The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

Radiohead + The Smiths = Billy swoons!

As part of a webcast by the band in 2007, this isn’t a new video but one I thought I’d post nonetheless. A spirited rendition of a Smiths song I’ve held near and dear for years in The Headmaster’s Ritual. A wonderful track in which Morrissey lays his old Catholic school to waste. There are some unforgettable lines throughout the song starting with “Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools, spineless swines, cemented minds”. As a former student who found squeezed the wringer of the Catholic school system here in New York, I know all too well of how draconian the adminstrations can be and how relentless they are in molding young, impressionable minds with their programming.

Classic song by a legendary band covered by another band still writing their own legacy. Can’t get any better than that.

Thanks for the almost thirty years of beautiful music, hilarious tales of woe and melancholy and of course, so many quips, soundbites and verbal daggers that make you the icon you are, you have been and will always be.

Steven Patrick Morrissey – Happy 51st!!!

“The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get” by Morrissey, taken from the Sire release, “Vauxhall And I”

For all of my talk about the great songwriting tandems in my opinion of the last thirty years including Morrissey and Marr or Tennant or Lowe, it’s a crime that I always tend to neglect another immensely gifted and influential pair. I honestly don’t know exactly what made it uncool to consider them as such. I probably missed the memo that deemed Daryl Hall and John Oates as “uncool” and it’s just as well. These two were a serious force to be reckoned with from the late 70s into the mid 1980s. Their songs were perfectly crafted and had an uncanny ability to remain lodged in your head. Simple blue-eyed soul based pop songs that became mega-hits in a time where corporate rock dominated and pummeled the airwaves.

You know the songs.. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do), Private Eyes, Maneater, Kiss On My List, Out Of Touch, You Make My Dreams and quite possibly my personal favourite Say It Isn’t So featured above. As great as their run was, they were one of the unfortunate casualties as tastemakers found their brand of pop to be dated and allowed the tripe known as Grunge to come to the fore. A shame, really. Great songs never get stale and they never get old. Luckily Hall & Oates are touring these days and while it’s been quite a while since their last number one single. It’s a fair bet that going to one of their shows will be a maelstrom of hits. Pretty cool if you ask me.

“Say It Isn’t So” by Hall & Oates, taken from the RCA release, “Rock & Soul Part 1″

The Smiths – “Jeane”
This Charming Man (1983)
Rough Trade/WEA

“Jeane
I’m not sure what happiness means
But I look in your eyes
And I know
That it isn’t there”

Call me biased. It’s fine. I can take it. It’s of my opinion and should be recognized as incontrovertible fact that when you’re talking about the quality of b-sides, no one did it better than the Smiths. In their brief five year career which included nineteen singles, it’s pretty easy to see that each and every b-side was a thing of immaculated crafted beauty. Granted, one may quibble over the production of the early singles but there can be no debate over just how brilliant the songs were.

Case in point, I bring you quite possibly my favourite Smiths b-side and to take it a step further, one of my favourite Smiths songs ever, Jeane. Originally a song to appear on what was supposed to be the first Smiths record now known as the Troy Tate sessions, Jeane is a perfect primer into the essence of Manchester’s finest. The incomparable Johnny Marr’s melodic jangly guitar riffs, the most underappreciated rhythm section of the last thirty years in Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce providing the Motown-esque backdrop, topped off by the Mozzer’s kitchen-sink tale of a relationship gone horribly sour with no resolution in sight.  Sadly, a treasure such as this lay hidden in a 1983 7 inch single on the back of the indie classic This Charming Man. Luckily it’s now readily available on the latest Smiths compilation, 2008’s The Sound Of The Smiths. Definitely worth picking up for the uninitiated and rabid disciples alike.

Where would music be without the Smiths…? I shudder at the thought.

“Jeane” by The Smiths, taken from the Rough Trade/WEA release, “This Charming Man”

Coming off of their sterling NYC debut last Tuesday, the Courteeners are taking a short break from their tour with the Moz to play a free show this Saturday at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Can you say “SWEET”? By the way, did I mention that this was a free show? Yup. RSVP right now by sending a request to party@gbh.tv and you’re in. Naturally space will most likely be limited so make sure you and your crew get there early or risk being denied entry!

