The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 167: SUEDEHEAD

[Houdini]

Let's compile our own Morrissey/Smiths Top 100 by rating all 232 Moz/Smiths-songs.

Song for Today: SUEDEHEAD

Voting should be something along these lines:
10: Perfection
9: Near perfect, brilliant
8: Really good Moz/Smiths song
7: Good Moz/Smiths song
6: OK, Nothing special
5: Uninspired
4: Poor
3: Bad
2: Should never have been released
1: He/They should be ashamed

The songs so far (voting is still open, click to vote):

Part 166: Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference
Part 165: Stretch Out And Wait
Part 164: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Part 163: Still Ill
Part 162: Spring-Heeled Jim
Part 161: Speedway
Part 160: Southpaw
Part 159: Sorrow Will Come In The End
Part 158: Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Part 157: Slum Mums
Part 156: Skin Storm
Part 155: Sister, I'm A Poet
Part 154: Sing Your Life
Part 153: Shoplifters Of The World Unite
Part 152: Sheila Take A Bow
Part 151: Shakespeare's Sister
Part 150: Seasick Yet Still Docked
Part 149: Satan Rejected My Soul
Part 148: Rusholme Ruffians
Part 147: Rubber Ring
Part 146: Roy's Keen
Part 145: Reel Around The Fountain
Part 144: Redondo Beach
Part 143: Reader Meet Author
Part 142: Pretty Girls Make Graves
Part 141: Pregnant For The Last Time
Part 140: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
Part 139: Piccadilly Palare
Part 138: Pashernate Love
Part 137: Papa Jack
Part 136: Panic
Part 135: Paint A Vulgar Picture
Part 134: Our Frank
Part 133: Ouija Board, Ouija Board
Part 132: Oscillate Wildly
Part 131: On The Streets I Ran
Part 130: Oh Well, I'll Never Learn
Part 129: Nowhere Fast
Part 128: Now My Heart Is Full
Part 127: Now I Am A Was
Part 126: November Spawned A Monster
Part 125: Noise Is The Best Revenge
Part 124: Nobody Loves Us
Part 123: No One Can Hold A Candle To You
Part 122: Never Had No One Ever
Part 121: My Love Life
Part 120: My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye
Part 119: Mute Witness
Part 118: Munich Air Disaster 1958
Part 117: Moonriver
Part 116: Money Changes Everything
Part 115: Miserable Lie
Part 114: Michael's Bones
Part 113: Mexico
Part 112: Meat Is Murder
Part 111: Margaret On The Guillotine
Part 110: Maladjusted
Part 109: Lucky Lisp
Part 108: Lost
Part 107: London
Part 106: Little Man, What Now?
Part 105: Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning
Part 104: Life Is A Pigsty
Part 103: Let the Right One Slip In
Part 102: Let Me Kiss You
Part 101: Late Night, Maudlin Street
Part 100: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Part 99: King Leer
Part 98: Journalists Who Lie
Part 97: Jeane
Part 96: Jack The Ripper
Part 95: It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small
Part 94: Is It Really So Strange?
Part 93: Irish Blood, English Heart
Part 92: Interlude
Part 91: Interesting Drug
Part 90: In The Future When All's Well
Part 89: If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me
Part 88: I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
Part 87: (I'm) The End Of The Family Line
Part 86: I'm Not Sorry
Part 85: I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now
Part 84: I'd Love To
Part 83: I Won't Share You
Part 82: I Will See You In Far Off Places
Part 81: I Want The One I Can't Have
Part 80: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
Part 79: I Like You
Part 78: I Know Very Well How I Got My Name
Part 77: I Know It's Over
Part 76: I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday
Part 75: I Knew I Was Next
Part 74: I Keep Mine Hidden
Part 73: I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
Part 72: I Have Forgiven Jesus
Part 71: I Don't Owe You Anything
Part 70: I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
Part 69: I Can Have Both
Part 68: I Am Two People
Part 67: I Am Hated For Loving
Part 66: Human Being
Part 65: How Soon Is Now?
Part 64: How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Part 63: Hold On To Your Friends
Part 62: Heir Apparent
Part 61: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Part 60: He Knows I'd Love To See Him
Part 59: He Cried
Part 58: Have-A-Go Merchant
Part 57: Handsome Devil
Part 56: Hand In Glove
Part 55: Half A Person
Part 54: Hairdresser On Fire
Part 53: Good Looking Man About Town
Part 52: Golden Lights
Part 51: Glamorous Glue
Part 50: Girlfriend In A Coma
Part 49: Girl Least Likely To
Part 48: Girl Afraid
Part 47: Get Off The Stage
Part 46: Ganglord
Part 45: Friday Mourning
Part 44: Frankly Mr Shankly
Part 43: Found Found Found
Part 42: First Of The Gang To Die
Part 41: Everyday Is Like Sunday (follow this link for first 40 songs).

 

[Paulc]

What an amazing song this is. I think its very important to many Morrissey fans as it was an early indication that his solo career was going to be just as good and creative as his Smiths time - perhaps even surpass it.

Great song, wonderful music, lyrics and even the video was cool. A 10.

Still it was a good lay.

 

[Amy]

I bet Marr was absolutely kicking himself when he heard the melody for this one. Superb start for solo Moz. 10

 

[Maurice E]

This song is just ... sublime! Musically, lyrically and vocally.
Someone bring back Steven Street, before it's too late!

