'Something Is Squeezing My Skull' Single

[GlasgowChivas]

Just nipped out there at lunch to HMV in Glasgow and picked up the re-issued albums as well as the 3 formats of the single.

The albums have got no space dedicated to them - only concession to their 'new' status is a yellow CHART placard behind - bottom line, if you aint looking for them already you aint gonna see them

As to the single - 1 copy of the 7" (which I got) and about 8 copies of the CD's (total of 8 for both versions that is)

It's not looking good for Moz chart-wise ....

GC

 

[dizzywhore_1804]

Well, despite asking Recordstore to cancel my order they've sent the singles anyway. Hmmmm.

Don't get paid until tomorrow, but plan to absolutely empty my local HMV. How much do we wanna bet they won't have the re-issues?

PS. I notice there is not a trace of 'Something Is Squeezing...' on iTunes (other than as part of the album). Another huge marketing push from Morrissey's people

 

[GlasgowChivas]

Weird

Importing the CD Single to I-Tunes and it reads it as:

Terry's Studio Tracks

Listed as Gospel on the Genre section

But the music is Moz.....

GC

 

[GlasgowChivas]

And CD 2 is registering as ITMAAP.....

GC

 

[Kewpie]

Bump

Thank you very much joe frady for posting news in download forum, now 'Paris' and 'Skull' B-side tracks are available from digital stores:

http://www.itsmorrisseysworld.com/story.php?newsID=58

 

[joe frady]

update from Noallegiances.com ~
http://www.noallegiances.com/2009/05/morrissey-something-is-squeezing-my-skull/
It would appear the watercolours on the new inner bags are all Ramones references : The Bowery painting is a nod to CBGBs an' all that, whilst the Camden landscape is the site of the Roundhouse venue where the Ramones invented British Punk in the summer of '76.
I knew it!

 

[mcrickson]

So, now that we're all over they "hype" of the SIMS single rolleyes, when do we think we will see the next single from YoR, assuming there is to be one?

 

[Maurice E]

oh dear. sounds like Moz has stopped playing this song live now, at least in Liverpool, because of its failure to chart.
what a shame. the whole SISMS campaign has been a disaster. rubbish for the fans, with no new songs to enjoy, bad news for the record company with no album extra sales, and massively demoralising for Moz who's now dropped a song which many/most fans consider to be one of his recent best...

 

[TheBoyWithTheÞInHisSide]

Poor guy. I am sure it is not his fault. His leadership is to blame.

 

[joe frady]

oh dear. sounds like Moz has stopped playing this song live now, at least in Liverpool, because of its failure to chart.
what a shame. the whole SISMS campaign has been a disaster. rubbish for the fans, with no new songs to enjoy, bad news for the record company with no album extra sales, and massively demoralising for Moz who's now dropped a song which many/most fans consider to be one of his recent best...

Like I said elsewhere, bollocks, disguised as fact.

 

[chelsea_steve]

Poor guy. I am sure it is not his fault. His leadership is to blame.

I disagree. The "leadership" simply can't polish a turd. The quality of his current work is pretty appalling. SISMS starts off really strongly, but people hear it for the 1st time on the radio & will only remember the ridiculous "don't give me any more" refrain going on & on & on & on & on. By the time it's finished they'll think "thank got that dirge is over". It's a cop out to pad out half a song & is never likely to attract new fans. I'm a huge Moz fan & feel really disappointed that the decline seems irreversible.

 

[Maurice E]

Like I said elsewhere, bollocks, disguised as fact.

thanks Jo for your charming comments!
is it bollocks that Moz dropped SISMS because of its chart position? I thought he said exactly that (or words to that effect) at the Liverpool concert? he may not have dropped it permanently. I hope he hasn't.

is it bollocks that the SISMS 'campaign' was a disaster for the record company? the album didn't even get back into the top 100 (requiring sales of just 1,000-2,000) whereas the second single off Quarry brought the album sailing back into the top 20.

is it bollocks that it was rubbish for the fans? only a blunt live version of This Charming Man (and other lesser songs) on the b-side, enjoyable at a live concert but who's genuinely gonna enjoy playing it at home, when they've got the original version in their CD collection?

is it bollocks that it's demoralising for Moz? have you any idea how obsessed Moz is with chart positions? if not, check out the email he wrote after 'The Youngest Was...' failed to go top 10, or just read his comments on any of his other singles which missed the top 40.

