hatfull
HIM-full
I've always stuck up for this album, I really enjoy it
New Appeciation For "Kill Uncle"
- Thread starter Harsh Truth
- Start date
leastlikelyto
first lost lad
i really enjoyed "king leer" and "mute witness", that record is really underestimated.
Reggie Kray
Vile
I am definitely backing KILL UNCLE
hatfull
HIM-full
totally! It's really very, very good
osiris
New Member
I think a lot of people underestimate this album. I don't really understand why though. I think it's way better than Southpaw & Maladjusted. I have always loved Kill Uncle. My favorite tracks are Mute Witness, Our Frank, King Leer, (well all of them really.) Anyway, I just wished that Moz would bring some of these songs back to the foreground in his live shows cause they really are great songs.
georgina
and after all this time
The first Morrissey solo I heard and watched was the Dallas video, which is half Kill Uncle and half Bona Drag. They're still my two favorites. I would love to hear Sing Your Life or King Leer live, slim chance though. I changed my sig for Kill Uncle appreciation.
Gin N Tonic Jil
Member
UH! I would DIE! I'm a Kill Uncle fan and re-appreciate it every time I pop it in. I hope you listen to it all day
I love the lp. Not as a whole but,as a 90%
. There is a place, Alf wank , girlfriend, SYL, tony. good lp, great time when it came out aswell.viva morrissey
Spineless Swine
Are you loathsome tonight
I actually prefer this album to Rott or SG. Ok it's a bit lightweight and too short but I can actually get some enjoyment from every track.
Take 'Found Found Found' Muscially terrible, but lyrically a couple of nice lines, especially the end of the song where the theme is turned on its head with the line 'all the time.'
Or King Lear, its a bit silly but a great song to dance to at the star and garter.
While, Our Frank, Sing Your Life, Mute Witnes, End of the Family Line and 'Hell' are classic Morrissey.
Take 'Found Found Found' Muscially terrible, but lyrically a couple of nice lines, especially the end of the song where the theme is turned on its head with the line 'all the time.'
Or King Lear, its a bit silly but a great song to dance to at the star and garter.
While, Our Frank, Sing Your Life, Mute Witnes, End of the Family Line and 'Hell' are classic Morrissey.
Corrissey
lovable loser
DITTO spineless! You and I are same
This CD takes me to a certain place in life (and was the only thing to keep me sane when I used to take a train for nearly 3 hours a day) and I have a certain afflication with it that I can't quite describe. I mean, the Harsh Truth isn't great--but there's something oh so cool about it. Driving Your Girlfriend Home, SPEAKS to me , End of the Line *sigh* is 1 of my top pops, and Place in Hell will be played at my funeral. I mean 'celebration of life' before you guys go to Kauai and scatter my ashes. See creamation thread Had to say hello and that I want to be with Morrissey ALL the time. Too.
SparkleBoy
worships Johnny Thunders
It took me 16 years to become friendly with "Kill Uncle" - but i still dont rate it highly. Too many stinkers on it (Harsh Truth, Mute Witness, Asian Rut, Found Found...and yes, Family Line). "Our Frank" is my favourite from this album. "Sing Your Life" is a funny little track.
I'd love to hear an updated live version of "Pashernate Love"...
Our Frank is OUTSTANDING, and Mute Witness is one of his all-time best LIVE songs!!
chrisarclark
Boycott Moz
In Defence of Kill Uncle;
even more so than Southpaw Grammar, Kill Uncle is the most misunderstood, and thus underrated, album of Morrissey's career. surely, it is one of the most unique and this is likely why it is so chastised by fans and critics alike- yet this uniqueness should be seen as one of its many strengths.
the album begins with its first single, "Our Frank"- a perfect choice for the lead single as it is likely the most similar to his previous solo singles on the album. this song also perfectly sets the tone and progression of the album: an emphatically expressed desire to shake off the weighty thoughts of deep conversation and introspection that eventually gives way to an uncontrollable compulsion to think about "everything" "deeply" and "bleakly". all delivered by means of a racing and poppy musical backing and clever, humourous and undeniably charming lyrics and vocals, this is a fantastic way to open.
