So...does ANYONE like the new songs?

[still ill life]

Am I the only one...?

I've only listened to the 3 songs once each so far.
I really, really liked all three of them on first listen. They sound lively to me, and overall very melodic. To me they sounded vibrant. They honestly sounded like among the best and most vibrant stuff he's recorded in a long while. They sounded up-beat and glam rock-ish, but not as uninspired as some of the more up-beat rock songs on for example Years of refusal and Ringleader of the tormentors sound nowadays.
When I came here today looking for other people's reactions on them, it really seemed like we had heard totally different songs...I'm surprised to see that so many seem to really dislike the songs?
So...is there anyone more than me who instantly really liked the songs when they heard them the first time?
Maybe I really liked them since I didn't expect that much from him after Years of refusal, which I never really got into (except for a few songs) for some reason. I don't know...I might not like them as much on repeated listens, who knows. The future will tell. All I know now is that I instantly liked them, and that I was surprised to see that so many people didn't seem to like them at all.

 

[CrushingBore]

Re: Am I the only one...?

I'm with you, for similar reasons. I loved the lalalalala part of The Kid's a Looker that many complain about, because music and lyrics go hand in hand. It's like Rubber Ring's la da dae, but instead of listening to your personal song of the month, you hear American Idol crap chart stuff. I also like the roughness and rawness of the sound, which may be contributed to the way of recording of course. A polished studio version might cut some of that.

 

[Claudia2006]

Re: Am I the only one...?

No, you're not the only one. I love almost everything about Action Is My Middle Name, and the other two weren't instant favorites but grew on me after a couple of listens. I do want to hear a studio version of all three after a good producer gets his hands on them. I really do wonder what he could ever do to please a lot of the people here who appear to have what he "should" do all figured out, and they seem to be just angry that he doesn't always conform to the characterization of him as a writer and singer that they've more or less imagined out of thin air based on who he was as a 20-something year old.

 

[Liam Temple]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

So, it's like the Muppet Babies?

Nah, we're just the nice Moz fans =)

 

[billy scissors]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

What? So you're saying Morrissey is a crass consumer! Of what?

bad jeans

 

[bagface]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

What? So you're saying Morrissey is a crass consumer! Of what?

no i'm saying with all of the comps and other pointless shit that he puts out that's basically what he reduces his fans to. it's really condescending of him to attack people for buying other stuff that isn't his and calling them crass consumers and then complaining when his fans don't buy everything with his name on it.

 

[Stanley the 2nd]

Re: Am I the only one...?

Nope I still don't like them.

 

[DAVIE]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

no i'm saying with all of the comps and other pointless shit that he puts out that's basically what he reduces his fans to. it's really condescending of him to attack people for buying other stuff that isn't his and calling them crass consumers and then complaining when his fans don't buy everything with his name on it.

Action is my middle name is a pretty decent song, I think! Don't think much of the other two. Especially "the kids a looker"

 

[still ill life]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

I don't.

 

[swiss]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

Action is my middle name is a pretty decent song, I think! Don't think much of the other two. Especially "the kids a looker"

I agree with this. They are a long way from I know its over, Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me, Speedway, Now my heart is full, Nobody loves us...

I think the musical input nowadays is poor.

 

[bagface]

Re: Am I the only one...?

they seem to be just angry that he doesn't always conform to the characterization of him as a writer and singer that they've more or less imagined out of thin air based on who he was as a 20-something year old.

writing lazy, shitty songs=nonconformist. hmmmm.

 

[bagface]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

action is my middle name sounds a bit like a poor mans i can have both plus all of the usual tired old tricks from maladjusted-present

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

please oh please oh please moderators
could you merge the now many different threads about the new songs into perhaps a less cumbersome number like 1 or 2 ?


ps: the "ninny" had a name, he was called Robby

 

[DAVIE]

please oh please oh please moderators
could you merge the now many different threads about the new song into perhaps a less cumbersome number like 1 or 2 ?

Yeah, do something useful moderators!

 

[DAVIE]

Re: I think we can all agree that Morrissey's 3 new songs are pretty bad

I agreed with the user who said it sounded a little bit like "Throwing My Arms Around Paris" is actually does a bit. The band maybe running out of a few ideas

 

[PUNKturedBIKE]

Re: Am I the only one...?

I really like them, listened to Action Is My Middle Name several times in a row (and again now). This selection is much more promising than some from the recent canon, i'm looking at you, so called Ringleader.

Anyway, yeah, good stuff.

 

[kyleleonard]

Re: Am I the only one...?

IMO, if any of the new songs were on Ringleader, they'd be the weakest on it.

 

[PUNKturedBIKE]

Re: Am I the only one...?

That said, Ringleader grew on me over the years like a strange and enjoyable tumour. I still remember where i was the first time i took pleasure in 'Dear God, please help me', i think JFK had just been shot.

 

[mikael]

I really like them, I seem to be the only one liking The Kid's A Looker. Played the three songs to a few friends and that was the song that stuck with them though. Not the best songs ever but I'm still excited.

 

[Happy Maudlin]

Only the pathetically easy-to-please will find any solace in these songs. The rest of us are shaking our heads sadly in dismay and wondering if Morrissey will ever care enough to give us quality songwriting again? Will he ever craft a song with as much care as "Now My Heart Is Full," "Speedway," or "Come Back To Camden"? Or has it come to this? Off-the-top-of-his-head words sung over a series of dull power chords.

I think the first step is for Morrissey to sack his entire band (yes, Boz included) and work with a new songwriting partner. He needs to admit he's stuck in a rut and needs a guitarist that can craft something beautiful to inspire him again. At least, I hope that would inspire him again... but perhaps he's beyond inspiration now? I suppose only time will tell...

The songs you just mentioned are very good (except for Come Back to Camden) but are also overrated considerably. Your assumption that only the "pathetically easy-to-please" will like the new songs is wrong, for how can any Morrissey fan be easy to please? I caution myself to not make sweeping generalizations, but it seems that Morrissey fans are a critical bunch, hence our attachment to an equally critical pop star. Secondly, I don't find solace at all in these songs, I just don't find anything to be impossibly critical about. When I listened to the songs I maintained an open mind, while the negative opinions on this website loomed in my mind. I put my super critical cap on, and while the are definitely improvements to be made, it is not nearly as awful and affirmation-shattering as some posters made it out to be.

If the new album is released and you still find Morrissey's new sound (which isn't very surprising if you consider his influences) intolerable, just put Vauxhall on rotation or something.