Your favourite Morrissey tracks

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Please post your favourite Morrissey tracks. As many as you like! :)























 
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Ammunition

Christian Dior

My Dearest Love

Those are the first three that always immediately come to mind.
 
Christian Dior, Playboys, Sunday, I Wish You Lonely, Driving Your GF Home, Place In Hell, Tony the Pony, Glamorous Glue, Southpaw, Camden, The Loop, My Love Life, Crashing Bores, Our Frank, Seasick, Maladjusted, Trouble, Succession of People, Action
 
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These are the only solo ones I find myself listening to often:

Southpaw
Mama Lay Softly On the Riverbed
I Wish You Lonely
Jack The Ripper
Julie In The Weeds
Neal Cassady Drops Dead
Smiler With Knife
My Dearest Love
I’d Love To
Let Me Kiss You
Yes, I Am Blind
Sweetie-Pie (demo version)
The Edges Are No Longer Parallel
Best Friend On The Payroll
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
 
Mt joy is such a great song as well as I’m not a man. I really like the various words used to define masculinity over time and how it makes me think about the changes. Wheeler dealer always makes me think of breakfast of champions and I like thinking about how beefcake or beefaroni was a word to describe a muscular masculine man when said by a woman but now has connotations of childish goofiness. The fact that it’s said in the song by a man is interesting as it kinda brings in different definitions and perspectives
 
These are the only solo ones I find myself listening to often:

Southpaw
Mama Lay Softly On the Riverbed
I Wish You Lonely
Jack The Ripper
Julie In The Weeds
Neal Cassady Drops Dead
Smiler With Knife
My Dearest Love
I’d Love To
Let Me Kiss You
Yes, I Am Blind
Sweetie-Pie (demo version)
The Edges Are No Longer Parallel
Best Friend On The Payroll
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys

Damn. Yeah. Several in your list I have no excuse for skipping.
 
Damn. Yeah. Several in your list I have no excuse for skipping.

I never thought I would reach a point in my life where I could narrow his music down to so few songs that are essential to me. I used to love everything. I’m almost afraid to re-examine The Smiths... I’d probably only end up listing the entirety of Meat is Murder.
 
Itchycoo park
 
I never thought I would reach a point in my life where I could narrow his music down to so few songs that are essential to me. I used to love everything. I’m almost afraid to re-examine The Smiths... I’d probably only end up listing the entirety of Meat is Murder.

I listen to solo stuff more than Smiths stuff; however I find the Smiths stuff nearly flawless whereas I find all kinds of dips and peaks and unevenness in quality with the solo stuff. So admittedly it makes no sense to me that I'm like 70-30 on Solo vs. Smiths as far as time spent listening is concerned.

I got into him in '91 or '92; he hadn't even put out Your Arsenal yet so it was pretty easy to catch up with everything in a fairly short amount of time and I loved all of it. And honestly I loved everything thoroughly until Ringleader. And even Ringleader found pretty even favor with me after a few listens but my point is that it's the first album I didn't immediately love.

I still cannot listen all the way through in one sitting to anything from Refusal onward. Having said that, I like a lot of the stuff he's done in that period and some of it I even love but nowhere near as much as the old stuff...and I just mean mid-90s-Alain-old; not even just Smiths or Street era.

I just have a lot of problems with his quality control, production, editing, etc...his band/current writing partners are actually the least of my complaints because while the material is not anywhere near as good as before, I think with some better production aesthetics he could be putting out the same songs to much better overall effect.

I think his talent is still there but between the over the top production and the amateur-hour songwriting crew, it's like giving Mario Andretti a station wagon to drive...yeah; he'll get the most out of it and occasionally do some sweet ass moves, but as a package it is what it is. Blah.

Last thing I'll say is just a re-iteration/paraphrase of something you said a few days ago, and it's sad really but even off-his-game Morrissey is still more promising/fascinating than most other stuff being made out there.
 
