Your 10 least favourite Morrissey tracks

[Gregor Samsa]

Forget Malarkey v Gash, the real contest is Arsenal v Vauxhall. Now there's an epic battle. I love both. Both albums hard to beat and the best of his career. I think if I was forced to choose it would probably be Arsenal, just, but not an easy decision.

Arsenal has “Fatty” and can therefore never be his best album. Vauxhall is completely throwaway and flimsy free. It’s a solid album from start to finish. Deep, reflective and organic. His best studio album, including The Smiths.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

Arsenal has “Fatty” and can therefore never be his best album. Vauxhall is completely throwaway and flimsy free. It’s a solid album from start to finish. Deep, reflective and organic. His best studio album, including The Smiths.

What's wrong with Fatty? I sing that song to my cat all the time.

 

[Orange Crush]

ones
Only 10 least favourite tracks? I'm struggling to think of 10 favourite ones

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

ones
Only 10 least favourite tracks? I'm struggling to think of 10 favourite ones

Why do you come here? And why do you hang around?

 

[Orange Crush]

Why do you come here? And why do you hang around?

I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry

Ta-ra for now!

 

[Gregor Samsa]

What's wrong with Fatty? I sing that song to my cat all the time.

That’s probably all it’s good for!

 

[gashonthenail]

So here's my take on the issue of Moz's lyrics. I think there is a tension at times in Moz's lyrics between the individual/specific and the universal/general.
I think his lyrics work best when he paints 'kitchen sink' portraits of individual life, maybe of his own life, maybe someone else's, often using 'garden fence', colloquial language - I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear. Examples: Jeane, This Charming Man, Everyday is like Sunday, Late Night Maudlin Street, First of the Gang to Die, Once I Saw the River Clean etc.
Moz is less effective when he writes lyrics that aren't so much about an individual portrait of life but strive to be more general and universal in nature - World Peace, I Wish You Lonely, for example. I think Ringleader was the first album where I really became aware of this tension. Low in High School as an album struggled with this tension I think. Dog much less so.

 

[Musician]

So here's my take on the issue of Moz's lyrics. I think there is a tension at times in Moz's lyrics between the individual/specific and the universal/general.
I think his lyrics work best when he paints 'kitchen sink' portraits of individual life, maybe of his own life, maybe someone else's, often using 'garden fence', colloquial language - I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear. Examples: Jeane, This Charming Man, Everyday is like Sunday, Late Night Maudlin Street, First of the Gang to Die, Once I Saw the River Clean etc.
Moz is less effective when he writes lyrics that aren't so much about an individual portrait of life but strive to be more general and universal in nature - World Peace, I Wish You Lonely, for example. I think Ringleader was the first album where I really became aware of this tension. Low in High School as an album struggled with this tension I think. Dog much less so.

In addition I already mentioned something similar in an older thread. Morrissey is fantastic when he sings about his emotions, heartbreak, loneliness, etc. But can be really annoying when he tries to preach - "stop watching the news, do this, don't do that". I think this is exactly why most people's favourite record is Vauxhall which is a heartfelt record, as opposed to latter day Morrissey where (with exceptions) he tends to preach and get political which doesn't really work most of the times.

 

[gashonthenail]

In addition I already mentioned something similar in an older thread. Morrissey is fantastic when he sings about his emotions, heartbreak, loneliness, etc. But can be really annoying when he tries to preach - "stop watching the news, do this, don't do that". I think this is exactly why most people's favourite record is Vauxhall which is a heartfelt record, as opposed to latter day Morrissey where (with exceptions) he tends to preach and get political which doesn't really work most of the times.

Interesting. I think art generally works best when it is enigmatic and ambivalent and lets people come to their own conclusion about things, rather than 'preaching'. Meat is Murder is probably my least favourite Smiths track. Lyrically it's just not as good as the more personal kitchen sink stuff. Whereas the album, with its theme that the world might be a better place if we were less cruel and violent, is great. The album works because that theme is developed and built up song by song. The title track is needed - to emphasise the theme of the album that cruelty to children and cruelty to other human beings = cruelty to animals, but the title track has always been the weak point of that album for me. It's ok, but just not a great song.
The same could be said of songs like World Peace, or Notre Dame. Lyrically simplistic and not Moz at his best.

 

[Ryan]

I still can’t work out why All The Young People Must Fall In Love was released as a single. It’s barely been done live, to boot.

It was that bad, if you remember, that we were hoping the Bob Clearmountain mix would “fix” it. If anything, I Wish You Lonely should have been the single, since it’s done live these days more often than most singles.

