Morrissey A-Z: "Subway Train" (live cover)

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member









Today's song is Morrissey's (partial) live cover of this Johansen/Thunders composition, originally released by the New York Dolls on their self-titled debut album of 1973 and included by Morrissey on the Live at Earl's Court album, leading into "Munich Air Disaster, 1958". (The song was more often used as a lead-in to "Everyday Is Like Sunday".)

What do we think?
 
Seems minor especially when used as an intro but I love it. Not so much into Live At Earls Court but Munich Air Disaster could be about the Dolls with just a couple of changes. They're not all dead.
I think there are complete live versions?
7/10
 
I love the original and the dolls first album is first class.
I love the into from this song when blended in to Sunday...
Very clever.
 
Gorgeous cover. Just wish that he would have done a complete version.
 
at 50 seconds long its definitely the shortest in the A-Z,think this was first done on the j ross show.its decent and its a good idea,voice is good.
7 late as usual/10 subway trains.
 
A somewhat wasted cover, being only the intro to either “Munich...” or “...Sunday,” but it’s a clever segue between tracks despite it’s short length. Although, to me at least, the grimy atmosphere of the original is somewhat lost by Moz actually oversinging his part - it’s impressive, but doesn’t totally fit within the song.
Still, nothing much else to criticise here; just wish it was a bit longer.
5/10
 
I’m not a fan of the dolls at all, the odd song aside but this little snippet from M is a winner. Instead of the piano intros of the last few years, maybe he should utilise this more instead.
 
I liked it as the intro into ...Sunday, especially powerful at the MEN comeback gig. The little nod to My Love Life in Alain's guitar line is lovely. However, the version on Earls Court loses all subtlelty, and seguing it into a b-side, albeit a recent one, seems a bit of a waste.
 
Bit of a pointless exercise really reviewing this, but guess it needs to be done for completeness of the A-Z. In short, good effort by Moz; I think it works well as an intro to both MAD, & EILS. But it's the first time I've paid any attention to the Dolls version, & really quite like that. Has a strong Rolling Stones feel, & sound to it. I can almost envisage Jagger strutting about doing this one.
 
I can't quite understand his almost obscene love for the Dolls, but Jobritah wasn't the greatest misunderstood genius on earth for me either. The Dolls intro was quite nice in 2004.
 
I’m not a fan of the dolls at all, the odd song aside but this little snippet from M is a winner. Instead of the piano intros of the last few years, maybe he should utilise this more instead.
Well, I wish he would have done it more often as an intro to Munich when he was playing that song to death between 2017 and 2020.
 
I can't quite understand his almost obscene love for the Dolls, but Jobritah wasn't the greatest misunderstood genius on earth for me either. The Dolls intro was quite nice in 2004.
I would think they were the right type of rebellious and subversive band for him arriving at the right moment, when he was a borde and severely depressed teenager, wide to receive. And then there are the usual hyperboles.
 
I would think they were the right type of rebellious and subversive band for him arriving at the right moment, when he was a borde and severely depressed teenager, wide to receive. And then there are the usual hyperboles.
Also interesting, that both acts come across as very camp, trans and feminine for the mid 70s. I mean, what have girls to offer? "Nothing but a mangled jungle of tangled hair presented as the jackpot payoff." Concerning his preferences, he remains a big mystery. Mix it with good looking men like Sacha Distel and rough boys like Cockney Rejects and you are even more puzzled.
As a solo artist, one might think, he would also like to cover all these facets. Some more visually, the others musically.
 
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Also interesting, that both acts come across as very camp, trans and feminine for the mid 70s. I mean, what have girls to offer? "Nothing but a mangled jungle of tangled hair presented as the jackpot payoff." Concerning his preferences, he remains a big mystery. Mix it with good looking men like Sacha Distel and rough boys like Cockney Rejects and you are even more puzzled.
As a solo artist, one might think, he would also like to cover all these facets. Some more visually, the others musically.
Yes, I agree that the trans-gender image of the Dolls and their sense of drama had a huge impact on how Morrissey would portray himself to the world as an artist in later years. It’s true that Morrissey has been seen with various types of men, remember Pete Burns in the mid 80s? But the nature of these friendships has never been very clear. All we know is that he is not attracties to the stéréotypes of beautiful women that many hetero males fall for.
 
I don't like the NY Dolls and I don't care for the cover, but I really love the first rendition of Subway train (into) Everyday is like Sunday (was it a Janice Long session?).
 
Very good intro to EILS , better then full original version

 
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