Biggest problem with Low In High School?

Biggest Flaw In"Low In High School"

  • Lyrics

    Votes: 23 48.9%
  • Production

    Votes: 1 2.1%
  • melody

    Votes: 2 4.3%
  • Arrangements

    Votes: 2 4.3%
  • Vocals

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nothing, Everything was flawless

    Votes: 11 23.4%
  • Other (Please Specify)

    Votes: 8 17.0%

  • Total voters
    47
Low in High School is a really great album and along with Vauxhall and Quarry in my Top 3 Solo records.
It has far exceeded my expectations.

I like all the songs except When you open your legs. The lyrics on that song are poor, the melody is cheap sounding and repetetive and the middle eastern feel of that song does not work either.
Who will protect is from the police is musically pretty good but the lyrics are a little too simplistic and it would be better without him wailing Venezuela at the end
The artwork is not bad but it could be a lot better. I also think he should have used another title than Low in High School. It is not among his best or most imaginative record titles.
I think with better artwork and a better title it would have sold more copies.

Attacking the mainstream media with the first line in the first song did not help either to get good reviews in the mainstream media.
 
the piano is like a toy, trumphet doesn't sound like miles davis.
Guitars are not naturals, there is no bass or the bass is hidden
There a lot compression, distorsion, everything is muffled,
'i wish you lonely' is a great song but music behind is like karaoke
https://songs.bmg.com/olm/view/playlist/6F4A0A65401996381146A44B9FFF40F9

.

What are you listening to this on? I have it on in my car and to be honest, it doesn't sound great but that's because it's been mastered to be played on good systems so when it folds in on my mono car stereo half of the information from the song is missing. On my studio headphones though it sounds fantastic. Every part of the instrumentation is as clear as day. All pop music is compressed, compression is what allows you to hear all of the different aspects of a track without it being muffled by a different part of the track. The problem when a song is mastered for higher end systems is when a more discerning listener notices something is missing. The theory is that it won't matter because people will just think, 'this sounds like Morrissey'. Not everyone though. The reason poppy acts have 'a better sound' is that there is little noticable difference in the song between mono and stereo because they're more aimed at being played everywhere.

If a song is poorly produced it might sound flat, muddy, have problems with balance and bias, etc. It has none of those problems.

Sorry I picked up on your post specifically, I've seen lots of people say it's poorly produced, it just isn't.
 
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What are you listening to this on? I have it on in my car and to be honest, it doesn't sound great but that's because it's been mastered to be played on good systems so when it folds in on my mono car stereo half of the information from the song is missing. On my studio headphones though it sounds fantastic. Every part of the instrumentation is as clear as day. All pop music is compressed, compression is what allows you to hear all of the different aspects of a track without it being muffled by a different part of the track. The problem when a song is mastered for higher end systems is when a more discerning listener notices something is missing. The theory is that it won't matter because people will just think, 'this sounds like Morrissey'. Not everyone though. The reason poppy acts have 'a better sound' is that there is little noticable difference in the song between mono and stereo because they're more aimed at being played everywhere.

If a song is poorly produced it might sound flat, muddy, have problems with balance and bias, etc. It has none of those problems.

Sorry I picked up on your post specifically, I've seen lots of people say it's poorly produced, it just isn't.

Looks pretty compressed to me;

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/138889
 
Well, thats not my point.

I seldom buy albums when they are compressed to death.

Luckily as a audiophile and a record collector the vinyls often has better/different mastering. And I buy a lot of 70s rock, jazz and classical :)
 
Well, thats not my point.

I seldom buy albums when they are compressed to death.

Luckily as a audiophile and a record collector the vinyls often has better/different mastering. And I buy a lot of 70s rock, jazz and classical :)

Yeah, there's the difference digital makes too. I think pretty much everything now has a lot of compression, even things you wouldn't necessarily imagine like those Adele ballads. I too find older things more palatable but it is what it is. Vinyl should have the same mastering but with it being analogue it has a different vibe, one which I prefer.
 
I don’t understand the cover art. The title “Low in High School” is overshadowed by the big sign that says “axe the monarchy”. What do High school and the royals have to do with each over? Maybe the person holding the sign should have been of high school age.
 
I don’t understand the cover art. The title “Low in High School” is overshadowed by the big sign that says “axe the monarchy”. What do High school and the royals have to do with each over? Maybe the person holding the sign should have been of high school age.
I know, it's so rubbish. It makes no sense whatsoever. It looks like he just dictated random ideas off the top of his head (possibly while pissed) and the poor designer was left to cobble it together somehow. I know I'm hardly the first to make this point but makes me want to weep when you see the care and artistic sensibility that was applied to those Smiths and early solo covers.
 
why do people have a problem with him singing Venezuela,one of the most corrupt goverments in the world,shocking treatment of their citizens.
 
The artwork is also hard to take when placed next to other better more suitable pictures from the same shoot
 
The best thing about Morrissey and The Smiths was his/their Englishness. He sang about ordinary things in an extraordinary way, things we could all relate to. Now his themes and lyrics are frequently unrelatable. Also, the "Mexican" flourishes to his music are growing tiresome. I think Morrissey needs to return to writing lyrics about HIS experiences, not the larger worldview style of late. As for the music, a return to voice/guitar/bass/drums would be welcome.

