"Kill Uncle" at 30: Oddball album or timeless classic? - Dickie Felton

Link from Dickie:

"Kill Uncle" at 30: Oddball album or timeless classic? - Dickie Felton

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Wasn’t GM approached to produce TQID...

George Martin and Tony Visconti both declined producing The Queen is Dead.

Thanks, slipped my mind. I remember Visconti being asked, not George.

Did the Smiths really think they could get Martin to produce? guess it didn’t hurt them to ask.


Actually, Uncle needed a rocker to produce it, though what’s done is done. Just felt it would have benefited from a rougher edge.

 

[Alma Matter]

Mark Nevin is a pretty good collaborator for Morrissey. Imagine if Kill Uncle was only a Nevin collaboration. I would say it would be a very strong album.

1)Our Frank
2)I know Its Going to Happen
3)Place in Hell
4)Pregnant for the Last Time
5)The Loop
6)Changed my Plea
7)You're Going to Need Someone On Your side
8)SING YOUR LIFE!
9) End of the Family Line
10) King Leer

Singles:
1) Our Frank
2) Sing Your Life
3) Pregnant for the Last Time


I mean really. He is associated with a tough album. But if the above was the album...WOW! I would say that Boz would have wanted that many homers.

 

[carlislebaz]

Thanks, slipped my mind. I remember Visconti being asked, not George.

Did the Smiths really think they could get Martin to produce? guess it didn’t hurt them to ask.


Actually, Uncle needed a rocker to produce it, though what’s done is done. Just felt it would have benefited from a rougher edge.

To be fair to the child that couldn't be fed by it’s own mother and father, I’ve listened to “it” three times now and the firsts 6 songs still stand out to me , as they did last century....
Very strong, and yes different from VH, it had to be different otherwise KU would have been VH2 ...
It has a softer edge.. Yes.
It’s not VH...
As I’ve said before, KU kicked America’s arse when toured ..
Oh well enough said.....

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

To be fair to the child that couldn't be fed by it’s own mother and father, I’ve listened to “it” three times now and the firsts 6 songs still stand out to me , as they did last century....
Very strong, and yes different from VH, it had to be different otherwise KU would have been VH2 ...
It has a softer edge.. Yes.
It’s not VH...
As I’ve said before, KU kicked America’s arse when toured ..
Oh well enough said.....

I don’t think it matters much what he toured. It was his first solo tour, first time that we were going to finally see him live, what songs he performed or what band he had seemed almost secondary in importance to actually being in his presence.

 

[Verso]

Actually, Uncle needed a rocker to produce it, though what’s done is done. Just felt it would have benefited from a rougher edge.

Should’ve been Muff Winwood. I always felt like Kill Uncle was M’s Sparks record.

Either way, could’ve used a bit more time in the oven. It somehow feels both rushed and labored over, which ain’t a good combo.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Should’ve been Muff Winwood. I always felt like Kill Uncle was M’s Sparks record.

Either way, could’ve used a bit more time in the oven. It somehow feels both rushed and labored over, which ain’t a good combo.

Good call, or maybe Roy Wood!

 

[Alma Matter]

Mark Nevin is a pretty good collaborator for Morrissey. Imagine if Kill Uncle was only a Nevin collaboration. I would say it would be a very strong album.

1)Our Frank
2)I know Its Going to Happen
3)Place in Hell
4)Pregnant for the Last Time
5)The Loop
6)Changed my Plea
7)You're Going to Need Someone On Your side
8)SING YOUR LIFE!
9) End of the Family Line
10) King Leer

Singles:
1) Our Frank
2) Sing Your Life
3) Pregnant for the Last Time


I mean really. He is associated with a tough album. But if the above was the album...WOW! I would say that Boz would have wanted that many homers.

The Boz list is not much stronger...and after these 10, he falls off fast.

1. Now my heart is full
2. The More You Ignore Me
3. Speedway
4. Reader Meet Author
5. Come Back to Camden
6. Crashing Bores
7. Black Cloud
8. Staircase at the University
9. World Peace is None of Your Business
10. JACK THE RIPPER

Top song from each: Jack the Ripper vs. Our Frank...Boz by a hair.

 

[Alma Matter]

Mark Nevin is a pretty good collaborator for Morrissey. Imagine if Kill Uncle was only a Nevin collaboration. I would say it would be a very strong album.

1)Our Frank
2)I know Its Going to Happen
3)Place in Hell
4)Pregnant for the Last Time
5)The Loop
6)Changed my Plea
7)You're Going to Need Someone On Your side
8)SING YOUR LIFE!
9) End of the Family Line
10) King Leer

Singles:
1) Our Frank
2) Sing Your Life
3) Pregnant for the Last Time


I mean really. He is associated with a tough album. But if the above was the album...WOW! I would say that Boz would have wanted that many homers.

My Love life a well. Just confirmed that was Nevin,

 

[carlislebaz]

Should’ve been Muff Winwood. I always felt like Kill Uncle was M’s Sparks record.

Either way, could’ve used a bit more time in the oven. It somehow feels both rushed and labored over, which ain’t a good combo.

I’ve just been watching sparks ,
Which as we all know is calculated madness.... another possible rebirth for KU.... And fair doos, A good comparison... now you’ve mentioned it.........
Another parent for this , tattered, Battered, olde slag of an album...