 

[TuQui]

I love this song! 10 obviously

 

[mozsupportsrovers]

Someone bring back Steven Street, before it's too late!

Fantastic song, and agree steven street should come back, 10

 

[jeniphir]

This song is definitely a 10, though I have to admit I'm a bit tired of hearing it after all these years and never listen to it "on purpose" anymore. . .

--jeniphir

 

[Black_Eyed_Sioux]

You can't really fault the bloody thing! 10, 10, 10!

 

[Radio Berlin]

how can this not be a classic?

 

[Comtesse]

To me, this is the most important Morrissey song ever because it proved that he could carry on without Johnny Marr. I remember when it was first released, I read the reviews in the British papers and they were positive (I believe it was joint Single of the Week in NME), but I still had my doubts that Morrissey with Stephen Street would be as good as The Smiths. That first listen was a bit terrifying - I was so afraid I wouldn't like it - and I remember a wave of relief coming over me when I realized it was actually GOOD!!! And the b-sides - "Hairdresser On Fire" and "I Know Very Well How I Got My Name" - were even better!

After a few more listens I realized that "Suedehead" wasn't just good - it was a great first single for Mozzer. I remember a review of the time saying that the great thing about Morrissey lyrics is that they could apply to anyone - and that "Suedehead" could be about a fan, a lover, or even his Mom. (Well, except for the closing line, that is...)

Of course, the most scandalous thing about the song was the "It was a good lay" lyric at the end. I didn't think that he could really be singing that - it was so UnMorrisseyLike! One of my favorite interview snippets at the time was this one:

Did you really sing, "It was a good lay" at the end of "Suedehead"?
"No, 'It was a bootleg'. I mean, good heavens, in my vocabulary? Please..."
Honestly?
"Well, have I ever been dishonest?" he laughs. "Do people think it was 'a good lay'?"
I do.
"And is that quite racy?"
Oh, yes.
"Well, it was actually 'a good lay'."
And was there one?
"No, I just thought it might amuse someone living in Hartlepool."
- Morrissey, Sounds, June 18, 1988

I listened to the song again to see if maybe he really was singing "it was a bootleg," but it sure didn't sound like that. In this post-celibate era when Morrissey has a history of using a banana as a prop, getting salacious with a microphone, and making comments like, "My ass is leaving the building in five minutes - be on it!" it's easy to forget how astonishing those five simple words were in their day.

And the music, especially Vini Reilly's excellent guitar opening, was wonderful too. Truly a landmark song. An easy 10.

 

[Corrissey]

I bet Marr was absolutely kicking himself when he heard the melody for this one. Superb start for solo Moz. 10

Funny -and true. A sure sign that going solo was gonna be aaiiiight!

Of course, the most scandalous thing about the song was the "It was a good lay" lyric at the end. I didn't think that he could really be singing that - it was so UnMorrisseyLike

^^ I think this is my answer for a Moz song that took me 'time to figure out' --because of your explanation I was pretty happy for whoever that lay was 'Oh so many illustrations!'

Well, this is THE Morrissey song. The distinctive, funky opening riff is classic...the whole thing takes me to a time in my life as I'm sure it does everyone else. Anything less than a 10 for Suedehead...'I am so very sickened!!'

 

[Alcoholic Afternoons]

To me, this is the most important Morrissey song ever because it proved that he could carry on without Johnny Marr.

That first listen was a bit terrifying - I was so afraid I wouldn't like it - and I remember a wave of relief coming over me when I realized it was actually GOOD!!!

I remember having the same experience, and the same reaction.

Of course, the most scandalous thing about the song was the "It was a good lay" lyric at the end.

For the longest time I heard it as "It was a bit late." I think I just refused to hear it as "good lay."

 

[Assassin]

Of course, the most scandalous thing about the song was the "It was a good lay" lyric at the end.

To me, that line and also "...and oh so many illustrations" make the song such classic, and that's not even including the sublime guitar riff.

 

[lux girl]

A perfect 10

 

[Kuiper]

The album version is quite good, but the Beethoven Was Deaf version is excellent, due in part to the added verse "well it was because/everything that I did/I wrote it down/on the wall", which while just a small touch is something I think adds a lot to the song. All other live versions I've heard I haven't cared for as much as the album version. Also, I might be a bit biased because I am just sick of this song by now. I still enjoy it when I actually do hear it, but I rarely intend to hear it. Still a solid 8 though, that is a high score after all.

 

[Your Arsenal]

This song is pop genius. I love how immideately after the Smiths, Morrissey was able to aquire such a great height top charter, spectacular song. The whole Stephen Sreet Era is definately golden for Morrissey, as the Smiths, and as Morrissey-solo.

Now, the ending....I always thought it said "it was a good delay." But I guess i was wrong too.

10

 

[Comtesse]

Now, the ending....I always thought it said "it was a good delay." But I guess i was wrong too.

I think our brains just couldn't fathom what he was singing!

 

[anastaza]

Gorgeous song. One of my all time faves.

- ana

 

[ringchase]

what a great song this is, i love the video for this song, i wish he would do it live more.

 

[celibate]

a 9

first Morrissey single after the Smiths departure, and it was/is better
than anyone expected
Musicly it's magnificent, lyricly he could've add more, thats why
I didn't gave it a 10

The videoclip is still the best Morrissey made till today