I knew I was next

[Ambitious]

As Morrissey songs go I think that this is the closest he has come to creating the perfect pop song. This would have been a brilliant single for me, its commercial, catchy, has a sing-a-long in "I knew I was next and I didn't mind" and I think would have been the perfect pop song to launch this new album.

I like You have killed me, dont get me wrong, but this one just bounces out of the speakers and dances in to your living room.

From a commercial point of view I think it may have converted a few floating voters and that elusive #1 may have happened!

Just an opinion, everyone will probably think I am mad.

 

[Philip]

I very much agree, it would have been a perfect single. I can't believe why everyone is praising "LIAP" when he has done "I knew I was next" which is clearly better than anything of the album!

 

[Jones]

Don't you think you might just be impressed because you don't expect as much from a b-side? It's a nice piece of pop fluff but not much more.

 

[Philip]

Never underestimate a nice bit of pop fluff you see it very rarely these days, am I wrong?

 

[Ambitious]

No, I expect an awful lot from Morrissey B-sides, they are usually great. Take a look back at the solo years and the B-sides to date. There are some absolute gems in there.

But you said it yourself "pop fluff" and my point was that it was the perfect pop song. I really feel that it would have been a wonderful commercial success because of its "Pop Fluffyness!"

 

[Ambitious]

"Pop Fluffyness!"

What a word! I will be thinking pop fluffyness all the time now!

 

[Erik]

I must admit - it did nothing for me the first few listens - but now it has grown on me. I do think it's better than most of the album songs.

I do think "Good Looking Man About Town" is better though.

 

[Jonnersb]

I fear that if this had been on the record, most people would say it is a bit too lightweight and should have been a b-side.

That said, if the music and production had been a bit more inventive and the lyrics better towards the end (the bit about 'being slapped around' is just lazy), this had the makings of a single. It ends up being a bit stodgy and the crappy sounding horn bit which must have been done on a keyboard is really poor. If that part had been played on the guitar, or even by a brass section, or even a piano keyboard, the song would have been better than a pleasant novelty piece. I do love the yodelled vocal in the middle section, but as usual with Moz songs, if it had been flawlessly delivered, musically and production-wise it would actually have been a really good song.

> As Morrissey songs go I think that this is the closest he has come to
> creating the perfect pop song. This would have been a brilliant single for
> me, its commercial, catchy, has a sing-a-long in "I knew I was next
> and I didn't mind" and I think would have been the perfect pop song
> to launch this new album.

> I like You have killed me, dont get me wrong, but this one just bounces
> out of the speakers and dances in to your living room.

> From a commercial point of view I think it may have converted a few
> floating voters and that elusive #1 may have happened!

> Just an opinion, everyone will probably think I am mad.

 

[LoafingOaf]

> I fear that if this had been on the record, most people would say it is a
> bit too lightweight and should have been a b-side.

Rubbish. Ringleader is half solid and half very subpar. This b-side would've improved the album. Morrissey has always shot himself in the foot during his solo career when it comes to selecting which songs to put on the album.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Wow. I really found it a weak song. "A good looking skin?" 'Good Looking Man...' was much better lyrically and musically, I think it should stay a B Side.

> I must admit - it did nothing for me the first few listens - but now it
> has grown on me. I do think it's better than most of the album songs.

> I do think "Good Looking Man About Town" is better though.

 

[suzanne]

> Wow. I really found it a weak song. "A good looking skin?" 'Good
> Looking Man...' was much better lyrically and musically, I think it should
> stay a B Side.

i agree. the music for "good looking man" is a lot of fun and the lyrics are clever. it's not like once again being "slapped" by the forces that be. i think that it could have switched places with "i want to see the boy happy" for a spot on the album.

 

[Oye Miguel]

I totally agree! I Knew I Was Next should have been on ROTT, not hidden on a B-Side.

Although, is this what Moz wants for us? To seek out the songs that are truly great?

 

[Boyo]

Guys this is the thing about we luv about Moz...this is a great catchy pop song.....this is why we love his singles and bsides as much as his albums...i personly would have constructed a very different Quarry album if you included all b-sides but its purely subjective..isnt it great to have an artist these days releasing bsides that are being discussed as possible singles...name another artist that can do this?

 

[Spleen]

Yeah, I feel I knew I was Next is possible single material, not exactly strong but not bad. Who cares if Moz didn't put it on the album? By the sounds of it many of the ROTT haters seem to like this one (wonder if they'd've complained if it was on the album?), but this one's definitely proof that Moz still has it. And we've got plenty to look forward to, with a good 5 or 6 b-sides or more still to come...