Two words: Morrissey B-sides

[marky]

I dont mean to interrupt the party here, for I know McC, Sloth and Tom have all posted great things I should spend the proper amount of time to read in earnest, but I come here in haste as I've just heard some of the latest Morrissey b-sides and my jaw has completely dropped to the floor. Jesus, one day he will die like everyone else, and then it will be a sad sad Morrissey-less existence. I'm just shocked, truly shocked. Surely this stuff could stand beside my favourite b-sides of his (to Everyday Is Like Sunday 12" - "Dissapointed" etc.)

This will sound so crass: but can't he at least get a grammy on T.V. or something? Or better yet figure out how he's going to arrange a full U.S. tour to make up for the fact that Lollapalooza was cancelled? If Sonic Youth can get their act together, so can he. I've complained about high ticket prices, but I'd pay $60 to see him.

[marky]

One of the lyrics goes "Success...is a mess"
Such a simple lyric right? So simple it's almost dumb, right, but WHO name ONE person who has even bothered to try to rhyme those two words in a song! Not Kurt Cobain I'm sure!

[marky]

Okay here's the songs I'm talking about. They're b-sides of the "Irish Blood, English Heart" CD single(s) and the CD singles of "First of the Last of the Gang To Die" (or whatever it's called - that's actually the only song on the album I don't like):

The Never Played Symphonies
Munich Air Disaster 1958
It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small
Teenage Dad On His Estate
Mexico
My Life Is An Endless Succession of People Saying Goodbye

I also ended up lumping in one of his older songs "Boxers" because I remember liking it and yet I never bought it before.

[Tom]

Marky-

I'm going to try to get my hands on them....I used to be insane about those sort of things-always looking for every 'remix-repackage-reissue' I could find. Especially b-sides.

I just found some remixes of the Smiths 'charming man' that had a francois k remix....On vinyl at that!

and I'm glad that someone else dislikes 'first of the gang...'. I just "can't with it"

How brilliant is the whole notion of him 'forgiving Jesus'. Song is...ok-not the greatest-not the worst-but a fucking brilliant line at that.

"the squallor of the mind"

"accountants rampant"


I would really love to see him in concert...I never have. Somehow the thought of being in a venue with thousands of Morrissey fans makes me....uneasy. Don't know why...I guess I think of him as an artist to listen to by myself. Oh well-I'll get over it-and go kicking and screaming to the next concert-whenever it is.



People used to think I had put out an album after this b-side. Minus the bushy eyebrows-this was me 10years ago. Key word there - ten.

[marky]

Actually I have seen Morrissey in the most unlikely venue: a high school. Yes he actually played a high school. That was just after Your Arsenal. But I feel like that doesn't count in a way, I mean, I'd take it back if it meant I could see him now. You're right in a way about seeing him with all these other people. I hadn't thought of that. But I doubt it would really bother me too much.

You can't hang with 'first of the gang'. That's funny. Actually I kindof appreciate that song being there because it divides the album up into two nice sections. I always kindof "wake up" when "First..." comes on, shake my head back to reality and get up and push the 'skip' button. It works as an intermission, if you will. I wonder if the album might have lost some of it's power if there wasn't that kindof upbeat thing in the middle as a break.

That's a really nice photo of him, one of the best I've ever seen. Which single does that appear on?

Does this mean you had a quiff, too? Don't be shy, I've known guys who did the quiff thing. Did you want to look like Moz or did it just happen accidentally?

[Tom]

No. No quiff here. There was a period of excessive blow dryer usage....but it was more of a cross between Moz's hair and really bad Long Island hair.

That pic is from his 'pregnant for the last time' b-side. Believe it has cosmic dancer on it as well.

I'm not sure I buy into the whole 'needing that song to break things up'. But hey-not a bad way to look at things I guess.

That song however-does contain the great line
"And you have never been in love,
Until you've seen the dawn rise,
behind the home for the blind"

[marky]

Well, sure, but then great Moz lyrics are so hard to come by on this album, aren't they?

My word, I seem to be exhibiting what Mav would ingeniously call "Markasm"! Mav has created a Frankenstein monster!

Mav should play a mad scientist in a dramatic production.

