BookishBoy
Well-Known Member
Our song for today is this Morrissey/Whyte composition, the lead-off track on the Ringleader of the Tormentors album.
What do we think?
Morrissey A-Z: "I Will See You in Far-Off Places"
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Our song for today is this Morrissey/Whyte composition, the lead-off track on the Ringleader of the Tormentors album.
What do we think?
Absolutely despise this song and it immediately brings back the feeling of disappointment upon hearing Ringleader for the first time. This Middle Eastern nu-metal thing is just a dreadful clash of aesthetics and Alain is simply not a strong enough songwriter to pull it off with any grace. And despite the bloat of the arrangement, the dismal production/mastering still somehow manages to make this sound paper-thin.
I suspect this was one of the first lyrics that Morrissey had written for the new album, as (if I recall correctly) he was already invoking the title when saying goodbye after the encores towards the end of the Quarry tour.
Also: I think you may have skipped like 10 songs between yesterday and today?
I suspect this was one of the first lyrics that Morrissey had written for the new album, as (if I recall correctly) he was already invoking the title when saying goodbye after the encores towards the end of the Quarry tour.
Also: I think you may have skipped like 10 songs between yesterday and today?
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I like the line about taking funny selfies.
BookishBoy
Well-Known Member
Yes, I remember that exact same feeling of crushing disappointment on first hearing this: I just hated it! And still don't like it today. It just sounds ugly to me.
And the alphabetisation (god that's a strange word) of the song list in this "I" section is a bit ropey - but I lack the mental energy to figure out how to fix it - sorry! (Or maybe it is actually correct and I just don't understand the finer points of alphabetical order when there are lots of apostrophes involved.) We will cover all of the songs, though...
This Charming Bowie
Welcome to this knockabout world
I actually think this is a good song, one of Ringleader’s best. The production, as always with songs from this era, is pretty bad, but I like the incorporation of the Middle Eastern elements to the song: it doesn’t seem incongruous. Lyrics are fine, quite “topical” thanks to that one line, and some nice melismatic singing, sadly buried under vocal effects.
8/10
8/10
I thought this track improved via its live incarnation and took on a stronger edge - a bit like Ganglord.
Regards,
FWD.
Regards,
FWD.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
It feels misplaced on ROTT, especially as the opening track. Dear God should have been the opener because that one immerses you immediately into the atmosphere of ROTT. Now you do get a reference to the US army and its wars in the Meddle East (it is the Bush era after all), spoiling the joy before you are invited to indulge yourself in this Holy city full of love.
As FWD, I enjoyed the live version in later shows, it works better in a combination with Ganglord indeed.
As FWD, I enjoyed the live version in later shows, it works better in a combination with Ganglord indeed.
D
Deleted member 29421
Guest
I find the music interesting (especially the variety of instruments used) but am not bowled over by Morrissey's vocal on this one.
M
Mozzer1980
Guest
One of the strongest moments on Ringleader of the Tormentors . Hard wall of sound and very good lyrics. There is a some kind of load of emotion, longing and hope at the same time
The.Truth.
Every.Single.Time.
I really like this one. I remember when the first few songs from this record were leaked in order of appearance and the idea of this representing "the next Morrissey record" was strange, confusing and exciting. The riff doesn't sound like "nu metal" to me but more like Led Zeppelin.
I like the lyrics and the sound. As @Famous when dead wrote it was better live.
I'm surprised more people aren't fans of this one. To me it's one of the better songs on the record and when it was new it was a favorite. Seeing him live singing about "if George W Bush doesn't bomb you" was pretty exciting. (I think that's what he sang. He didn't say "if the USA" since he was in the USA, I guess.)
I like the lyrics and the sound. As @Famous when dead wrote it was better live.
I'm surprised more people aren't fans of this one. To me it's one of the better songs on the record and when it was new it was a favorite. Seeing him live singing about "if George W Bush doesn't bomb you" was pretty exciting. (I think that's what he sang. He didn't say "if the USA" since he was in the USA, I guess.)
Phranc & Open
Almost Human
To me it always sounded like a Bedouin trudging through the desert on a gigantic dinosaur (boom, boom) to confront the Western enemy. An extremely crass image in itself (for an Armageddon film adaptation) but something like that at the beginning of a romantic, Roman-influenced Morrissey album: Thank you but NO.
GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
I'm generally fond of pompous, overblown Morrissey and this is one of my favourites on the album.
Like with most Ringleader songs, the live arrangement and sound is superior, but I enjoy the (for Morrissey, at the time) unusual instrumentation, it's like a forerunner to Istanbul, which I also love.
For me, it's also one of the strongest post-comeback opening tracks, only surpassed by Something Is Squeezing My Skull.
One thing that bothers me though is that it doesn't quite fit with the other themes of the album and I wonder if it was one of the earlier lyrics written before he relocated to Rome.
There are some great lines in there, for example
It's so easy for us to sit together
But it's so hard for our hearts to combine
and
I believe I will see you
Somewhere - safe
Looking to the camera
Messing around and pulling faces
..but in general it's more mood piece than poetic composition and its strength lies in its musical bombast and Morrissey's vocal performance.
Like with most Ringleader songs, the live arrangement and sound is superior, but I enjoy the (for Morrissey, at the time) unusual instrumentation, it's like a forerunner to Istanbul, which I also love.
For me, it's also one of the strongest post-comeback opening tracks, only surpassed by Something Is Squeezing My Skull.
One thing that bothers me though is that it doesn't quite fit with the other themes of the album and I wonder if it was one of the earlier lyrics written before he relocated to Rome.
There are some great lines in there, for example
It's so easy for us to sit together
But it's so hard for our hearts to combine
and
I believe I will see you
Somewhere - safe
Looking to the camera
Messing around and pulling faces
..but in general it's more mood piece than poetic composition and its strength lies in its musical bombast and Morrissey's vocal performance.
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GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
(If I recall correctly, it's the alphabetical order Microsoft Word arranged it in...)
BookishBoy
Well-Known Member
In which case I doff my cap to the all-knowing genius of Bill Gates and his team. (But it might still be wrong.)
GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
If there are any mistakes, they're probably mine because I removed some entries and added others, that were missing and it's possible I didn't pay too much attention to the order because I trusted Mister Gates' genius...
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