W♥M

Minneapolis: September 6 to September 7, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 6 to September 7, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Buffalo Tom at Varsity Theater Read More Buffalo Tom Buffalo Tom named themselves after Buffalo Springfield and their drummer Tom Maginnis. When I saw the Boston-based band in 2000, the band was already 'old'. They had just released Asides that summer …

BUFFALO TOM
Varsity Theater
Fri 09/07/2018 (7pm/$25)
varsitytheater.com

Boston’s Buffalo Tom is currently wrapping up their tour, they’ll be ending at Chicago’s Metro the next night. The group form in the late ‘80s, rose to fame in the early ‘90s with Let Me Come Over and Big Red Letter Day, which I discovered them through college radio.

Eventually saw the band (with Grant Hart, rest in peace) when they were on tour for their compilation record Asides from Buffalo Tom in February 2000. You can tell it was cold, even guitarist and singer Bill Janovitz was wearing hat and coat indoors...

Buffalo Tom’s new album is Quiet and Peace (Banquet Records), their first album in seven years. The trio will stop by the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown on Friday, September 7th.

Note: There is no opening band, because the band will play a double set, with Let Me Come Over set (“and yes, we know LMCO 25 was last year”) and a “new and old stuff” set.

Tour dates:

09/07/2018 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
09/08/2018 Metro / Smart Bar Chicago, IL
11/29/2018 Buffalo Tom Bi Nuu Berlin, Germany

Neko Case 2018 Tour Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Downey to Lubbock Rise Against at Armory NeedToBreathe at Armory Dawes Passwords 2018 Tour Rolling Blackouts CF at Turf Club Read More Neko Case Neko Case has a new album The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, which came out September 3rd on ANTI-, and her First Avenue … Dave Alvin Roots music legends Dave Alvin (from rhythm and blues band The Blasters) and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (named “Country Artist of the Yea” twice by Rolling Stone) have united for this 2017 tour. The two will hit the road to swap songs and share stories of their life experience. … Rise Against Rise Against's "Any Way You Want It" cover appeared on their Revolutions Per Minute (2003) album as a hidden track. If you've never heard of Rise Against, they are a … Dawes The three-hour evening was opened by Los Angeles-based Dawes, who considers Minneapolis one of their strongest markets, in a solid hour-long set of their own. … Rolling Blackouts CF Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is headlining the 7th Street Entry on Monday, April 30th. Their upcoming debut album Hope Downs will be out June 15 via Sub Pop. …

Other shows in the area:

NEKO CASE
+ Thao Nguyen
Palace Theatre
Thu 09/06/2018 (6:30pm/$35)
palacestpaul.com

Neko Case’s first album in five years, Hell-On will be available on Anti- Records. Joining her on this tour is Thao Nguyen (of Thao & the Get Down Stay Down).

Tour dates:

09/05/2018 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
09/06/2018 Palace Theatre St. Paul, MN
09/07/2018 Hoyt Sherman Place Des Moines, IA
09/08/2018 Bourbon Theatre Lincoln, NE
09/09/2018 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK
09/11/2018 The Civic Theatre New Orleans, LA
09/12/2018 Iron City Birmingham, AL

DAVE ALVIN /JIMMIE DALE GILMORE
+ Jon Langford
Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Thu 09/06/2018 (7pm/$50)
dakotacooks.com

From different worlds, Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, have teamed up to record an album. Alvin is the singer/songwriter from the Blasters and Gilmore is from Texas hippie-country band Flatlanders.

The two will be stopping by the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant on Thursday, September 6th. The two longtime friends (with backup band The Guilty Ones) will be playing from their critically acclaimed album, Downey To Lubbock.

Jon Langford to open.