"Asian Rut" is easily one of the strangest songs in the Morrissey cannon, but this only adds to its interest. an eerie musical accompaniment, complete with the beautifully harmonious, yet unsettling, violin of Nawazish Ali Khan, a chilling depiction of racism and violence ending with one of the most transcending stanzas of Morrissey's career, "I'm just passing through here/On my way to somewhere civilised/And maybe I'll even arrive/Maybe I'll even arrive...." by that line alone this song is made spectacular.
one of the more widely accepted songs off Kill Uncle is second and final single taken from the album, "Sing Your Life". really, not much needs to be said here: a joyously bouncy musical backing for perhaps Morrissey's most inspirational and encouraging lyrics ever. complete with the Morrissey charm and humour- which has never been displayed more or better than on this album- this is one of Morrissey's finest.
"Mute Witness" serves as a wonderful mirror to the classic "November Spawned A Monster" in its view of a disabled girl from the opposite and seemingly unsympathetic perspective. now, many will criticise Morrissey for having bad taste in attempting to extract humour from such a situation before abruptly sending the poor girl off in her taxi, but the very fact that Morrissey does write about things like this, where most would never attempt, shows his true empathy for the disabled. an ambiguous lyric and a glammed up musical performance, this is another great song.
people juste dont get "King Leer" ithink. ithink theyre juste being too serious or stuck up or something, but when people refer to one of Morrissey's greatest lyrics as his "lyrical nadir," it really makes me wonder what is wrong with them. it's simply a perfect piece of fey pop boasting an absurdly hilarious lyric with its series of cringeworthy, but completely intentional, puns and clichés, including the title's labeling of the boyfriend as "King Leer"- brilliant. imean, if you think he’s being serious, he completely gives himself away when he begins to laugh at himself in the middle of the song. this is the most playful moment of Morrissey's career and it is classic all the way.
"Found Found Found" begins the fall back into that uncontrollable compulsion of introspection suggested in opener, "Our Frank". the hardest music on the album works as a signal call for the shift in mood and perspective. another brilliantly transcending line, even though it was pipped from Noel Coward, comes at the end with "I do believe that the more you give your love, and I do believe that the more you give your trust, the more you're bound to lose." great track.
it has been spoken of before how "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" can be seen as the other side of The Smiths' classic "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and itotally buy into that. it’s easy to see how this song may tell from the driver's perspective the return from the night out of seeing "people" and "life" to finally drop the girlfriend off at what he calls "her home" but what she would refer as not her home, but "their home" (iimagine there's a roommate living there along with her and this dislikable boyfriend and in this way she refers to it as "their home"). as she confides to the driver of the problems in her relationship, perhaps they drive through a darkened underpass where she nearly gets up the nerve to ask him his feelings for her or if they could ever be intimate, but then "a strange fear" grips her and she juste cant ask. perhaps he wouldve had to decline anyway in the same way that he "can't tell her" and "can't answer". it’s all very engaging. viewing the song in this way makes it at once an indispensable classic, but regardless it stands up on its own as one of Morrissey's most quietly beautiful and ambiguous songs ever.
"The Harsh Truth Of The Camera Eye" is another song subject to overly harsh treatment from fans. honestly, ithink again too many take it all too seriously. a satire all the way, brilliantly over the top lyrically and musically, bludgeoning the listener over the head with the carnival-like keyboards and "ominous" camera shutter sound effects in case you didnt get it. it’s all amazingly funny- especially the line "This photographer, he must've really had it in for yah!" toofuuny- but it’s also extremely relatable for many, if not most. many people think they take bad pictures and are sometimes horrified by seeing themselves in film or even the idea of having their picture taken at all. the song continues a much loved theme from past and future Morrissey songs such as "Late Night, Maudlin Street" and "Let Me Kiss You" of self deprecating judgment of one's own physical appearance. it’s not #1 single material, but it’s not trying to be and it works perfectly as the final comedic relief on the album (not counting the excellent "Tony The Pony" on NA versions of Kill Uncle).
