Re: Alain Whyte reminisces about Southpaw Grammar, released 20 years ago today
such a mediocre and forgettable album to be honest
such a mediocre and forgettable album to be honest
I divorced my first wife because of Southpaw Grammar. Well, not only because of Southpaw Grammar but that was the straw that broke the camel's back. The day it was released was a special day- I was still high from Vauxhall. The one thing I asked of her was to allow me an hour to myself that evening after work to lay on our bed with my big 1970's headphones and listen to the album from start to finish in the semi-dark. She interrupted my listening session about half a dozen times. My young and very immature self decided, if she couldn't understand this, she had to go. Looking back as a true grown up I understand she was just lonely as I was working a full time job and a part time job and commuting about two hours each day on top of that. I was being truly selfish but that really was the moment I realized she couldn't understand me. Hard to believe that was 20 years ago.
Jack White. He'd be a great shock to the system while not gutting what makes Morrissey Morrissey. He has a history, as a producer, of taking former greats and giving us one last bit of brilliance (Loretta Lynn, Wanda Jackson.) He's good at wringing out the originality where I think Rick Rubin is more of a polisher and filler (Not that that's a bad thing- I'm thinking specifically of his reworking of the Avett Brothers sound.) And I think Jack White and Morrissey would actually have a lot in common as fans of music/vinyl. If they sat down over drinks and just talked about music they'd either walk away eager to work together or hating each other's guts. I'd love to hear a few songs co-written by White- it would be that stripped down raw rock sound Moz seems to favor. I really think JW could help Morrissey create an album that feels fresh without simply adding flamenco guitar and random sound effects.
I divorced my first wife because of Southpaw Grammar. Well, not only because of Southpaw Grammar but that was the straw that broke the camel's back. The day it was released was a special day- I was still high from Vauxhall. The one thing I asked of her was to allow me an hour to myself that evening after work to lay on our bed with my big 1970's headphones and listen to the album from start to finish in the semi-dark. She interrupted my listening session about half a dozen times. My young and very immature self decided, if she couldn't understand this, she had to go. Looking back as a true grown up I understand she was just lonely as I was working a full time job and a part time job and commuting about two hours each day on top of that. I was being truly selfish but that really was the moment I realized she couldn't understand me. Hard to believe that was 20 years ago.
Oh yeah - I think Alain whistles into his guitar pickups during that middle bit in 'Teachers' to get that high bit? A great moment. It just felt like the whole band was on fire during this period, and of equal importance to the singer. Now we are back to Morrissey the front man, with a bunch of faceless, uniform-wearing backing band about 7 miles behind him.
equal importance to the singer? hell naw. I'm not saying that the band at that time wasn't good, but i don't think fans and Moz himself considered them equals :/
This is a knock-off of the original I found on the net but it is pretty close to the real thing. View attachment 34552
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Maybe it's my swarthy good looks that go with it
'Equal importance' might be overstating it, but what I meant was in terms of the mix of that album Morrissey's vocal wasn't way louder than the band, but nicely equal in the mix. Ditto there were big stretches (huge chunks of 'Teachers', the end of 'Southpaw', the drum solo in 'The Operation', the end of 'Do Your Best and Don't Worry', even the string/guitar break in 'Reader Meet Author') where the band carried the album instrumentally. Add to that the lack of lyric booklet and no Morrissey glowering at you from the cover, and stylistically it *felt* more than Morrissey was just the singer IN a band, rather than a solo frontman with a backing band (even if in reality no-one would have bought it had Morrissey's name not been on the cover )
I suggest you listen to Your Arsenal again.
equal importance to the singer? hell naw. I'm not saying that the band at that time wasn't good, but i don't think fans and Moz himself considered them equals :/
If someone can't even leave you alone for a single hour to do something you enjoy, then you were probably well shot of her.
wow, 20 years, crazy. i didn't love it on first listen, but much more so over time. it's a very mysterious, menacing record on the whole, including the cryptic cover. i love the length of the long songs. if one is in the right mood they're hypnotic. 'dagenham dave' is catchy for sure, and the stacked vocals were an alain signature.
Southpaw Grammar is my favorite album. i love all the tracks except for the song Southpaw. its so sad that we cant get another record like that due to Alains departure. That album left me wanting more back in 1995.