Which of the five new 'Bonfire' songs do you prefer?

Which of the five new 'Bonfire' songs do you prefer?


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Not trying to be a negative Nancy, (as I support Moz and get as excited as any of his devotees when new music is revealed) but so far, none of the 5 new songs really do much for me. Maybe the studio versions will help some?
I really hope the other 6 are better.
 
I Live In Oblivion
Bonfire Of Teenagers
I Am Veronica
Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings

I haven’t heard a good enough version of Rebels yet to rank it.
 
Not trying to be a negative Nancy, (as I support Moz and get as excited as any of his devotees when new music is revealed) but so far, none of the 5 new songs really do much for me. Maybe the studio versions will help some?
I really hope the other 6 are better.
I completely agree, which leaves me wondering, is that really a good thing? That we’re now relying on the overproduced studio versions to make song listenable. I mean take a song like ‘Neal Cassady drops dead’ take away the over production and what are you actually left with, in terms of a song structure? Not much. Which probably explains why it’s never played live.
 
I completely agree, which leaves me wondering, is that really a good thing? That we’re now relying on the overproduced studio versions to make song listenable. I mean take a song like ‘Neal Cassady drops dead’ take away the over production and what are you actually left with, in terms of a song structure? Not much. Which probably explains why it’s never played live.

Speaking as someone who loathes the overproduction of the Chiccarelli era, I think Neal Cassady would be pretty great without the overproduction: an anti-natalist, non-conformist romper stomer of a song thrown nicely off-kilter with a sweet little mariachi interlude. I don't know why it has to have those industrial drums and electronic burps, except that the producer is a rococo freak with no good ideas. Possibly the biggest tragedy of Morrissey's career is that Mick Ronson died young and did not live to become his long-term producer. His instincts were so great: he disabused the band of that tinny rockabilly twang, glammed up the guitars, and did not overdo a single thing.
 
I completely agree, which leaves me wondering, is that really a good thing? That we’re now relying on the overproduced studio versions to make song listenable.

I mean take a song like ‘Neal Cassady drops dead’ take away the over production and what are you actually left with, in terms of a song structure? Not much. Which probably explains why it’s never played live.

This song was done 29 times out of the 32 dates played on the European leg of the 2014 tour. Don’t think even Morrissey would have played it that much if it failed as a live song.
 
I completely agree, which leaves me wondering, is that really a good thing? That we’re now relying on the overproduced studio versions to make song listenable. I mean take a song like ‘Neal Cassady drops dead’ take away the over production and what are you actually left with, in terms of a song structure? Not much. Which probably explains why it’s never played live.
Every once in a while he still knocks em outta the park. I remember hearing the following songs and being excited and instantly loved them and still do:
By The Time I get to Wherever I’m going
Blue Dreamer’s Eyes
I Thought you were Dead
Brow of my beloved
 
Every once in a while he still knocks em outta the park. I remember hearing the following songs and being excited and instantly loved them and still do:
By The Time I get to Wherever I’m going
Blue Dreamer’s Eyes
I Thought you were Dead
Brow of my beloved

We even got two versions of the latter!
 
Possibly the biggest tragedy of Morrissey's career is that Mick Ronson died young and did not live to become his long-term producer. His instincts were so great: he disabused the band of that tinny rockabilly twang, glammed up the guitars, and did not overdo a single thing.

IMHO biggest tragedy, hands down = losing Marr.
 
IMHO biggest tragedy, hands down = losing Marr.

Ach, you are so correct. I should've said solo career. I do sometimes wonder, though, whether Johnny Marr could've sustained his genius had he stayed in the Smiths. He has been restless and meandering on his own, and aside from his few little contributions to Billy Bragg, never showed the same brilliance. He's the prodigy who fell to earth. As the famous line from Blade Runner goes, "the star that burns twice as bright burns half as long."
 
