Kill Uncle
Encyclopedia
Kill Uncle is Morrissey
's second solo album, released on 4 March 1991 by EMI
and HMV Records. It is generally considered Morrissey's most unconventional album, probably due to its mature torch song
("There Is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends") aspects combined with quirky music and lyrics that range from ironic and tongue-in-cheek to some of his more introspective.
but had not yet started working with his future long-term team of guitarists Alain Whyte
and Boz Boorer
. As such, the album, produced by Clive Langer
and Alan Winstanley
with most music written and guitar work done by Fairground Attraction
's Mark E. Nevin presents Morrissey singing to an unfamiliar style of music.
", the album's lead single and opening track, reached #26 in the UK
and #2 on the US
Modern Rock chart. Morrissey's lyrics describe "frank and open, deep conversations" that get him nowhere and leave him disheartened. The final verse, however, sees Morrissey singing "Won't somebody stop me from thinking? From thinking all the time. So deeply, so bleakly..." which critic David Thompson interprets as indicating that the conversations he so dreads are in fact with himself. The song features some uncharacteristic production for the singer, with Morrissey's voice being overdubbed
and echoed
.
"Asian Rut" is a tale about the murder of an Asian by three English boys in which Morrissey's vocals are backed only by strings and bass, plus sound effects, lending an eerie quality to the somber narrative. The song continues the tradition of Morrissey examining English racism
from a unique angle, first established with "Bengali in Platforms" on Viva Hate
.
"Sing Your Life
", the third track on the album, was released as a single, reaching #33 in the UK and #10 on the US Modern Rock chart. A drum loop, featuring bass drums and toms but no snare drums, repeats itself throughout the track. The strings from the first two tracks are present in the song as well, and they rise and fall in a fashion similar to "Our Frank". The song has Morrissey instructing the listener on how to make a song, as he sings, "Walk right up to the microphone and name all the things you love, all the things you loathe." A 'hard Rockabilly' mix of the song also exists.
"Mute Witness", the fourth track, features piano backing composed by Clive Langer
. The song is a somewhat farcical tale of an attempt to get information out of a witness who cannot speak at a trial.
"King Leer" follows, an upbeat tune which has come under some criticism for its use of puns. "Found Found Found", another Langer track, is the only heavy song on the album. Morrissey sings that he's found "someone who's worth it in this murkiness" but again gives the song a twist at the end, complaining that this person is "somebody who wants to be with me...all the time".
In "Driving Your Girlfriend Home", a ballad, Morrissey tells of how he's driving the girlfriend of one of his friends home. He reveals that she asks him, "'How did I end up so deeply involved in the very existence I planned on avoiding?'" and that "She's laughing to stop herself crying." These outpourings are interspersed with driving instructions, and Morrissey tells us, "I can't tell her" what he feels about her and that the ride concludes with them "shaking hands goodnight so politely."
The next track is "The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye", often cited as Morrissey's most misunderstood song ever recorded. The lyrics are describing the "pain because of the strain of smiling" and the dichotomy between one's public image and private personality. The music consists of a carnival-like synthesizer and also features sound effects like that of a door slamming and a camera lens snapping, along with piano accompaniment.
"The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye" is followed-up by "(I'm) The End of the Family Line". The singer rues that he will never have children, an insult into the "fifteen generations...of mine" that produced him. There is a hint that the reason for this is that protagonist is homosexual, as he sings that these generations were "all honoring nature, until I arrive...with incredible style". The lyrics are complemented by a subdued guitar backing, and the song features the kind of false fadeout that first appeared on such Smiths
songs as "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore".
The album closes with "There Is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends", a simple piano piece
that again reflects the existential longing of the album and showcases Morrissey
's torch song
influence as the New Wave
Sinatra.
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
's second solo album, released on 4 March 1991 by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and HMV Records. It is generally considered Morrissey's most unconventional album, probably due to its mature torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
("There Is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends") aspects combined with quirky music and lyrics that range from ironic and tongue-in-cheek to some of his more introspective.
Recording
The album was recorded when Morrissey was in a transitional phase. He had parted ways with producer Stephen StreetStephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
but had not yet started working with his future long-term team of guitarists Alain Whyte
Alain Whyte
Alain Gordon Whyte is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is most known for being Morrissey's main songwriting partner since 1991 and his lead guitarist from 1991-2004...
and Boz Boorer
Boz Boorer
Boz Boorer is a British guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group, The Polecats, and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey.-The Polecats:The band "Cult Heroes" was formed in 1977 by Tim Worman , Boz...
. As such, the album, produced by Clive Langer
Clive Langer
Clive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
and Alan Winstanley
Alan Winstanley
Alan Kenneth Winstanley is a British record producer active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer.-Notable studio albums produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer:* One Step Beyond... – Madness...
with most music written and guitar work done by Fairground Attraction
Fairground Attraction
Fairground Attraction were a British acoustic pop band. They are best known for their hit single "Perfect", and for helping to launch the career of lead vocalist Eddi Reader.-Career:...
's Mark E. Nevin presents Morrissey singing to an unfamiliar style of music.
Music
"Our FrankOur Frank
"Our Frank" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the Kill Uncle album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released....
