Morrissey A-Z: "There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends"

BookishBoy

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Today's song is this Morrissey/Nevin composition, the closing track on the original release of Kill Uncle. The song was then recorded for KROQ in June 1991 and that version was included as a B-side of "My Love Life" and also the later reissue of Kill Uncle.

What do we think?
 
A good way to end Kill Uncle, a more sombre piece than some of the other songs on the album. Moz’s vocal drifts over the delayed piano, giving it a church-y feeling, compounded by the lyrics’ admission of some sort of inherent guilt that forces them down to Hell.
The live/b-side version I have heard more, just because it emphasises the pretty melancholy chord sequence, and allows the vocal to fit into a more traditional early-90s Moz tune: some of the embellishments, such as Box’s pull-offs in the chorus also elevate this variant. On the whole, I like both equally, but for different reasons.
Both versions = 7/10
 
The live version from the "My love life" 12" is my fave. It's quiet irresistible how the band really transforms the album version jnto a rolling stomper, isn't it? Lyrically, Morrissey is on safe ground. But the album version is also great. So chamber-musical and a wonderful complement to "Family Line". A practised outsider existence in 1991!
 
doesnt do much for me,too slow.
5 hells/10 heavens.
 
Lyrically there is a difference. In the album version he sounds quite sad (and looking back, we will forgive, we had no choice we always did)- that really gripped me.
This part is completely different in the live version and turns into something opposite, like he's feeling stronger/less vulnerable with the band now. I can have both versions.
 
Prefer the band version. IIRC the piano on the “Kill Uncle” version was taken from Mark E Nevin’s demo and had had to have varispeed used on it as it was slightly out of tune (?)
 
Really, really like this track; a slow, solemn, sad number ending the KU album (1991), running at 1:52. The piano helps convey the message really well. Not sure, but I think this must be one of his shortest tracks at 1:52, plus at 11 words, his longest song title.
On the remastered version (2013) he offers the faster paced (KROQ) version, running at 2:19. I like both versions, but given the sentiment of the song, & its perfect positioning at the end of KU, my preference is the 1991 version:

'All that we hope
Is when we go
Our skin
And our blood
And our bones
Don't get in your way
Making you ill
The way they did
When we lived'


Indeed.
 
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I love the original version and I dislike the 1991 live one, but almost like all the tracks from Kill Uncle - the energy was nice, especially when attending the shows, but all in all, I don't listen to the bootlegs of that era.
 
The studio version is vastly superior to the live recording. The band were very raw in 1991 and their lack of experience shows here. Thankfully they improved a lot by the tours of 1992.

The original was a good way to conclude a substandard album and should never have been omitted from the re-release.

In the poll on the Hoffman board this ranked 142nd from 264 solo songs.
 
I think the original version is fantastic. It was a genius move to end KU in such an elegiac way. The live/band version is good, but doesn’t capture the essence of the lyrics.
 
I love the guitars on this one, but lyrically it’s to short as he could have added another verse or two, given the subject matter he could have had a ball.
But in all fairness it’s a decent song and proudly takes its place on KU
 
Love the solemn sound of the grand piano, it suits the earnest delivery of his final words better than the garage rock version.
 
Agree with @This Charming Bowie - I love both versions of this song equally. The KU version was a fitting and moving end to the album... but I was blown away by the live version and the lyrical change @notawoman mentioned. Happy to have both versions. 7/10.
 
I love it. Plus it puts him in a category with AC/DC and Notorious BIG, "people who want to go to Hell." Kill Uncle is a great album throughout in my opinion and this is a classic and very-Morrissey song. 8/10
 
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