Ryan Adams answer when asked "best run of great albums by a band/artist?"

:lbf: Yes, Johnny's work is incredible, but once Morrissey starts droning over it, it all goes to shit. Ah, yes, Jeane would be interesting now. Although the thing I often feel with Jeane is, despite having written those biting lyrics, Morrissey doesn't FEEL them because it's not a situation he's ever been in - ie it involves a relationship. With a woman (and we all know what he thinks about those). So I do wonder whether he could give it the required empathy, but it would be really interesting to find out.

:lbf:! I always wondered if 'Jeane' (and Miserable Lie) were about the time he spent living with Linder Sterling, actually. I think he has had relationships with women (perhaps few and far between). It could also be seen in the same vein as his other "Taste of Honey", kitchen sink narratives, along with "This Night Has Opened My Eyes".
 
The thing about Golden Lights is that it's not a bad cover once you get passed the intro, but the intro is absolutely cringe-worthy. It's embarrassing to the core. Otherwise, it's not really worth mentioning.

I Keep My Hidden, and Work Is a Four Letter Word are both terrible. Morrissey was going through an Ian Brown level vocal slump at the time. I could see why that session could have been a breaking point for Johnny.
 
Let's be honest Meat is Murder is probably the worse original Smiths song. It's tuneless, melodramatic, and preachy. It's probably one of Johnny's least inspired efforts musically.
 
I like accept yourself. Really dislike never had no one and London. Gotta agree about the Beatles
 
You've got everything now
Miserable lie
Pretty girls make graves
Accept yourself
Girl afraid
This night has opened my eyes
I don't owe you anything
Jeane (Morrissey vocals) - I love the song but I agree with Amy - his vocals are flat and tuneless here. I love the Sandie Shaw version, she seems to wring the maximum emotion from the (brilliant) lyrics and makes you really feel the desperation.

It's a cliche but I think they got better as they went on. I find some of the early stuff a bit monotone - although Johnny's work was often still brilliant, I think it took until Meat is Murder for Morrissey to properly find his voice and confidence with vocal melodies.

But I've got to disagree with others here, I think Never Had No-one Ever is a masterpiece!

Accept Yourself is the only track on your list that might almost seem reasonable!
 
:lbf:! I always wondered if 'Jeane' (and Miserable Lie) were about the time he spent living with Linder Sterling, actually. I think he has had relationships with women (perhaps few and far between). It could also be seen in the same vein as his other "Taste of Honey", kitchen sink narratives, along with "This Night Has Opened My Eyes".
Yes, I think that's exactly it, they are his own kitchen sink narratives, and his homage to the ones he loved on film. I still think they're awful, though :D
 
I'm making a list of shitty Smiths songs. I've come up with:

Miserable Lie
Jeane (Sorry, it could be good, but his voice is so flat and tuneless all the way through that I can't bear it)
Meat is Murder (not really a 'song', is it?)
Accept Yourself
Death At One's Elbow
Never Had No One Ever

....erm, that's it. Everything else was solid gold.

Please to be adding

Unhappy Birthday
London
 
I'm amazed that anyone could even like golden lights, let alone love it.
It's so out of style for the smiths it's jarring when it's played.
cheese beyond cheese. melody is appallingly silly.
 
The Twinkle cover is awesome. ...far better than any original he’s written since Your Arsenal.

As for the others in your list of “worst Smiths songs”, those that are weaker are weaker because of Morrissey. If he’s getting credit for lyrically flushing out the brilliance brought forth by Marr, Rourke and Joyce, he can also take it for the utter pap in WIA4LW and DAOE.

Musically? Not one bad song in the entire lot. The only weakness - especially toward the end - was Moz. ...and it’s laughable that folks are pointing out weak tunes in a brilliant Smiths oeuvre, while excusing 25 years of GARBAGE that he’s released as a solo artist.

Puh.
 
The Twinkle cover is awesome. ...far better than any original he’s written since Your Arsenal.

As for the others in your list of “worst Smiths songs”, those that are weaker are weaker because of Morrissey. If he’s getting credit for lyrically flushing out the brilliance brought forth by Marr, Rourke and Joyce, he can also take it for the utter pap in WIA4LW and DAOE.

Musically? Not one bad song in the entire lot. The only weakness - especially toward the end - was Moz. ...and it’s laughable that folks are pointing out weak tunes in a brilliant Smiths oeuvre, while excusing 25 years of GARBAGE that he’s released as a solo artist.

Puh.

Who is excusing him? Most people here spend 7 days a week shitting all over Morrissey's solo career. I was just allowing some small opportunity to extend this pastime to the Smiths, which is very difficult, and most people can't come up with more than 5 songs.

Take your point about the music - but "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" is a bit of a musical non-entity isn't it, despite good lyrics?
 
The Smiths were wonderful but they stopped at the right time. I can imagine if they were still going today, instead of 'Morrissey's not what he was' it would be the usual suspects chorusing 'The Smiths aren't what they were'. Lovely as they were you didn't have to try hard to like the music - it was pretty lush. As I've got older I like the challenge of having to make the effort with his solo music....it is pretty experimental,I think, and I would guess that the chord progressions are more imaginative than Johnny's were after the first two albums.....I don't know for sure though.
 
Who is excusing him? Most people here spend 7 days a week shitting all over Morrissey's solo career. I was just allowing some small opportunity to extend this pastime to the Smiths, which is very difficult, and most people can't come up with more than 5 songs.

Take your point about the music - but "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" is a bit of a musical non-entity isn't it, despite good lyrics?
This Night is GORGEOUS. Top to bottom. ;)
 
Even the Beatles didn't have a perfect musical catalogue no long running act has, but the Smiths came close with the exception of a couple of dodgy covers and maybe Accept Yourself.
 
Even the Beatles didn't have a perfect musical catalogue no long running act has, but the Smiths came close with the exception of a couple of dodgy covers and maybe Accept Yourself.

Nothing that The Smiths recorded comes close to the greatness that is The White Album/The Beatles.
 
Just (another) one person's opinion here, but as someone who has intensely studied and learned every one of these songs on guitar, end-to-end, I decree there are no "shitty" Smiths songs. At least not from the Marr side of the house.

I can't tell you how many times I was lukewarm on a song until I took the time to pull it apart and learn it. You gain a whole new appreciation for it, or at least that was my experience. Every one of those tunes is magical, down to the note. Not to mention focusing on different instruments and layers on repeated listens. So much going on there and always something new to discover, even in those songs that might seem relatively mundane at first blush.

Now, if you don't like the lyrics and/or vocal melody, or if you just don't care for the experience of listening to this or that song, well I suppose any of us could make a subjective argument for any song -- Smiths or otherwise -- being "shitty." And no doubt some are less accessible than others. But from the I-can't-believe-you'd-even suggest-it's-shitty of "Girl Afraid" and "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" to the yes-even-these-are-incredibly-inspired of "Meat Is Murder" and "Never Had No One Ever," The Smiths are, at least instrumentally, unassailable.
 
Nothing that The Smiths recorded comes close to the greatness that is The White Album/The Beatles.

Agreed a great album but even that had that piggies song on it. What the hell was that about?
 

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