 

[Maurice E]

I disagree. The "leadership" simply can't polish a turd. The quality of his current work is pretty appalling. SISMS starts off really strongly, but people hear it for the 1st time on the radio & will only remember the ridiculous "don't give me any more" refrain going on & on & on & on & on. By the time it's finished they'll think "thank got that dirge is over". It's a cop out to pad out half a song & is never likely to attract new fans. I'm a huge Moz fan & feel really disappointed that the decline seems irreversible.

I half agree and I half disagree. I think some of his current songs are great (e.g. Birthday, Carol and Shame is the Name). but I completely agree with you about the "don't gimme any more" refrain. it ruins a decent song (and any chances of decent airplay), and I too am relieved when it's over!
will edit it out when I compile my own version of the 2009 material.

 

[GlasgowChivas]

is it bollocks that it's demoralising for Moz? have you any idea how obsessed Moz is with chart positions? if not, check out the email he wrote after 'The Youngest Was...' failed to go top 10, or just read his comments on any of his other singles which missed the top 40.

Link to that leaked mail? I have never seen it

Thanks

GC

 

[Worm]

I half agree and I half disagree. I think some of his current songs are great (e.g. Birthday, Carol and Shame is the Name). but I completely agree with you about the "don't gimme any more" refrain. it ruins a decent song (and any chances of decent airplay), and I too am relieved when it's over!
will edit it out when I compile my own version of the 2009 material.

I like the refrain.

I don't buy the idea that Morrissey dropped SISMS from the set because it didn't chart. Must have been another reason. He's been playing it a lot, going back to the ROTT tour, and (justifiably) seems proud of it. I think he'd play the track out of sheer defiance of "popular taste".

I mean, when did you ever know Morrissey to blame himself for a song not charting? Wouldn't dropping it indicate that he thought the problem wasn't the music industry, the charts, the radio stations, etc? Perish the thought!

 

[Uncleskinny]

Even though I was right there, I think the video choice wasn't a fair representation of the power of the recorded version. The studio recording was way up in Moz's register, especially at the end. I've tried to do the same, and the throat really hurts and struggles to keep up that "Give any more" repeated high at the end. I've come to the conclusion that he could not have recorded it all in one go. It's a real tough call to sing that live, hence the drop two frets (at least) in the live recording. On the studio recording, I hear it as capoed 2nd fret and starting on E (or starting on F# uncapoed). So, the intro is E, A, C#m, A; verse F#, D etc. On the live video you can take the capo off, and play the same chords, effectively taking the voice down two notes. It's a hell of a tough call to keep that voice up there, it really is. Shame. It was a belter of a single.

Peter

 

[Orson Swells]

Even though I was right there, I think the video choice wasn't a fair representation of the power of the recorded version. The studio recording was way up in Moz's register, especially at the end. I've tried to do the same, and the throat really hurts and struggles to keep up that "Give any more" repeated high at the end. I've come to the conclusion that he could not have recorded it all in one go. It's a real tough call to sing that live, hence the drop two frets (at least) in the live recording. On the studio recording, I hear it as capoed 2nd fret and starting on E (or starting on F# uncapoed). So, the intro is E, A, C#m, A; verse F#, D etc. On the live video you can take the capo off, and play the same chords, effectively taking the voice down two notes. It's a hell of a tough call to keep that voice up there, it really is. Shame. It was a belter of a single.

Peter

That's really interesting.

I actually really like the refrain at the end and agree it is a belting single. We all know if there had been new songs as the b-sides it would have charted. I sometimes think he should put out a second CD of previously unreleased tracks to back his singles: Kit, I'm Not Worth Hitting et al, which would really boost sales.

