Kill Uncle

by

Morrissey

Edit

Spring of 1991: I am a 20-year-old student a Manhattan College in the Bronx. I remember traveling the 1/9 train subway with my friend and college radio partner to Tower Records downtown. Remember: There was no web, no leaks, and no previews. I remember it was chilly, and I was still getting over being dumped by my first college girlfriend. All I wanted was to hear this cd. I bought it and read the lyrics on the subway heading back to my dorm room.

"So how did I end up so deeply involved with the very existence I planned on avoiding?" is staring at me. Almost a paraphrase of what this girl had just told me before kicking me out of her dorm room a month ago! The chilling lyrics come from Kill Uncle's "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" which remains one of his best songs to date- a beautiful poem featuring honest lyrics repeated by a chilling base line.

For weeks I was glued to "Uncle" and 14 years later it remains on my all time favorites. A collection of rock, jazz and opera type songs, a collage of feelings and ideas.

"Our Frank" is a clever pop song mocking someone who takes him or herself too seriously. "Our frank and open deep conversations, they get me nowhere, they just bring me down" kicks off this brilliant album. "Asian Rut" is a brilliant opera duet including a violin crying about prejudice in the English school system. "Sing Your Life" is a fun, rockabilly style piece offering people 15 seconds of fame, years before the reality craze took over. "King Leer" is a jazzy selection mocking him and a love affair gone bound. Other favorites include "Found Found Found" "(I'm) The End Of The Family Line" and "There's A Place In hell For Me And My Friends."

Maybe the critics in 1991 were confused by the deepness of the context both lyrically and musically of "Kill Uncle." It's a must for any cd collection.

Bob Stei

WZZO

Allentown, PA

Almost sounds like one of Moz's latest B-sides, doesn't it? My title I mean...Why am I reviewing this? I don't really know, except the backlash against it has always puzzled me. "Kill Uncle" is a weird uncle, and certainly not a classic, but it's better than "Maladjusted"!--and almost as good as "Southpaw Grammar", another polarizing release. "Sing Your Life" is marvelous; one of my first exposures to Morrissey..."Asian Rut" is hilarious, unnerving, and completely singular. I like the silly resignation of "King Leer" and the spare archness of "Driving Your Girlfriend Home". Sometimes he sounds like he's 50 and full of holes on this one, and that's so touching in its strange, wintry way...