Musical style that best compliments Morrissey's singing...

I've thought about this a few times and decided to post, maybe get a few opinions on my thoughts.

In my opinion, Morrissey's style of singing isn't suited well to the fast-paced, droning guitar rhythms of some of his newer songs, guitar rhythms that are quite common in newer alt-rock bands these days. I think he's at his best when the guitars are energetic, heavy, and Melodic - here's why I think this way:

In order for Morrissey to do what he does best with his singing (convey emotion), he has to change the pitch/tone of his voice over the course of the song. Faced paced guitars with little or no change in melody don't allow for this, because it takes a slow-up for him to change pitch/tone, and in a face paced song he wouldn't be able to do this and keep time with the instruments, so in such songs he has basically to sing in one tone of voice, which doesn't convey as much emotion.

In my opinion, songs that suit his singing method best, are melodic, energetic, and a bit heavy. A song doesn't have to be at a burning pace to be strong, melody and groove well done can make a song really strong and heavy without being necessarily fast-paced. Melodic guitar work allows Morrissey the perfect timing to change his tone of voice and pitch, which is really when he comes into his own. There's something about a good, melodic yet energetic song, which when combined with the emotion Morrissey conveys, just makes for a perfect song.

A couple songs that I think are prime examples of Morrissey at his best, and which illustrate my thoughts above, are the newer Children In Pieces, You Have Killed Me, and Southpaw (some years old now).

Anyway, thoughts appreciated :thumb:
 
i would love him to sing to songs in a crooning kind of way.....to orchestra or music composed in a kind of 60ties pop
like a 21th century sinatra..but he is too much in lovewith rock`n roll to ever goes that way (completely)..
instead of stepping away from music as he had spoke about to do in the near future..*sniff* ....completely he could step into that diredtion..but not singing only the old classics as most of singers too when they reach that age or older,,but rather new compositions. in that style..
general downtempo songs ...see how wonderful it works if he sings songs like seasick and dont have to yell against the music....
 
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i would love him to sing to songs in a crooning kind of way.....to orchestra or music composed in a kind of 60ties pop
like a 21th century sinatra..but he is too much in lovewith rock`n roll to ever goes that way (completely)..
instead of stepping away from music as he had spoke about to do in the near future..*sniff* ....completely he could step into that diredtion..but not singing only the old classics as most of singers too when they reach that age or older,,but rather new compositions. in that style..
general downtempo songs ...see how wonderful it works if he sings songs like seasick and dont have to yell against the music....

Absolutely agree with all of your points :thumb: And I absolutely love Seasick, it's beautiful. :)

I like the muscular style and the finer woven lingeriesque tunes of the smiths. But just for a nice change/surprise ... doing an unplugged concert ...? On telly/ dvd /record?

Please no jazz standards crooning for me

Never thought I'd hear that term in relation to Moz, except maybe in the frink! :lbf:
But again, totally agree- it's especially good when he strikes a balance between the two. And the unplugged concert would be great. :)
 
He is a attention seeking moaner.

:laughing:

i would love him to sing to songs in a crooning kind of way.....to orchestra or music composed in a kind of 60ties pop
like a 21th century sinatra..but he is too much in lovewith rock`n roll to ever goes that way (completely)..
instead of stepping away from music as he had spoke about to do in the near future..*sniff* ....completely he could step into that diredtion..but not singing only the old classics as most of singers too when they reach that age or older,,but rather new compositions. in that style..
general downtempo songs ...see how wonderful it works if he sings songs like seasick and dont have to yell against the music....

This :thumb: Torch song Moz all the way. I want him to be the son of Sinatra. :D
 
There Is A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends doesn't get the recognition it deserves IMHO.

Agreed. At least not the studio KU version. I find that people often say they like the KROQ version better. I don't understand it. The KU version is one of the best songs on the album!
 
Agreed. At least not the studio KU version. I find that people often say they like the KROQ version better. I don't understand it. The KU version is one of the best songs on the album!

Indeed, it's everything I love about Morrissey - soft, gentle, emotionally pained lyrics.

There is a place
reserved
for me and my friends
and when we go
we all will go
so you see
I'm never alone
there is a place
with a bit more time
and a few more
gentler words
and looking back
we do will forgive
(we had no choice
we always did)
all that we hope
is that when we go
our skin
and our blood
and our bones
don't get in your way
making you ill
the way they did
when we lived
There is a place
a place in hell
reserved
for me and my friends
and if ever I
just wanted to cry
then I will
because I can

Surely this is some of the finest poetry in his canon. It shouldn't be done to a fast song, it's of I Know It's Over/There Is A Light quality to me, and the music to the KU version completely suits that.
 
I found him at his best in "Rubber Ring" - a slow narrative backed up by a melodic and powerful guitar and then the two develop into sheer brilliance.
 
Please no jazz standards crooning for me

i didnt mean jazz standard at all..you got me wrong..maybe becaus i mentiones sinatra?i put up the sinatra comparsion as it obvious he likes him as he said do (and compared his career with sinatra`s).. and also you can tell...and i can see similarities/connections between them
if he would go into a different musical direction like i decribed that would be ...interesting..

edit:
oh
intersting what he said about moonriver (in the moonriver thread)
Morrissey on the sadly overlooked gloom of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer's `Moon River' : (.............)A LOT of the versions one knows are very cabaret-ish, if that's the word, which suits me fine.(.............)
oh please, yes!


david bret whose book is mostly..abdicable..shall we say;-)
made some interesting comparsions though with lots of french (torch )singers...as he seems to see him in that tradition.
 
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