Every once in a while he still knocks em outta the park. I remember hearing the following songs and being excited and instantly loved them and still do:
By The Time I get to Wherever I’m going
Blue Dreamer’s Eyes
I Thought you were Dead
Brow of my beloved
Add the minor masterpiece I Couldn’t Understand Why People Laughed and you have a 5-star EP. I simply don’t understand why his latter day albums are as flawed as they are, when he obviously is still very much capable of writing fantastic songs and lyrics. I guess he has a vision for his albums, and these warm, sweet, melancholic songs (the WPINOYB bonus tracks included) don’t fit in.
 
Sure enough the telephone rings
I live in oblivion
I am Veronica
Rebels without applause
Bonfire of teenagers

I don't not like any of them but that's my order. I reckon SETTR will be a real banger on the album proper, while it is a bit light lyrically it's the one that has stuck in my head the most!
 
I think Johnny Marr had a very short shelf life, it's obvious he's been out of good ideas for decades. His solo career is over 20 years old and has not produced anything worthwhile. He did Morrissey a favor by leaving.
 
My thoughts on the new songs:

ILIO - Excellent music and vocal melody. Love the dark, heavy atmospherics and the drama. Excellent soaring/screeching guitars. Love the hoarseness of M's voice during the 'boy' part towards the end. This could be great on the album. Love the sentiment and the theme of the lyrics, but I feel that they could/should be fleshed out a bit more. Would love the Morrissey of 1997 to rewrite these lyrics. That said, these are not words that could be written by a 38-year-old.

BOT - Enough has been said about the lyrics (or has it?), and the music and the melody don't make up for it. The words are just too trite. An ironic note: it sounds like a britpop ballad from the 90's. Like a Suede b-side.

IAV - It bores me to death. The words say nothing to me about my life and the music is just unimaginative and dull. I find myself getting annoyed every time I hear this song. Had kind of the same experience with Bobby.

RWA - Best of the bunch? A f***ing sure-fire hit. Gorgeous and just the type of sweet, jangly and inconsolably melancholic pop song that gets my fireworks going once I have had a few glasses of wine. Absolutely amazing. Someone should tell Billy Idol that Moz pays tribute to his old band.

SETTR - Slight, flippant and silly - but what a f***ing romper. Moz possessed by the ghosts of the Ramones and the Buzzcocks whilst being sick to death of people calling and giving him a hard time - what's not to love?

Overall: Three great ones, two I don't care for at all. Even though I wish he would work harder on his lyrics these days, I still very much look forward to the upcoming album. Viva Moz!
 
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My thoughts on the new songs:

ILIO - Excellent music and vocal melody. Love the dark, heavy atmospherics and the drama. Excellent soaring/screeching guitars. Love the hoarseness of M's voice during the 'boy' part towards the end. This could be great on the album. Love the sentiment and the theme of the lyrics, but I feel that they could/should be fleshed out a bit more. Would love the Morrissey of 1997 to rewrite these lyrics. That said, these are not words that could be written by a 38-year-old.

BOT - Enough has been said about the lyrics (or has it?), and the music and the melody don't make up for it. The words are just too trite. An ironic note: it sounds like a britpop ballad from the 90's. Like a Suede b-side.

IAV - It bores me to death. The words say nothing to me about my life and the music is just unimaginative and dull. I find myself getting annoyed every time I hear this song. Had kind of the same experience with Bobby.

RWA - Best of the bunch? A f***ing sure-fire hit. Gorgeous and just the type of sweet, jangly and inconsolably melancholic pop song that gets my fireworks going once I have had a few glasses of wine. Absolutely amazing. Someone should tell Billy Idol that Moz pays tribute to his old band.

SETTR - Slight, flippant and silly - but what a f***ing romper. Moz possessed by the ghosts of the Ramones and the Buzzcocks whilst being sick to death of people calling and giving him a hard time - what's not to love?

Overall: Three great ones, two I don't care for at all.

Even though I wish he would work harder on his lyrics these days, I still very much look forward to the upcoming album. Viva Moz!

 
I have a feeling he my squeeze one more in, im not sure if its gonna be Vegas or UK though, I'm hoping for Dina Dors
 
My thoughts on the new songs:

IAV - It bores me to death. The words say nothing to me about my life and the music is just unimaginative and dull. I find myself getting annoyed every time I hear this song. Had kind of the same experience with Bobby.
:highfive:
 
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