The Correct Use of Soap

The Correct Use of Soap is the third studio album by English post-punk band Magazine, released by Virgin Records in 1980. It contains some of Magazine's best-known and most popular songs, including the singles "A Song from Under the Floorboards" and "Sweetheart Contract" and their cover of Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)". A different version of the album, entitled An Alternative Use of Soap, was released in Canada in 1980 by then-distributor Polygram Records.

The Correct Use of Soap
Studio album by
Magazine
ReleasedMay 1980 (1980-05)
Recorded1980
GenrePost-punk[1]
Length40:05
LabelVirgin
ProducerMartin Hannett
Magazine chronology
Secondhand Daylight
(1979)		 The Correct Use of Soap
(1980)		 Play
(1980)
Singles from The Correct Use of Soap
  1. "A Song from Under the Floorboards" b/w "Twenty Years Ago"
    Released: January 1980
  2. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" b/w "The Book"
    Released: March 1980
  3. "Sweetheart Contract" b/w "Feed the Enemy (Live)", "Twenty Years Ago (Live)", "Shot by Both Sides (Live)"
    Released: July 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Irish Times[3]
Q[4]
Record Mirror[5]
Smash Hits5/10[6]
Stylus MagazineA[7]
Uncut[8]

It was Magazine's last album with original guitarist John McGeoch, who left the band after the release of the album and joined Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Content

Some of the songs marked a return of sorts to the punkier riffs and faster rhythms of Real Life, after their second album, Secondhand Daylight.

Two songs on the album make reference to elements of works by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, namely "Philadelphia" (referring to Raskolnikov, the main character in Crime and Punishment) and "A Song from Under the Floorboards" (whose opening sentence is a paraphrase of the opening sentence in Notes from Underground).

The record sleeve design for this album, as for most other Magazine albums and singles, was by Malcolm Garrett.

Release

The Correct Use of Soap peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart.[9] The tracks "A Song from Under the Floorboards", "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and "Sweetheart Contract" were released as singles. "Thank You" peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in the United States,[10] while "Sweetheart Contract" peaked at number 54 on the UK Singles Chart.[11]

Following the release of the album, guitarist John McGeoch left Magazine and joined Siouxsie and the Banshees. McGeoch also played with Visage, formed by his Magazine bandmates Dave Formula and Barry Adamson. He was replaced by Robin Simon (ex-Ultravox, later with Ajantamusic) on the world tour promoting the album.

"A Song from Under the Floorboards" was featured on Rhino's 2004 box set Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground and has been covered many times in concert by fellow Mancunian Morrissey. It was also covered by Australian band My Friend the Chocolate Cake on their ARIA Music Award-winning album Brood (1994), and by Simple Minds on the 2CD edition of their 2009 album Graffiti Soul.

Live performances

On 1 September 2009, Magazine performed the original album in its entirety during the first half of their show at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Howard Devoto and all music is composed by Magazine (Barry Adamson, Howard Devoto, John Doyle, Dave Formula and John McGeoch), except where noted.

The Correct Use of Soap
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Because You're Frightened"3:54
2."Model Worker"2:51
3."I'm a Party"3:01
4."You Never Knew Me"5:23
5."Philadelphia"3:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."I Want to Burn Again" 5:16
7."Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"Sylvester Stewart3:48
8."Sweetheart Contract" 3:18
9."Stuck" 4:04
10."A Song from Under the Floorboards" 4:07
2007 remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Twenty Years Ago" 3:03
12."The Book" 2:22
13."Upside Down" 3:47
14."The Light Pours Out of Me" (single version)
3:28

An Alternative Use of Soap
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Because You're Frightened" 3:54
2."The Light Pours Out of Me"
  • Devoto
  • McGeoch
  • Shelley
3:28
3."You Never Knew Me" 5:23
4."Upside Down" 3:48
5."Sweetheart Contract" 3:18
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."A Song from Under the Floorboards" 4:07
7."Philadelphia" 3:54
8."I Want to Burn Again" 5:16
9."Stuck" 4:04
10."Thank You (Fallentinme Be Mice Elf Again)"Stewart3:48

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[12]

Magazine

Additional musicians

  • Laura Teresa – additional backing vocals

Technical

Charts
Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[13] 98
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] 37
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 28

References
  1. Britton, Amy (13 June 2013). "A reappraisal of Magazine's classic yet overlooked post punk 'The Correct Use Of Soap' album". Louder Than War. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. Kellman, Andy. "The Correct Use of Soap – Magazine". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  3. Courtney, Kevin (30 March 2007). "Reissues". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  4. "Magazine: The Correct Use of Soap". Q. No. 257. December 2007. p. 107.
  5. Westwood, Chris (3 May 1980). "Soap Opera". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  6. Starr, Red (15–28 May 1980). "Magazine: The Correct Use of Soap". Smash Hits. Vol. 2 no. 10. p. 31.
  7. Parrish, Peter (4 May 2007). "Magazine – Real Life / Secondhand Daylight / The Correct Use of Soap / Magic, Murder and the Weather – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 May 2007. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  8. Mueller, Andrew (15 March 2007). "Magazine – Reissues". Uncut. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  9. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  10. "Magazine – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  11. "Magazine". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  12. The Correct Use of Soap (liner notes). Magazine. Virgin Records. 1980. V2156.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 188. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. "Charts.nz – Magazine – The Correct Use of Soap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
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