I listen to solo stuff more than Smiths stuff; however I find the Smiths stuff nearly flawless whereas I find all kinds of dips and peaks and unevenness in quality with the solo stuff. So admittedly it makes no sense to me that I'm like 70-30 on Solo vs. Smiths as far as time spent listening is concerned.

I got into him in '91 or '92; he hadn't even put out Your Arsenal yet so it was pretty easy to catch up with everything in a fairly short amount of time and I loved all of it. And honestly I loved everything thoroughly until Ringleader. And even Ringleader found pretty even favor with me after a few listens but my point is that it's the first album I didn't immediately love.

I still cannot listen all the way through in one sitting to anything from Refusal onward. Having said that, I like a lot of the stuff he's done in that period and some of it I even love but nowhere near as much as the old stuff...and I just mean mid-90s-Alain-old; not even just Smiths or Street era.

I just have a lot of problems with his quality control, production, editing, etc...his band/current writing partners are actually the least of my complaints because while the material is not anywhere near as good as before, I think with some better production aesthetics he could be putting out the same songs to much better overall effect.

I think his talent is still there but between the over the top production and the amateur-hour songwriting crew, it's like giving Mario Andretti a station wagon to drive...yeah; he'll get the most out of it and occasionally do some sweet ass moves, but as a package it is what it is. Blah.

Last thing I'll say is just a re-iteration/paraphrase of something you said a few days ago, and it's sad really but even off-his-game Morrissey is still more promising/fascinating than most other stuff being made out there.

Until today, I hadn’t listened to anything by The Smiths in months. On the other hand, I listen to something by Morrisey at least every couple days.

I’ve been a fan since around 89-90, maybe...and I know you probably think that is an exaggeration considering my age but it really isn’t. I remember everything from that time. I was raised on ‘Meat is Murder’. I loved The Smiths. I loved early Morrissey. But I’m older now and I’m just exhausted of it all. Things that were important to me don’t matter anymore. Things that I liked don’t seem as captivating. Been there, done that. Really, and I know it seems crazy, I pretty much only listen to the last two albums anymore. I feel the cognitive dissonance. I know it isn’t better than The Smiths, but for some reason I like it more at the moment.

I hate Jesse Tobias. I literally hate him. If he were to lose both his hands in some freak accident, I’d devote my life to Jesus. With that said, Morrissey is the weakest thing about his music these days. He has genuine moments of brilliance still, but in the end, it’s only moments. It feels like he thinks he’s above working on lyrics at this point.
 
I listen to solo stuff more than Smiths stuff; however I find the Smiths stuff nearly flawless whereas I find all kinds of dips and peaks and unevenness in quality with the solo stuff. So admittedly it makes no sense to me that I'm like 70-30 on Solo vs. Smiths as far as time spent listening is concerned.

I got into him in '91 or '92; he hadn't even put out Your Arsenal yet so it was pretty easy to catch up with everything in a fairly short amount of time and I loved all of it. And honestly I loved everything thoroughly until Ringleader. And even Ringleader found pretty even favor with me after a few listens but my point is that it's the first album I didn't immediately love.

I still cannot listen all the way through in one sitting to anything from Refusal onward. Having said that, I like a lot of the stuff he's done in that period and some of it I even love but nowhere near as much as the old stuff...and I just mean mid-90s-Alain-old; not even just Smiths or Street era.

I just have a lot of problems with his quality control, production, editing, etc...his band/current writing partners are actually the least of my complaints because while the material is not anywhere near as good as before, I think with some better production aesthetics he could be putting out the same songs to much better overall effect.

I think his talent is still there but between the over the top production and the amateur-hour songwriting crew, it's like giving Mario Andretti a station wagon to drive...yeah; he'll get the most out of it and occasionally do some sweet ass moves, but as a package it is what it is. Blah.

Last thing I'll say is just a re-iteration/paraphrase of something you said a few days ago, and it's sad really but even off-his-game Morrissey is still more promising/fascinating than most other stuff being made out there.

Climb upon my knee, let me tell you a story.

