Regular readers of old may or may not welcome the return of this regular Friday feature which looks at the various singles that Morrissey has released as a solo artist over the years. So far, I've offered my views, not always positive ones, on:-The Boy Racer
My Love Life
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Hold On To Your Friends
Roy's Keen
Boxers
Suedehead
Everyday Is Like Sunday
First Of The Gang To Die
We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
Our Frank
Irish Blood, English Heart
You're The One For Me, Fatty
Satan Rejected My Soul
Sing Your Life
You Have Killed Me
Dagenham Dave
Interesting Drug
I Have Forgiven Jesus
Pregnant For The Last Time
Interlude
I know that's 21 of the singles mentioned, but I combined two of them together in one of the earliest posts in the series.
As you'll have gathered from the images, this week's offering is one of the newest offerings, from the 2009 LP Years Of Refusal.
Now a wee while back on this blog, I mentioned that Morrissey had never cracked the trick of releasing three great LPs in a row, and I was worried that having got the critics eating out of his hand with You Are The Quarry and Ringleader of The Tormentors, the next album, whenever it came out and whatever it was called, would receive a savaging just because it was time to again turn on the great man.
Well, the charm offensive deployed by Morrissey with journalists at the time of the records' release worked in some ways, because Years Of Refusal, while not being lavished with praise, hasn't been slaughtered in too many places. But in the views of this long time fan, it is a bit of a disappointment, and in many ways this is demonstrated by the rather lacklustre first 'new' single taken from it (remembering that two other tracks were also singles but these were also featured on a previous Greatest Hits compilation from 2008).
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris isn't an awful song, but it isn't all the good either. It's all just a bit too mundane, and I don't think a man of the stature of Morrissey should do mundane.
The new songs on the b-side are also fairly average - almost a case of 'Morrissey By Numbers' - but Shame Is The Name is worth a listen for the mere fact that it features a backing vocal from Chrissie Hynde.
And the live recording of one of the great old record by The Smiths from 17 October 2007 at the Genesse Theatre, Waukegan in Illinois is an sad illustration and example of the criticism often levelled at his band's ability to destroy the subtlety, class and poise of the original.....
It only reached #21 on its week of release in the UK back in February 2009, despite the chance for something a great many Morrissey fans of both sexes to finally get their hands on something they had wanted for ages* - a naked image of the singer - thanks to the inner sleeve of the 7" single.
mp3 : Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
mp3 : Morrissey - Because Of My Poor Education
mp3 : Morrissey - Shame Is The Name
mp3 : Morrissey - Death Of A Disco Dancer (live)
*Not this particular fan I should mention....but Mrs Villain was quite taken by it and wondered why, although he is older than me, Morrissey is skinnier than me. I reckon its a combination of photoshop and that he's clearly holding his belly in....
11 comments:
Did you see Harry Hill's version of 'Paris' on TV Burp? Magnificent.
I quite like it, I must say. Has a certain brio to it.
JC - I actually disagree with you for a change, I think Paris is a great song - certainly his best single since Irish Blood and First Of The Gang.
Cheers
Rich C
I'm going to half-agree, because lyrically it's like he hasn't made much of an effort, which is a shame. But, and this is a big but, go for a drive and pop this on the car stereo - it's a song that deserves to be sung, and at the very top of your voice too.
By the way, it's off-topic but I think you'd like Songkick - sort of like a social network but it's entirely based around the gigs you've been too. Of course you can be anti-social-network, like me, and just use it as a way of cataloguing your gigography (their word, not mine...)
Do you think Boz was holding his belly in?
The Vinyl Villain is back with a Vengeance.
I can't remember ever hearing Bourgie Bourgie on the Peel Show. Delighted to hear their sesh.
And glad too to know the Morrissey posts are ongoing (and non- sycophantic). And put me in the pro Paris camp.
PS: My musical holy grail is finding a Glasgow fanzine called Born Yesterday that had a great Orange Juice interview in one issue.
It was partly photoshopped - I was the body double inserted there instead of Mozza's.
I can prove it if you like. I've got some more naked photo's of myself here...
I like it - but not as much as I like the last two. But it's still an improvement on some of the 90s LPs like Kill Uncle and Maladjusted and Southpaw, IMHO...
I'm glad this is back, I missed it. But I think you meant to use lavished instead of garnished in your post. Thanks!
For me one of the best parts of being a Morrissey fan is the anticipation of new material and whether it will hit me immediately or take a while to get it. Year of Refusal was pretty immediate, Ringleader felt like it was meant for me to hear, but You Are the Quarry took a month to for me to feel comfortable with...but I wouldn't have it anyother way with Morrissey. It's his world I just get to listen...
Oh the picture! Thanks :)
And he's probably just taller than you, sweetie!
Now I love You Are The Quarry, and Ringleader, but I'm still easing into Year of Refusal. "Throwing My Arms Around Paris" didn't thrill or kill me until I saw the video and then I was won over and yes, the car on a long stretch of highway, stereo turned way up IS the way to go with that!
xoxo
OK, I just listened to that last track, and whoa... darlin do you have the date wrong on that?
It's amazing, and has to be Johnny Mars on guitar, and maybe I'm just ignorant of my history.
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