R
Ragdale Road
Guest
Morrissey hated the John Porter version of What Difference Does It Make? because it was too polished and his vocals were pretty low in the mix. John was more interested in establishing Marr's signature guitar sound. He especially wanted an iconic intro, that would immediately identify the song whenever it was played on radio. A lot of 80s hits started with a distinctive intro.Love them all, but That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is a masterpiece.
Back to the Old House
Well I Wonder
Boy with the Thorn
I also love What Difference Does it Make? - sad that Moz isn't keen.
Morrissey much preferred the raunchy Hatful version. It fits with his liking of under produced, quirky music to this day. When he talks about Marr's 'rolling chords' in the Importance of being Morrissey, there seems to be a sense of admiration, but also, weariness, that Marr's remit never seemed to stretch further than producing beautiful, exuberant music that was easy on the ears 'like drinking margarita's through your ears,' as one person put it. Morrissey has always seemed to be the more experimental one to me, and not afraid to let his product be seen, warts and all.