Featuring a mild glam rock stomp in it's fluid playing this song is a wonderful late period single which seems, to my ears at least, to be very sardonic in its subject matter.
Chronicling an unknown future time when all concerns will be assuaged and issues worked out I do believe this is Morrissey addressing himself regarding his persistent obsessions and recurring fears. It's all here, an overwhelming pre-occupation with death, the pitfalls of love, the appreciation for a soul who could provide it but the song has its tongue firmly in its cheek. It's the Morrissey of 2006, a time when he was in fact riding pretty high having fun at our expense with his own take on the themes best shown in the rat pack classic "The Best is Yet to Come".
It's a riposte to all those people who see someone with a sullen expression and rudely interject with that most dispiriting of phrases, "Cheer up, it might never happen." The song seems to take this false and myopic cheer and filter it through a healthy dose of irony. Is there really a "Lee" who could stand up and defend him? It doesn't matter, Morrissey is singing to an archetype here, a friend to see this new future with and although all will be well there, the song has the odd lurch with its "paired off, pawed til I can barely stand it" lyric, we must wonder just how secure this brave new world of joy really is. In various media the future is so often portrayed as a dystopia but here Moz gives us perhaps a flawed Utopian take on the "wait and see" notion. Time will never erase the things which plague him no matter where this world goes. Some things are just eternal. Morrissey finding faults and crooning about them is one such stalwart and his diatribes will echo long after his personal future is ended by his own "long, long sleep."
From a musical point of view the song is a triumph, a comfortable mid tempo rocker where the keyboard and backing vocals give it an extra colour and weight. The production of Tony Visconti locks the piece in a wonderful if slightly cluttered groove. One could almost paraphrase an old b-side of his here the song "Girl Least Likely to", ""There's happiness,...in the new year" (It's never in this year)."
Video Note: A loose sequel of sorts to the "You have killed me" video it features the same Italian host introducing Morrissey in a very bright and garish studio. This follows on from the Eurovision chic of the previous video. It's a shame they didn't see this through with the other singles as it would have given a great cohesion to the videos as well as a wry aesthetic narrative. His videos are so often bland. A good idea should be seized upon.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Satan Rejected My Soul
A fairly perfunctory re thread on the theme of not belonging, Morrissey has tackled this with more flair in the past and with much more identity. Like a lot of songs from this era of his career, there's nothing particularly wrong with the piece but there's nothing really to recommend it either. Outside the already loyal, this tune sank as its rather low chart placing proved (although perversely it did better than the comparatively sprightlier and altogether more fun "Roy's Keen") that maybe it was time for a break.
It's a one joke song and while the central conceit is a good one, Satan himself can't even take to the so called "Pope of Mope" it's disappointing that there's not a new twist elsewhere in the work. I guess self deprecation pops up so often within his songs, finding a new wrinkle is going to be impossible each time.
The music itself is again standard Morrissey, a slightly personality-less run through of indie tropes and soft rock cliches. Live the song packs much more of a punch boosted by the mans natural theatrics and stage presence. This wilder streak is absent from the somewhat sterile studio version. Limping out as third single from the unloved but underrated Maladjusted album there's no wonder it stalled whatever momentum Team Moz had until 7 years later as he made a remarkable comeback. Satan may have rejected him then but Lazarus surely must have returned his phone call circa 2004.
It's a one joke song and while the central conceit is a good one, Satan himself can't even take to the so called "Pope of Mope" it's disappointing that there's not a new twist elsewhere in the work. I guess self deprecation pops up so often within his songs, finding a new wrinkle is going to be impossible each time.
The music itself is again standard Morrissey, a slightly personality-less run through of indie tropes and soft rock cliches. Live the song packs much more of a punch boosted by the mans natural theatrics and stage presence. This wilder streak is absent from the somewhat sterile studio version. Limping out as third single from the unloved but underrated Maladjusted album there's no wonder it stalled whatever momentum Team Moz had until 7 years later as he made a remarkable comeback. Satan may have rejected him then but Lazarus surely must have returned his phone call circa 2004.
Let Me Kiss You
Given as a gift to Nancy Sinatra for her 2004 self titled album, "Let Me Kiss You" is a gorgeous song of yearning and inevitable romantic disappointment. So yes, it has a lot of brother and sisters within Morrisseys songbook but the songs irresitable melody and phrasing elevate it above more standard fare. It was even a modest hit for Mozzer when released as a single.