Tour dates:

Sep 1 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads
Sep 2 - Omaha, NE - Sunday Roadhouse
Sep 6 - Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
Sep 8 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School of Folk
Sept 9 — Berwyn, IL -- Fitzgeralds
Sep 11 - Cincinnati, OH. Southgate House
Sep 12 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
Sep 14 - Toronto, ON - Great Hall
Sep 15 — Ottawa, ON — City Folk Festival
Sep 16 - Rochester, NY/ON - JCC Hart Theater
Sep 22 — Solvang, CA — Ya Ya Festival
Sep 25 - Salt Lake City, UT - State Room

RISE AGAINST
+ AFI, Anti-Flag
Armory
Thu 09/06/2018 (5:30pm/$34)
armorymn.com

In celebration of The Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol. 1 (Virgin Records), Rise Against will be headlining a 2018 tour with my brother’s favorite AFI and Anti-Flag. Should be a real banger, as the kids would say it, at the Armory on Thursday.

Tour dates:

09.06 | Minneapolis, MN | Armory
09.09 | Nashville, TN | Marathon Music Works
09.11 | Austin, TX | Stubb’s BBQ
09.12 | Houston, TX | Revention Music Center
09.13 | Irving, TX | The Pavilion
09.15 | Morrison, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09.16 | Salt Lake City, UT | The Complex
09.17 | Garden City, ID | Revolution Concert House
09.19 | Bozeman, MT | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

NEEDTOBREATHE
+ Johnnyswim, Forest Blakk
Armory
Fri 09/07/2018 (5:30pm/$42)
armorymn.com

Once again, at the Armory, South Carolina rock band Needtobreathe will be headlining in support of their collection of songs, Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions). Johnnyswim and Forest Blakk to open.

Forever On Your Side Tour 2018:

09/04 – PNC Pavilion, Cincinnati, Ohio
09/05 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland, Ohio
09/07 – The Armory, Minneapolis, Minn.
09/08 – Huntington Bank Pavilion , Chicago, Ill.
09/09 – Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.
09/10 – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater, Lincoln, Neb.
09/12 – Red Rocks, Morrison, Colo.
09/14 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore.
09/15 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, Wash.
09/16 – Abbotsford Entertainment , Abbotsford, BC
09/18 – The Fox, Oakland, Calif.
09/19 – Vina Robles Amph, Paso Robles, Calif.
09/21 – Cal Coast Credit Union, San Diego, Calif.
09/22 – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif.

DAWES
Palace Theatre
Fri 09/07/2018 (7pm/$39.50)
palacestpaul.com

Popular group Dawes will be headlining the Palace Theatre in St Paul on Friday, September 7th, in support of their album Passwords (HUB Records).

Tour dates:

09/7 /// St. Paul, MN /// Palace Theatre
09/8 /// Maquoketa, IA /// Codfish Hollow
09/9 /// Kalamazoo, MI /// State Theatre
09/11 /// Indianapolis, IN /// The Vogue
09/12 /// Pittsburgh, PA /// Stage AE
09/14 /// Portland, ME /// State Theatre
09/15 /// Fredericton, NB, Canada /// Harvest Jazz
09/16 /// Canton, MA /// Festival on the Farm
09/18 /// New Haven, CT /// College Street Music Hall
09/19 /// Red Bank, NJ /// Count Basie Theatre
09/20 /// Cary, NC /// Koka Booth Amphitheatre
09/22 /// Franklin, TN /// Pilgrimage Festival
09/23 /// Atlanta, GA /// Tabernacle

ROLLING BLACKOUTS C.F.
Turf Club
Fri 09/07/2018 (8pm/$16)
turfclub.net

Australia’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is back in town, this time at the Turf Club on Friday, September 7th. The group was previously in town in April 2018, promoting their album Hope Downs (Sub Pop).

Tour dates:

09/1 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
09/3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/5 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
09/7 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
09/8 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09/10 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
09/11 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
09/12 - Montreal, QC @ Le Ministère
09/13 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
09/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09/15 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09/17 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

AFI ۵ Chain Gang Of 1974 ۵ Souvenirs at First Avenue, Minneapolis (30 Jan 2017)

