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Welcome to...
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| S T R A N G E W A Y S >
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A forum for Morrissey and The Smiths.

Volume 1, Issue #9

To post to Strangeways, please send mail to Kevin at
[email protected]. To join the mailing list,
please send mail to Michael at Michael.C.Massengale%
mac.dartmouth.edu.

Administrative Note: Michael will be on vacation the
week of the 18th (of March). Although I'll still be
hard at work, there will be no way to get Strangeways
out that week. Feel free to send me posts, but there
will not be an issue until Michael returns.

This is just a forewarning...I will print it again in
the next issue. It's likely that there will be at
least one issue coming out next week. Just don't
panic when you don't here from us the week after that :-).

=K=

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[ Sorry I lost you're previous article. Thanks for resending it. =K= ]

Date: Wed, 6 Mar 91 22:17:39 EST
From: Gary L Dare <gld%[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Smiths Live at Oxford

From the Complete Smiths Discography:

>That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12" July 1985
> Nowhere Fast(live)
> Stretch Out And Wait(live)
> Shakespeare's Sister(live)
> Meat Is Murder(live)

The four live tracks on the B-side were taken from "The Smiths Live at
Oxford"; I don't know if this is the same as "Better Live Than Dead",
but I do know that Brave New Waves on CBC-FM (Canada; also satellite)
has broadcast other numbers from that concert on a number of artists
profiles. I don't know if they've played it again since June 31/88,
the last time I heard that Smiths concert clip.

gld
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary L. Dare
> [email protected] "Draft the Yuppie Scum!"
> [email protected] (recent East Village graffiti)

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From: GGTZEUTSCHLE%AMHERST.BITNET%[email protected]
Subject: Re: STRANGEWAYS: Kill Uncle
Date: Wed, 06 Mar 91 21:43:39 -0800

Question for whoever it was who said Tony the Pony wasn't supposed to be on t
he
US version of Kill Uncle (Kevin, I think) are you sure about this? I just sa
w
it AVEC TtP at our local hip record shop, but for $14 (I usually try to avoid
paying more than US$12 for CD's), and, if this is true, will buy the CD next
week ... just wondering ... thanks.

ggatz.

---Yes...I said that...here's my reply.

According to my sources (KROQ radio and the Record PX), Tony the Pony IS
supposed to be on the first few thousand printings of _Kill Uncle_. It
WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE ON THE ALBUM AT ALL. Has anyone seen the UK version
or Japanese version of the album and does it have "Tony the Pony" on it?
Supposedly, only the first printing of _Kill Uncle_ in America is supposed
to have the extra track.

Of course my sources can always be wrong (as they have been before), but
they both seem to agree on this.

=K=
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Date: 07 Mar 91 11:04:31
From: Michael.C.Massengale%[email protected]
Subject: Strangeways

All right, it's getting dull. Here's some interesting questions that I have
being a fairly recent Smiths fan (since they broke up, as a matter of fact).
Note of flame-prevention: questions about sexual orientation didn't orginate
from me. Personally, I don't care. I'm not the one who made them an issue that
surrounds Morrissey. I only ask because so much has already been said.

1. Why did they break up?
2. Could there ever be a release of "lost" Smiths recordings? (and I'm
not asking for you to be psychic, I just want to know if they recorded a lot
more than they released)
3. Where did this Stephen Street guy come from? And what happened to him,
now that there's no mention of him on Kill Uncle? And is there a particular
reason why Morrissey doesn't continue to record with Rourke, Joyce, and
Gannon? I think that some of his best solo work has come from his work with
them.
4. (kind of related to #1) Any chance of a reunion?
5. What's the deal with Morrissey's sex life? Why is it an issue? Is he really
celebate? I've heard not, and I've also heard that he's bisexual. Something
to do with a quote in an interview "I've sent some notes to some boys and some
girls..."

Well, I'm sure I'll think of some more later. One thing I did notice: the
release pattern of Bona Drag/Kill Uncle looks pretty similar to Hatful of
Hollow/Meat Is Murder after the first albums of Morrissey and the Smiths
respectively. The compilations both have new songs and songs from the
previous album, and the subsequent releases both follow within a matter of
months. Is this Morrissey's idea of a marketing scam? Nobody else does this,
which is why I'm suspicious of the allegations that "the record company made
him do it."

'nuff said for now...

Michael

[ Let me assert some opinions here (feel free to tear them apart). First,
yes, Morrissey is celebate...had a bad experience with a woman some time
ago. Second, reunion is likely only if Marr can reconcile his differences
with Morrissey. It seems that Marr left the Smiths (even though Morrissey
went and recorded _Viva Hate_ in Winter 1987 while _Strangeways..._
wasn't recorded until Spring 1987). Morrissey stated that he would
gladly work with Marr again if he ever asked (but somehow I doubt that
he will). The quote from NME states: "The Smiths announce that Johnny
Marr has left the group. However, they would like to confirm that other
guitarists are being considered to replace him." This is from the
biography "The Smiths: The Complete Story" by Mick Middles. Did I
forget anything? Oh...Stephen Street. He engineered/produced a number
of Smiths albums (see some credits on _Strangeways_, _The Queen Is Dead_,
etc. The only one he's not on is the original _The Smiths_). He can't
really play anything real well, though. Maybe that's why he's not on
_Kill Uncle_. Anyway, I think Morrissey wants a "different" musical
sound, apart from the Smiths. "Interesting Drug" and "Last of the
Famous International Playboys" sound a lot like Smiths songs (which
is probably why most "Smiths" fans like those two singles the best).
Morrissey's probably trying to get away from the Smiths image.

