Is Moz deluded about the quality of his recent songs?

[Maurice E]

From the 'Greatest Hits' compilation tracklisting I can only assume that he is. Before the Houdini poll, Moz had only three ways of assessing his songs. One, his own view after writing and recording the song (which he ought to know he can’t entirely trust by now), two, the critics’ opinion and, three, the chart position (for singles/albums at least).
His recent singles and albums have had pretty good reviews and some of his best ever chart positions so he probably feels they really are among his best songs.

But just look at the reviews from the Houdini poll. This is surely the most reliable indicator of Morrissey/Smiths song quality. An average of around 100 people voting for each song. And these are fans with no hidden agenda (i.e. unlike some journalists).

The Youngest, Boy Happy, In the Future, Redondo, Let Me Kiss You, etc; Many of these songs scored less than 8 out of 10. Redondo Beach got 6.8 for f***’s sake! How the hell can anyone think that deserves a place alongside Suedehead, Everyday etc? The top 10 chart position of Redondo is utterly meaningless as it was tacked onto ‘There is a Light’.

The whole thing is a hideously wasted opportunity. All this will do to the the casual fan is reinforce the belief that the Smiths were brilliant but Morrissey solo is nowhere near as good.
It’s almost as if the tracklisting was designed to discredit Morrissey’s solo career with songs carefully handpicked by Joyce Michael!

 

[ourshane]

if he was going to put a cover song on it, it should have been no one can hold a candle to you. redondo beach annoys me. then again, it shouldn't have any cover songs on it really.

 

[ordinaryboy]

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but this GH album makes sense because it's largely drawn from his comeback material. Sure, it may not be as good as classics like tunes off Vauxhall and Viva Hate, but those have been dealt with in previous GH albums (or at least there's been other GH albums from those eras). Plus, the new album actually does contain his highest charting singles! So it is a "Greatest Hits", as someone said before!

 

[Boyafraid]

If you look at the course of his comp releases it's usually about one per two albums... which would be about right. I think maybe he shouldn't have called it "greatest hits", but given it a name like the other comp releases. Oh and btw all those other comps usally contain mostly new songs with a few old faves usually thrown in so this is pretty much par for the course imo.

 

[maybe]

The whole thing is a hideously wasted opportunity. All this will do to the the casual fan is reinforce the belief that the Smiths were brilliant but Morrissey solo is nowhere near as good.
It’s almost as if the tracklisting was designed to discredit Morrissey’s solo career with songs carefully handpicked by Joyce Michael!

These songs have introduced a whole new generation to his music. And if those people whose first Morrissey purchase was Quarry or Ringleader are buying his back catalogue and are going to his concerts now they must have liked these songs at least to a certain degree, right? Which means that they can't be quite as bad as some people here make them out to be. I'd never delve deeper into an artist's work if I didn't like the first CD I bought, and I'm sure most people wouldn't. But just look at all the new fans he's gained with his last two albums.

I agree with you re Redondo Beach though; when I first read the tracklisting I thought I was hallucinating beacuse I was on medication, but when it was still there the next morning I just thought, what the hell is he thinking?? I don't see the point of it being there, good chart position or not. If he wanted to put a cover version on it why not take a good one?

 

[the judge]

Someone ask him on true-to-you if he has seen Houdini's polls.

 

[the judge]

These songs have introduced a whole new generation to his music.

Like me? My first Moz song was First Of The Gang To Die.

If he decided to call it "greatest hits" the compilation should have his best charting singles. OK. But it's hard for me to believe that The Youngest, Boy Happy etc were commercially successful, compared to Suedehead and the earlier songs...
Maybe I should check passions.

 

[Explosive Kegs]

These songs have introduced a whole new generation to his music. And if those people whose first Morrissey purchase was Quarry or Ringleader are buying his back catalogue and are going to his concerts now they must have liked these songs at least to a certain degree, right? Which means that they can't be quite as bad as some people here make them out to be. I'd never delve deeper into an artist's work if I didn't like the first CD I bought, and I'm sure most people wouldn't. But just look at all the new fans he's gained with his last two albums.

I agree with you re Redondo Beach though; when I first read the tracklisting I thought I was hallucinating beacuse I was on medication, but when it was still there the next morning I just thought, what the hell is he thinking?? I don't see the point of it being there, good chart position or not. If he wanted to put a cover version on it why not take a good one?

But if it is a studio version of Redondo Beach (or the Janice long session version) then that too is 'a new song' as previously it was only available on the live at 'Earls Court' album.

 

[ourshane]

if this album is based on the popularity of the songs, then it can't have been chosen by moz so he can't be the deluded one. i think it's decca that are deluded.

 

[Explosive Kegs]

if this album is based on the popularity of the songs, then it can't have been chosen by moz so he can't be the deluded one. i think it's decca that are deluded.

