Low In High School: What do you think of it?

And don't forget: Ma Marr, why did you do it?

Why did you do it?
Why did you do those things to me?
And never ever getting an answer :(
Life sucks big time.
Having a biscuit now, quite enjoyable :yum:
 
I have mixed feelings about the album.

I love the songs, I love the lyrics, but I certainly prefer the live versions of the songs rather than the studio recordings of LIHS.

I think the producer, who seems to be Joe Chiccarelli, filled the album with very weird things and strange effects. It is hard to say if it was his fault, or if it was Morrissey's fault, or if it was the band that suggested such thing or all of them together.

The album would have sounded better if it had been recorded as a live at the studio album... but they somehow decided to fill the whole album with so many weird effects that "The Perfect Cut" by Negativland comes to my mind (an conceptual album that is a joke about how to make a perfect hit song, but they intentionally fill it with thousands of effects for fun's sake).


"The Perfect Cut" begins in 22:03 ... the first half is another EP by Negativland.

It is for sure the strangest Morrissey album when it comes to the way in which it was mixed (I can't say I like it, but the songs sound fantastic when they are played live). LOL... There should be a deluxe edition with NO special effects!
 
Take out I Bury The Living, In Your Lap, and The Girl From Tel-Aviv, and you'd have a much stronger album. Take out those 3 as well as Who Will Protect Us, When You Open Your Legs, and Israel and you'd have a really great, if not classic, EP.
The first half of this album is so much stronger than the second, barring All The Young People.
 
Take out I Bury The Living, In Your Lap, and The Girl From Tel-Aviv, and you'd have a much stronger album. Take out those 3 as well as Who Will Protect Us, When You Open Your Legs, and Israel and you'd have a really great, if not classic, EP.
The first half of this album is so much stronger than the second, barring All The Young People.

Nonsense ^ < Fact!
 
Nonsense ^ < Fact!
I just think those 3 songs sound so out of place in context to the rest of the album. Like you're moving along at a nice steady pace, then all of a sudden it just all comes to a grinding halt for like 15 minutes.
 
I think its a good album, could have been great. His co- writers have come to the party this time and have supplied him with the most adventurous musical backdrop for a while. Its also probably one of his most catchiest pieces of work with Morrissey I presume, coming up with some great vocal hooks and melodies. And has been said on here already his voice sounds better than it has ever been. The only problem is the lyrics. I just can't connect with them. When he addresses world politics he either seems to be misinformed or stating the blindingly obvious. So overall I thinks its such a shame that the lyrics have let him down this time when he got everything else right.
 
Whatever your views of the songs, his voice has never sounded better. I mean he really does sound wonderful.
Completely agree.
I've been listening to the cassette nonstop on recent long commutes (throwback to my low in high school years in the late 80's, ha) and the voice is stunning.

Right now, my preference (save for All..and The Girl) is for side one....but I'm fickle as hell. For months, I couldn't abide by Life is a Pigsty, and then one morning, epiphany--I heard it differently. For me, it ranks with Your Arsenal and Vauxhall as albums I'll gladly listen to, start-to-finish. Can't say that about many albums at all...by any artist...because I'm a fickle dope.
 
This is Morrissey at his most political. His most serious. Apt for where the world is right now.

It almost acts as a soundtrack to a bleak '1984' dystopian world. Imagine if the video game 'Papers Please' had a soundtrack.

Highlights: Spent the day in bed, Israel, I bury the living.

Lowlights: The Girl from Tel Aviv who wouldn't kneel, Home is a question mark, In your lap.

I did not have high hopes for this album but although it doesn't have as many standout tracks as World Peace is none of your business, but I think hangs together as an album far better.
 
I bury the living- A contender for one of his most interesting songs of all time, with lyrics that are so bad I'm just baffled. I love the violin and crickets intro, the 70's soul funk sound of the bass, I like the shouty bits, I like the pretty falsetto and lovely soothing outro, but Jesus Christ, does he need a lyricist?