Every time a new album comes out, Morrissey comes to you like an old friend bearing a gift. He presents it to you, immaculately wrapped with a beautiful bow. You carefully open this gift with delicacy, not wanting to ruin the wrapping. You scratch and unfurl and eventually there it is, you’ve finally exposed the box underneath all the superficial decorations. You look at Morrissey. Morrissey looks at you. Your heart beats faster with anticipation. He nods, giving you approval to open it...and when you do, there’s a lump of shit inside. Morrissey took a shit in a box and gifted it to you. He laughs because it amuses him and he only does what amuses him. You’re shaken. You’re furious. You feel betrayed because you expected more from him. You trusted him...and he gives you shit in return.

That’s my relationship with Morrissey.
 
Until today, I hadn’t listened to anything by The Smiths in months. On the other hand, I listen to something by Morrisey at least every couple days. I’ve been a fan since around 89-90, maybe

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...and I know you probably think that is an exaggeration considering my age but it really isn’t. I remember everything from that time. I was raised on ‘Meat is Murder’. I loved The Smiths. I loved early Morrissey. But I’m older now and I’m just exhausted of it all. Things that were important to me don’t matter anymore. Things that I liked don’t seem as captivating. Been there, done that.

It happens. You get it back. Trust me.

And dude I mean if you look at early Smiths-era Morrissey interviews he was saying ad nauseum how over The Dolls he was; how he couldn't understand why he loved so many of the songs he did when he was young. But later on in his life he was back at church. It's just a weird thing you go through. It passes.

Really, and I know it seems crazy, I pretty much only listen to the last two albums anymore. I feel the cognitive dissonance. I know it isn’t better than The Smiths, but for some reason I like it more at the moment.

Same. Which is odd, as they're easily the worst...

I hate Jesse Tobias. I literally hate him. If he were to lose both his hands in some freak accident, I’d devote my life to Jesus.

Agreed.

With that said, Morrissey is the weakest thing about his music these days. He has genuine moments of brilliance still, but in the end, it’s only moments. It feels like he thinks he’s above working on lyrics at this point.

Disagreed. I think he's still brilliant as f***. He's just disappeared WAY too far up his own ass and he can't objectively view his own turds. But he's still got it. He just can't get it out because he's using shitty laxatives.

Every time a new album comes out, Morrissey comes to you like an old friend bearing a gift. He presents it to you, immaculately wrapped with a beautiful bow. You carefully open this gift with delicacy, not wanting to ruin the wrapping. You scratch and unfurl and eventually there it is, you’ve finally exposed the box underneath all the superficial decorations. You look at Morrissey. Morrissey looks at you. Your heart beats faster with anticipation. He nods, giving you approval to open it...and when you do, there’s a lump of shit inside. Morrissey took a shit in a box and gifted it to you. He laughs because it amuses him and he only does what amuses him. You’re shaken. You’re furious. You feel betrayed because you expected more from him. You trusted him...and he gives you shit in return.

That’s my relationship with Morrissey.

I can't argue with too much of that. I just hope he pulls a Magic out of his ass one day, like Springsteen did.
 
View attachment 46604I can't argue with too much of that. I just hope he pulls a Magic out of his ass one day, like Springsteen did.

I’d argue that he has pulled such a thing out of his ass post-2004, but just not in the form of a chronological album release. Put together 12 of the strongest songs/obscurities/b-sides since then, arrange them in a sound order and I’d say such a thing is extant.
 
My new favorites are:
- I Wish You Lonely
- The Girl From Tel-Aviv Who Wouldn't Kneel
 
Morrissey has definitely made an albums worth of songs since Quarry that would be one of his best if it was compiled but lists of songs just blur together to me. Still a few come to mind.
Shame Is The Name
My Dearest Love
Because Of My Poor Education
Song From Under The Floorboards
Ganglord
Life Is A Pigsty
If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me
I Knew I was Next
All You Need Is Me
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
That's How People Grow Up
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell

Swords is probably the most essential collection he's made since Quarry, but I like Years Of Refusal much more than Ringleader Of The Tormentors, World Peace Is None Of Your Business or Low In High School.
 
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