weight of my minor disappointment all the way back home to Ma.And this gives MAGAZINE: THE BIOGRAPHY more of a reference-book feel. No bad thing in itself as there's much in it to digest and appreciate. For example, we're presented with extensive details of every recording in strict chronological order, original tour dates, illustrations of sleeve designs and even lyrics to all the songs. Also, there are many fascinating 'then and now' photos spread liberally throughout.But I return to the fundamental issue of 'voice': this absense of a unifying word, or angle, from HELEN CHASE has placed the whole enterprise ever so slightly at arms length - it's just a little too polite; pink corpuscles instead of red, if you like, lacking the rich oxygenation of opinion. Even the bandmembers are on their best behaviour; thoughtful, considered and bloody good blokes to a man. It's all there, no question, everything you need to know BUT there's no point of view. Huh?In the end, however, the book remains an essential purchase...just don't ask Ms Chase what she thinks about it all. As for me, this is MAGAZINE we're talking about which, in the great scheme of things, can only mean one thing...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Excellent read but if you are reading this there is an updated edition which has just been released (June 2025)Thankfully, the publishers have changed the colour of the cover to orange so you know you are getting the new edition.Save your money and buy the new edition with (at the time of this review) is about 50p more expensive.

Excellent book (slightly dull cover), with lots of extra information. Arrived on time. Thank you.

Great insight to a great band.

OK..So another biog about another of my favourite bands...long overdue.This is a nicely presented book with a Malcom Garret cover ..part of a whole bunch of stuff post Re-union tour..CD/DVD etc.Magazine - Real Life&Thereafter:In Concert Manchester 02/09 [DVD]Live And IntermittentTouch And Go: Anthology 02.78 - 06.81Just over 200 pages...but just bear in mind that actually about 168 pages of real biog (and that includes some very welcome band pics both black and white and colour.At the end you get..yes the discography..and Tour dates from start to MM and the W end.Plus..Howards lyrics for all the songs...so there goes the value of the very wonderfulHoward Devoto: It Only Looks as If It Hurts: The Complete Lyrics 1976-1990....down the pan!!!This was an enjoyable read...but a very lightweight read. No real depth about the lives of the core members..just some pretty basic birth dates and sketchy backgrounds.In some ways at times it's more like a record company band biog than a full on biography that maybe I was hoping for. There are quotes from Reynolds "Rip It Up" book and some fans in bands...Mansun and Radiohead.So I guess this is a good introduction maybe to fans of these bands who now want to chcek out their influences.The mighty John McGeoch gets just praise for his outstanding work..but as always ..its the contribution of all the members that makes that great sound...maybe John M deserves his own story too.

Great service, excellent item,