In Your Lap isn't even there, really, tune-wise. At all.

Girl From Tel Aviv- It borders on that tacky Squirrel Nut Zippers part of the 90's. I could see it being nice background for a boozy summer night in the background, but it's so campy that you should probably bring a tent.

Who will protect us- It's alright. It's weird hearing almost industrial sounding synths kicking off a Morrissey song, but there they are.

Israel- f***, that's pretty. Let's get him a lyricist and try again.
Yup, I can go along with all of that.
 
Some really Nice songs on Low IHS.
2or3 weaker.
Girl from TA reminds me Calexico
With the Melody of Israël, morrissey could make loved the country by the hezbollah :), but for me, it's the first Time that he sings a song about a country without step back, i really don't know what thinking about.
First free songs reminds me YOR, that is a good thing...
Home? Is a mix of life is a pigsty, Lost and trouble love me
All the Young people, has the same melody than interesting drug... There are some Bad people on the rise
 
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Politics, War and Crotches. I've listened to this album 4 - 5 times and I don't care to listen to it any more. None of the songs have grown on me. The only really outstanding thing about this album is his voice - it's strong, supple, unique. It needs some great melodies to sing! I suggest his next album is covers - starting with Back on the Chain Gang, which I loved live.
 
To answer the question in the thread title: BRILLIANT.

Bloody f***ing brilliant and unique and without any precedent when comparing to any other music from whoever. Even from himself.

There. I just said it and I don’t care what anybody else thinks.
Interesting but not convincing me.

Of course people can say I am deluded.
Everybody on this planet is.

I choose my delusion carefully and enjoy it as much as I can cause that’s what delusion is for.

And if it is done with great music, wit, grand gestures and passion I am okay with it.
 
On the critisisms of the mix I've got a theory. I had it on in my car for the first week and since then I've listened to it on headphones. The album is obviously aimed towards his ageing, hopefully more affluent audience and so is mixed to sound best on high end systems. Half of the album is lost through mono-incompatability but when all of the sound is present it sounds fantastic. Really good job on that front.

Musically it's all subjective innit? I like it. It's a second take on World Peace but this one seems to hit the mark far more often.
 
On the critisisms of the mix I've got a theory. I had it on in my car for the first week and since then I've listened to it on headphones. The album is obviously aimed towards his ageing, hopefully more affluent audience and so is mixed to sound best on high end systems. Half of the album is lost through mono-incompatability but when all of the sound is present it sounds fantastic. Really good job on that front.

Musically it's all subjective innit? I like it. It's a second take on World Peace but this one seems to hit the mark far more often.
Interesting Charles.
I have only listened to it in the car so far.
I'll get it on the not-so-high-end CD player in the house.
 
Interesting Charles.
I have only listened to it in the car so far.
I'll get it on the not-so-high-end CD player in the house.

I'm currently learning mastering, it's very insightful. I never realised that things are mastered for different audiences until now. For example, ignoring musical taste, Muse will sound much better on a good stereo system and on a mono system much of their songs will be lost. Much like with this new album. Whereas stuff aimed at a more popular audience such as Happy will sound very similar no matter what it's played on. I guess most people will just hear the voice and say, this sounds like Morrissey, or Muse, or whatever, I like or I don't like it. But the difference between what you listen to it on is quite a lot.
 
I'm currently learning mastering, it's very insightful. I never realised that things are mastered for different audiences until now. For example, ignoring musical taste, Muse will sound much better on a good stereo system and on a mono system much of their songs will be lost. Much like with this new album. Whereas stuff aimed at a more popular audience such as Happy will sound very similar no matter what it's played on. I guess most people will just hear the voice and say, this sounds like Morrissey, or Muse, or whatever, I like or I don't like it. But the difference between what you listen to it on is quite a lot.
Do you work, or intend to work in the music industry?
By the way, for my sins, I just love Muse.
 
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