It's Hard to Walk Tall

MozIsGod

Well-Known Member
Definitely should have been on Quarry. Would have made a great album opener.

Any guess as to why he hasn't played this one live? It's one of those songs from the Quarry era that I find myself going to time and time again.
 
Definitely should have been on Quarry. Would have made a great album opener.

Any guess as to why he hasn't played this one live? It's one of those songs from the Quarry era that I find myself going to time and time again.

Couldn't agree more. Love it.
 
Definitely should have been on Quarry. Would have made a great album opener.

Any guess as to why he hasn't played this one live? It's one of those songs from the Quarry era that I find myself going to time and time again.

Any song from Quarry would be a better opener than America Is Not The World. That song should have been a B side and not a good one at that.

He probably hasn't played it because B sides don't exactly get much sunlight on his sets. He did Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice, Friday Mourning and Munich Air Disaster 1958.
 
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Definitely should have been on Quarry. Would have made a great album opener.

Any guess as to why he hasn't played this one live? It's one of those songs from the Quarry era that I find myself going to time and time again.

I think it's a great song but in a hidden gem way, not an album track way. It's a great rocker but I wouldn't call it an essential track...
 
Any song from Quarry would be a better opener than America Is Not The World. That song should have been a B side and not a good one at that.

He probably hasn't played it because B sides don't exactly get much sunlight on his sets. He did Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice, Friday Mourning and Munich Air Disaster 1958.

as well as all the other Quarry b-sides, other than I Am Two People, Public Image and Slum Mums...
 
It's a good song, and it would certainly be a better replacement for AINTW, which seems more about parading a lot of pandering, low-hang fruit political notions that appeal to university students than actually being a good song (musically or otherwise). The thing is, AINTW deals with a worthwhile topic. I will never understand why he chose to write it from the perspective of an 18 year old ranting on their LJ, considering.
 
It's a good song, and it would certainly be a better replacement for AINTW, which seems more about parading a lot of pandering, low-hang fruit political notions that appeal to university students than actually being a good song (musically or otherwise). The thing is, AINTW deals with a worthwhile topic. I will never understand why he chose to write it from the perspective of an 18 year old ranting on their LJ, considering.

I really like America Is Not The World; I never understood why everybody hates it. Yeah he does the political rant 101 thing and the brief anti-meat jab but then it changes gear completely and gets back to good old self-deprecation and the "haven't you me with you now?" vocal line is f***ing incredible. And the song ends on a completely positive note, despite later live versions.
 
It's a good song, and it would certainly be a better replacement for AINTW, which seems more about parading a lot of pandering, low-hang fruit political notions that appeal to university students than actually being a good song (musically or otherwise). The thing is, AINTW deals with a worthwhile topic. I will never understand why he chose to write it from the perspective of an 18 year old ranting on their LJ, considering.

Yes it does sound very naive.

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I really like America Is Not The World; I never understood why everybody hates it. Yeah he does the political rant 101 thing and the brief anti-meat jab but then it changes gear completely and gets back to good old self-deprecation and the "haven't you me with you now?" vocal line is f***ing incredible. And the song ends on a completely positive note, despite later live versions.

I don't hate it. I just think it's a weak album opener after a seven year sabbatical.
 
He probably hasn't played it because B sides don't exactly get much sunlight on his sets.

I would say Morrissey dips into his B-Sides in concert more frequently than almost any other artist. Been doing it since the start.

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I think it's a great song but in a hidden gem way, not an album track way. It's a great rocker but I wouldn't call it an essential track...

My sentiments exactly.
 
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I like "America Is Not The World." It's not one of his great songs and no one is going to have it played at their funeral lol but I actually love it because it's this minor work, yet he really puts himself into it. It's awkward and flawed, and he opens a great comeback record with it. That's kind of quintessential Morrissey right there.

On topic, I like "It's Hard To Walk Tall" but compared to say, "Such A Little Thing" it really is a great added value for a b-side, and not an essential track.
 
as well as all the other Quarry b-sides, other than I Am Two People, Public Image and Slum Mums...

Which is a bit frustrating since It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small is a much better song than the others you've mentioned, sans perhaps The Public Image which is a true gem.

The Janice Long version from 2004 showed that the song translates very well to a live structure. Not so sure why Moz has neglected this one over the years, I feel it would be a welcome addition if it was ever dropped in by surprise in a live set.
 
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