What I find interesting about the song is how its protagonist seems to romanticise the wrong elements. The act of kissing is seen as something which must go hand in hand with a fiction of some sort while America is presented as a mythic "place in the sun, for anyone who has the will to chase one". Having fled England and found a home in Los Angeles this section seems fairly auto biographical for our star. However well travelled he may be in life or in love, true romantic contenement seems to still be an unknown destination and in its place the singer would take sympathy over anything else.
The hang dog persona here is comically underlined with the chorus, a wonderfully wry self put down, "close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire and let me kiss you." How many of us have had that person in our life, whom we deeply care for but who could never see us in that light? The idea that the person would have to fake an attraction for you should be off putting enough to effectively end any sort of courtship but not so here. Desperate enough to take whatever love can be caught the person we're given would brave personal scorn for a chance to fully connect to something. It's a lonely world of closed eyes but opened hearts and whether sang by Nancy or Morrissey the songs melancholy can not be dismissed, nor can its truthful humour be denied. Close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire and throw this song on.
What I find interesting about the song is how its protagonist seems to romanticise the wrong elements. The act of kissing is seen as something which must go hand in hand with a fiction of some sort while America is presented as a mythic "place in the sun, for anyone who has the will to chase one". Having fled England and found a home in Los Angeles this section seems fairly auto biographical for our star. However well travelled he may be in life or in love, true romantic contenement seems to still be an unknown destination and in its place the singer would take sympathy over anything else.
The hang dog persona here is comically underlined with the chorus, a wonderfully wry self put down, "close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire and let me kiss you." How many of us have had that person in our life, whom we deeply care for but who could never see us in that light? The idea that the person would have to fake an attraction for you should be off putting enough to effectively end any sort of courtship but not so here. Desperate enough to take whatever love can be caught the person we're given would brave personal scorn for a chance to fully connect to something. It's a lonely world of closed eyes but opened hearts and whether sang by Nancy or Morrissey the songs melancholy can not be dismissed, nor can its truthful humour be denied. Close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire and throw this song on.
Angel, Angel Down We Go Together
A surprisingly direct and austere plea from the Viva Hate album it almost seems redundant to discuss this song as Morrissey himself explicitly spoke about it in a refreshingly frank manner. For the record here is what the man himself had to say about it:
"It was written with Johnny Marr in mind and it is the only song that I have written with him in mind, post Smiths. I saw him in the music industry being used and being pushed around and being manipulated and I felt I was in a situation and I thought, 'Look at me, look at you - it's the same, it's a mess and this is as far as we will go' which wasn't quite true in the end but at that moment it felt pretty despairing for both, I felt despairing for both of us but I was wrong."
The song has expanded beyond that remit though and has become a touchstone to many, especially as it deals with quite unsettling subject matter. Themes of suicide and have long been in his work and to me, that should be the focal point here, rather than another tirade at the music business, a ridiculously easy and overexposed target for artists. As a fan base people who follow Morrissey can be quite critical of his actions even as they track his career so fervently. However this song is always discussed in the most revered of ways and perhaps it's the genuine emotion on display. It is the meeting point of Morrisseys honesty (which pops up far more frequently than people give him credit for) and his overriding sense of theatricality. Set to a string section reminiscent of "Eleanor Rigby" the track exudes a timeless quality and its musical bedding remains unique within his canon. It stands as the song to coax people back from the brink. For all the lazy assumptions of misanthropy Moz is secretly a humanist of sorts. Perhaps the rabble disappoint him more often than not but I hold to the idea that he fundamentally believes in the potential of people. Many accuse him of self absorption and arrogance, but he has so many songs of naked emotion, exemplified here with the claim "I love you more than life." An ode to Marr or not, this could be a promise of unconditional love to his fans and although Morrissey may be far from an angel, that love is certainly reciprocated by so many of us.
"It was written with Johnny Marr in mind and it is the only song that I have written with him in mind, post Smiths. I saw him in the music industry being used and being pushed around and being manipulated and I felt I was in a situation and I thought, 'Look at me, look at you - it's the same, it's a mess and this is as far as we will go' which wasn't quite true in the end but at that moment it felt pretty despairing for both, I felt despairing for both of us but I was wrong."
The song has expanded beyond that remit though and has become a touchstone to many, especially as it deals with quite unsettling subject matter. Themes of suicide and have long been in his work and to me, that should be the focal point here, rather than another tirade at the music business, a ridiculously easy and overexposed target for artists. As a fan base people who follow Morrissey can be quite critical of his actions even as they track his career so fervently. However this song is always discussed in the most revered of ways and perhaps it's the genuine emotion on display. It is the meeting point of Morrisseys honesty (which pops up far more frequently than people give him credit for) and his overriding sense of theatricality. Set to a string section reminiscent of "Eleanor Rigby" the track exudes a timeless quality and its musical bedding remains unique within his canon. It stands as the song to coax people back from the brink. For all the lazy assumptions of misanthropy Moz is secretly a humanist of sorts. Perhaps the rabble disappoint him more often than not but I hold to the idea that he fundamentally believes in the potential of people. Many accuse him of self absorption and arrogance, but he has so many songs of naked emotion, exemplified here with the claim "I love you more than life." An ode to Marr or not, this could be a promise of unconditional love to his fans and although Morrissey may be far from an angel, that love is certainly reciprocated by so many of us.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Honey you know where to find me
An outtake from Southpaw Grammar which was recently dusted off and included on to the re-issue of that album, this is a lightly rocking gem of a song. It may have been left off due to the fact that it wouldn't have suited the more intense atmosphere of the work around it but I think it might have broken up the gloom of the piece much more efficiently than "Best Friend on the Payroll" for example.
It's a reassuring mission statement that Morrissey is, to borrow from Talking Heads, "the same as he ever was". So at ease is he now with his personality he has no desire to change or adapt. This long held self confidence has long been a trait and is the counterpoint to his more doubtful side which more often than not pops up on the "weepies" in his body of work.
The cheer of this song seems a little forced however, suggesting that whatever his feelings are regarding his current state, he has at least considered the alternative option. He has decided to carry on as he always has and that is great news for the fans. It tells us that whenever we need the sentiments he so often sings about we'll always know where exactly to go for his unique brand of solace. Mixed a little indifferently, no doubt the fate of a song left behind, it could be a bigger production and would benefit from such care but maybe a low key mix is a perfect fit for its modest, well trodden themes.
It's a reassuring mission statement that Morrissey is, to borrow from Talking Heads, "the same as he ever was". So at ease is he now with his personality he has no desire to change or adapt. This long held self confidence has long been a trait and is the counterpoint to his more doubtful side which more often than not pops up on the "weepies" in his body of work.
The cheer of this song seems a little forced however, suggesting that whatever his feelings are regarding his current state, he has at least considered the alternative option. He has decided to carry on as he always has and that is great news for the fans. It tells us that whenever we need the sentiments he so often sings about we'll always know where exactly to go for his unique brand of solace. Mixed a little indifferently, no doubt the fate of a song left behind, it could be a bigger production and would benefit from such care but maybe a low key mix is a perfect fit for its modest, well trodden themes.
Tomorrow
This was the song that got me into Morrissey solo. Already being a devout Smiths fan I did feel a certain sense of trepidation approaching his solo work. How many wonderful artists have fallen apart once divorced from the chemistry of their previous collaborators? It's always a gamble.
The surge of this song hooked me, the soaring guitars, the strident bass, its a sublime piece of music which announced that Morrissey had finally arrived at the style he was comfortable with and would largely follow for the rest of his career, thus far anyway. Maybe a salsa concept album this time next year Mozzer? Lyrically the song is entrenched in his usual woes, the love that could come from someone close but is never actually delivered. That story is old, but it goes on. There's a danger and I'm doing it a lot here of assigning a personal story to his songs cause sometimes it doesn't appear to be about him and that is his prerogative, but I have no doubt that this is touching on real issues for the man.
In magnificent voice throughout the music allows all the breathing room for this pitch perfect romantic diatribe which reads as as sincere plea for affection first in an embrace, and then confirmed with a declaration. He would seem to be happy with a mere false claim of this love and that desperation is beautifully drawn. We all need to hear those words sometimes and we'll take them, whatever the caveats may be. The sickly demeanour of old is here as well, seeing as his "shiftless body" seems so weak that the inevitable rejection and the encroach of tomorrow might just finish him off. A song I'd offer to those unsure of Morrissey as a solo artist, it has the confidence of old but blessed with the possibilities of the future. Morrissey records aren't exactly praised for their musical flourishes but I feel all here deserve due credit for finding a nice band friendly arrangement to house this romantic ode. A great closer on the Your Arsenal record, a real release to that albums turbulent content and a perfect starting point for me as a fan. This blog wouldn't exist, If I hadn't embraced "Tomorrow".
Video note: Directed by Zack Snyder, of "Watchmen", "300" and soon to be "Superman" fame this video is another great "gang video" with Morrissey magnetically holding the screen throughout. Considering his allure, it's a small wonder videos have never been his forte but this does the job admirably, all the better for the gaffe he makes on "I won't tell anybody" line where he mimes "I won't tell anyone" instead. The look he gives is a wry self put down but he quickly dismisses it and continues on unbowed. A genuine error but delicious in the way it illustrates the inherent artifice of the music video as an art form.
