Why the hate on 'Papa Jack'

[Southpaw Geeza]

I gave Papa Jack another listen after seeing all the bashing it gets here from fans. I dont see why people could hate this song, solid guitars, drums and production. Vocals are on point, the lyrics leave a little to be desired but thats all.

How can anyone hate the powerful change in voice tone at the "But there was a time when the kids reached out, but Papa Jack just pushed them away" Its a solid track why all the bashing?

 

[Harsh Truth]

At the time of release (1997) it was considered a fairly sub-standard Morrissey song. Morrissey must feel the same as it was never played live and was removed from the reissued version of Maladjusted.

However I’ll have to make a point to listen to it again soon. I’m thinking it probably sounds pretty good when compared to the bottom-end of Morrissey songs from, say, 2011-Present.

 

[Sarcasmos]

I think the song is fine, the only part I don't like is the "C'mon Papa Jack" part

 

[evennow]

I have written many times here about my love for Maladjusted. I loved it when it first came out and even more today. Papa Jack was a song that immediately touched me. It tells a story and some of my favorite songs of his are those that do so. I view it as a warning not to be dismissive of those who want to be a part of your life as one day you might find yourself alone with no one to love or who loves you.

 

[markreed]

I find it baffling he removed "Papa Jack" but added "Sorrow Will Come To You In The End" on the reissue. "Papa Jack" is a fine song - certainly no worse than anything else on that album, which is very under-rated. Worst thing about "Maladjusted" is the cover. Perhaps the lyrics felt too close to a perceived truth reflecting his then seemingly inevitable commercial decline - which is an entirely different conversation.

 

[Anonymous]

It’s not a bad song but it’s kinda bland. If he was gonna swap out a song that would probably have been my choice as the songs he replaced it with are better. Sorrow will come in the end is a track I enjoy honestly but it was already on my album so it didn’t replace anything. Maladjusted is a really well liked morrissey album for me and one I can put on no matter my mood

 

[Famous when dead]

Even when presented in Mozipedia, it got a written thrashing:

"It’s tempting to think Morrissey may have written ‘Papa Jack’ as a pessimistic prophecy of his own possible fate: that of a faded star now grieving over old memories of the adoring young fans he somehow ‘pushed away’. Otherwise, it’s a lame character study devoid of his usually astute observations of the fickle nature of fame (e.g. ‘PAINT A VULGAR PICTURE’) and with a title which may have been a hangover from his boxing obsession on the previous SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR: ‘Papa Jack’ was a nickname of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight world boxing champion, also used as the title of his 1983 biography by Randy Roberts.
Whyte’s sickly cream puff score veered from soft acoustic balladry to a thundering pomp-rock Who pastiche and is probably the track which producer Steve LILLYWHITE was referring to when sharing an anecdote about Morrissey’s unique briefing methods for the sound he wished to create: ‘We were working on a song and he came up to me and said, “Steve … The Who. Shepherds Bush. 1965.” And I said, “Yes, I get it!”’ The tune was more of a showcase for the musical ambition of Whyte, who carries it to the end with his high-pitched harmony vocals, than it is for Morrissey, who exits stage left just after the halfway mark. One of the album’s lowest ebbs, ‘Papa Jack’ was fussy but meaningless filler – so meaningless that it was erased from the 2009 redux Maladjusted altogether along with ‘ROY’S KEEN’. "

Personally, I like all of Maladjusted.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Jamie]

I find the backing vocals Alain provides on the codas of "Papa Jack" and "Roy's Keen" to be the highlights of the songs. I believe in the liner notes to the 2009 reissue Morrissey described Alain's vocal work on Maladjusted as "torrential harmonies." Apt in these cases. And "Wide To Receive" would be much the less if it lacked his call-and-response.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's a good song, but I'm not keen on the production. The first half is pretty moving - especially the 2nd verse, which is amazing - but it gets a bit OTT with the amount of overdubs in the last half. It sounds like the worst excess of 70's rock. A bit less would have been more, here.

Removing it from the tracklisting is sheer bloody madness however.

 

[evennow]

Even when presented in Mozipedia, it got a written thrashing:

"It’s tempting to think Morrissey may have written ‘Papa Jack’ as a pessimistic prophecy of his own possible fate: that of a faded star now grieving over old memories of the adoring young fans he somehow ‘pushed away’. Otherwise, it’s a lame character study devoid of his usually astute observations of the fickle nature of fame (e.g. ‘PAINT A VULGAR PICTURE’) and with a title which may have been a hangover from his boxing obsession on the previous SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR: ‘Papa Jack’ was a nickname of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight world boxing champion, also used as the title of his 1983 biography by Randy Roberts.
Whyte’s sickly cream puff score veered from soft acoustic balladry to a thundering pomp-rock Who pastiche and is probably the track which producer Steve LILLYWHITE was referring to when sharing an anecdote about Morrissey’s unique briefing methods for the sound he wished to create: ‘We were working on a song and he came up to me and said, “Steve … The Who. Shepherds Bush. 1965.” And I said, “Yes, I get it!”’ The tune was more of a showcase for the musical ambition of Whyte, who carries it to the end with his high-pitched harmony vocals, than it is for Morrissey, who exits stage left just after the halfway mark. One of the album’s lowest ebbs, ‘Papa Jack’ was fussy but meaningless filler – so meaningless that it was erased from the 2009 redux Maladjusted altogether along with ‘ROY’S KEEN’. "

Personally, I like all of Maladjusted.
Regards,
FWD.

