Album of the Day

Unwilling to be hamstrung by The Smiths' legacy, Morrissey experimented with new approaches on his second solo album, KILL UNCLE. Longtime producer Stephen Street is out, replaced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley behind the board, and Fairground Attraction guitarist Mark E. Nevin serves as a songwriting collaborator. The 1991 collection includes enough odd effects and unusual instrumentation to distinguish it from a Smiths record, but the sly turns of phrase here (“(I'm) The End Of The Family Line,” “There Is A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends”) could only have come from the pen of Morrissey. Featuring Modern Rock hits “Our Frank” and “Sing Your Life,” KILL UNCLE remains one of the most underrated albums by the mercurial performer, and we'll give it a spin now to wish him a happy birthday.