I am thoroughly enjoying the Morrissey autobio, despite all the negative reviews I’ve read it is sure good enough so far (about 15% of the way in) . I’d like it a lot more if I could get my hands on the Kindle version and not have to bugger around a 500 page paperback and at the speed I am reading my dream will probably come true sooner rather than later.
In the meanwhile, Morrissey has released a live cover of Lou Reed’s “Satellite Of Love” from 2011 on Parlophone, who also mentioned some live tracks to be released soon and some news to break soon. Reading between the lines, Parlophone noted his book sales and have given Morrissey an offer he can’t refuse.
The version of “Satellite Of Love” is nothing much. The change of “I like to watch things on TV” to “I can not stand the TV” changes the heart of the matter, certainly the queer, ironic, white trashy vibe of the track seems to lost on Morrissey who muscles the song. There is something so spacey about Reed’s performance, he is so out there, so in and out of his culture, of the TV blankness strained electric shock of life. I just don’t like the change especially since we know that when Reed was singing the song in the 1970s, Morrissey himself was a heavy duty TV addict so it isn’t even true.
The other change is just much worse. Reed sang “I’ve been told that you’ve been bold with Harry, Mark and John” to “I’ve been told that you’ve been fucking with Harry, Mark and John.” Obviously, Reed is referencing “Slippin’ And Slidin'” -in an album of sexual transformation, in a song that is a signal post, Reed draws right back on his rock and roll roots. Morrissey’s change of the line is cultural vandalism.
Really, a dog cover, worse than his “Redondo Beach” which wasn’t so hot to start with. Still, if this opens the doors to a renewed relationship with the label and fresh material being released well then I am all for it.
Satellite Of Love- Morrissey – C-
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