it’s often a perilous practice to assume that the "I" in a Morrissey song is definitely in the first person and referring to Morrissey himself, but it's hard not to see "(I'm) The End Of The Family Line" as a very personal lyric. given that Morrissey has still never even come close to marriage, let alone fatherhood, this song does seem to be quite autobiographical. a powerful statement of radical independence and breaking from tradition, this is one of Morrissey's greatest and most quintessential lyrics ever. sometimes seen as a possible admission of his oft rumoured but never confirmed homosexuality with the opening verse of "With no complications/Fifteen generations (of mine)/All honouring Nature/Until I arrived (with incredible style)", Morrissey remains ambiguous enough to keep those overly concerned pointlessly guessing- typical Moz. as an added bit of interest or significance, the anti-paternal theme of this song adds another sinister layer to the line "Well, it's your own fault for reproducing" in the song "Ambitious Outsiders" from Maladjusted six and a half years later. simply one of the most clever and beautiful songs he has ever written.
the end of Kill Uncle for many comes with "There's A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends"- one of the most deeply touching pieces of music and poetry Morrissey has ever done. the somber tone reflected in the sparse arrangement and sad, yet somehow redemptive sounding, piano and drums is executed to perfection. some argue that the rockier, far more upbeat live version is superior to the album version, but istrongly disagree. while the live version is a somewhat interesting take on the song and perhaps more appropriate to be toured around stadiums and arenas, it takes too much away from the true mood and message of the song; a beautiful way to close a beautiful album.
but, if your from NA, the fun isnt over yet. whether "Tony The Pony" was truly intended to be on the album or not, idont care. it serves as an excellent, upbeat closer to Kill Uncle and is another great song. bringing back some of the rockabilly feel from The Smiths days, and in the same way hinting towards Your Arsenal, the music is wonderful and suiting to another wonderful and brilliantly funny lyric. endlessly clever in how the song jumps from the perspective of the narrator and protagonist (and possibly the protagonist's big brother as well)- the song tells the charming tragicomic tale of "f***ed-up Tony" (for all those whose jaws dropped when they heard the word "shit" in "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" and "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" in 2004). as the song lilts away, it leaves a smile on the listeners face, serving as a fitting end to a more than pleasing album.
all the complaints over the production on this album are as overblown as those complaints over the production of The Smiths' debut. the production on Kill Uncle is perfectly suited to the songs- it’s light, airy, poppy and allows the songs to come to the fore and speak nakedly and honestly for themselves. it’s easy to pick on Nevin, Langer and Winstanley as they basically came and went with this album, but they did an excellent job in helping Morrissey create an album most artists could only dream of creating.
Kill Uncle, though admittedly not Moz's best, is a great album- iwish more people would take the time to realize that.
even more so than Southpaw Grammar, Kill Uncle is the most misunderstood, and thus underrated, album of Morrissey's career. surely, it is one of the most unique and this is likely why it is so chastised by fans and critics alike- yet this uniqueness should be seen as one of its many strengths.
the album begins with its first single, "Our Frank"- a perfect choice for the lead single as it is likely the most similar to his previous solo singles on the album. this song also perfectly sets the tone and progression of the album: an emphatically expressed desire to shake off the weighty thoughts of deep conversation and introspection that eventually gives way to an uncontrollable compulsion to think about "everything" "deeply" and "bleakly". all delivered by means of a racing and poppy musical backing and clever, humourous and undeniably charming lyrics and vocals, this is a fantastic way to open.
"Asian Rut" is easily one of the strangest songs in the Morrissey cannon, but this only adds to its interest. an eerie musical accompaniment, complete with the beautifully harmonious, yet unsettling, violin of Nawazish Ali Khan, a chilling depiction of racism and violence ending with one of the most transcending stanzas of Morrissey's career, "I'm just passing through here/On my way to somewhere civilised/And maybe I'll even arrive/Maybe I'll even arrive...." by that line alone this song is made spectacular.
one of the more widely accepted songs off Kill Uncle is second and final single taken from the album, "Sing Your Life". really, not much needs to be said here: a joyously bouncy musical backing for perhaps Morrissey's most inspirational and encouraging lyrics ever. complete with the Morrissey charm and humour- which has never been displayed more or better than on this album- this is one of Morrissey's finest.