Mr. Mild Mannered, stretching his boundaries...a mad look in his eyes, HA HA AH A HA HAHA the evil laugh glows in the dark! Could you do it Mav? Lose you mind for a starring role? The lightning in the background of the castle...DR. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mav, hatching evil plots with fake bushy eybrows and dark black makeup around his eyes...

[Tom]

"From that fateful day when stinking bits of slime first crawled from the sea and shouted to the cold stars, "I am man.", our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our mortality. But tonight, we shall hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens. We shall mock the earthquake. We shall command the thunders, and penetrate into the very womb of impervious nature herself. "

[marky]

I saw 'Young Frankenstein' in a theater when it came out. I must have been...9 years old? It made a real impression on me. A Mel Brooks film, correct? God bless Gene Wilder. Not to mention Madeline Kahn and the violin scene.

[Tommy Martyn]

I hope I don't appear to sound patronising (I know I normally do) but I do enjoy listening to Americans talk about the Smiths/Morrisey. It reminds me that the parochial (when done right) can be universal. So much of his imagery is of a time and a place. Mainly the defunct Lancashire of the sixties and seventies. I thrilled to his choice of "cover stars" for the records. Who else would praise Pat Pheonix (aka Elsie Tanner) or Yootha Joyce or Richard Todd. That these names mean nothing to you is OK it would be beyond fucking weird if you knew who they were. With the possible exception of Brett.

Anyway there is nothing you can say about Mr M or his old band that would surprise or delight me any more than the constant ramblings of my best friend in the whole world, who has dedicated his life to filtering all of his human experiences through Morrisey Lyrics. (For the record he is no shrinking violet sat at home alone with a broken heart. He is a very funny bloke living the life of riley back in Liverpool)

One thing I have learned from him about Morris is that he is a twat. His songs are not about the actual person but a character who occupies the public space. Sure he is closer to the real man than Ziggy was to bowie but he is a construct all the same. For a while this pissed me off no end. Now I couldn't care less.

America your head's too big. Your belly's too big. Fucking genius you can hum to.

(Mark you lived in Salford awhile you know allabout Munich 58. It is a favourite time and place in Liverpool)

[Tommy Martyn]

Can I just add that, although he made a rhyme of success and mess, he is not Cole Porter or Gerschwin or Kern or Sondheim. (Argentines of uncertain means do it etc) Shakespeare may have cornered the English language with regards to verse in iambic pentameter (or whatever it was - I forget) but the americans of the musicals conquered the lyric.

[marky]

Thanks for contributing, Tommy. Haven't the faintest idea what the Munich '58 thing is all about.

It may be that he inhabits a character in many of his songs, however there are some on the new one that could only be coming from his heart what with mention of "northern leeches go on removing, removing, removing" and talk of "legal eagles". He says in the Mojo interview that whenever he plays in England now Mike Joyce still attempts to extract money from him and I do believe he is referring to Joyce and his legal problems in that song.

Likewise the America song, which isn't really told from a character point of view.

But in the end I think it's just sufficient to say (and this is what this glorious comeback of his has forced me to recognize) that there are just certain ways of doing things, of saying things that only he can pull off - particularly in TODAY's world (musically, politically) - regardless of where you might choose to place him on the cole porter/shakespeare etc. totem pole.

[mccutcheon]

"Some girls are bigger than others."- Genius.

[Tom]

of songs/artists can sometimes be detrimental to enjoyment of said song/artist.

I don't like knowing too much about Morrissey or his life. I just interpret the songs the way I do....and who cares if Moz really meant this or that....I don't.

I love the man and his music-but I'm not about to look up details of his life so as to gain a better knowledge of his songs....that's just me. More power to someone who delves a bit further.

Changing the subject-

I found a Smiths 12" at a record store this weekend. I finally have 'how soon is now' on vinyl. (the b-side on a 'william it was really nothing' release).

Had a friend in from India this weekend. Went to the ashram in new york city for meditation and chanting. I was very intrigued by it all.

But even MORE intriguing is my new phone from Verizon. I broke my old one...and they upgraded it to this thing with video and picture capability. I felt obscene walking into this place of spiritual growth with a samsung video phone in my pocket.

[Tom]

The pictures on my phone are too big to attach as pics here...and too small to attach as thumbnails.