K
King Leer
Guest
Found a copy of the 4-track U.S. version at Tower Records in Tokyo. HMV had YATQ on the listening post, but not the single. I'm desperately trying to hold out for the Japanese version of YATQ, which will include the IBEH DVD and a bonus track on the album (one of the IBEH b-sides, I assume, though we could be lucky).
Anyway, onto the 3 tracks:
"It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small": Don't ask me why, but the first 5 seconds before the song proper, remind me of KISS! I don't have the musical vocabulary, but the tempo and key of this song reminded me of a Southpaw Grammar track, which is not a bad thing. The lyric about "I burst into public baths/And I throw my weight around" also harkened back to the Boy Racers and Operatees of that era. And then Morrissey breaks into falsetto, and it became a unique track in its own right. I like how "ringo" later changes to "gringo". Small as in small penis -- a possible reading, knowing Morrissey.
"Munich Air Disaster 1958": Okay, it's not the Second Coming, but fans have been too harsh on this track. The vocal melody is good, especially the chorus. I especially like the buildup toward the end, when the sound effects affect the plane's wheezing props, leading into Dean's amazing burst of percussion (the plane crashing?). And can I say that Dean-O's drumming on this album is excellent. He's living up to Morrissey's claim that he's "the best drummer they've ever had". I'm curious about the lyric "They can't hurt you/Their style will never desert you/Because they're all safely dead". Is this being sung to the footballers they would've faced on the pitch? With headphones on, the sample of "That's not funny!" made me jump.
"The Never Played Symphonies": If you don't absolutely love this track... I don't know what to say. Yes it's strong enough to have been an album track, but Morrissey has *always* given us brilliance on the b-side. I see this song as being sung from the point of view of Jobriath as he was dying. Just an idea.
These three, plus the muscular "Irish Blood, English Heart", make this single a wonderful EP for me...
Anyway, onto the 3 tracks:
"It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small": Don't ask me why, but the first 5 seconds before the song proper, remind me of KISS! I don't have the musical vocabulary, but the tempo and key of this song reminded me of a Southpaw Grammar track, which is not a bad thing. The lyric about "I burst into public baths/And I throw my weight around" also harkened back to the Boy Racers and Operatees of that era. And then Morrissey breaks into falsetto, and it became a unique track in its own right. I like how "ringo" later changes to "gringo". Small as in small penis -- a possible reading, knowing Morrissey.
"Munich Air Disaster 1958": Okay, it's not the Second Coming, but fans have been too harsh on this track. The vocal melody is good, especially the chorus. I especially like the buildup toward the end, when the sound effects affect the plane's wheezing props, leading into Dean's amazing burst of percussion (the plane crashing?). And can I say that Dean-O's drumming on this album is excellent. He's living up to Morrissey's claim that he's "the best drummer they've ever had". I'm curious about the lyric "They can't hurt you/Their style will never desert you/Because they're all safely dead". Is this being sung to the footballers they would've faced on the pitch? With headphones on, the sample of "That's not funny!" made me jump.
"The Never Played Symphonies": If you don't absolutely love this track... I don't know what to say. Yes it's strong enough to have been an album track, but Morrissey has *always* given us brilliance on the b-side. I see this song as being sung from the point of view of Jobriath as he was dying. Just an idea.
These three, plus the muscular "Irish Blood, English Heart", make this single a wonderful EP for me...