AFI Setlist Miss Murder The Leaving Song Pt. II Aurelia Girl's Not Grey Love Like Winter The Conductor 17 Crimes Still a Stranger Ever and a Day Greater Than 84 The Face Beneath the Waves (first time live) The Days of the Phoenix Snow Cats I Hope You Suffer Silver and Cold -- Encore -- The Leaving Song This Celluloid Dream -- Encore II -- Strength Through Wounding The Lost Souls Chain Gang of 1974 Setlist Godless Girl Slow Human Lola Suzanne Ordinary Fools I Still Wonder Sleepwalking Wallflowers Souvenirs Setlist Roman Candle You Affect Me Gradient A Mile High Net Worth Linden Ave 4th and Holly Read More AFI My brother's favorite band is releasing a live album. But WAIT! It's not new (do you see a trend here?), the audio CD is actually the audio soundtrack of the DVD of I Heard a Voice ..… The Chain Gang of 1974 The Chain Gang of 1974 can actually be referenced as Mohager's solo project that comes complete with a touring band. Mohager has a DJ background but it's not as easy to tell as you may ..…

Longtime California rock band AFI (A Fire Inside) headlined First Avenue’s mainroom last Monday, January 30th.

Souvenirs

California’s Souvenirs (not to be confused with Souvenir Driver or Mike Fenuccio’s Souvenir) started the show. The band (currently: Nolan, Riley, Tim, Vince) rocked a brief 25-min set, featuring “more than half” from a new album called Posture of Apology (available January 20th).

Please refer to the setlist provided.

The Chain Gang of 1974

Next up was The Chain Gang Of 1974 (not to be confused with Chain & the Gang, Chain Gang, or The Chain Gang). Although on recording, the band is very synth-pop friendly, but when they play live, they actually sound more rock than synth. This is mostly thanks to singer Kamtin Mohager and the way he sings and was highly energetic throughout the set.

Shortly after ‘Godless Girl’, Mohager dedicated “the entire set is going out to AFI.” The band played a lot of songs from their 2014’s Daydream Forever (Warner Bros. Records), but throwing in their new single ‘I Still Wonder’ near the end of their set... ending with ‘Wallflowers’.

As for AFI, they started in 1991, led by singer Davey Havok. Currently the band features only two original members, Havok and drummer Adam Carson.

The band broke mainstream success with Sing The Sorrow in 2003, but the truth is that they already had millions of fans leading up to their breakout album.

Of course, like most bands that started very young, Davey Havok’s influences changed over time... particularly moving away from their hardcore punk roots to something more like “Alt Press” type sound.

Still, hearing AFI’s fans all sing to every song, including new songs, tells me a lot about their fanbase. They are a hardcore, dedicated fanbase and they love every AFI songs, from old to new.

At the end of the show, feeling the strong, strong support from the crowd, Havok and company treated the fans with a double encore: the first set featuring ‘The Leaving Song’ and ‘This Celluloid Dream’ and the second featuring ‘Strength Through Wounding’ and ‘The Lost Souls’.

AFI’s self-titled album (aka The Blood Album) is available now on Concord Music Group. Their remaining tour dates:

02/06/17 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
02/07/17 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
02/08/17 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
02/10/17 Orlando, FL Plaza Live Orlando
02/11/17 Atlanta, GA The Buckhead Theatre
02/13/17 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall
02/14/17 Austin, TX Emo's
02/15/17 Dallas, TX South Side Music Hall
02/17/17 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
02/18/17 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
02/20/17 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
02/21/17 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
05/05/17 London, Alexandra Palace
05/06/17 Manchester, O2 Apollo Manchester
05/07/17 Glasgow, S.E.C.C.
06/10/17 Download Festival
06/15/17 Firefly Music Festival

AFI at First Ave, Minneapolis (30 Jan 2017)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: January 27 to January 31, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from January 27 to January 31, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More The Current The annual The Current show is taking place next week: starting with Duluth's Low as headliner. Also on the bills are local favorites, John Mark Nelson (who previously appeared on . .... Haley Bonar Since 2003 The Size of Planets, Haley Bonar has been the staple Minneapolis singer/songwriter for years, even when she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2009! … The Lemon Twigs I’m not going to lie, but the biggest buzz band I’ve seen in a long time, has got to be The Lemon Twigs. Almost immediately, the dancefloor was filled to the walls of curious . .... Savoy Motel Nashville’s Savoy Motel, possibly named after the Savoy Hotel, opened up the show. The band featured bassist Jeffrey Novak, drummer Jessica McFarland, guitarist Mimi Galbierz . ....