The surge of this song hooked me, the soaring guitars, the strident bass, its a sublime piece of music which announced that Morrissey had finally arrived at the style he was comfortable with and would largely follow for the rest of his career, thus far anyway. Maybe a salsa concept album this time next year Mozzer? Lyrically the song is entrenched in his usual woes, the love that could come from someone close but is never actually delivered. That story is old, but it goes on. There's a danger and I'm doing it a lot here of assigning a personal story to his songs cause sometimes it doesn't appear to be about him and that is his prerogative, but I have no doubt that this is touching on real issues for the man.
In magnificent voice throughout the music allows all the breathing room for this pitch perfect romantic diatribe which reads as as sincere plea for affection first in an embrace, and then confirmed with a declaration. He would seem to be happy with a mere false claim of this love and that desperation is beautifully drawn. We all need to hear those words sometimes and we'll take them, whatever the caveats may be. The sickly demeanour of old is here as well, seeing as his "shiftless body" seems so weak that the inevitable rejection and the encroach of tomorrow might just finish him off. A song I'd offer to those unsure of Morrissey as a solo artist, it has the confidence of old but blessed with the possibilities of the future. Morrissey records aren't exactly praised for their musical flourishes but I feel all here deserve due credit for finding a nice band friendly arrangement to house this romantic ode. A great closer on the Your Arsenal record, a real release to that albums turbulent content and a perfect starting point for me as a fan. This blog wouldn't exist, If I hadn't embraced "Tomorrow".
Video note: Directed by Zack Snyder, of "Watchmen", "300" and soon to be "Superman" fame this video is another great "gang video" with Morrissey magnetically holding the screen throughout. Considering his allure, it's a small wonder videos have never been his forte but this does the job admirably, all the better for the gaffe he makes on "I won't tell anybody" line where he mimes "I won't tell anyone" instead. The look he gives is a wry self put down but he quickly dismisses it and continues on unbowed. A genuine error but delicious in the way it illustrates the inherent artifice of the music video as an art form.
Billy Budd
This short sharp shock is one of the rockiest moments of the quite mellow affair that is Vauxhall and I. Taking its title from the Herman Melville novella of the same name, many believe this is a veiled reference to Morrisseys former band mate Johnny Marr. Certainly the timeline fits, as the song states, "it's 12 years on" which in 1994 would have been accurate. The "love" between Johnny Marr and Morrissey can not be overstated and each are vital to the others story. "Billy Budd" might be a musical cousin to the Smiths song "I Won't Share" you which allegedly discusses the same relationship. Together these two artists forged a legacy which thrives to this day but it is very presumptuous of us to assume we can glean anything about a very complicated connection through what he have presented here. Still as always, it's fun to speculate.
The story of Billy Budd has long been associated with themes of repressed homosexuality and the potential persecution of such feelings. Ridicule and oppression is sprinkled throughout the song, people laugh, job applications are turned down and it may all be because of "what is in our eyes."
To me the song could be referring to any sort of regret, that no matter where you are, your past associations are still a factor of how you're perceived in the here and now. Morrissey had to prove himself a great deal as a solo artist and there were inevitable ups and downs. Is he blaming the past for any such hiccups, or is he just reflecting on old relationships from the vantage point of a man who felt he had at last arrived? Much talk of the time declared this album would be his last and could he have let that moment come without mentioning the elephant in the room or even "the one who got away"? Do either of these terms apply to the subject of this song? I guess we'll never know. Of course this wasn't the end of his story, he continues to travel on to this day leaving a million mysteries in his wake, since we as fans, "took up with him".
The story of Billy Budd has long been associated with themes of repressed homosexuality and the potential persecution of such feelings. Ridicule and oppression is sprinkled throughout the song, people laugh, job applications are turned down and it may all be because of "what is in our eyes."
To me the song could be referring to any sort of regret, that no matter where you are, your past associations are still a factor of how you're perceived in the here and now. Morrissey had to prove himself a great deal as a solo artist and there were inevitable ups and downs. Is he blaming the past for any such hiccups, or is he just reflecting on old relationships from the vantage point of a man who felt he had at last arrived? Much talk of the time declared this album would be his last and could he have let that moment come without mentioning the elephant in the room or even "the one who got away"? Do either of these terms apply to the subject of this song? I guess we'll never know. Of course this wasn't the end of his story, he continues to travel on to this day leaving a million mysteries in his wake, since we as fans, "took up with him".
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