Magazine - Touch And Go (1981)

When Howard Devoto left punk band Buzzcocks in early 1977 with the idea of forming a more progressive and less traditional rock band, I'm not sure that many people would have thought that he could pull it off, but just one listen to their debut single 'Shot By Both Sides' put all the doubters in their place. The chord sequence was suggested by Pete Shelley, and later turned up in Buzzcock's own 'Lipstick', but great though that single was, it just missed out on Top 40 success. Subsequent singles 'Touch And Go' and 'Give Me Everything' didn't fare much better, but they certainly boosted the esteem in which the band were held, and they were soon at the forefront of a new wave of pioneering post-punk groups. Although Magazine were never really a singles band, as their best songs such as 'The Light Pours Out Of Me' and 'Motorcade' were to be found on their albums, one thing they did do was to release stand-alone singles, and also record songs especially for their b-sides. For fans who only bought the albums there is a wealth of unheard material around, and so I've gathered together all those rare songs, from their first single in 1978 to their breakup in 1981 (as I didn't feel that the 2008 reunion had the same punk energy that produced their best work) and when you hear them all together you can appreciate just what Devoto was trying to achieve with his progressive/punk idea.

Track listing

01 My Mind Ain't So Open (b-side of 'Shot By Both Sides' 1978)
02 Shot By Both Sides (alternative version produced by John Wood/Magazine)
03 Touch And Go (single 1978)
04 Goldfinger (b-side of 'Touch And Go')
05 The Light Pours Out Of Me (alternate version produced by Martin Hannett)
06 Give Me Everything (single 1978)
07 I Love You, You Big Dummy (b-side of 'Give Me Everything')
08 TV Baby (b-side of 'Rhythm Of Crulelty' 1979)
09 Twenty Years Ago (b-side of 'A Song From Under The Floorboards' 1980)
10 The Book (b-side of 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' 1980 )
11 Upside Down (single 1980)
12 In The Dark (b-side of 'About The Weather' 1981)
13 The Operative (b-side of 'About The Weather' 1981)