'Golden Lights' - why all the hate?

[sid james]

For some reason this song seems to be picked on as the all-time low-point of the Smiths career, with most people claiming to hate it. Why? OK - it may not quite be up to the level of the Morrissey/Marr originals, but it's a charming little song with some nice backing vocals from Kirsty MacColl - what's not to like about it?

 

[poprenaissance]

i think a LOT of it has to do with the individual band members complete distaste for it, especially marr's. even porter says the original mix was special, but the mix they put out made no sense and took away all the charm of it.

personally, i think it has to do with the fact that, chord-change-wise, it's nowhere near as interesting as anything else they've done. "work is a four-letter word" sounds much more cohesive and far stronger.

 

[Worm]

I love the song. It may be the worst Smiths recording, but I still love it. The only track The Smiths ever recorded that was a complete let-down was "Money Changes Everything".

 

[poprenaissance]

money changes everything

I love the song. It may be the worst Smiths recording, but I still love it. The only track The Smiths ever recorded that was a complete let-down was "Money Changes Everything".

it's funny - i'm a HUUUUUGE roxy music / bryan ferry fan and when "the right stuff" came out, i was pretty disappointed by it. i like "money changes everything" and figured ferry singing over a smiths instrumental was a dream come true. i was not that impressed.

 

[Alexandra]

I love the song. It may be the worst Smiths recording, but I still love it. The only track The Smiths ever recorded that was a complete let-down was "Money Changes Everything".

I agree 100% with you.

(as if you cared! )

 

[sid james]

Hey I love 'Money Changes Everything' - I've never heard the Bryan Ferry version though - I've lived with that song so many years I can hardly imagine any vocals over it. The only Smiths interumental I didn't rate was 'The Draize Train' which is boring as hell, though to be fair the live version on 'Rank' is a vast improvement over the dreary studio version.

 

[Worm]

Re: money changes everything

i was not that impressed.

I know! I've heard it and I can't believe Ferry chose that one. Marr could have written him a fresh song by playing his Gibson into a telephone at 5:00 am after a night spent drinking a pub dry and he would have had a better track.

Then again, maybe Ferry had a case of the Geoff Travis illness. Horrible disease. It afflicts the ears first and then utterly ruins one's judgment. Case in point: "'The Draize Train' is the best thing Johnny's written and if you put words to it's a Number One for sure!'"

 

[Danny]

I think it was because Johnny made a big deal over it, citing it as justification for leaving the band. Other than that people would have just accepted it as a silly, quirky b-side.

 

[mozandeffect]

it's a cover and therefore not worthy of a Smiths' fan love. my hypothesis.

my take? I like it not as great as their original works, but interesting nevertheless.

Johnny also has slagged off "Work is a 4-Letter Word," which no doubt irked Morrissey (being a big Sandie Shaw fan and all).

 

[poprenaissance]

Johnny also has slagged off "Work is a 4-Letter Word," which no doubt irked Morrissey (being a big Sandie Shaw fan and all).

that was a cilla black song (if that's what you were inferring).

 

[mozandeffect]

oops, I mixed them up...

are they both dentally challenged? I knew it was one of them...heh

 

[poprenaissance]

oops, I mixed them up...

are they both dentally challenged? I knew it was one of them...heh

you are so bad.

cilla:

sandie:

sandie & the lads:

 

[Requiescant]

My only problem with the track is that Morrissey's vocals seem terribly listless on it, as if he can't really be bothered singing it. Which makes you wonder why he suggested the song in the first place.
Twinkle, herself, may not be the greatest vocalist in the world, but she certainly imbues her version with a touch more passion and enthusiasm.
Maybe the unreleased mix will turn up on the Rarities album and then we can all judge for ourselves.

Incidentally, Morrissey changes the second line of the song from "Golden lights, a whole lot of fame" to "Golden lights, it's a terrible shame". His version seems to make more sense.

 

[mjp]

I do listen to this when it pops up on Louder Than Bombs but I hate every second of it.

I think it's the way Moz sings it - so unlike any vocal elsewhere on any Smiths/Solo song.

In fact even the way it starts sounds tacky.

 

[Trouble loves me]

The first time i heard it i thought, 'what the hell is this?' Then one day i couldn't get to the stereo fast enough to skip the track and ended up listening to it. It's immense. I love it to bits. I especially like the fact that Morrissey sounds like he's doing his vocals from the bathtub.
My only problem is that it fades out at the end, because you can just about hear the guys doing a wonderfully Beatles-esque pop chord ending with Mozzer moaning over the top.

And i used to think that the 'good for one side and bad for another' line was 'look for one side and bat for another' ... maybe the fact that the vocals are distorted was intentional after all.

 

[nonesoever]

My only problem with the track is that Morrissey's vocals seem terribly listless on it, as if he can't really be bothered singing it. Which makes you wonder why he suggested the song in the first place.

when you look at the subject matter of the song, it's no surprise Morrissey loved it (as a youth?) and chose to cover it.
he's been singing about wanting to be successful and about what success sadly does to relationships all through his career - "You've Got Everything Now", "Lucky Lisp", "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", etc.

I also love "Money Changes Everything", not only for the music and the great over sped vocal bit I think it is, which to me sounds like malevolent and interested people giving advice; But the title itself is so brilliant and meaningful on its own. While Morrissey supposedly wasn't the one who titled the track, it certainly corresponds well with the above theme.
The lyrics Bryan Ferry set to this beautiful musical piece are hideous. "The Right Stuff"? I mean what the f***?