Anyway it seems a curious attempt at almsotcertain commercial suicide by limiting the b-sides to live tracks. I do wonder what the rationale behind it was...

As for the song itself, I think it would have made a better first single from the LP, than second (or fourth). It's something of a solo Shakespeare's Sister - slightly too leftfield to be a big mainstream hit, but thrilling on its own terms nevertheless. Carol or Birthday would have made more impact in terms of radio play and the public consciousness, I think.

 

[Maurice E]

I like the refrain.

I don't buy the idea that Morrissey dropped SISMS from the set because it didn't chart. Must have been another reason. He's been playing it a lot, going back to the ROTT tour, and (justifiably) seems proud of it. I think he'd play the track out of sheer defiance of "popular taste".

I mean, when did you ever know Morrissey to blame himself for a song not charting? Wouldn't dropping it indicate that he thought the problem wasn't the music industry, the charts, the radio stations, etc? Perish the thought!

It's not a question of buying the idea. It's what he actually said!
See the review below taken from the after-show section on the main site. Other people have mentioned it so I think it's pretty reliable.

'But his most recent single, Something Is Squeezing My Skull, was nowhere to be seen, as he pointed out somewhat peevishly: “You have to be an archaeologist to find my new single, so I won’t play it”.'

 

[Orson Swells]

I like the refrain.

I don't buy the idea that Morrissey dropped SISMS from the set because it didn't chart. Must have been another reason. He's been playing it a lot, going back to the ROTT tour, and (justifiably) seems proud of it. I think he'd play the track out of sheer defiance of "popular taste".

I mean, when did you ever know Morrissey to blame himself for a song not charting? Wouldn't dropping it indicate that he thought the problem wasn't the music industry, the charts, the radio stations, etc? Perish the thought!

I think you should think of it more as Morrissey punishing the world for Skull not doing well: they didn't play it/buy it - so he won't sing it. He still blames the music industry, etc.

 

[joe frady]

thanks Jo for your charming comments!
is it bollocks that Moz dropped SISMS because of its chart position? I thought he said exactly that (or words to that effect) at the Liverpool concert? he may not have dropped it permanently. I hope he hasn't.

is it bollocks that the SISMS 'campaign' was a disaster for the record company? the album didn't even get back into the top 100 (requiring sales of just 1,000-2,000) whereas the second single off Quarry brought the album sailing back into the top 20.

is it bollocks that it was rubbish for the fans? only a blunt live version of This Charming Man (and other lesser songs) on the b-side, enjoyable at a live concert but who's genuinely gonna enjoy playing it at home, when they've got the original version in their CD collection?

is it bollocks that it's demoralising for Moz? have you any idea how obsessed Moz is with chart positions? if not, check out the email he wrote after 'The Youngest Was...' failed to go top 10, or just read his comments on any of his other singles which missed the top 40.

Sorree MauricE for being so charmless; temporary result of coming to London from Glasgow for the RAH show and....etc, etc.
I still maintain that if he was going to drop 'Skull' from the set cos of it's dire chart performance then he would have done so at last weeks Scottish gigs. But he didn't. In fact he performed it as well as I've ever seen him do it, and any references he made to the charts were just typical Moz bitching, nothing more serious than that. Why did he drop it at the Empire ? No idea; maybe he'd just heard that Decca have queried any future single releases based on 'Skull's failure ? Maybe, if he was feeling slightly throaty, he couldn't face 'Skull' ~ one of the toughest songs in the set, and made a snarky comment about it ? I have no idea. No-one does, except SPM.
Yes, the 'Skull' release and campaign was poorly handled ~ no question.
Yes, I'm intimately aware of how chart-obsessed Morrissey is and has been since the age of 5, I read the 'Youngest' e-mail at the time, etc. but one thing Morrissey did not look like last week on his Scotch jaunt was a demoralised man. Anything but. So if you were trying to suggest that Moz's abandonment of the RAH concert was down to some psycho fit of pique at 'Skull's failure, then, I'm sorry, that just doesn't ring true to me. If you weren't suggesting that then I apologise for misunderstanding you.