Give Jimmy Fallon his credit. Yes, he’s not funny in the slightest. Yes, his movies are putrid but his recruiting of the Roots to be his house band did garner him a bit of respect from me. Add in the Public Enemy performance and now his booking of the Mozfather makes me want to rethink my position on Jimmy Jazz..maybe. 

Moz and the band (whom I’ve also had issued with) sound great here on Black Cloud. One of the more overlooked songs on Years of Refusal. If you haven’t bought the record yet, do so at once. It’s well worth the money.

My how time flies… It’s my hundredth post! I would just like to take the opportunity to thank all of you my readers that I lovingly call my Suedeheads. You are the reason this blog exists. Well…you and my insatiable ego but it’s mostly you guys! The blog really is a labour of love and I hope you stick with me for a few hundred more posts and please keep the comments coming and bands, send me some more tunes so I can talk about you! 

As a measure of my appreciation…

Neil Tennant + Chris Lowe + Phil Oakey = WHAT…….?

Yes upon its release will also be available as a limited edition which will include a second disc of remixes which will be entitled Yes Etc. It also features an absolute delectable track entitled This Used To Be The Future. A simply delicious song featuring vocals by not only Neil but Chris and yup, Phil Oakey of the Human League. Two titans of electronic pop get together for a track can be nothing short of breathtaking. The song laments that the promise of a brighter future we all thought would be a certainty in the eighties would go unfulfilled. The songs begs for your attention so check it out now. 

“This Used To Be The Future”, taken from the forthcoming Astralwerks release, “Yes Etc”

“My words are just hunches
I’m not sure what they mean
You’re asking for commitment
When I’m somewhere in between”

It stands to reason that I’m of the belief that Maximo Park is simply one of the best newer bands to come out of the UK in recent memory. Two records thus far. Both of them featuring incredibly clever, accessible pop songs that feature everything we come to expect from English pop songwriters. Paul Smith’s take on life and love reminds very strongly of the writings of the likes of Morrissey, Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy and Jarvis Cocker from Pulp. Now I know what you’re thinking. Err..Billy, that’s some pretty strong company you’re putting him alongside. Yes, it is and it fits. To further prove my point, it’s a pleasure to learn that the new Maximo Park record, Quicken The Heart, is complete and will be released in May according to Paul’s blog post on the MP site.

As you can tell, this news has yours truly very excited. More news to come as it comes in or you can simply follow them on Twitter. Tell them Billy sent you. Actually on second thought, don’t. It might violate the order of restraint they have against me…

Today’s the day, readers! Years Of Refusal hits the shelves today! The brand new Morrissey record has arrived. If you read my review a couple of weeks, you should be well-armed with the knowledge that this is indeed one of the best records he’s ever done! If you haven’t read it…we’re so not friends anymore…

But enough of that! Here’s a link to buy it now. Do it up and don’t say I do nothing for you, ya ingrates! Show the Moz some love and get him to the top of the charts where he belongs!

Viva Morrissey!

P.S. It’s only because I love you guys. Here’s another taste of the record. 

“I’m Ok By Myself”, taken from the Lost Highway release, “Years Of Refusal”

Morrissey

Years Of Refusal

Lost Highway

It is high time. After all the hubbub. The blathering and blabbering. It’s time. Once and for all, the question must be answered. Is Years Of Refusal any good? Does the Mozfather still have it? Friends. I put Morrissey in the limelight and under the microscope!

1. Something Is Squeezing My Skull 2.38

The record leads off in a big way with Skull. Short and sweet, it’s one of those songs Morrissey can write in his sleep. Self-deprecation and despair put to paper with his brand of sardonic wit and a smirk on his face. This track should be a single and features one of his better vocal performances. The band is in fine form here as well. 

2. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed 3.53

The music belies a more somber, poignant lyric. The pressures of society beating a mother down until the final solution is pursued.  Asleep, this is not. A defiant Moz promises revenge and shows empathy for Mother’s plight. A solid track, to be sure.