Look, in order for Decca to release the tracks, they have to have permission from the original record label each song was released on.
Sanctuary will probably be begging for any kind of royalties, whilst maybe some of the 'middle labels' Morrissey was signed to told Decca to go away.
It all comes down to contracts and money.

 

[Maurice E]

These songs have introduced a whole new generation to his music. And if those people whose first Morrissey purchase was Quarry or Ringleader are buying his back catalogue and are going to his concerts now they must have liked these songs at least to a certain degree, right? Which means that they can't be quite as bad as some people here make them out to be. I'd never delve deeper into an artist's work if I didn't like the first CD I bought, and I'm sure most people wouldn't. But just look at all the new fans he's gained with his last two albums.

I agree with you re Redondo Beach though; when I first read the tracklisting I thought I was hallucinating beacuse I was on medication, but when it was still there the next morning I just thought, what the hell is he thinking?? I don't see the point of it being there, good chart position or not. If he wanted to put a cover version on it why not take a good one?

I'm sure the new fans did indeed quite like a few of the songs on the last two albums. Even I do!
But with the exception of First of the Gang and Irish Blood, the quality of the 'recent' singles has been nowhere near that of the best solo singles; again not my opinion but that of the fans voting on the poll.
Most of the rest of the recent singles are getting below 8/10 and many are, incredibly, in the bottom half of the entire Morrissey back catalogue! It would therefore make more sense (at least for the recent singles) to call this album 'the worst of Morrissey'!

Morrissey's fanbase exploded in 2004. His previous albums (except Vauxhall and Viva) were selling 10's of thousands. Quarry sold nearly 400,000. Moz has held onto his bigger profile to an extent (altho Ringleader sold less than half of Quarry) so this is the first time since the Viva Hate/Bona Drag era that Moz can market a 'best of' album to a potential audience of several hundred thousand fans, 95% of whom will have no Morrissey compilation. This was the chance therefore to familiarise his new expanded fanbase with very best of his back catalogue and not the shoddy, mediocre collection of songs (Steven Street singles aside) that he's offerign up with this new compilation. An incredible waste of a rare opportunity...

 

[Dave]

if he was going to put a cover song on it, it should have been no one can hold a candle to you. redondo beach annoys me. then again, it shouldn't have any cover songs on it really.

He needs to release his cover version album. He has a lot of them that are better than Redondo Beach. I don't think it's bad, but the one you name is excellent. So is Song From Under The Floorboards and several others.


To the first post, someone figured out the chart positions of the songs and these really are the "greatest hits" in terms of chart position.

As far as what his best songs are, I would think his opinion is the only one that should matter to him, as an artist. It's true he buries the good stuff on b-sides sometimes, and releases singles that are not the best songs available, but I'd hate to think of him sitting and trying to write a hit.

 

[Boyafraid]

I'd also like to add ( since I've had a minute/several hours to think about it) that we may be somewhat deluded about what sells nowadays and what people are into. I know to me nothing can top the early Steven Street singles, but a year or maybe it was longer one of my nephews got really into Morrissey ( beacause of YATQ) and I made him a comp cd of Morrissey's first 14 singles ( all of the S. Street stuff) and he didn't really like it. He said it was too plastic and poppy too 80's.... and yet he's really into the later heavier rock stuff ( I jsut want to see the boy happy etc).

 

[Vauxhall95]

Morrissey's fanbase exploded in 2004. His previous albums (except Vauxhall and Viva) were selling 10's of thousands. Quarry sold nearly 400,000. Moz has held onto his bigger profile to an extent (altho Ringleader sold less than half of Quarry) so this is the first time since the Viva Hate/Bona Drag era that Moz can market a 'best of' album to a potential audience of several hundred thousand fans, 95% of whom will have no Morrissey compilation. This was the chance therefore to familiarise his new expanded fanbase with very best of his back catalogue and not the shoddy, mediocre collection of songs (Steven Street singles aside) that he's offerign up with this new compilation. An incredible waste of a rare opportunity...

I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass here, but can you substantiate this? I've glanced at your sales numbers, and they don't seem to jive with what I've seen. Also, I know the last two albums have charted higher than previous efforts, but have they actually sold more copies than say "Your Arsenal" or "Vauxhall & I"?

Again, just curious as to your source...

 

[Buzzetta]

I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass here, but can you substantiate this? I've glanced at your sales numbers, and they don't seem to jive with what I've seen. Also, I know the last two albums have charted higher than previous efforts, but have they actually sold more copies than say "Your Arsenal" or "Vauxhall & I"?

Again, just curious as to your source...

Numbers are irrelevant when it comes to past numbers vs what is selling today. What people were into back in 1995 may not sell in 2008.