THE CURRENT’S 12 BIRTHDAY PARTY
at First Avenue
Saturday, 01/28/17, 7pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

It’s The Current’s 12th Birthday Party and you’re invited. The show will feature Haley Bonar as headliner. We reviewed Bonar’s latest album Impossible Dream (GNDwire / Spit Comet / Memphis Industries) and said “the incredibly talented Haley Bonar offers an unobstructed view inside her heart and soul.”

Personally speaking, I’m really excited to see that The Lemon Twigs is also on the bill. We caught the ‘Twigs last October 2016 and noted, “biggest buzz band I’ve seen in a long time”.

Also on the bill Sam Roberts Band, Monica LaPlante and Zuluzuluu.

If $20 is too much for mostly local bands, head over to the 7th Street Entry, for about $10, you can catch one of the best live bands, Hollerado, with Savoy Motel and Sleep Study.

Nashville’s Savoy Motel is actually normally playing with The Lemon Twigs, but for this evening, the Current roped them for their show... Savoy Motel’s self-titled debut album is available on What’s Your Rupture? Records.

Savoy Motel tour dates:

1/26 THU Chicago IL @ The Empty Bottle
1/28 SAT Minneapolis MN @ First Ave
1/31 TUE Seattle WA @ Barboza
2/1 WED Vancouver BC @ The Cobalt
2/2 THU Portland OR @ Doug Fir
2/4 SAT San Francisco CA @ Brick and Mortar
2/5 SUN Santa Cruz CA @ The Catalyst Atrium
2/6 MON Santa Ana CA @ Constellation Room
2/8 WED Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
2/9 THU San Diego CA @ Casbah
2/10 FRI Phoenix AZ @ Valley Bar
2/11 SAT El Paso TX @ Lowbow Palace
2/14 TUE Austin TX @ Stubb’s Jr
2/15 WED Houston TX @ Raven Tower
2/17 FRI Birmingham AL @ Saturn
2/18 SAT Atlanta GA @ Aisle 5
2/21 WED New York NY @ Bowery Ballroom

(all shows with The Lemon Twigs, except 1/28 & 2/8)

Read More AFI My brother's favorite band is releasing a live album. But WAIT! It's not new (do you see a trend here?), the audio CD is actually the audio soundtrack of the DVD of I Heard a Voice ..… The Chain Gang of 1974 The Chain Gang of 1974 can actually be referenced as Mohager's solo project that comes complete with a touring band. Mohager has a DJ background but it's not as easy to tell as you may ..…

AFI
at First Avenue
Monday, 01/30/17, 7pm ($28)
first-avenue.com

My brother’s favorite band AFI (not to be confused with the American Film Institute) will be headlining First Avenue this Monday! The punk/emo band is touring in support of their tenth self-titled (aka The Blood Album) record.

The Chain Gang Of 1974 (aka Kamtin Mohager and not to be confused with The 1975 or Chain and the Gang) to open. The synth-pop band was just in town last November 2016, and we noted, “This indie/electro pop group definitely got the crowd warmed up, just like an opener should, but the crowd seemed to respond to them a lot more than most opening acts. I think the main reason for that was the undeniable energy that was coming off of the stage. It may have been early in the night but singer Kamtin Mohager acted like he was headlining the show with how much he was moving around.”

Also on the bill: Souvenirs.

Chain Gang’s tour dates:

Supporting AFI

January 24 | Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
January 25 | Seattle, WA - The Showbox
January 27 | Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
January 28 | Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
January 30 | Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
January 31 | Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
February 1 | Toronto, ON - Danforth

Headlining

February 3 | Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade
February 4 | Columbus, OH - Skully's
February 6 | St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
February 7 | Dallas, TX - Sundown at Granada
February 9 | Santa Fe, NM - Meow Wolf
February 10 | Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
February 11 | San Diego, CA - The Hideout
February 12 | Santa Ana, CA - Constellation

Read More Porno Wolves Porno Wolves are: Ryan Bachman – Guitar/Vocals, Shea Drenkow – Electric Bass, Steven Schwartz – Guitar/Saxophone, and Anthony Gore – Drums. ..…

Other shows in the area:

01/27/17 Teen idol Aaron Carter will make an appearance at The Pourhouse this Friday.

