Overview
The opening track is called "Nothing Less Than Brilliant" and is written by Shaw and Chris Andrews. Shaw had lost confidence in herself after her initial fame and had spent much of the 1970s poor after her divorce from bankrupt fashion designer Jeff Banks. As mentioned previously, Shaw later came to realise that she had influenced other people, and this song talks about her perception of herself and how she was seen by others in a more positive light. "Nothing Less Than Brilliant" became the second and final single to be released from the album, and later became the title of a 1994 compilation album. Song number two, the title track, is another Shaw/Andrews track. Andrews had originally written the music for Morrissey to put lyrics to, but Shaw ended up doing them herself instead. "Take Him", also by Shaw and Andrews, is a tongue-in-cheek rumba/cha-cha-inspired song rumoured to be based on a true incident with Morrissey. "A Girl Called Johnny" is the only cover version on the album, and was originally recorded by The Waterboys. Mike Scott had originally written the song about American singer Patti Smith. "Strange Bedfellows", by Shaw and Kevin Armstrong is one of the more eccentric tracks on the album, telling the story of a married couple engaged in some sort of gender-swapping role-play. "Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness" was written by Morrissey and Stephen Street for Morrissey's first solo album. A demo was recorded though it did not end up on the final product. It was instead given to Shaw who took to the song straight away, and it became the first single to be released from the album. Side two of the L.P. begins with a new mix of Shaw's original Rough Trade hit "Hand in Glove" which had originally been The Smiths's first single. Stephen Street is credited as remixing the track. "Cool About You" is a Phil Spector-influenced song written by Jim and Willian Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain. Several effects used here are reminiscent of the wall of sound, such as plucked strings sounding like raindrops. "Flesh And Blood" is the other track on which Kevin Armstrong is credited as writing alongside Shaw. "Comrade In Arms" is possibly the most significant song on the album. Written by Shaw and Clive Langer, it tells of the relationship Shaw had with a close friend who was dying of AIDS. She finished writing the lyrics on the day he died, and it was recorded in the studio in the middle of the night with some friends present. "I Will Remain" is the final track on the album, and once again Shaw and her original songwriter Chris Andrews are given writing credits. The Italian-sounding ballad has been suggested as possibly the best vocal performance of Shaw's career.
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