Couldn't agree with this overview less. Maybe his decision to remove this along with Roy's Keen was a harbinger of what was to come for me and my love of his music. I don't see Papa Jack as "meaningless filler". The lyrics alone spoke to me on such a human level, and now looking back I wish I would have built closer relationships to those who have now passed through my life.

I definitely don't see the song written in the first person, but rather a beautifully, sad story of a man who let happiness pass him by without participating in the love and joy that surrounded him only to be ignored or denied. Trouble Loves Me, He Cried, Wide to Receive, and Papa Jack all spoke to me on a very deep level and I would gladly hear any one of these songs over the slow turgid songs he is playing today.

 

[URBANUS]

How you listen to music depends on if you are a musician or not. Musicians really hate music and is obsessed with how it is built up and they never enjoy music like you and me. They never place any emotion or dreams in it and like mathematicians see patterns in everything.
Void of life they are never to enjoy music.

 

[KingKongLeer]

I gave Papa Jack another listen after seeing all the bashing it gets here from fans. I dont see why people could hate this song, solid guitars, drums and production. Vocals are on point, the lyrics leave a little to be desired but thats all.

How can anyone hate the powerful change in voice tone at the "But there was a time when the kids reached out, but Papa Jack just pushed them away" Its a solid track why all the bashing?

I love Papa Jack and I really mist it from the re-issue.
It took me a little time to totally have it fully musically blossommed on my mind, but I'd say it is a great track. Love everything about it, especioally the 1970s decadent feel to its outro.

Papa Jack is Morrissey's Cure's Like Cockatoos.

A beauty of an oddball.

 

[MozIsGod]

Couldn't agree with this overview less. Maybe his decision to remove this along with Roy's Keen was a harbinger of what was to come for me and my love of his music.

I was surprised he excluded Roy's Keen from the 2009 Maladjusted reissue. He is usually quite proud of his single choices, including the ones which have poor chart success. He surely couldn't have hated the song initially as it continued to be played quite frequently on the subsequent Oye Esteban tour in 1999 and 2000.

 

[Flibberty]

Maladjusted has its moments, but I can't help feeling that some of the comments here are a little nostalgia-influenced.

I remember the reviews when the album came out and Papa Jack was the one song that I don't recall a single critic having anything positive to say about. It is a weak track and if it were on Morrissey's latest album, I don't think anyone would be singling it out for praise.

 

[Jamie]

Maladjusted has its moments, but I can't help feeling that some of the comments here are a little nostalgia-influenced.

I remember the reviews when the album came out and Papa Jack was the one song that I don't recall a single critic having anything positive to say about. It is a weak track and if it were on Morrissey's latest album, I don't think anyone would be singling it out for praise.

While I like "Papa Jack" fine, I must admit to ferocious disappointment when I threw Maladjusted on for the first time. I had bought the "Alma Matters" single first and loved all three songs - to my ear, it seemed like he was operating from the Your Arsenal template again with a dash of the pastoral feel of Vauxhall.

I've never loved the album, despite my one & only avatar here. And, despite being cheered by the deluxe edition and its inclusion of the excellent B-sides, it was disappointing to see "PJ" and "Roy's Keen" excised.

Southpaw was a bold move after Vauxhall. Maladjusted feels like a hodge-podge of both, lacking the sonic adventure of either.

 

[Stanley the 2nd]

Opening track and Trouble Loves Me aside, Maladjusted really was a case of must try harder. Vauxhall and Southpaw I played to death when they first came out but Maladjusted? Got a few plays but Moz at the time was a shadow of his former self. Kind of made the wilderness years easier as he'd gone out on a whimper with everyone thinking obscurity waited. Having said that we are being critical as most bands release the odd turkey here and there. Look at The Fall. Some albums are magnificent, others are way of the mark.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

I think it's a really good song. As noted by another poster above, it's ridiculous that it was left off the re-issue yet Sorrow was included.

 

[Truth]

How you listen to music depends on if you are a musician or not. Musicians really hate music and is obsessed with how it is built up and they never enjoy music like you and me. They never place any emotion or dreams in it and like mathematicians see patterns in everything.
Void of life they are never to enjoy music.

Musicians may enjoy music a different way, the same as a film maker will see a film a different way but this usually applies more to their own work. Even then with some distance, having not worked on it for a while, it is possible to hear it as a complete work and not a collection of different elements.
There is some truth to what you say and I think it's the reason some musicians become substance dependent, trying to recreate the way they enjoyed music in their youth. But you're taking an observation of an extreme and treating it like a rule.
I played with different groups of people and made up a bunch of stupid songs and never had to know very much. When I decided I wanted to teach guitar I had to learn more than I'd ever known. I think rock bands are better off not taking lessons and just learning the songs of the people that inspire them because it does make you see music differently if you know why certain chords are in the key you're playing in. And unless you want to be some kind of prog rock band you really don't need to know that. It will make you do the obvious thing that works instead of trying something new. That definitely can make music less enjoyable.

 

[Harsh Truth]

As I said I would above, I just had a few listens to "Papa Jack", for the first time since probably the re-issue of Maladjusted came out. So, what, nearly 10 years? (Holy Crap time flies) And, YES, it is much better than I remember it being. Would take this song over 60% of WPINOYB or LIHS anyday.

 

[Amy]

Maladjusted was really disappointing. "Papa Jack" just goes nowhere, musically or lyrically. "Ambitious Outsiders" is unnerving (did we really need a second song about child murder?) but again, it's not something I'd choose to listen to. "Roy's Keen" and "Sorrow Will Come..." are toe-curling pisstakes.

It's baffling really, when a stellar track like "Lost" is relegated to a B-side but weak nonsense like this makes the cut. "Trouble Loves Me" is the best song on the album, for my money.