01/27/17 Local Porno Wolves will be playing the Triple Rock Club on Friday, with The Person and the People and The Modern Era. $10 will get you in the door. We previously saw Porno Wolves in August 2015 and wrote, “could probably play well over their 50-minute-ish set of rock jams and weeping guitars. This made me think that they are used to headlining or just not used to opening with short sets.”

01/27/17 Grammy-nominated recording artist Audien is currently on his first U.S. tour for 2017, making a stop at the will make an appearance at Rev Ultra Lounge in Minneapolis this Friday

01/29/17 Emo band Dashboard Confessional is back! They’ll be playing First Avenue this Sunday. I don’t know why I’m excited about this... I haven’t seen the band since 2003 or so.

01/29/17 Boston folk singer Catie Curtis will be playing the Cedar Cultural Center on Sunday. Show up and find out why the New Yorker called her a “folk-rock goddess”. Curtis’ latest Flying Dream is out now.

01/31/17 Teen Queen Cherry Glazerr is currently touring in support of their new album Apocalipstick (Secretly Canadian). They’ll be headlining the 7th Street Entry. Slow Hollows to open.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Pop Books

Read More AFI My brother's favorite band is releasing a live album. But WAIT! It's not new (do you see a trend here?), the audio CD is actually the audio soundtrack of the DVD of I Heard a Voice ..…

Our aspirations are wrapped up in books
Our inclinations are hidden in looks

Belle & Sebastian

POP KIDS
popkidsbook.com

Singer/songwriter of AFI, Davey Havok, announced his debut novel, Pop Kids, coming out April 4th, 2013, via Black Candy Publishing.

We will be doing a proper review of the book, because we like AFI and we're looking forward to reading the book. This is just a pre-order announcement for you. In fact, if you pre-order the book, you do get a special embossed edition signed by Davey Havok - all for the same retail price of $20.

The publisher describe the book as a fictional novel about today's youth: "Obsessed by social networking, reality tv, Internet porn, fashion, film, music, sex, and drugs – today’s teens are on an existential collision course with disaster. With an insider’s eye for nuance, language and style, Davey Havok, lead singer and songwriter of AFI and Blaqk Audio, creates a blistering, yet compelling portrait of high school angst in his debut novel POP KIDS."

Additional information:

POP KIDS
By Davey Havok
Publisher: Black Candy Publishing
Publication Date: April 4, 2013
Price: $20.00/ trade paperback original
ISBN: 978-0-9859572-0-9

PLACES I REMEMBER: MY TIME WITH THE BEATLES
henrygrossman.com

Attention Beatles fans: Places I Remember: My Time With the Beatles is available for purchase now via the publisher's website, curvebender.com.

This 13-pound book, features over 1,000 photographs of The Beatles and their families and friends, all shot by Henry Grossman. Many of these photographs have never been seen. I haven't seen these books, but based on their website; it seems they are only producing these books for very wealthy Beatles collectors with the "standard" pricing of $495, and going up as much as $1190 bundle and autographs!

I'm sorry, for that much money, I'm buying a new computer… and probably still have some cash left over for a beer.

Still, I think if you see the book physically in the book stores - it would probably be very tempting.

THE SONG IN YOU: FINDING YOUR VOICE, REDEFINING YOUR LIFE
ladonnagatlin.com

Did you know that before the Gatlin Brothers, it was The Gatlin Quartet? Before the band went on tour, their sister, LaDonna Gatlin left the group to settled down: "[my brothers] went on to produce hit records, I went on to produce two children!".

In LaDonna's new book, The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life, she shares stories about raising children, putting family first, overcoming adversity, and ultimately inspiring countless others to discover their own 'song' in life.

If you were curious, she uses the music scale as a reminder of uplifting messages:

do (do the right thing)
re (realize your potential)
mi (mind your manners)
fa (failures can become fertilizer)
sol (solutions begin with me)
la (laugh)
ti (time is valuable)

Personally, I think of a deer (a female deer!), and so forth.

