Of a Life

[Frank The Bunny]

Scissors in the Sand was the only track I liked off Siberia. It sucked on all the live recordings I heard, though.

[black francis]

It's pretty good live the two times I heard it. Sounded like Mac was seething. It matches up with his vocals well.

[tonsilith]

Saw Mac sing Scissors at Hove Old Market three years back, with a lot of venom and spite. Early signs weren't good, Mac turned up half an hour late, clearly drunk, very moody, slurring "Sorry I'm late, my fault". Strangely, he then went on to sing exceptionally well, Scissors being the highlight.

Mac was moody a lot in those days (2005/6) wasn't he? It took him a long time to finally accept that "In the Margins" only provided him wih a UK #524. Can't blame him feeling shortchanged, his so-called admirers at Radio 2 should have pushed that song harder for him....didn't hear it played once.
Things may not be so bleak this time round, when Maconie first hears "Forgotten Fields" he is going to spit his tea right back into his Radio 2 mug (he is an excitable lad) and then play it to death on his 17 radio shows.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

It still amazes me that Radio 2 statisically is the UK's most listened public radio station. From looking at who presents on there, it seems completely fucked up not knowing if it wants to be, rekindling 80s Radio 1 with the likes of Steve Wright or to appeal to the old dears. "fancy that Doris, old Tel has made Echo & the Bunnymen's "Forgotten Fields" song of the week. Now I must see if have enough left over from my pension this week to cover an i-tunes download for my i-pod." Silver surfers eh?

[Voodoo Billy]

I used to think there was no such thing as bad publicity, but getting a new single played by Radio2 is possibly the exception to that particular rule.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

True. That's where I think to a certain extent, the comments on the other side were misguided. Echo & The Bunnymen are only going to have any kind of mass appeal to people in their 30s onward that includes the long-term fans. Sure, they'll pick up the odd emo kid and the like along the way or encourage younger people, after hearing one song or new album, to check their back catalogue (and I speak from experience as that is exactly how I got into them). It's those that have the record-buying power not the "kids". On that basis, Radio 2 is alright for starters but alot more work has to be done than just that.

[tonywojo]

Agreed on the video part but I like that line myself

It just has to be tongue in cheek! Says it all to me.

And the line sums up the sentiment exactly.

[tonsilith]

Mac ONLY needs Radio 2 on side to generate interest in the UK again. Get Jeremy Vine to make a few positive comments after playing Forgotten Fields ("....wasn't that great, I used to love that band" etc) to get some good will flowing. Morrissey's 2004 comeback was built entirely on Radio 2 goodwill. The holy grail would be for an on-form Mac to appear on Ross' morning show and get some banter going.......might be able to earn himself a spot on the TV show.

C'mon Radio 2 DJs, get behind "Forgotten Fields" and "The Idleness of Mods". I don't think I could bear to look at Mac's face if we were to have another UK #672 hit on our hands.

[Dr Cheese]

Mac ONLY needs Radio 2 on side to generate interest in the UK again. Get Jeremy Vine to make a few positive comments after playing Forgotten Fields .

I remember Jeremy Vine playing Stormy Weather a couple of times when it first came out and making those "positive comments", it didn't do much good though.

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Also, I don't think Radio 2 playing Morrissey would have made one difference to a "comeback". Love or hate him, Morrissey is a legend. Morrissey the "product" alone sells itself.

Mac and Will really need to get their faces on TV as well, but they at least should start doing radio interviews together. Some people would have heard of Echo & The Bunnymen, but even fewer will know the name "Ian McCulloch".

[tonsilith]

Morrissey is actually not a particularly successful "product", at least in terms of record sales. However, when the likes of Vine and chums got behind First of the Gang to Die, the corresponding album sold far in excess of any previous effort. Lots of Smiths fans in high places at Radio 2 did everything in their power to see old Moz finally get his due.

Not saying there is as much love there for the Bunnymen, but should be enough goodwill to at least remind England they are a going concern. Not sure we will see Will on the promotional trail again. Mac should let the delightful Peasey join him in interviews, they would be a highly amusing double act.

I take it we are all in agreement "Forgotten Fields" is the one? Seems to be the new track that gets closest to that Bunnymen sense of "mystery" I've read so much about on here.

[withahip]

The best selling Smiths albums from 1992 onwards are:

Best...1 : 432,907
Louder Than Bombs: 412,444
Singles: 396,150
The Queen Is Dead: 287,180
Meat Is Murder: 245,385
Strangeways, Here We Come: 230,794
Best...2: 208,357
Harful of Hollow: 133,809
The Smiths: 130,076

The best selling Morrissey album from 1992 onwards are:

Your Arsenal: 366,047
Bona Drag: 360,977
Vauxhall & I: 293,017
Viva Hate: 234,804
You Are The Quarry: 230,169
Kill Uncle: 221,293
Best of Morrissey: 179,746
Ringleader of The Tormentors: 97,502
Maladjusted: 88,554
World Of Morrissey: 69,357
Southpaw Grammar: 67,451

[the ghost of guitarplayer]

Morrissey is actually not a particularly successful "product", at least in terms of record sales. However, when the likes of Vine and chums got behind First of the Gang to Die, the corresponding album sold far in excess of any previous effort. Lots of Smiths fans in high places at Radio 2 did everything in their power to see old Moz finally get his due.

Not saying there is as much love there for the Bunnymen, but should be enough goodwill to at least remind England they are a going concern. Not sure we will see Will on the promotional trail again. Mac should let the delightful Peasey join him in interviews, they would be a highly amusing double act.

I take it we are all in agreement "Forgotten Fields" is the one? Seems to be the new track that gets closest to that Bunnymen sense of "mystery" I've read so much about on here.

If you on about You Are the Quarry being the corresponding album. It was Irish Blood, English Heart that kicked that album off. Got to number 3 in the hit parade. Hell, I even bought that without particularly caring much for Morrissey's music. I think I saw the video on E4 or somewhere like that.

I agree about Forgotten Fields. The other. Hmm.. not so sure. Dragging a member of your management though would be a bizarre approach whatever his personality. Media interviewers want to talk to band members not their backroom chums. The Mac solo interviews are fine on the radio, but if they do get any television, I hope they appear together. Echo & The Bunnymen shouldn't be one person, even if Mac does appear to have most of the creative control of their material.

[Crystal Days]

Is there a version of Forgotten Fields kicking about? I still haven't heard it.

[Mr.Sparkle]

Morrissey is pretty well known here in the US, McCulloch is definitely not. Not really sure about the Bunnymen but a lot of bands certainly name check them here. It just doesn't seem like younger music fans know about them.

Can't believe Hatful of Hollow is such a low-selling Smiths album, it's awesome. A lot of the songs on there are better than the original album versions.

As for Forgotten Fields, definitely the best song of the new stuff that's out there. The lyrics are actually pretty cool and the structure of the song isn't just verse/chorus/verse, etc. It's more like verse/verse/verse/break and then sort of a repeating chorus with some really cool music in the background. I like it a lot.

crystal days, the only version out there that I'm aware of is when Mac went on that Brazilian radio show last year and someone uploaded the whole show, they played it on there. Not sure if it's still out there, the sound quality isn't the best but it's pretty good.