So I’ve been listening to Morrissey all week. I just saw him live. He’s great. I’ve been delving back through the old catalog of songs. I mights as wells just offer up to you three of my current faves.
However, a brief note as to the choices, or more precisely, a note as to why none of these three songs are from Southpaw Grammar or Vauxhall and I.
Word on the street is that Morrissey has re-mixed and possibly re-recorded some of the songs from Southpaw Grammar and surely I’ll have something to say about it once it’s released.
Second, Vauxhall and I is to me his best album, and I’m saving words for the book I’m going to write about it for the 33 and 1/3 series (pitch to Continuum Books t/k).
“Something is Squeezing My Skull” (from Years of Refusal) (buy)
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Morrissey has never sung a melody like this before. The vibrato he uses is fantastic. The title track to the new album, this is a Morrissey instant classic.
“Lucky Lisp” (from Bona Drag) (buy)
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A track from Bona Drag that I don’t think is appreciated at all. Everyone seems to think “November Spawned a Monster in Me” is one of the best off of this album, but “Lucky Lisp” for me is always this album’s highlight.
“Sister, I’m a Poet-Live” (from World of Morrissey) (buy)
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Every dorky English major’s favorite Morrissey song at some point in their lives. This one never gets old, and to me is a great song to dance to. They should play this more at discotheques all over the America.
2 Comments
Funny, you mention both World of Morrissey and Southpaw in the same article.
World of Morrissey marked the beginning of a relationship, one cut eventually becoming a wedding song.
Southpaw Grammar was the soundtrack of a divorce.
I’m just sayin’, I know a guy with that particular story…
good luck on the 33 & 1/3 pitch. sometimes i have no idea how they pick the books. i helped with getting a lot of the interviews and history for the neutral milk hotel book, and i pitched the b-52′s debut 2 years ago (had almost everyone involved and that was around town ready to talk) and they said no. my buddy gordon pitched zen arcade by husker du and he had most folks willing to talk as well, and another no. i hope you get it, please just don’t pull a meat is murder. mike