Morrissey "Everyday Is Like Sunday" B-Sides Review

MORRISSEY! SEASIDE B-SIDES

“I WILL live my life/As I will undoubtedly die/. . . alone". What's Morrissey been doing all this time? Well, Tuesday sees his ‘Suedehead’ follow-up, ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’, launched upon innocent seasiders everywhere. And there are three spanking “new and unavailable elsewhere” Mozz/Stephen Street compositions on the B-Side of the 12"er: ‘Sister I’m A Poet’, ‘Will Not Marry’ and ‘Disappointed’ (‘Disappointed’ only on the 7").

Derek B has described Morrissey as a “down brother” and we can safely say he’s living up to that reputation here. All three songs are shorter on humour than, say, ‘Hairdresser On Fire’ but they’re naturally well crafted and seductively executed. ‘Sister I’m A Poet’ is an appropriate B-side for his 'Everyday’s Like A Sunday’ Betjeman 'Slough'-steal, but both it and ‘Disappointed’ sound more like The Smiths than Viva Hate’ ’88 Morrissey.

‘Sister’, which approaches some of Morrissey/Marr’s best songs, reminds of ‘The Headmaster Ritual’ musically and ridicules Citroen van drivers “with meths on their breaths”; on ‘Disappointed’ the guitars and drums bounce along together in a manner too reminiscent of ‘How Soon Is Now? ’I drank too much and I said too much /And there's nowhere to go but down". ’Ere, you're not running out of songs are you?

‘Will Not Marry’ is the strongest, most potent member of the trio; gently sad with strings and children's cries and echoes of The Electric Light Orchestra (I mean that in the nicest possible sense), it also features some heavenly guitarwork from Vin The Pin Reilly and finds Morrissey desperately trying to outsprint his “inbuilt guilt”: “It comes round to your place at 5am/And wakes you up and laughs in your face" Ha ha!

Yes, the Charles Hawtrey of hip-hop has done it again; productivity and poetry and not a Troy Tate remix in earshot. And the highlight of these mad moments (“Nineteen Eighty Hate” reads the EMI-threatened run-off groove gobbit) is definitely Morrissey’s rapport with the rabble on 'Disappointed':

“This is the last song I will ever sing". The crowd cheers. “No, I’ve changed my mind again”. The crowd is truly disappointed. “Goodnight and thankyou. ”

Greasy T