Take a look at the personnel playing on this single….
Morrissey (voice)
Kirsty MacColl (vocals)
Craig Gannon (guitars)
Neil Taylor (guitars)
Andy Rourke (the bass)
Mike Joyce (the drums)
And with Stephen Street on production duty, it’s practically a reunion of The Smiths, so by all accounts, this should be a memorable 45. And it almost is:-
mp3 : Morrissey – Interesting Drug
It was the fourth solo single, released in April 1989 (cant believe it was 25 years ago!!!), and the first that didn’t grab my attention on the initial listen. Indeed, it took quite a few plays on the CD player before I began to enjoy it – and in truth, I felt (and still believe) that its most redeeming feature is its lyric. But I’m also happy to say that time has mellowed my views on the actual tune – I now think that its passable as opposed to appalling.
A clear attack on Thatcherism (rampant at the time of the song’s release) and a warning of what can happen if you dabble with the ‘interesting drug’. But what exactly is the ‘interesting drug’? Some have suggested it has a literal meaning and refers to ecstasy, which, at the time, was being hyped-up by the UK tabloids as the next big danger to our youth…..
I’ve another theory….
the one that you took
TELL THE TRUTH
it really helped you
an interesting drug
the one that you took
God, it really helped you
I wonder why you’re only half-ashamed
“because Enough is too much
and look around
can you blame us
can you blame us”
That’s how the lyrics appear on the back of the 12″ sleeve. Couldn’t they be aimed at working-class folk who had been wooed by the evil Tories and had literally bought into a false dream with their newly-owned council homes and shares in the recently privatised public utilities? Just a thought….
Like the first three solo singles, this went Top 10 – peaking at #9 in the UK. Little did anyone realise that of the next 20 singles Morrissey would go on to release in the UK, only one would be a Top 10 hit….
Of the two tracks on the b-side, one was an original and the other a live version of a track by The Smiths, recorded at the now (in)famous free concert given at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in December 1988.
mp3 : Morrissey – Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference
mp3 : Morrissey – Sweet And Tender Hooligan (live)
Oh and another thing…..I hate the sleeve for this single. It makes the great man look like some sort of villain in a bad sci-fi movie.
Happy Listening.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
“It makes the great man look like some sort of villain in a bad sci-fi movie.”
And what’s wrong with that? 😉
Like your theory about what the song’s really about though…