It’s been a little while since I’ve talked about a release from The Smith’s, but it’s not that I haven’t been thinking about them. Sometimes, it seems that they are bootlegged almost as much as some of my other favorite bands like Pink Floyd and Ozzy. I couldn’t possibly mention every one of these releases, but I like to try and do the really great ones that stand out. I think that Scratch Your Name On My Arm, very recently released by Casino Records in a 2 LP set, is one of those that’s worthy of fans’ consideration.
Of course, Morrissey and The Smiths have been in the news a bit lately. Morrissey says he was willing to do a reunion tour with the remaining members of the band, but Johnny Marr has refused to be involved. Apparently, he finds Morrissey’s politics and general existence too outrageous to even consider responding to such an idea. I am not the first person to notice that Marr doesn’t seem to have a problem singing (in pale imitation) all of Morrissey’s lyrics and vocal melodies when he gets up to perform a show. Don’t get me wrong. Johnny seems like a really cool guy when it comes to dealing with fans, and I want to go out and buy one of his signature Fender Jaguars every time I hear him play. I just think he’s hypocritical and a bit unreasonable. And I just like Morrissey better.
It’s going to sound crazy to a lot of people, but over the years, I have become a bigger fan of solo Morrissey than of The Smiths. That’s not to say they still aren’t a top five favorite, but just that I would rather hear Morrissey playing with his current band. His solo songs are every bit as good, and often better than The Smith’s classics. Nobody will ever be able to take Johnny Marr’s (or Andy Rourke or Mike Joyce) place, but Carmen Vandenberg is pretty awesome. In fact, I am headed to LA to catch Morrissey and his current band lineup at two different shows: one at the Broadway Theatre, and another at the Palladium on New Years Eve. Sounds like he’s going to be doing the whole countdown and everything, so it should certainly be a night to remember. If it’s half as good as when I saw him in Vegas this fall, I’ll be happy.
Scratch My Name On Your Arm was one of those Casino Records releases that I had to order both colors of right away. It’s available on either yellow or crystal-clear wax, and both versions look great. Unlike most of the recent Casino stuff, the yellow is not marbled, and I wouldn’t call it a clear yellow either exactly. The vinyl itself is however the newer, slightly different type that they have been using lately. This is a good thing, as I’ve found it to be visually different and appealing, and so far, it’s all sounded fantastic. The labels are full color and have the new textured paper which is always a nice touch.
Even though this is a 2 LP set, it’s not in a gatefold sleeve. It’s another one of those oversized double LP jackets, and the printing looks great as usual. Each copy comes housed in a thick resealable outer sleeve and is individually numbered. According to the hype sticker, there are only 200 copies of each color available, and each disc is 180g. Without putting them on a scale, I can tell you that the discs are a good weight, and I have no reason to believe they are not 180g. Both of my copies were flat and defect free. The LPs also appeared to be clean, but I cleaned them on the VPI anyway and decided to spin the yellow copy first.
Live Recording – Barrowlands – Glasgow, UK – 25 September, 1985
A1 Shakespeare’s Sister
A2 I Want The One I Can’t Have
A3 What She Said
A4 What’s The World
A5 Nowhere Fast
A6 The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
A7 Frankly, Mr Shankly
B1 Bigmouth Strikes Again
B2 That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
B3 Still Ill
B4 (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame
B5 Meat Is Murder
C1 This Charming Man
C2 Hand In Glove
C3 William, It Was Really Nothing
C4 Miserable Lie
Live Recording – Manchester Palace – Manchester1, UK – 31 March, 1985
C5 How Soon Is Now
D1 Stretch Out And Wait
D2 Rusholme Ruffians
D3 The Headmaster Ritual
D4 Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
D5 Handsome Devil
D6 You’ve Got Everything Now
The first thing I noticed was that the pressing itself is great. Outside of a bit of standard surface noise in the runner, everything is totally silent. It’s actually so clear that I found myself forgetting that I was listening to a record. There is a chance these could be broadcasts, but they sound more like audience recordings to me. When I first started listening, Morrissey sounded a little funny to me. Almost not like himself. As I continued to listen, it was one of those situations where I just had to get adjusted to the quality of the recording. Old tapes like this can sometimes sound quite a bit different from the digital sources we are used to these days, and that’s the case here. Give it a few minutes, and I promise you will adjust to it.
One important thing to point out is that this set is actually comprised of two separate shows. The first one makes up the bulk of the tracks, and took place in Glasgow UK, September 1985. The second show is from earlier in the same year in Manchester UK, March 1985. Both of the audio sources are good quality, but the show in Glasglow sounds a little better to me. The sources are close enough in quality that the switch between shows isn’t a big shock or anything like that, and I think they definitely fit together nicely on the same release.
As you can see, the set list itself is incredible, and plays like a greatest hits record. There’s even a version of the Elvis tune “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame”, and Morrissey sounds great singing it. Besides that, another standout to me was a particularly excellent version of “This Charming Man”. As many people have noted before, it’s shocking how young Johnny Marr was when he was coming up with these complex and timeless guitar riffs. His playing on this set is some of his best live work from this period that I have heard yet, and I think any fan will be impressed. “Still I’ll” is interesting, as it’s a bit toned down. It’s not acoustic or anything, but it’s not nearly as driving as the version we are all used to hearing.
Overall, I am very happy with these sets, as I have been with all The Smiths Casino releases I have gotten in the past. They do a fair amount of them, but I wish they would do more. The pressing and packaging for both colors is an easy 10/10. The packaging might be a bit simple compared to some of their other released, but until we can get a box set or something, this style is great. The audio quality isn’t perfect, but they did the best they could with it. As far as the sources are concerned, I would say the first show is about a 7.5/10 and the second show is a 7/10. Not the best we’ve heard, but still pretty great. Another bit of good news is that from what I have seen, this is a set you should be able to pick up at a very affordable price. At least until it’s sold out!