Song of the day

"You Never Knew Me", by Magazine. For some time when I was sixteen, "The Correct Use Of Soap" was my favourite album, and it is a strange experience to be listening to it again after quite a long time. (Not that I haven't listened to Magazine since, but until recently "Soap" felt so ingrained in my mind that I didn't have any need to actually play it.) As a self-imagined "alienated" teenager, I was particularly struck by "You Never Knew Me" because of how far against the grain it went. There was nothing "punk" here, it was slow, gorgeous, melodic, it couldn't be any less in your face. I suspect I can now see where my love of breathy female vocals (soon to reach full bloom with songs like "I'm In Love With A German Film Star", by The Passions, and "Trees and Flowers", by Strawberry Switchblade) came from. Had there ever been girl singers of this sort, gentle, free of stance/attitude, on a post-punk record before this song? I doubt it, but I'm sure somebody will prove me wrong. Ah, Howard Devoto. Was there anything he couldn't do?