This is a DVD I don't own, and I've never seen Morrissey live, so in lieu of a rating I'll just drop off this story. My first visit to the USA was in April 2004 - a package tour around California, ending in Los Angeles. As our tour bus approached the hotel in LA, we passed the Wiltern Theatre. Oh look - Morrissey is starting a five-night run of shows there this evening. Of course I knew nothing about it in advance, nor did I know I'd be staying in a hotel 200 yds away from Morrissey playing live, and of course all the nights were sold out. I wasn't prepared to pay scalper prices, so to this day, the closest I have been to Morrissey playing live is eating in the adjacent Denny's.
Easily my favorite Morrissey live DVD. A fantastic performance from a band at perhaps their most popular. I re-watched it the other day in preparation, and you could just tell how much the reception meant to Moz. Without question 5/5 for "Who Put the M in Manchester."
Who put the M... Great title, love the big red Morrissey letters on stage, a nice nod to the Elvis 68 comeback special I was also there , right up the top tier, and the atmosphere was electric..I spent the weekend In Manchester and the place was buzzing.. we also got a free badges pack as you went in which I’ve still got..the set list was very mozza, but the new songs really held up... it was a great gig . The dvd is nicely done but just can’t replicate the atmosphere of the day 5/5
Today’s song is I’m Playing Easy to Get: An unusual song in Morrissey’s career as it was both performed live and broadcast as part of a Janice Long BBC session in late 2004, and yet has never been officially released. Morrissey later explained, “it was recorded, but not very well, so we hid it – although my experience is that nothing can ever be hidden.” It’s a shame as it certainly had more potential than the song that we’ll discuss tomorrow. The music is mediocre, but Morrissey’s vocal melody makes up for that and, with the right production, it could have been a pretty good b-side at the very least. 3/5.
They did record a studio version of this which you think would be better than the radio session. It's a slight song, but has some nice lyrics. It's nothing special, of course, though I do like the loose feel of it. 3.25/5
Never heard "I'm Playing Easy to Get" before. Sounds like a song playing over a budding romance montage in a rom com. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 3/5
Easy to get - 3 of 5. Hadn’t heard it before. It’s nice, nothing terrible, not exactly a lost gem either
"I'm Playing Easy to Get" I like this song but feels unfinished. I bet people like this song primarily for the line "Please let me lose". Typical Morrissey line. 3.5/5.0
"Playing Easy To Get" is thoroughly OK and gets 3/5. "Slum Mums" and "Public Image" 2/5. "M In Manchester?" is probably the best live Moz DVD, though I do have a very soft spot for "Introducing" as it was filmed at one of the shows I attended. Anyway 4/5
"I'm Playing Easy To Get" Never heard this before either. It's OK, but sounds a bit ordinary to me, to be honest. I can see why it wouldn't have been first in line to get a proper recording. 2.5/5.
Another good song I hadn't heard before. Shame it's not official released. If Quarry is ever re-issued, hopefully this is included as a bonus track or something similar. 3.5/5 for "I'm Playing Easy to Get."
Today’s song is Noise is the Best Revenge: A tuneless piece of nonsense, this is the song that should have been left unreleased. Even Morrissey’s voice is much less impressive than normal and this is one of his weaker efforts. I guess any studio version may have been an improvement, but for this I can only stretch to 1.5/5.
I don't think it's completely awful, but generic hard rock isn't why I listen to Morrissey. This song is unfortunately just that. 2/5 for "Noise is the Best Revenge."
A rare Moz/Boz/Gaz composition that seems written as a piece of heavy rock pastiche more than anything else. While it's not the greatest song in the world, there is something amusing about hearing Morrissey's somewhat faux macho vocal in this incongruous and atypical setting. The session production is just a bit too thin and unfocussed for the material though - which certainly doesn't help matters - but there are some good lines: "I've been hawking this song for too long" and "there's even a Victorian legal system". I don't find it unlistenable; it's just not a song I'd actively seek out. Not terrible, but decidedly average, and probably shouldn't have been released in this form. It feels like an unfinished experiment - yet somehow does manage to retain a certain novelty value and charm. I'll give it an extra half a point for almost quoting George Herbert. 3/5
Never heard this one before. Just a throwaway, like the whole World Peace album LOL. He's written some great songs with Boz. This isn't one of them. And yet, I still don't hate it. There are Morrissey songs way worse than this IMO. 2/5 for "Noise"
Noise Is The Best Revenge 2/5 - No surprise this never was properly recorded. I don't think proper production would have done much since not a whole lot of song here.