KILL UNCLE
Kill Uncle, Morrissey's 2nd proper solo album, is best described as "quirky". Released in March 1991, the frankly bizarre sound and musical construction of this album, is almost, but not quite, pulled off with a certain charm. The album's inherent near-mythological quaintness is just irritating at first; it is only after many listens that it becomes bearable to listen to. After many many more listens you will find yourself curiously entranced by it, and be unable to explain why.
With the exception of "Our Frank", there are no songs trumpeting the usual Morrissey trademark - musically simplistic songs, highly melodic, and transformed by a fine lyrical tone and an ear for an interesting vocal. The track "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" hints towards further efforts such as Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself with its stark yet fulsome acoustic guitar and vocal arrangement. Interestingly enough, Linder, Morrissey's oldest friend, contributes backing vocals to this track, making it one of the more successful ones on this underachieving album.
This album preceded a large tour, where material from this album sometimes shone in live form, which is documented in the video "Live In Dallas".
Morrissey got the inspiration for the title of this album from the sixties film called "Let's Kill Uncle", about a twelve-year-old boy who must defend himself from a greedy uncle after an inheritance.
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