Morrissey A-Z: "(The) Youngest Was the Most Loved"

I am the oldest of 3 kids and I wasn't loved very much. So, I don't like the song.
I am the youngest of 3 kids, but that doesn’t make me feel excited about this song.
It flows well as part of the album, but I never understood why this was chosen as the second single. Thé Roman police sirène at the beginning is the best part of the song. I can’t help but think there was a strong biais towards Jesse’s compositions as single choices, but I only really liked You have killed me and to a lesser extent In the future when all is well.
 
Awful song with almost no redeeming qualities. By the time the children’s choir comes in, I actually get chills of embarrassment. That email from Morrissey shows how completely detached he is from perceiving his own work with any objectivity.
 
Really bad song. To me it always sounded like a theme song for a TV show titled The Youngest Was the Most Loved.
 
A fairly good song, certainly by the standards of Ringleader. But the chorus sounds a little like something being uttered by a sixth form sociology teacher.

I found Morrissey’s faith, in the song’s chart potential, utterly perplexing.
 
Morrissey was NOT happy with the promotion of this, cf. this mail from 2006:

From: Ed Mendoza
Reply-To:
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 06:57:56 -0400
To: Merck Mercuriadis
hello Merck
I'm printing this on Eddie's pc - mine's still a mess.
Hope you are well.
1/I'm satisfied with the Daily Mail reply - given their nature I think it's a success, and I wasn't looking for an Apology, but a Correction.
2/The situation with "the Youngest" is grave and somewhat deadly. It has set a new low for all of our spirits. The single was launched and then received by the media like a release from a complete nobody. I am less than nothing. This is appalling given the combined efforts of:
A-30 date sell-out UK tour, B-on the heels of a #1 album, C-powerful B-side package, D-great video, E-great sleeve artwork, F-Jonathan Ross and Jools Holland shows, G-enormous tabloid coverage of my animal rights comments, H-week of NME Smiths cover (my face foremost) ;
but the welcome is censorian. It is a flop.
As far as airplay is concerned, it was classically ignored. Also, no national airplay throughout 30-date tour, and no airplay for the #1 album. CJ and Tony are absolute rubbish. The excuse of the football songs is the same as the excuse for You Have Killed Me and Irish Blood - all halted by gimmick releases, yet no one is affected except me - Keane storm on, etc.
By common consent, Sanctuary has stalled and have no muscle. This is what I am told and this is what I see. Jennifer says The Youngest suffered because "certain people would not spend digital dosh"; Jennifer put the single back one week and then left the country for that week of release. I ask Toby H three times for a list of possible Euro TV shows and, two months down the line, still no list. Ringleader zooms from #1 becoming the fastest fall from the top 100 in pop history.
In truth, the Youngest is an unavoidable #1 single - as was You Have Killed Me. By my very presence alone (music apart), my time is Now. The band are flying high. Where the BBC and radio 1 and the press are concerned, Jennifer and CJ are afraid to even whisper.
I understand that your instinct is to flee from the scene of the carnage and move on quickly. but "the Youngest" is a dream of a gift for any label, and if you can't make this fly then I can't see how you can do it with anything else.
The disaster of "the Youngest" is Sanctuary's 2nd major failure
- the first being releasing Quarry on day 2 of a 7 days sales week, thus no #1 position.
Meanwhile, Jed continues to have the time of his life - at my expense - but also, at yours.
Merck, the fate of "the Youngest" is appalling. Sanctuary have blown the whistle on themselves and there is no excuse.
MORRISSEY.
E. Mendoza
Security Director, Morrissey
+1 310 497 5498 Blackberry
+44 (0) 792 023 8631 UK Mobile
+1 801 439 6359 efax

Posting this email at this time is NOT going to help Morrissey find a new label! I wonder if he is still like this.
 
I wonder if he is still like this.
Given the amount of pages in his autobiography moaning at Rough Trade regarding Smiths chart positions, I suspect he's always been like this. Leaks like this letter, and the one pushing for a 'Throwing My Arms Around Paris' hit single after the Bataclan massacre I could really do without. These peeks behind the curtain are just depressing. :(
 
I don't think it's terrible but if this was my introduction to Morrissey I would have never been a fan. The music and vocal melody aren't bad but I have no idea what he's singing about, says nothing to me about my life, etc, etc.
 
I don't think it's terrible but if this was my introduction to Morrissey I would have never been a fan. The music and vocal melody aren't bad but I have no idea what he's singing about, says nothing to me about my life, etc, etc.
It’s okay, he has no idea what he’s singing about either.
 
It's not awful, but it kinda sounds like a throwaway B-Side. There's nothing musically interesting happening, and the lyrics aren't much to write home about either. The idea that Morrissey thought this would be a mega-hit single is baffling.
 
Tags
morrissey a-z
Back
Top Bottom