"Mute Witness" serves as a wonderful mirror to the classic "November Spawned A Monster" in its view of a disabled girl from the opposite and seemingly unsympathetic perspective. now, many will criticise Morrissey for having bad taste in attempting to extract humour from such a situation before abruptly sending the poor girl off in her taxi, but the very fact that Morrissey does write about things like this, where most would never attempt, shows his true empathy for the disabled. an ambiguous lyric and a glammed up musical performance, this is another great song.
people juste dont get "King Leer" ithink. ithink theyre juste being too serious or stuck up or something, but when people refer to one of Morrissey's greatest lyrics as his "lyrical nadir," it really makes me wonder what is wrong with them. it's simply a perfect piece of fey pop boasting an absurdly hilarious lyric with its series of cringeworthy, but completely intentional, puns and clichés, including the title's labeling of the boyfriend as "King Leer"- brilliant. imean, if you think he’s being serious, he completely gives himself away when he begins to laugh at himself in the middle of the song. this is the most playful moment of Morrissey's career and it is classic all the way.
"Found Found Found" begins the fall back into that uncontrollable compulsion of introspection suggested in opener, "Our Frank". the hardest music on the album works as a signal call for the shift in mood and perspective. another brilliantly transcending line, even though it was pipped from Noel Coward, comes at the end with "I do believe that the more you give your love, and I do believe that the more you give your trust, the more you're bound to lose." great track.
it has been spoken of before how "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" can be seen as the other side of The Smiths' classic "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and itotally buy into that. it’s easy to see how this song may tell from the driver's perspective the return from the night out of seeing "people" and "life" to finally drop the girlfriend off at what he calls "her home" but what she would refer as not her home, but "their home" (iimagine there's a roommate living there along with her and this dislikable boyfriend and in this way she refers to it as "their home"). as she confides to the driver of the problems in her relationship, perhaps they drive through a darkened underpass where she nearly gets up the nerve to ask him his feelings for her or if they could ever be intimate, but then "a strange fear" grips her and she juste cant ask. perhaps he wouldve had to decline anyway in the same way that he "can't tell her" and "can't answer". it’s all very engaging. viewing the song in this way makes it at once an indispensable classic, but regardless it stands up on its own as one of Morrissey's most quietly beautiful and ambiguous songs ever.
"The Harsh Truth Of The Camera Eye" is another song subject to overly harsh treatment from fans. honestly, ithink again too many take it all too seriously. a satire all the way, brilliantly over the top lyrically and musically, bludgeoning the listener over the head with the carnival-like keyboards and "ominous" camera shutter sound effects in case you didnt get it. it’s all amazingly funny- especially the line "This photographer, he must've really had it in for yah!" toofuuny- but it’s also extremely relatable for many, if not most. many people think they take bad pictures and are sometimes horrified by seeing themselves in film or even the idea of having their picture taken at all. the song continues a much loved theme from past and future Morrissey songs such as "Late Night, Maudlin Street" and "Let Me Kiss You" of self deprecating judgment of one's own physical appearance. it’s not #1 single material, but it’s not trying to be and it works perfectly as the final comedic relief on the album (not counting the excellent "Tony The Pony" on NA versions of Kill Uncle).
it’s often a perilous practice to assume that the "I" in a Morrissey song is definitely in the first person and referring to Morrissey himself, but it's hard not to see "(I'm) The End Of The Family Line" as a very personal lyric. given that Morrissey has still never even come close to marriage, let alone fatherhood, this song does seem to be quite autobiographical. a powerful statement of radical independence and breaking from tradition, this is one of Morrissey's greatest and most quintessential lyrics ever. sometimes seen as a possible admission of his oft rumoured but never confirmed homosexuality with the opening verse of "With no complications/Fifteen generations (of mine)/All honouring Nature/Until I arrived (with incredible style)", Morrissey remains ambiguous enough to keep those overly concerned pointlessly guessing- typical Moz. as an added bit of interest or significance, the anti-paternal theme of this song adds another sinister layer to the line "Well, it's your own fault for reproducing" in the song "Ambitious Outsiders" from Maladjusted six and a half years later. simply one of the most clever and beautiful songs he has ever written.
the end of Kill Uncle for many comes with "There's A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends"- one of the most deeply touching pieces of music and poetry Morrissey has ever done. the somber tone reflected in the sparse arrangement and sad, yet somehow redemptive sounding, piano and drums is executed to perfection. some argue that the rockier, far more upbeat live version is superior to the album version, but istrongly disagree. while the live version is a somewhat interesting take on the song and perhaps more appropriate to be toured around stadiums and arenas, it takes too much away from the true mood and message of the song; a beautiful way to close a beautiful album.
