No Thyself

No Thyself
Studio album by Magazine
Released 24 October 2011
Recorded Red Bird, Apollo Control
Genre Post-punk
Length 45:01 (49:08 with bonus)
Label Wire-Sound
Magazine chronology

Magic, Murder and the Weather
(1981)
No Thyself
(2011)
Singles from No Thyself
  1. "Hello Mister Curtis (With Apologies)" b/w "Holy Dotage"
    Released: 10 December 2011

No Thyself is the fifth studio album by the band Magazine, and the first since their 2009 reformation. It was released on the Wire-Sound label on 24 October 2011 about 30 years after the release of their previous studio album, Magic, Murder and the Weather.[1][2]

Bass guitarist Barry Adamson, while still remaining a member of Magazine, did not participate in the making of No Thyself due to prior obligations in film music.[2][3] Guitarist John McGeoch had died in 2004.[3] Both musicians were important in previous line-ups.[2] Pete Shelley, who had founded the Buzzcocks with Magazine singer Howard Devoto, contributed to the writing of the first track. The album cover features the painting The Misshapen Polyp Floating on the Shore by French artist Odilon Redon.[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
BBC [1]
The Guardian [5]
Mojo

The BBC gave this album 9/10 and said this: "The surprise excellence of the songs and the music makes this the long-overdue fourth great Magazine album. Thirty years ago, Howard Devoto sang of wanting to burn again. And here he is, doing exactly that."[1]

The Guardian gave it 8/10 and had this to say: "No Thyself could be the fourth album they should have made instead of 1981's Magic, Murder and the Weather, which badly missed departed John McGeoch. Here, guitarist Noko and bassist John "Stan" White (replacing Barry Adamson, who had film commitments) help recapture the sonic blueprint laid down on the first three classic albums" [5]

Mojo (in the print edition only) gave it 8/10 and said: "In 10 crisp, playful songs restores the exalted standards of the band's legend." (Referring to the 10 track, non-blisterpack edition).[6]

Track listing

All lyrics by Howard Devoto, except where indicated. All music by Devoto, Doyle, Formula and Noko, except where indicated.

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Do the Meaning"  Devoto (music and lyrics), Doyle, Formula, Noko, Pete Shelley (music and lyrics) 4:28
2. "Other Thematic Material"    4:08
3. "The Worst of Progress...."    4:59
4. "Hello Mister Curtis (With Apologies)"    4:17
5. "Physics"    4:11
6. "Happening in English"    4:11
7. "Holy Dotage"    4:20
8. "Of Course Howard (1979)"    4:44
9. "Final Analysis Waltz"    4:51
10. "The Burden of a Song"    4:33
11. "Blisterpack Blues" (bonus track)  4:27

Variants

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (2011) Peak
position
UK Album Chart 167

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mulholland, Garry (2011-10-21). "Magazine No Thyself Review". BBC. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Guthrie, Sean (2011-10-26). "Magazine, No Thyself (Wire-Sound)". http://www.heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Simpson, Dave (2004-03-12). "John McGeoch Innovative and influential guitarist of the post-punk era". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  4. "The Misshapen Polyp Floating on the Shores". odilon-redon.org. 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Simpson, Dave (2011-10-20). "Magazine No Thyself Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  6. "No Thyself by Magazine reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 2014-08-13.