Always thought Kill Uncle is a 'good' album. It just came as a disappointment after the grandeur of Viva Hate. Viva is sweeping and majestic. Morrissey had the world at his feet. Then something clearly went amiss. Bona Drag was shelved and became a compilation album only, with some great songs, of course. But it was clear that Morrissey was in search of a productive relationship album-wise. Eventually came Kill Uncle. There is something small and claustrophobic about this album. It's the opposite of sweeping and majestic. It came close to killing off his career. His career was saved by Your Arsenal.the only album i could never get into apart from frank and leer.
Always thought Kill Uncle is a 'good' album. It just came as a disappointment after the grandeur of Viva Hate. Viva is sweeping and majestic. Morrissey had the world at his feet. Then something clearly went amiss. Bona Drag was shelved and became a compilation album only, with some great songs, of course. But it was clear that Morrissey was in search of a productive relationship album-wise. Eventually came Kill Uncle. There is something small and claustrophobic about this album. It's the opposite of sweeping and majestic. It came close to killing off his career. His career was saved by Your Arsenal.
Oh, I don't know. I think the 'grudginess, resentment and paranoia' were always there. And, given the 'dengue' and 'physical exhaustion' cancellations, I think his not turning up when he doesn't feel like it, is just as current with him now as it was in the early days. His career management and self promotion seem to remain that of the 'amateur'. Hardly a slick professional operation.He wasn't doing too badly. Although KU got poor reviews in the UK press, he went out to his first world tour and had a huge success, broke through to lots of young Americans, and got his band broken in and ready to make the next album.
On the other hand, that was the time he made a lot of money selling merch and tickets but then discovered the American music biz has its own special ways of counting money, and that would be the start of the grudginess and resentment and paranoia and all the other joyfulness we've had to get used to. On balance I think I prefer the cocky know-nothing indie hero who went on Earsay and said he wasn't interested in touring the world if it didn't agree with him.
I think KU would have been better if the album leaned heavy into the rockabilly sound, like the version of There Is A Place in Hell at KROQ did
Ah, that is a shame. If only he had discovered that sound earlier, it would have made an amazing album. (It is a good album, don't get me wrong, but I don't often listen to it)Trouble is he didn't rediscover all that until he started looking for a live band for the tour he was committed to. The rockabilly stuff was only recorded in the new 1991 sessions before the tour, the album was in the can already.
I prefer the album version of TAPIH, but would like an even bigger album that had the rockabilly sessions and "Tony The Pony" plus some more ideas from the original KU sessions, in particular the abandoned title track. And wasn't there supposed to be something called "Jodie's Not Dead"?
Very doubtful those are real lyrics. But the song did exist.Ah, that is a shame. If only he had discovered that sound earlier, it would have made an amazing album. (It is a good album, don't get me wrong, but I don't often listen to it)
Wait, there was supposed to be a Kill Uncle title track?
Never heard of "Jodie's Not Dead"...