HOWARD DEVOTO 'Thirty Lyrics' (Concert Publishing Ltd)

Record Mirror

GOOD IDEA, this. Pecuniary considerations aside and they can't be that great because this A4 eyes anthology only costs a quid - this is functional. For bettor or worse Devoto has always considered himself a lyricist, so why not reprint the words to his songs?

Always? Well. in these days of instant history, let's say the last two years. When he formed Magazine interest was aroused on account of him being an ex-Buzzcocks punk pioneer taking the new music. Into its next stage of development

There was a period when, understandably (no records had come out) if astutely, interviews were refused. He deigned however, to answer questions by post. In the dim and distant Autumn of '77 I compiled a few with his girlfriend She hinted that he liked being asked about his lyrics.

Couldn't blame him then, still can't now. I mean it must get tiresome to only be known for being a prima donna with a receding hairline. He says in the intro 'No cheap thrills of hate - from me - look to others for easy venom.' Justifiably paranoid but paranoid all the same.

Or maybe he's just too self conscious, a condition which successive critical batterings; haven't exactly cured. This self-consciousness (a doctor writes) is related to the lad's pretentiousness. Not altogether a bad quality, because at least it makes him interesting. But by the same token it also makes him difficult to get through to. So reading his lyrics is a reasonable substitute, especially when his irritating voice often disguises the words.

And what are the words like ? well sometimes as pretentious as most of the intro, but, like he says, loyal to his obsessions. 'If you lose me that's your loss and mine and I'm sorry'. Obscure. Gut at bast apologise about the fact that he's writing primarily for himself.

Wordplay was popular early on e.g. 'i wander loaded us a crowd' on 'Spiral Scratch' and by the first Magazine album his delusions of grandeur were such that he was conducting conversations with himself: 'My Tulpa' brought the expression alter ego into rock terminology while paranoia was very much the concern of 'Shot By Both Sides' and to a teaser extent 'Motorcade' and 'Parade'.

Elsewhere he was waxing poetical ('Burst' 'The Light Pours Out of Me' ), their meaning not always easy to follow but sounding okay all the same.

On 'Secondhand Daylight' there arc half-resolved stories ('Feed The Enemy') and songs dealing with relationships which keep the average reader in the dark.

Elsewhere the elaborate language and constant self-reference become insufferable whereas the odd bit of plagiarism like the reference to a 'goon squad' in 'I Wanted Your Heart' is much more fun.

Most of the 30 lyrics are inaccessible for sure, but who wants everything on a plate? All part of the esoteric attraction. On a rock ''n roll level maybe you'll approve of the Juke Box Bury verdict that it doesn't turn matter if the words don't make sense. But you're above that aren't you Howard?

To be recommended? Yeah, why not? At the end of the day he's one of the few new British song writes of any note and reservations aside. I still like him, his words and his musicians all of whose names he includes- along with five pictures of himself.