Sorry this was so long...I'm just rambling. I needed a break from
writing my compiler :-). =K= ]

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Date: 08 Mar 91 01:20:23
From: Michael.C.Massengale%[email protected]
Subject: Strangeways

Here's a suggestion for our compilation cassette. Could somebody with a fancy
system dub a good copy of "Sister, I'm a Poet" from the Hulmerist video? The
live track would be nice to have on cassette.

Michael
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From: Brian Pane <bp%[email protected]>
Subject: STRANGEWAYS::Kill Morrissey and His Uncle
Date: Fri, 08 Mar 91 15:58:21 EST

I just got _Kill_Uncle_ yesterday. I found the album very disappointing.
While the lyrics are perhaps Morrissey's best since _Strangeways_, the
music is too dull and minimalistic. There's a lot of angst expressed, but
nothing on _Kill_Uncle_ really depresses me enough. I can't think of any
reason why I should bother listening to this album. For lyrics that make me want
to crawl under a rock and die, it is nowhere near as good as _Meat_is_Murder_. :^)
For music that simply sounds good, it is nowhere near as good as _The_
Queen_Is_Dead_, or even _Bona_Drag_.

I recognize that not everyone will agree with my opinions on the album,
so this is my advice: borrow a friend's copy and listen to it several
times first. Then decide if you want to run to the nearest CD store.

On another thread, since everybody is listing their favorite albums,
I might as well post mine.
1. Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen
2. Meat is Murder The Smiths
3. Disintegration The Cure
4. Forever Now Psychedelic Furs
5. Pretty Hate Machine Nine Inch Nails
6. In the City of Light Simple Minds
7. Heaven or Las Vegas Cocteau Twins
8. Candleland Ian McCulloch
9. Louder than Bombs The Smiths
A. Lincoln They Might Be Giants
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Brian_Pane::~Brian_Pane() { "[email protected]"; }
// University of Florida Department of Computer Science Class of 1991
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Date: 08 Mar 91 16:38:39
From: Michael.C.Massengale%[email protected]
Subject: Re: Strangeways #8

--- Forwarded Message from [email protected] (Pete Ashdown) ---

> > Also, whatever became of J. Marr?

> throughout the concert (not that he does much anyway). Marr is doing
> a number of things right now, including Electronic, The The,
> The Pretenders and possibly Talking Heads. All of these are tenative
> rumors right now. The The has a new single out that he is credited on.
> Hopefully we'll see more of Marr pretty soon.

'The The' not only has a single crediting Marr, they have an ALBUM with Marr's
picture on the inside. Its been out for over a year now, called "Mindbomb".
Believe me, Marr is very much a permanent part of 'The The'. Last time 'The
The' was in the states, Marr and Matt Johnson did several interviews together.
Marr was basically thrilled to be working with Matt.

I _SERIOUSLY_ doubt this rumor of Marr working with Talking Heads. Its like
a rumor of David Bowie replacing Sting for a Police reunion tour. Talking
Heads are a very close bunch, and a very capable bunch too. I really don't
think there is a whole lot of need to replace Jerry Harrison on guitar.

[ Just a comment - the "The The" single is a NEW single, not from the album,
"Mindbomb" which was released almost a year and a half ago. Marr was
involved in "Naked" by the Talking Heads. He was also in the video
"Nothing But Flowers". I'm sure he was in others (and credited in almost
half of the songs on the album) but MTV, the great network that it is,
very seldom plays anything really good. =K=
]
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Date: 08 Mar 91 17:38:06
From: Michael.C.Massengale%[email protected]
Subject: Strangeways

Stray comment in a post on the manc list that I found interesting...

>...I reckon Sing Your Life (I think this is to >be the new single, released
on 2 April)...

Can anybody confirm this one?

Michael

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From: [email protected]
Re: "Kill Uncle" review

Here's the review of _Kill Uncle_ by Cary Darling of the Register. He's
one of the leading alternative music critics.

Quote started here--------
Stephen Patrick Morrissey is blissfully, shamelessly, irrevocably English,
and that's always been his most precious asset. As the frontman for the
Smiths, Morrissey's lyrics were written with a poison pen dipped deep in
a well of vitriol, which when accompanied with his deadpan sense of humor
and scalpel-sharp tounge, brought comparisons to such Brits as Oscar Wilde
and the Kinks' Ray Davies.
With Morrissey providing so much of the high drama, the Smiths' music
often was overlooked. However, when Morrissey parted with guitarist Johnny
Marr and headed off on a solo career - releasing the woeful "Viva Hate" -
it was obvious drollness can only be carried so far.
With his second solo album, "Kill Uncle" (last year's "Bona Drag"
was a compilation), Morrissey has teamed with Mark Nevin (ex-Fairground
Attraction) and producer Clive Langer and come up with an effort that puts
him back on track. As witty and wily as Morrissey can be, his songs can
be grating without the proper musical partnership.
While his new team isn't as consistent as the Smiths at their best,
there are enough moments on "Kill Uncle" where melody, malice and melancholy
meet to give the album a subdued strength. The last two tracks alone - the
beautifully laconic "(I'm) The End of the Family Line" and the too short
but dramatically doleful "There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends" -
are worth the price of admission into Morrissey's grey dreams.
- Cary Darling/The Register
End quoted stuff-------

I'm sure just about everyone out there (except Michael) has already bought
the album (CD - does anyone buy records anymore?). If you haven't, why are
you on this list? :-)

Anyway, I have to agree with C.D. - outstanding lyrics but the music itself
in not all that spectacular. I still liked all the strings he used in
_Viva Hate_...it gave the album a more consistent flow of downwardly
grey music.

=K=