The Correct Use of Soap

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. This was their last album with original guitarist John McGeoch, who left the band after the release of the album 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) to the world tour, promoting the album. The record sleeve design for this album, as for most other Magazine albums and singles, was by Malcolm Garrett.

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 single "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.

The Correct Use of Soap

All songs by Barry Adamson, Howard Devoto, John Doyle, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, except where noted.

An Alternative Use of Soap

Music by Magazine / Lyrics by Howard Devoto, except where noted.

Personnel

Chart positions