You’re 100% spot on
 
You’re 100% spot on

That is the same problem every successful artist faces. U2 write shite, Rolling Stones, all of em. What could they possibly write about that a normal person could relate to? And if their politics are askew, watch out!

And Morrissey does write about his experiences...

Spent the day in Bed... Who will Protect Italian Pedestrians from British Pop Stars?
 
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why do people have a problem with him singing Venezuela,one of the most corrupt goverments in the world,shocking treatment of their citizens.

I don't anybody here disagrees with that, but just wailing Venezuela is not a very incisive political insight.
 
What are you listening to this on? I have it on in my car and to be honest, it doesn't sound great but that's because it's been mastered to be played on good systems so when it folds in on my mono car stereo half of the information from the song is missing. On my studio headphones though it sounds fantastic. Every part of the instrumentation is as clear as day. All pop music is compressed, compression is what allows you to hear all of the different aspects of a track without it being muffled by a different part of the track. The problem when a song is mastered for higher end systems is when a more discerning listener notices something is missing. The theory is that it won't matter because people will just think, 'this sounds like Morrissey'. Not everyone though. The reason poppy acts have 'a better sound' is that there is little noticable difference in the song between mono and stereo because they're more aimed at being played everywhere.

If a song is poorly produced it might sound flat, muddy, have problems with balance and bias, etc. It has none of those problems.

Sorry I picked up on your post specifically, I've seen lots of people say it's poorly produced, it just isn't.

I listen on mp3 on my smartphone and in my car
I have the english vinyl version on rega 3 + sansui 555a ampli + JBL L50

I agree with you all the modern pop music are compressed now but sometime less or more. For listening on a phone or computer. All in the medium...
Even reissue Old music on wax are often bad
It's really difficult to put modern pressing After a good 60s, 70s pressing

All the best for 2018
 
I don’t understand the cover art. The title “Low in High School” is overshadowed by the big sign that says “axe the monarchy”. What do High school and the royals have to do with each over? Maybe the person holding the sign should have been of high school age.
 
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I listen on mp3 on my smartphone and in my car
I have the english vinyl version on rega 3 + sansui 555a ampli + JBL L50

I agree with you all the modern pop music are compressed now but sometime less or more. For listening on a phone or computer. All in the medium...
Even reissue Old music on wax are often bad
It's really difficult to put modern pressing After a good 60s, 70s pressing

All the best for 2018

Ah, that explains it. You have good ears for picking up on it. The general idea is that most people will just hear the voice which will be clear on all formats and that's enough for them. As for older music re-released there may also be a good reason for you not enjoying this. The highest source material is often not used where a member of staff at a record company is asked to find recordings for a release but they might just get MP3's not realizing that much of the original music is lost on them. It's bizarre to think that a re-release could be a bunch of MP3's but it happens. Happy New Year to you too.

PS, if you can get your digital stuff on WAV's, FLAC's or similar it'll all sound much better - unless again if those files were just lifted from MP3's!
 
In one interview for World Peace Morrissey said that he has been trying to write about new subjects, because he felt that he has overused some themes in the past. This commendable quest has however meant that he has ventured into political subjects, which are very hard to cram into pop songs without sounding banal or trite. Plus when you add the fact that while Morrissey can be brilliant on some subjects like loneliness, adolescent angst and the difficulties of loving someone, he lacks the basic knowledge about most political matters. This unfortunately means that LIHS is burdened with some career worst songs like I Bury The Living, The Girl From Tel Aviv and Who Will Protect Us From The Police.

The presentation of the album is also unfortunate: Low In High School is a weak pun, that has nothing to do with anything on the album (bar perhaps All The Young People...). The cover image is clumsy and the "axe the monarchy" sign has no relation to the themes on the album. The opening verse about the mass media is a terrible way to start the album.

All this is a shame, since I also find plenty to like on the album. The five song opening stretch is vital and includes his best single for a long while (Spent The Day In Bed) and one stone cold Moz classic (Home Is A Question Mark). Despite the lyrics, Israel is one of the most beautiful songs he has ever done. Chiccarelli's production is vivid and lively, a far cry from the chug rock of Jerry Finn. (Although I do agree that All The Young People... is a missed opportunity, the song sounds muted and devoid of joie de vivre expressed in the lyrics). I like the ethnic and non-rock influences, since I have heard quite enough of the meat and potatoes rock from Morrissey.

Overall, I give LIHS 7/10. It's better than World Peace (the 12-track standard album) and Ringleader, on par with Years Of Refusal, but not as good as Quarry.
 
why do people have a problem with him singing Venezuela,one of the most corrupt goverments in the world,shocking treatment of their citizens.

I do have a bit of mixed feelings about it. I really do like the song but thought it was generally about the police everywhere around the globe but suddenly, at the end it turns out to be specifically about Venezuela.

Not that I dislike that, on the contrary cause what is happening there is imho more or less neglected in comparison to gruesome things when it concerns the police in other countries.

Just wondering if the song was actually intended as such about the police in Venezuela from the start or if he suddenly decided to mention it particularly at the end.

It’s okay though for me, in both instances.

I understand many people don’t like the song as it is different in music and approach compared to what people would expect or want to hear from
Moz but it cannot be denied he tried something new, so the boring “same old, same old”, doesn’t hold any ground, for me, that is. :thumb:
 
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