but, if your from NA, the fun isnt over yet. whether "Tony The Pony" was truly intended to be on the album or not, idont care. it serves as an excellent, upbeat closer to Kill Uncle and is another great song. bringing back some of the rockabilly feel from The Smiths days, and in the same way hinting towards Your Arsenal, the music is wonderful and suiting to another wonderful and brilliantly funny lyric. endlessly clever in how the song jumps from the perspective of the narrator and protagonist (and possibly the protagonist's big brother as well)- the song tells the charming tragicomic tale of "f***ed-up Tony" (for all those whose jaws dropped when they heard the word "shit" in "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" and "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" in 2004). as the song lilts away, it leaves a smile on the listeners face, serving as a fitting end to a more than pleasing album.
all the complaints over the production on this album are as overblown as those complaints over the production of The Smiths' debut. the production on Kill Uncle is perfectly suited to the songs- it’s light, airy, poppy and allows the songs to come to the fore and speak nakedly and honestly for themselves. it’s easy to pick on Nevin, Langer and Winstanley as they basically came and went with this album, but they did an excellent job in helping Morrissey create an album most artists could only dream of creating.
Kill Uncle, though admittedly not Moz's best, is a great album- iwish more people would take the time to realize that.
Last edited:
Corrissey
lovable loser
Thanks, chris. I remember reading this on the boards awhile back (as a goodnight read to self) and I thought... YES -this guy gets it (and 'me'). That's why I added you as a friend that night...u still r...even tho u haven't responded to my PM about burning B sides 4 me 
No matter, Pregs is on it!
No matter, Pregs is on it!
chrisarclark
Boycott Moz
Thanks, chris. I remember reading this on the boards awhile back (as a goodnight read to self) and I thought... YES -this guy gets it (and 'me'). That's why I added you as a friend that night...u still r...even tho u haven't responded to my PM about burning B sides 4 me
apologies- ive never checked friends or msgs on this site (im usually seen as a bit of an outsider here- especially since my boycott- ha). juste sent you a pm and then saw your original msg to me. letmeknow what you need (if you still do) and ill see what ican do.
Helios
New Member
David
Member
"Family Line," "There Is A Place...," and maybe "Our Frank" are all pretty good Moz songs. The rest are his typical early-90s period "novelty" songs, and pretty much absolutely blow.
It's common wisdom that "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" is a great Morrissey song on a bad album. Meh. I don't really agree. Had it been on any other album, it would have been totally forgettable. That tells you something.
Kill Uncle is easily the worst Morrissey album of all time. It has no compelling singles and only a few good album tracks. Its only saving grace is that its tour kicked ass.
Someone mentioned upthread that Southpaw Grammar has "hidden depth." I totally agree. Southpaw is a great album that I find myself wanting to listen to. It would be great if Moz resurrected that album in live form.
Someone else upthread said that You Are the Quarry is Morrissey's most overrated album. What rubbish. Quarry is easily one of Morrissey's most compelling albums. "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" and "America Is Not the World" are the only two iffy songs on the album. The singles from Quarry are some of his best ever, I think, and the depth that songs like "I'm Not Sorry," the gorgeous "Come Back to Camden," and "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores" offers makes it a remarkable work.
It's common wisdom that "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" is a great Morrissey song on a bad album. Meh. I don't really agree. Had it been on any other album, it would have been totally forgettable. That tells you something.
Kill Uncle is easily the worst Morrissey album of all time. It has no compelling singles and only a few good album tracks. Its only saving grace is that its tour kicked ass.
Someone mentioned upthread that Southpaw Grammar has "hidden depth." I totally agree. Southpaw is a great album that I find myself wanting to listen to. It would be great if Moz resurrected that album in live form.
Someone else upthread said that You Are the Quarry is Morrissey's most overrated album. What rubbish. Quarry is easily one of Morrissey's most compelling albums. "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" and "America Is Not the World" are the only two iffy songs on the album. The singles from Quarry are some of his best ever, I think, and the depth that songs like "I'm Not Sorry," the gorgeous "Come Back to Camden," and "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores" offers makes it a remarkable work.
chrisarclark
Boycott Moz
Your avatar is a disgrace.
yure a disgrace.
sonof77
Tangled up in glue
Your avatar is a disgrace.
haha..Are you having a bad day?
sonof77
Tangled up in glue
Driving your girlfriend home remains a great Moz song and no novelty tracks appear on Kill Uncle.
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