The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 17: BACK TO THE OLD HOUSE

[Houdini]

While we wait for the new album to arrive, let us go about rating the songs we know, on a daily basis, and compile our own Morrissey/Smiths Top 100.

And instead of chronologically, let's do them alphabetically.

Song for Today: BACK TO THE OLD HOUSE

Voting should be something along these lines:
10: Classic
9: Near classic, fucking brilliant anyway
8: Really good Moz/Smiths song
7: Good Moz/Smiths song
6: Decent, OK, Nothing special
5: Uninspired
4: Poor
3: Bad
2: Should never have been released
1: He/They should be ashamed

The top-16 so far (voting will remain open, click to vote):

1) Asleep, rating so far: 8,97
2) A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours, rating: 8,87
3) Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together, rating: 8,45
4) Ask, rating: 8,40
5) Alsatian Cousin, rating: 8,21
6) Alma Matters, rating: 7,72
7) A Swallow On My Neck, rating: 7,66
8) Accept Yourself, rating: 7,53
9) A Song From Under The Floorboards, rating: 7,15
10) At Amber, rating: 6,90
11) At Last I Am Born, rating: 6,89
12) Asian Rut, rating: 6,75
13) Ammunition, rating 6,61
14) Ambitious Outsiders, rating: 6,57
15) America Is Not The World, rating: 6,47
16) All The Lazy Dykes, rating: 6,22

[Nikita]

Which version ?

[Houdini]

Which version ?

We don't do different polls for different versions, otherwise we'd still be here in 2012.
For every poll goes: Rate your favourite version of said song, whether it be live, studio or Jensen/Peel/KROQ etc-session.

[nugz]

I gave it a 10, its beautiful. more specifically the acoustic version. relates to me on quite a personal level as well. i have so many bad memories of my old place in philadelphia. part of me would love to go back there, for some kind of closure. but...i never will.

[Musley]

I too gave it 10. A beautiful timeless classic song. Everyone will have somewhere like that in their lives. God knows I've had a few!

[Nikita]

We don't do different polls for different versions, otherwise we'd still be here in 2012.
For every poll goes: Rate your favourite version of said song, whether it be live, studio or Jensen/Peel/KROQ etc-session.

Without voting for all versions, we could chose between the two available on CDs - on hatful of Hollow and Louder than bombs

Anyhow, I put a 10 fir the HOH version, would have been 7 or 8 for the LTB one

[Wild Oscar]

It's a 9 - that's not 'down-marking' it in any way, but based on the reasoning that I don't really like awarding maximum marks for anything.

The reason being that, if Moz (or anyone, for that matter) releases a song tomorrow that is better than BTTOH, how do I award it a higher mark? A bit arbitrary reasoning, i s'pose....

[Musley]

It's a 9 - that's not 'down-marking' it in any way, but based on the reasoning that I don't really like awarding maximum marks for anything.

The reason being that, if Moz (or anyone, for that matter) releases a song tomorrow that is better than BTTOH, how do I award it a higher mark? A bit arbitrary reasoning, i s'pose....

I gave it a ten based on the fact that in the categories 10 is for a classic song and I consider it to be that. There are only a handful which for me fall into that category and this was one of them. So for most songs I will be voting 9 or less. But some songs are just perfect, hence the 10.

[Wild Oscar]

I gave it a ten based on the fact that in the categories 10 is for a classic song and I consider it to be that. There are only a handful which for me fall into that category and this was one of them. So for most songs I will be voting 9 or less. But some songs are just perfect, hence the 10.

Can't fault you for that - a 'perfect'-ly valid answer!

[MindlessRuffian]

10

Definitely #1 or #2 in my favorite Smiths songs

DXS

[Albion]

A 10 for the acoustic version, i remember being completley overwhelmed when i heard:

"When you cycled by
Here began all my dreams
The saddest thing I've ever seen
And you never knew
How much I really liked you
Because I never even told you
Oh, and I meant to"

Took me back many years and still does.

[robbo12345]

I gave it a 9. I always struggle to give anything full marks because I feel that implies that it is perfect and I'm not sure I think perfection exists..this is close though

[the judge]

I love playing this song, especially the passage between "too many bad memories" and "when you cycled by".

[Radio Berlin]

10.

[Camilla]

On many times, i almost cry during this song.
10.

[MozSmith1]

A 10 for the acoustic version, i remember being completley overwhelmed when i heard:

"When you cycled by
Here began all my dreams
The saddest thing I've ever seen
And you never knew
How much I really liked you
Because I never even told you
Oh, and I meant to"

Took me back many years and still does.

that's what makes this song a 10.... lyrics like that. Tell me one fan here to which that lyric has not hit them in someone way and i'll show you a liar.

[thewarroom]

It's a classic! 10

[Comtesse]

The acoustic version on Hatful Of Hollow is one of the greatest Smiths moments: Morrissey and Marr, both at the very top of their game. How anyone can listen to this song and not get teary-eyed when Morrissey sings the line, "Are you still there... or have you moved away?" is beyond me. A perfect 10.

[Well I Wonder]

9/10. One of The Smiths greatest moments. That acoustic guitar! Ooooohhh.....