Kill Uncle | ||||
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Studio album by Morrissey | ||||
Released | 4 March 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1990–1991 at Hook End Manor, England | |||
Genre | Jangle pop | |||
Length | 33:02 | |||
Label | HMV, EMI | |||
Producer | Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley | |||
Morrissey chronology | ||||
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Singles from Kill Uncle | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Chicago Tribune | |
Entertainment Weekly | A− |
Los Angeles Times | |
NME | 8/10 |
Pitchfork Media | 6.0/10 |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
The Village Voice | B+ |
Kill Uncle is the second solo studio album by English singer Morrissey, released on 4 March 1991 by record labels EMI and HMV. It is generally considered Morrissey's most unconventional album, probably due to its mature torch song ("There Is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends") aspects combined with quirky music and lyrics that range from ironic and tongue-in-cheek to some of his more introspective.
Kill Uncle was recorded when Morrissey was in a transitional phase. He had parted ways with producer Stephen Street but had not yet started working with his future long-term team of guitarists Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer. As such, the album, produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley with most music written and guitar work done by Fairground Attraction's Mark E. Nevin, presents Morrissey singing to an unfamiliar style of music.
On "Our Frank", Morrissey's lyrics describe "frank and open, deep conversations" that get him nowhere and leave him disheartened. The final verse, however, sees Morrissey singing "Won't somebody stop me from thinking? From thinking all the time. So deeply, so bleakly ...", which critic David Thompson interprets as indicating that the conversations he so dreads are in fact with himself. The song features some uncharacteristic production for the singer, with Morrissey's voice being overdubbed and echoed.
"Asian Rut" is a tale about the murder of an Asian by three English boys in which Morrissey's vocals are backed only by strings and bass, plus sound effects, lending an eerie quality to the sombre narrative. The song continues the tradition of Morrissey examining English racism from a unique angle, first established with "Bengali in Platforms" on Viva Hate.
"Sing Your Life", the third track on the album, features a drum loop which, featuring bass drums and toms but no snare drums, repeats itself throughout the track. The strings from the first two tracks are present in the song as well, and they rise and fall in a fashion similar to "Our Frank". The song has Morrissey instructing the listener on how to make a song, as he sings, "Walk right up to the microphone and name all the things you love, all the things you loathe." A rockabilly version of the song also exists, recorded live at KROQ in Los Angeles after Morrissey started working with new guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte.