Yo La Tengo, a New Zealand pub and “the most perfect love song ever written”

James McNew of Yo La Tengo recalls being moved to tears by Chris Knox’s “Not Given Lightly” while listening to it in an Auckland pub. The song appears on Knox’s solo album *Seizure*, which McNew named among his nine favourite records, and the story highlights Knox’s lasting influence on indie music.

McNew first saw Knox play in New York in 1989, performing songs that later appeared on *Seizure*. “Not Given Lightly” is a tender love song for Knox’s partner, Barbara, built around simple guitar and percussion with layered harmonies. After Knox suffered a severe stroke in 2009, Yo La Tengo and other musicians recorded a benefit album to support his rehabilitation; a 2015 reissue of *Seizure* introduced the record to new listeners.