Morrissey "Live at Earls Court;" "Who Put the 'M' in Manchester?" (Sanctuary)
By Tim Den
Friday. Jun 03, 2:44 AM
The voice that sings in my dreams...

Ah, Morrissey. Let the haters say what they will, but you are indeed one fabulously pessimistic, charismatic, tuneful, insightful, not to mention fashionable lad. And you’ve always been. Even during the Maladjusted backlash, you held your head high and delivered gut-wrenching drama like no other can. Name another artist who has been able to be as simultaneously suicidal, hilarious, morose, celebratory, catchy, witty, brutally honest, cheeky, sarcastic, and redemptive (not to mention timelessly – and uniquely – melodic). Haters: you are as blind and jealous as this man is articulate and suave. Get used to it.

These two separate documents of Morrissey in 2004 not only pulse with Moz’s rejuvenated blood, but they show just how far the man has come both vocally and historically. As he daringly opens Live at Earls Court with “How Soon is Now?”, one can’t help but instantly recognize the strength, clarity, and skilled tone with which our main character belts. Has he ever sounded better? More in touch with his own catalog and legacy? More capable of accomplishing anything his voice dares to tackle? Morrissey has aged exquisitely and sounds like it. And when he’s not stealing and breaking hearts with his songs, he’s as acerbic and witty as ever: in thanking the audience (“thank you for being here; thank you for being you”), acknowledging his myth (“time will prove everything;” “the past is a strange place”), and bidding a farewell as only he can (“don’t forget me: I love you, bye bye”). What I wouldn’t give to have this man’s command of the stage.

Who Put the “M” in Manchester? only cements everything I’ve spewed forth so far by giving it a face. As the DVD shows, Morrissey is more than a man to thousands of people everywhere. He is their consoling voice: he is their muse. He is the reason they live and hold hope in their lives. And at Manchester Evening News Arena on May 22nd 2004, a fuckload of people joined our prince for his birthday in his hometown. What a way to celebrate a homecoming. As images of Manchester and testimonials of fans prepare us for the opener (side note: has anyone ever noted how ironic it is that the toughest, roughest football hooligans worship such pretty music and effeminate posturing? But then again, American frat boys have their Dave Matthews Band…), you can’t help but drop your jaw at the sight of the crowd. Mother of god, how many people are packed into that arena? And it’s not a small venue, either! Look at the ecstasy on their faces! They’re going down as a part of history and they know it.

When Moz comes onstage and rips into “First of the Gang to Die,” it’s a sight to behold. The song itself, already one of his best, takes on a life of its own. It becomes… an anthem. It has the kind of verses and choruses that leave generations singing. Seeing it performed live finally proves that fact. Without missing a beat, he gives new life, one after another, to classic from both The Smiths and his solo career: “Hairdresser on Fire,” “Everyday is Like Sunday,” “The World is Full of Crashing Bores,” and – possibly his finest in the last 10 years – “I Have Forgiven Jesus.” I swear, that songs says more to me about my life (ha) than anything I’ve heard in a LONG while. Leaves me breathless every time.

And, of course, there’s the ultra smooth between-song banter. At one point, Morrissey announces “how very nice and natural to be back in the British top 10,” before cracking up and humbly stating “I’m really privileged.” At another, he again acknowledges that “the past never dies.” Hey, at least he didn’t bring out the giant mirror and touch himself all over it (like he did on his 2000 U.S. tour).

The only gripe, if I had to make one, about both Live at Earls Court and Who Put the “M” in Manchester? would be some of the song choices. Imagine if covers (“Redondo Beach,” bits of New York Dolls’ “Subway Train,” “No One Can Hold a Candle to You”), mediocre Smith songs (“Rubber Ring,” “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours,” “The Headmaster Ritual” if the lyrics weren’t so appropriate for the night in Manchester), and You Are the Quarry throaways (“You Know I Couldn’t Last,” “I’m Not Sorry”) were replaced by the likes of “The Last of the Famous International Playboys,” “Cemetry Gates,” “Ask,” and “Handsome Devil.” Yyyyyyyyeah no contest there. Hell, I would’ve taken anything off of the previously mentioned, terribly misunderstood Maladjusted over boring newbie “Don’t Make Fun of Daddy’s Voice.”

In the end, though, none of that matters. Cuz as Moz wraps up the set with “Shoplifters of the World Unite” and encores with “There is a Light That Never Goes Out,” you can almost see his voice touch each and every one of the audience members. Their every being reverberates with his melodies. It’s as if these are hymns etched in time: ageless and universal. The exhausted fans rise to their feet and come back to life like Lazarus, singing loudly and (a few) shedding tears. That’s when you realize – Christ almighty – Morrissey and The Smiths have become an untouchable mark in history. Flashback to the middle of “Everyday is Like Sunday,” when a male fan jumped the barriers to try and shake Morrissey’s hand… remember the way he mouthed the word “please” over and over again? The look of pure desperation in his eyes as he stretched out his palms, as if Moz held his reason to live in hand? Point made.

At the end of the night, with the crowd chanting his name repeatedly, Morrissey asks “me!? Me? Oh stop it!” He might be playing sly, but it shows that, despite all his self-deprecating bones and skin, deep down inside he – like the rest of us – knows he’s the shit.

PS: The five extra songs from Move Festival (also in Manchester) are also pretty breathtaking. The crowd sings so loud that Moz lets them take over for a part of “Everyday is Like Sunday.”

PPS: The PETA short film included here, Meet Your Meat will make you cry.
www.morrisseymusic.com
www.sanctuaryrecords.com

Click here to buy Live at Earls Court on iTunes!

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Tim Den

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