 

[Was I ever any good]

Absolutely correct here Ryan. I wish you lonely is a fabulous track, and should have been the lead single and therefore I think it could have made the top 30.
My friends and family, all thought that spent the day in bed was a very poor song or just ridiculous.
No wonder it only charted at No 84.
Personally, I love spent the day in bed, but it
Would have been better off as an album track.

 

[Lionsy]

I still can’t work out why All The Young People Must Fall In Love was released as a single. It’s barely been done live, to boot.

It was that bad, if you remember, that we were hoping the Bob Clearmountain mix would “fix” it. If anything, I Wish You Lonely should have been the single, since it’s done live these days more often than most singles.

I really liked the live version of All the young people, the studio one was a dead, dull, boring weirdly mixed track

Reminded me of the father who must be killed, played live a few times, the guitar and bass sounded ace, the studio track was flat, you can hear them just, but it sounds like it was recorded on a gerbil with some wires poked into it

 

[skull]

So here's my take on the issue of Moz's lyrics. I think there is a tension at times in Moz's lyrics between the individual/specific and the universal/general.
I think his lyrics work best when he paints 'kitchen sink' portraits of individual life, maybe of his own life, maybe someone else's, often using 'garden fence', colloquial language - I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear. Examples: Jeane, This Charming Man, Everyday is like Sunday, Late Night Maudlin Street, First of the Gang to Die, Once I Saw the River Clean etc.
Moz is less effective when he writes lyrics that aren't so much about an individual portrait of life but strive to be more general and universal in nature - World Peace, I Wish You Lonely, for example. I think Ringleader was the first album where I really became aware of this tension. Low in High School as an album struggled with this tension I think. Dog much less so.

I wish you lonely is one of his best songs, lyrics and music

 

[Fact Checker]

"We Hate It..." was too weak and self-regarding to be a single, and "Fatty" should have been a b-side. But WHI would have been great as an only-played-live track as a special thing for the fans (and also at the end of BWD).

"Jack The Ripper", "Pashernate Love" (made longer), "Fantastic Bird" (done properly), "Let The Right One In" should all have been on YA instead. I've always wondered if one of them was supposed to be, I'm sure the earliest news reports said it would be an 11-track album.

 

[Was I ever any good]

1. Anything from Bonfire.
2. Sweetie pie.
3. The truth about 4cking Ruth.
4. Oboe concerto.
5. Mana lay softly.
6.you were good in your time.
7. Fatty… (sick to death of hearing it live)
8. Teachers are afraid…. 4cking pointless.
9. Papa jack.
10. The secret of music. Just horrific.

I’m wound up now, thinking about the shit he has released, and the prospect of hearing fatty again at Glasgow

 

[Multi]

1. Anything from Bonfire.
2. Sweetie pie.
3. The truth about 4cking Ruth.
4. Oboe concerto.
5. Mana lay softly.
6.you were good in your time.
7. Fatty… (sick to death of hearing it live)
8. Teachers are afraid…. 4cking pointless.
9. Papa jack.
10. The secret of music. Just horrific.

I’m wound up now, thinking about the shit he has released, and the prospect of hearing fatty again at Glasgow

Mama is the best song on Refusal.

 

[Lamplighter]

1. Anything from Bonfire.
2. Sweetie pie.
3. The truth about 4cking Ruth.
4. Oboe concerto.
5. Mana lay softly.
6.you were good in your time.
7. Fatty… (sick to death of hearing it live)
8. Teachers are afraid…. 4cking pointless.
9. Papa jack.
10. The secret of music. Just horrific.

I’m wound up now, thinking about the shit he has released, and the prospect of hearing fatty again at Glasgow

Ah now Teacher is incredibly good. The rest, I'm in complete agreement with.

Kick the bride down the aisle is the absolute nadir though.

 

[BelleVue]

What do people dislike about I’m Not Sorry? Always been in my top 10 favourites, especially the M in Manchester version.

Absolutely agree - I think it’s a beautiful song, one I keep going back to, and the footage of him singing it live in Manchester 2005 is just magical.

Many people here say that they preferred his songs about personal emotions rather than global politics.

Is he less willing/able to write the personal heart wrenching lyrics now because he might be in a rewarding relationship and simply doesn’t have those emotions any more?

 

[skull]

Our Frank
Asian Rut
Ambitious Outsiders
Black Cloud
That's how people grow up
Scandinavia
All the young people must fall in love
The truth about Ruth
This is not your country
Ammunition

 

[Gaylord Deepstar]

I don’t mind if you forget me
The harsh truth of the camera eye
We’ll let you know
All the lazy dykes
Reader meet author
That’s how people grow up

The only songs I like and still listen to from his last four albums are Istanbul and River Clean. The rest is awful.