", the album's lead single and opening track, reached #26 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and #2 on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Modern Rock chart. Morrissey's lyrics describe "frank and open, deep conversations" that get him nowhere and leave him disheartened. The final verse, however, sees Morrissey singing "Won't somebody stop me from thinking? From thinking all the time. So deeply, so bleakly..." which critic David Thompson interprets as indicating that the conversations he so dreads are in fact with himself. The song features some uncharacteristic production for the singer, with Morrissey's voice being overdubbed
Dubbing (music)
In sound recording, dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal...
and echoed
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
.
"Asian Rut" is a tale about the murder of an Asian by three English boys in which Morrissey's vocals are backed only by strings and bass, plus sound effects, lending an eerie quality to the somber narrative. The song continues the tradition of Morrissey examining English racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
from a unique angle, first established with "Bengali in Platforms" on Viva Hate
Viva Hate
Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on 14 March 1988 by HMV Records. The album was considered a very strong foray into Morrissey's solo career, as he utilised his traditional lyrical style and retained the basic sound that The Smiths had developed by the time they broke up. It...
.
"Sing Your Life
Sing Your Life
"Sing Your Life" was a single by Morrissey released in April 1991. It was the second single taken from the Kill Uncle album. On release this was Morrissey's lowest charting single in the UK charts, reaching only number 33...
", the third track on the album, was released as a single, reaching #33 in the UK and #10 on the US Modern Rock chart. A drum loop, featuring bass drums and toms but no snare drums, repeats itself throughout the track. The strings from the first two tracks are present in the song as well, and they rise and fall in a fashion similar to "Our Frank". The song has Morrissey instructing the listener on how to make a song, as he sings, "Walk right up to the microphone and name all the things you love, all the things you loathe." A 'hard Rockabilly' mix of the song also exists.
"Mute Witness", the fourth track, features piano backing composed by Clive Langer
Clive Langer
Clive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
. The song is a somewhat farcical tale of an attempt to get information out of a witness who cannot speak at a trial.
"King Leer" follows, an upbeat tune which has come under some criticism for its use of puns. "Found Found Found", another Langer track, is the only heavy song on the album. Morrissey sings that he's found "someone who's worth it in this murkiness" but again gives the song a twist at the end, complaining that this person is "somebody who wants to be with me...all the time".
In "Driving Your Girlfriend Home", a ballad, Morrissey tells of how he's driving the girlfriend of one of his friends home. He reveals that she asks him, "'How did I end up so deeply involved in the very existence I planned on avoiding?'" and that "She's laughing to stop herself crying." These outpourings are interspersed with driving instructions, and Morrissey tells us, "I can't tell her" what he feels about her and that the ride concludes with them "shaking hands goodnight so politely."
The next track is "The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye", often cited as Morrissey's most misunderstood song ever recorded. The lyrics are describing the "pain because of the strain of smiling" and the dichotomy between one's public image and private personality. The music consists of a carnival-like synthesizer and also features sound effects like that of a door slamming and a camera lens snapping, along with piano accompaniment.
"The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye" is followed-up by "(I'm) The End of the Family Line". The singer rues that he will never have children, an insult into the "fifteen generations...of mine" that produced him. There is a hint that the reason for this is that protagonist is homosexual, as he sings that these generations were "all honoring nature, until I arrive...with incredible style". The lyrics are complemented by a subdued guitar backing, and the song features the kind of false fadeout that first appeared on such Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
songs as "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore".
The album closes with "There Is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends", a simple piano piece
that again reflects the existential longing of the album and showcases Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
's torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
influence as the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
Sinatra.
Side A
- "Our FrankOur Frank"Our Frank" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the Kill Uncle album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released....
" – 3:25 - "Asian Rut" – 3:22
- "Sing Your LifeSing Your Life"Sing Your Life" was a single by Morrissey released in April 1991. It was the second single taken from the Kill Uncle album. On release this was Morrissey's lowest charting single in the UK charts, reaching only number 33...
" – 3:27 - "Mute Witness" (MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, Clive LangerClive LangerClive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
) – 3:32 - "King Leer" – 2:55
Side B
- "Found Found Found" (MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, Clive LangerClive LangerClive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
) – 1:59 - "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" – 3:23
- "The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye" – 5:34
- "(I'm) The End of the Family Line" – 3:30
- "There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends" – 1:52
- "Tony the Pony" – 4:11 (US release only)
Personnel
- Morrissey – lyrics and vocals
- Mark E. NevinFairground AttractionFairground Attraction were a British acoustic pop band. They are best known for their hit single "Perfect", and for helping to launch the career of lead vocalist Eddi Reader.-Career:...
– guitar, composer - Mark BedfordMark BedfordMark Bedford , nicknamed 'Bedders', is a bass guitarist and former member of the band Madness....
– bass - Andrew Paresi - percussion, drums
- Seamus Beaghen – keyboards
- Steven Heart – keyboards
- Nawazish Ali Khan – violin
- Gino Sprio – photography
- LinderLinder SterlingLinder Sterling is a visual artist, performance artist and musician from Liverpool, England. She spent her teen years in Manchester. She also uses the single name "Linder".-Early life:...
– background vocals - Alan WinstanleyAlan WinstanleyAlan Kenneth Winstanley is a British record producer active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer.-Notable studio albums produced by Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer:* One Step Beyond... – Madness...
– producer - Jo Slee – art coordinator
- Clive LangerClive LangerClive Langer is a British record producer active from the mid 1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films Still Crazy and Brothers of the Head. Prior to his record producing career he was a guitarist with the British cult band Deaf SchoolLanger...
– producer