I quite like Alison Moyet but for a number of reasons, this is sheer turpitude.
Triple retch:
1. The words "The Smiths" and "Montreux Jazz Festival" should never be found in the same sentence together (although I've just broken my own rule so...)
2. How can someone who lauded his partner's unique vocal phrasing (prior to the split at least) be a party to this turgid MOR jazzy pap rendition (that's rendition in the Rumsfeld sense of the word)? I have liked Alison Moyet's voice, but not on these words. Please.
3. Ronson's schmutter matters more than his platters.
I'd rather see Johnny do it in fishnets at Lammars than this.
You've managed to read my mind, formulate my thoughts into concise points and do it all at 4.44am. Spectacular.
Triple retch:
1. The words "The Smiths" and "Montreux Jazz Festival" should never be found in the same sentence together (although I've just broken my own rule so...)
2. How can someone who lauded his partner's unique vocal phrasing (prior to the split at least) be a party to this turgid MOR jazzy pap rendition (that's rendition in the Rumsfeld sense of the word)? I have liked Alison Moyet's voice, but not on these words. Please.
3. Ronson's schmutter matters more than his platters.
I'd rather see Johnny do it in fishnets at Lammars than this.
My thoughts exactly. It's not really fair to stack different singers up against Moz when it comes to performing his own songs, but no-one can put across that mixture of bleak humour and cynicism in "Stop Me.." quite like he can. Moyet sounds like she is singing without really understanding the lyrics - as did the singer in Ronson's released version - the song could have been "Drive My Car" for all the vocal conviction she puts into it. "MOR jazzy pap" sums it up completely....and although Johnny should know better, it can't be any worse than the Cribs' dire attempt at "Panic", Neil Finn's half-asleep "There Is A Light" or, dare I even mention...Pete Doherty's "Jeane".
My thoughts exactly. It's not really fair to stack different singers up against Moz when it comes to performing his own songs, but no-one can put across that mixture of bleak humour and cynicism in "Stop Me.." quite like he can. Moyet sounds like she is singing without really understanding the lyrics - as did the singer in Ronson's released version - the song could have been "Drive My Car" for all the vocal conviction she puts into it. "MOR jazzy pap" sums it up completely....and although Johnny should know better, it can't be any worse than the Cribs' dire attempt at "Panic", Neil Finn's half-asleep "There Is A Light" or, dare I even mention...Pete Doherty's "Jeane".
I like Neil Finn's voice, I like Alf's voice, just not on those songs. Finn's version was "fine"; but 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' should never be "fine" ~ it should be gut-rippingly sublime, or just don't bother.
I always feel like these Johnny duets are ever-so-soft slaps in the face to Morrissey; but then perhaps Johnny feels the same way re:Boz/Alain/Jesse. Tit-for-tat and all that.
At least those aren't as bad of a vocal performance as these...
I was listening to the Finn/Marr version not so long ago - what didn't you like about it ? I really thought it was fine ...
Your comment made me seek it out and give the Finn cover another listen - it's "There Is a Light" wearing slippers and smoking a pipe (the chorus is so underwhelming), but it's not bad at all. I may have to retract my earlier statement!
Aw come on, cut Johnny a bit of slack... it was his first time on lead vocals in nearly 10 years, and at least he was wise enough not to sing loud. I think his voice has improved a heck of a lot since the first Healers' incarnation in '02, when it was just a monotonous drone indistinguishable from the surrounding guitars. Shakespeare's Sister was shaky, but I thought Johnny's performance of "There Is a Light" was perfectly alright....and frankly even if it were dire, I wouldn't care a jot because it's Johnny Marr and he is singing There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
I'm sure most people around here would agree, but covers of Morrissey or Smiths songs just don't ever work and shouldn't be attempted...it's impossible to believe the lyrics coming from anyone other than Morrissey and you just can't improve the vocals or even come close to matching them.
When you say they don't ever work, do you just mean that you don't like them?
The Mark Ronson cover of Stop Me is arguably the greatest success a Morrissey/Marr song's had to date. It sold in vast quantities and attained blanked airplay so everyone knows it - taxi drivers, school kids, mums, shop workers, i.e. the millions of people who couldn't care less about the Smiths or Morrissey.
Similarly, the cover of 'Please...' for the John Lewis Christmas ad was the key element in one of the most successful advertising campaigns ever.
I don't like either of these covers and you clearly don't either, but to say the covers never work is nonsense.