LaDonna has also recorded four solo CDs and is a contributing writer to the bestselling book series Chicken Soup for the Soul, her latest book The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life is out now via HCI Books.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Morrissey - Jack the Ripper

Audio   Morrissey - Jack the Ripper (studio) Morrissey Tour 2007 Sep 20 Tijuana, BC - El Foro Sep 21 Las Vegas, NV - Pearl Concert Sep 23-27 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore Sep 29 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl Oct 01-13 Los Angeles, CA -  Palladium Oct 15 Salt Lake City, UT - Thanksgiving Point Oct 17 Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre Oct 19 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre Oct 20 Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theatre Oct 22-28 New York, NY - Hammerstein Oct 30 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater Oct 31 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Nov 02 Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall Nov 04 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle Tour dates courtesy of Morrissey-solo Links True To You http://www.true-t... The True To You magazine and website are dedicated to Morrissey. In celebration of this great art...   Morrissey-solo http://morrissey-... Morrissey-solo, created by David T is the longest-running Morrissey devoted site.

Being a huge Morrissey/The Smiths fan, people often ask me: "What's your favorite Morrissey song?"

My absolute favorite song is "Jack the Ripper". Casual fans might not be hip to this song, as it's somewhat of a rare song.

So, it's time the tale was told on "Jack the Ripper"! The song originally appeared as a B-Side on his single, Certain People I Know (Dec 1992). Like numerous fans at the time, I was collecting all the formats, CD Single, 12" and 7" (sorry, I never bothered trying to get the cassingle!). I bought the single at a record store in Berkeley, California, called Mod Lang, but I think at the time they only had the CD version.

Obviously, I fell in love with the B-Side. The song is so haunting and I just love these lyrics:

Oh, you look so tired
Mouth, slack and wide
Ill-housed and ill-advised
Your face is as mean
as your life has been

Crash into my arms
I want you.
You don't agree
but you don't refuse
I know you.

So, despite having a massive fan approval of this song, it was very strange that shortly after the single's release (reaching the UK charts at #35), that the single was instantly recalled and deleted. It was taken out of circulation and instantly became a collector's item.

I'm not sure what its value is today, but when I attended a Smiths convention many years ago, there were people willing to pay $100 in cash for the single (I'm sure someone could've swindle more money out of the desperate fans).

Morrissey liked the song enough to release a live version of it as a promotional single, preceeding his Beethoven was Deaf (1993) album. This live version seems also appear in several other compilations and singles including: My Early Burglary Years (1998), Now My Heart Is Full (1994), and World of Morrissey (1995).

Although the live version sounds, er, very muscular, it is missing the last stanza of the studio version:

And no one knows a thing about my life
I can come and go as I please
If I want to I can stay
If I want to I can leave
Nobody knows me
Nobody knows me

It's come to my conclusion that Morrissey simply just hated the studio recording of "Jack the Ripper" and "You've Had Her" (the other b-side off Certain People).

Despite being such a rare song, here are some musicians who's covered this particular song:

AFI is a punk-turned-goth band from California. They were fairly underground before getting some massive mainstream success a few years ago when they changed their sound to more goth-punk. If you listen to their early releases, they don't really sound like anything recently. Although I can't recall off the top of my head, I think they've covered another Smiths song.

My Chemical Romance is kind of a hard-core rock band, based out of New Jersey. I don't really know much about them, as their sound isn't really my cup of tea. I just know that they look like they belong in a Tim Burton film.

Colin Meloy, singer/songewriter of The Decemberists recorded "Jack the Ripper" for his all-Morrissey cover EP (which was only sold on his tour in 2005). This version is acoustic and is the best version of the lot.

 

Morrissey - Jack The Ripper (live)

 

AFI - Jack The Ripper

Colin Meloy - Jack The Ripper

My Chemical Romance - Jack The Ripper live

 

It breaks my heart, but I can't afford to see Morrissey on this 2007 tour.

 September 2, 2007 1:22 PM  vu my♥posts [email protected] morrissey-solo.com morrisseymusic.com