You know what folks,
We DO still love it,
Minus it’s mum and dad ....

Solo now to adopt KU .....
As one of us
NEVER GIVING IN

 

[carlislebaz]

I don’t think it matters much what he toured. It was his first solo tour, first time that we were going to finally see him live, what songs he performed or what band he had seemed almost secondary in importance to actually being in his presence.

Understood.....
but his first BIG solo tour of USA
and them songs , along with playboy, Sunday,
Well just watch live in Dallas

 

[carlislebaz]

Of course, not saying that it wasn’t a good album to tour on.

It’s strange to think what might of happened if he didn’t do his first solo tour until Your Arsenal. I guess unbeknownst to even himself recording Kill Uncle
and finally touring in 91 was the right move. I don’t need to watch
Dallas (though I have) to know how good those Uncle shows were, I did see him 4 times on the Uncle tour and much more ever after. The 92 Arsenal shows were on a whole other level
of thundering brilliance by him and the band.

Wow.... all those times Ket.. Eh ...
And I’m happy with Dallas
Witch tour , the British one? I’m not sure where you’re from, although I’m sure you’ve told me before, but memory is
I’m on concert number 10.
I’m a hero to my kids ,
Ex wife was on 6..
oldest daughter on 4
Second oldest... still 4kin raging on 0.
Any funny concert tit- bits
Would be welcome now

 

[Flibberty]

I don’t think it matters much what he toured. It was his first solo tour, first time that we were going to finally see him live, what songs he performed or what band he had seemed almost secondary in importance to actually being in his presence.

Absolutely.

 

[BigVern2]

Stop me, o oh stop me, from thinking all the time

 

[Eldritch]

This is actually a good article by somebody who can obviously write. An oddball album definitely, at only 33 minutes it sounds like they barely came up with material to put it together, which wasn't the case. It's also damaged by the inclusion of King Leer, Found Found Found and Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye, because you definitely shouldn't have any filler on an album this short. But it's still a good, if undernourished album: Mute Witness and Driving Your Girlfriend Home are definitely my favourites and it would have been nice to hear them live way back in the era when we had live music.

 

[Eldritch]

Kill Uncle has four great songs and three pretty good ones (and three duff). For me, that lifts it above half the solo albums. Unfortunately, people tend to only associate Mark Nevin with Kill Uncle and write him off too quickly. But he also wrote Your Arsenal stand-outs I Know It's Gonna Happen and You're Gonna Need, plus Morrissey standard I've Changed My Plea, and the delightfully understated My Love Life. I also love Tony the Pony (Nevin's favourite co-write, apparently) but I know that's a controversial view!

Apparently there were more Nevin songs written for Your Arsenal, when he was devastated to find out that only two of his songs made the cut. He thought he was still the main collaborator, when Morreissey in his time-favoured fashion forgot to mention to him that he had been given the boot.

 

[carlislebaz]

This is actually a good article by somebody who can obviously write. An oddball album definitely, at only 33 minutes it sounds like they barely came up with material to put it together, which wasn't the case. It's also damaged by the inclusion of King Leer, Found Found Found and Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye, because you definitely shouldn't have any filler on an album this short. But it's still a good, if undernourished album: Mute Witness and Driving Your Girlfriend Home are definitely my favourites and it would have been nice to hear them live way back in the era when we had live music.

Driving your girlfriend home seems to be everyone’s favourite track from this album, apart from mine....
even the 2011 tarted up version only comes in about 5 minutes longer...
So it still comes in at 38.04 after 72 extra tracks added.....
Asian rut, should have been a single,
As it highlights, even then , problematic issues with race and culture in a big city like Manchester/ London / bunbury
And what’s been done over the years.... f*** all

 

[carlislebaz]

Ket not playing

 

[carlislebaz]

She’s to rough and I’m to delicate..

 

[carlislebaz]

Apparently there were more Nevin songs written for Your Arsenal, when he was devastated to find out that only two of his songs made the cut. He thought he was still the main collaborator, when Morreissey in his time-favoured fashion forgot to mention to him that he had been given the boot.

Yes... altogether the recording, production, and general friendliness
Just doesn’t/ hasn’t been there..
it’s very cut throat , now when we look back on this thread altogether,
Reading through many peoples posts ....
A sum what awful process altogether.... as I say the first six songs on KU remain time-full, and significant for me...

 

[Oh my]

He’s not “just like any of us”. He’s like some people, who take great pains to search for the new and the bold, while they’re young - and then assume that the music stopped, when they “grew up”. Sucks to be those people. They’re missing out on a whole world of music they’ll never discover.

Bubble-dwelling is no way to live.

At least in my case, most of the music I usually listen to is quite new (sometimes bands with only 5 years of existence)...

However, there is a special place for the music and albums I was listening to when I was a teen.

It's not that hard... the BEST concert I have ever seen will always be a concert I saw in 1987 by a local punk/hardcore band.... and actually that band is OK, but not so impressive. So I guess that the fact that it was the first "rock" concert I ever saw and the fact that I was 11 years old is quite related to that perception of mine (i.e, I am sure that I must have seen 100 better concerts by a lot of different bands, it's just that I wasn't 11 and they were not the very first concert I saw).

That's it.