October 10th at Radio City Music Hall will hardly be my first trip to the rodeo with young Stephen. Indeed, I have seen him just about every time he has traveled through, though oddly I missed his multi-night stint at the Hammerstein soon after he canceled the MSG show I did have tix to.
Morrissey can do no wrong in books -I mean musically, needless to add. In a remarkable career, he has never released a song, let alone an album, I've found easy to dismiss. From "Charming" thru "Maladjusted" to "Paris", really, it is amazing. Where is the mid-career slump? Where is the sucking in the 21st Century? It isn't here. Completely true to him, album after album till today where, disgracefully, no major label has signed him and he won't release new material solo. I find it mindbending that no American Indie is fellating him in the back of a Vauxhall Viva while reaching for the master tapes of everything he has on record.
It's been THREE YEARS SUCH YEAR OF REFUSAL!!!
So, what can we expect from the shows? I got this setlist from a March 17th gig Setlist at Teatro Metropol, Bogotá, Colombia. St. Patrick's Day, which probably explains the last song of the set…
1. The First Of The Gang To Die – Here is the man getting his Quay Brothers on, even the cover with a machine gun!
2. How Soon Is Now -He is so at ease with his Smiths work that he can pick any song from any album at all. I'd prefer "Shoplifters" but I'm OK with this.
3. You Have Killed Me – Typically histrionic, but an early luller.
4. Alma Matters – The entire album it's off is a little heralded masterpiece, and this is one of the top ten songs of his solo career.
5. Black Cloud – Pushing the product, even when the product is 3 years old. The start is the bluesiest thing he has ever done.
6. Let Me Kiss You – Dig the guitar lick that spurs the action.
7. One Day Will Goodbye Will be Farewell Forever – Best song off the newbie.
8. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out – Nothing much left to say about this one.
9. Ouija Board, Ouija Board – Aaaaah, he sounds so young and creepy
10. I Will See You In Far Off Places – From its Middle Eastern orchestration to its heated desire, this stands as one of Morrissey's greatest moments.
11. You're The One For Me, Fatty – It's the name as adjective that puts you right on your guard!
12. Speedway – Around about now, you get the idea he stuck the name of his songs in a hall and pulled em out randomly.
13. Meat Is Murder – Yeah, but will he replicate the buzzsaws at the start?
14. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris – Old habits die hard, eh? Study up on Year Of Refusal pop pickers
15. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – Who doesn't love this one?
16. When Last I Saw Carol – OK, we got it already Morrissey. Dig deeper, jerk.
17. Irish Blood, English Heart – And Happy St. Patty's to all.