3. Black Cloud 2.48

Featuring guitar legend Jeff Beck on the axe, Cloud is the last of the three rockers to start the album. The name of the game is unrequited love. A subject Moz knows all too well and that we all have felt in our lives and most likely still do. No one writes about it quite like the Moz with a line such as “I can choke myself to please you and I can sink much lower than usual but there’s nothing I can do to make you mine”. 

4. I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris 2.31

The lead single. Another tale of woe and another lover never to be. Do we sense a pattern? That’s okay because the melody is lovely and the band (whom I’m never been a fan of regardless of lineup) simply offers a beautiful bed for Morrissey to find comfort in only to come to the harsh realisation that only stone and steel accept his love. This one could very well down as one of his most-loved songs over time.

5. All You Need Is Me 3.13

If you own 2008’s  Greatest Hits, then you already know this song as it was one of two singles tacked on in the endless quest for your dollar. The song itself is Morrissey-by-numbers but it’s not a bad thing. Much like Something Is Squeezing My Skull, it’s a song he writes from rote memory but the execution and the delivery are what nails it. He’s done it before but with lines such as “I was a small, fat child in a council house There was only one thing I ever dreamed about And Fate has just Handed it to me – whoopee”, it’s really hard to quibble. It was a solid as a single and it’s a highlight here.

6. When Last I Spoke To Carol 3.24

One of the best performances by the band on this one. Adding a bit of a Spanish lilt adds to this deathly tale. Interesting lyric by Moz on this one. A memory of a c0nversation between he and “Carol” which ends in his saying goodbye at her funeral. Another tale of unrequited love but this time from the other person’s point of view? One of my favourites on the record.

7. That’s How People Grow Up 2.59

The second of the two singles from last year’s Greatest Hits along with the aforementioned All You Need Is Me. Not as well-received when released but the criticism is not completely warranted. Not a skip-over track but it is one where the hook doesn’t grab you as much as the other album tracks do. A bit reminiscent lyrically of Stop Me If YouThink You’ve Heard This One Before. 

8. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell 2.57

A stern warning from Moz. Be careful who you hurt for life is fleeting and you may never have a chance to say you’re sorry. Another stellar performance by the band. So vibrant, so bold. It’s a favourite and definitely a single possibility!

9. It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore 5.10

“All the gifts that they gave can’t compare in any way to the love I am now giving to you right here right now on the floor”. Oh really, Steven? What are you trying to tell us here? I don’t know but to me this song is carrying on from a trend begun in Dear God Please Help Me from Ringleader Of The Tormentors of Morrissey being a bit more direct and self-referential in terms of his sexual desires. It’s quite refreshing and adds a new dimension to his lyrical oeuvre not quite seen before.

10. You Were Good In Your Time 5.01

A slow song about what else but death. A lament for the dearly deaprted set against a reflective backdrop. Interesting placement in the tracklisting as it almost lulls you into a sort of dreamlike state before you’re brought back to attention by the songs that follow. Solid piece.

11. Sorry Doesn’t Help 4.03

A rocking tune where have our hero giving a former friend (lover, perhaps) the hand. Angry Moz is a good Moz. 

12. I’m OK By Myself 4.48

The album comes to a close with one of its more rockier tracks and some of the best lyrics as well. “Could this be an arm around my waist? Well, surely the hand contains a knife?” or “Then came an arm around my shoulder Well surely the hand holds a revolver?” are two of examples of why Morrissey is one of the greatest lyricists pop music has ever known. The song itself could have been featured on Ringleader but does have it’s own charm especially as a book-end along with Something Is Squeezing My Skull. An affirmation that he’s not going anywhere and that he still has a way of getting underneath the skin of his detractors and into the hearts of a devoted fanbase.

The verdict? This is as solid a Morrissey record as they come. Is it his best? Hard to say. It’s definitely better than the disappointing Ringleader that came before it. It shows a Morrissey who appears to be not quite ready to go off the dark night of retirement as he turns fifty in May. Some of his best melodies are found in spades here along with the same vitriol and wit that fist made him a phenomenon 26 years ago with Hand In Glove. In other words, the king is back.