The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 34: DEATH OF A DISCO DANCER

[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: DEATH OF A DISCO DANCER

Voting should be something along these lines:
10: Classic, perfect
9: Near classic, brilliant
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 songs we've done so far (voting will remain open, click to vote):

Part 1: A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
Part 2: A Song From Under The Floorboards
Part 3: A Swallow On My Neck
Part 4: Accept Yourself
Part 5: All The Lazy Dykes
Part 6: Alma Matters
Part 7: Alsatian Cousin
Part 8: Ambitious Outsiders
Part 9: America Is Not The World
Part 10: Ammunition
Part 11: Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together
Part 12: Asian Rut
Part 13: Ask
Part 14: Asleep
Part 15: At Amber
Part 16: At Last I Am Born
Part 17: Back To The Old House
Part 18: Barbarism Begins At Home
Part 19: Bengali In Platforms
Part 20: Best Friend On The Payroll
Part 21: Bigmouth Strikes Again
Part 22: Billy Budd
Part 23: Black-Eyed Susan
Part 24: Boxers
Part 25: Break Up The Family
Part 26: Cemetry Gates
Part 27: Certain People I Know
Part 28: Christian Dior
Part 29: Come Back To Camden
Part 30: Cosmic Dancer
Part 31: Dagenham Dave
Part 32: Dear God Please Help Me
Part 33: Death At One's Elbow

 

[Maurice E]

The Smiths most over-rated song according to John Peel!
Well, they may not have been his exact words but he claimed to be pretty baffled to see it so high in the 'Festive 50', apparently.

 

[robbo12345]

I think it's masterpiece! I was being harsh when giving it a nine. One of them many reasons why Strangeways was so great

 

[MarrsAttacks]

Johnny's Guitar work was revolutionary on this song.
Morrissey also exhibited new levels of vocal control, previously unheard on other Smiths recordings.

10+

 

[the judge]

I love the end of the song, the instrumental part.

 

[Your Arsenal]

I never really cared for the song. The topic of the song is great, I do love the lyrics. But the song itself isn't very entertaining...I just don't really enjoy listening to it *shrug*

 

[Chartres]

A song with that title CAN'T be bad and it certainly isn't. Wonderful lyrics from Morrissey ("I never talk to my neighbou/and I rather no get involved") with ver melancolic music from Marr.

 

[Amy]

Dreadful

 

[Cassius]

Wonderful! I love the topic, the music, the lyrics, and Morrissey's piano playing.

10!

 

[MozzaBedfordSpur]

Gets a 7 for me, a good track, but not Mozza's greatest.

 

[Radio Berlin]

10.

Love it

 

[ajrooney]

A good song on a great album. I agree that this is perhaps the most overrated Smiths song 'which does not mean it's bad, it just means that people assign it more meaning than it may deserve, but this is one man's opinion...'

 

[Albion]

Love, peace and harmony ?
Love, peace and harmony ?
Oh, very nice
Very nice
Very nice
Very nice
Very nice
But maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world

An 8 from me

 

[Bassist-In-A-Tutu]

Love, peace and harmony ?
Love, peace and harmony ?
Oh, very nice
Very nice
Very nice
Very nice
Very nice
But maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world

An 8 from me

I was going to get this tattood on me but my wife thought it too depressing and talked me out of it.

I give this song a 9 - it is one of my all time favourites.

Of course, I love the bass line - and it is harder than you thnk to learn as it ceeps alternating between a standard phrase and lots of variants on that frase... I love playing allong all the same, even if I do keep getting it wrong all the time

 

[mauve21]

Brilliant stuff.
Never let it be said that Mr. Morrissey doesn't care!

 

[Nikita]

I don't know if it is one of the most overrated Smiths songs, but it is one of their most ambitious

 

[Dothatagain?]

10. Love this song - great vocals from Morrissey and an astonishing instrumental section.

 

[Maurice E]

Just to add, I agree with Mr John Ravenscroft! Really over-rated.
It's still an ok-ish song but nothing special. The arrangement's unusual for a Smiths song, Morrissey's piano playing ensures novelty appeal but it normally gets the skip-button treatment from Maurice E!

 

[vicarinatutugal]

I wish i could change my vote. I am totally loving everything about this song just now. I mean i did give it a 7 but its a def 8 or 9 for me just now.

 

[dislocate my shoulder]

I wish i could change my vote. I am totally loving everything about this song just now. I mean i did give it a 7 but its a def 8 or 9 for me just now.

Cheers It's somehow in a category of its own - and I was amused when I read that Morrissey's piano playing is Bartok-like (I like Bartok hugely).
Still, in the context of other songs, I would not plead for a vote change.