A superb instrumental, featuring a nice organ sound and the sublime twangy guitar of Johnny Johnson. I believe Johnny has now left the Flaming Stars (who are led by Max Decharne, once of Gallon Drunk), which is a shame - he is a masterful guitarist. This is a rather dramatic, moody track, opening gently and building up nicely with fast strummed guitars. While I doubt this is deliberate, the overall effect is reminiscent of some of the tracks on Morrissey's guitar-heavy 1992 album 'Your Arsenal'. Anyway, like much of the band's other material, this is a nice hybrid of 50s and 90s styles.
from Hospital, Heaven or Hell EP, available on CD (Vinyl Japan)
Another superb instrumental track which had vanished from my mind during the last few years, but which I found again yesterday during a self-indulgent marathon record-listening session. This is a very memorable theme, produced by Joe Meek. There's a cool opening with a catchy drum pattern. The rest of the instrumentation is organ, bass, and some very cool twangy guitars, often with some heavy reverb.
available on CD - Joe Meek Presents 304 Holloway Road (Sequel)
I became able to vote about a week after the UK Conservative party had just won a fourth straight election victory. For me, this song just captures those feelings of utter frustration and anger which I was feeling at the time:
'3rd week with the jar you find
everything dies
we won't vote conservative
because we never have
everyone lies, everyone lies!'
It ends with Morrissey basically giving up on the country, singing 'We look to Los Angeles/ For the language we use/ London is dead, London is dead.' Even listening to it now, it takes me straight back to what was a pretty grim time for me, and - frankly - Britain.
15 Oct 01 ·LawrenceM: and of course, not long after that Morrissey moved to Los Angeles, to live the life of a fading rock star in the Hollywood Hills. All of "Your Arsenal" is brilliant ......