Morrissey A-Z: "Heir Apparent"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



We continue our tour through the "H" songs with this, a B-side on the "Alma Matters" single and then included on the Maladjusted reissue in 2009.

What do we think?
 
Enjoyable, but ultimately flawed like many of the Maladjusted songs: like the more interesting chord progression and some of the production that actually tries to allow you to hear the instrumentation. The metal-style riff leading to the chorus is quite surprising as well. Overall, lyrics are fine, but do get a bit grading after a while. Nothing too special, then, although just by comparison it beats some of the tracks on the actual album.
6/10
 
Morrissey does his old 'minor third melody line' schtick again, which is a shame because the rest of the song isn't bad at all.
 
I remember this being another song mentioned in True to You prior to release and thinking that the title had much more potential than the terrible pun of the a-side. Sadly, then I heard the song...

The tune from Alain is thin and ugly, the production is weak and Morrissey's vocal melodies are some of his worst. His lyrics frequently don't fit the music and there are several moments that are immediately clunky.

"...with fearless (other sites label it as "fierce") determination" sounds awkward when sung.

"Departing, starting" is just clumsy.

"A trek I had once took
With that no-one's gonna stop me when I feel this way look" is a dire couplet.

"You think it's so easy - I tell you, it isn't" are lyrics that immediately stood out to me as ill fitting and they sound even worse against the harsh musical backdrop.

"...degradation" is another awkward rhyme for station.

"Heir, heir, heir, heir, heir, heir..." awful.

"But you maybe ok, I don't know" sounds like Morrissey just felt, "This'll do."

"They'll seduce your heart and then they'll slap your arse" is an incredibly weak way to close the song.

The chorus is woeful and this is a song that could only ever have been a b-side. It's a shame that superior songs like Kit were overlooked and unfinished, when this was afforded an official release.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 216th from 264 solo songs.
 
iv always liked this,for me theres more than enough decent lines in it.
 
I remember this being another song mentioned in True to You prior to release and thinking that the title had much more potential than the terrible pun of the a-side. Sadly, then I heard the song...

The tune from Alain is thin and ugly, the production is weak and Morrissey's vocal melodies are some of his worst. His lyrics frequently don't fit the music and there are several moments that are immediately clunky.

"...with fearless (other sites label it as "fierce") determination" sounds awkward when sung.

"Departing, starting" is just clumsy.

"A trek I had once took
With that no-one's gonna stop me when I feel this way look" is a dire couplet.

"You think it's so easy - I tell you, it isn't" are lyrics that immediately stood out to me as ill fitting and they sound even worse against the harsh musical backdrop.

"...degradation" is another awkward rhyme for station.

"Heir, heir, heir, heir, heir, heir..." awful.

"But you maybe ok, I don't know" sounds like Morrissey just felt, "This'll do."

"They'll seduce your heart and then they'll slap your arse" is an incredibly weak way to close the song.

The chorus is woeful and this is a song that could only ever have been a b-side. It's a shame that superior songs like Kit were overlooked and unfinished, when this was afforded an official release.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 216th from 264 solo songs.
dont hold back now.
 
:)

Yeah, the disappointment of buying the single in Woolworths and taking it home to listen to this song still lingers.
ahhh woolies,remember it well.pic n mix and a good music deparment,what else could you want.
 
The weakest of the Maladjusted b-sides - songs that I generally like quite a bit. - Its biggest flaw, like so many other Moz songs, is that it drags on for too long and is too repetitive.
 
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A bit of an anonymous b-side at the time. Wasn’t too keen on it then, and still am not. Sounds more like a Southpaw-leftover than a fresh new song.
Luckily the other b-side of the single was glorious ;)

6,3
 
A bit of an anonymous b-side at the time. Wasn’t too keen on it then, and still am not. Sounds more like a Southpaw-leftover than a fresh new song.
Luckily the other b-side of the single was glorious ;)

6,3
You’re not too keen but you mark it as 6.3 - you’re just plucking these numbers out the air, with no substance.

Anyway
It’s decent. Not his greatest but, still decent.
 
Wow. Surprised at a song whereby most everyone is in the same camp on. Me no likey as well.

Often enough with Moz' play on words, my thoughts go immediately to the obvious:

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Apparent, apparent
Heir apparent

Heir, heir, heir
Heir, heir, heir
Heir, heir, heir
Heir, heir, heir
 
Indeed, the dullest of the Maladjusted b-sides and it was certainly a good thing that it wasn’t included on the original album.
 
I love this heavy little number and I love the Maladjusted mood in general. A bittersweet, anachronistic outsider searches for his position in all of the songs. Morrissey (& I) should have stayed this age (37/38) forever. Quote us working girls on this.
 
I love this heavy little number and I love the Maladjusted mood in general. A bittersweet, anachronistic outsider searches for his position in all all of the songs. Morrissey should have stayed this age (37/38) forever. Quote us working girls on that.
Even though I’m not overly keen on this particular song, I love what you’re saying here. Maladjusted 4-evah!
 
Thank you. I improved my statement. Have a look. :)
I can't understand the critics of some of the Maladjusted tracks. I mean, did he deliver superior studio material in the years after the sabbatical? Some of the songs were good but the production never was. Steve Lillywhite and Danton Supple were the ones!
 
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It’s… tolerable. I enjoy the bulk of Heir Apparent’s lyrics, as can strongly identify (I expect like so many), with the feeling of returning home only to discover that what was home is now… a question mark. But musically, Heir Apparent just never seems to quite get there, to me it feels muffled and lacking in production; colour-by-numbers Morrissey. I remember, almost 25 years on, finding my way out of the station to go and pick up this single, and playing it immediately upon getting home – ‘such sad degradation…’ Perhaps not that bad - it has grown on me over time, but after the first couple of listens it was probably 5 or more years until I spun the track again.
 
Thank you. I improved my statement. Have a look. :)
I can't understand the critics of some of the Maladjusted tracks. I mean, did he deliver superior studio material in the years after the sabbatical? Some of the songs were good but the production never was. Steve Lillywhite and Danton Supple were the ones!
Nah.

Steve Lillywhite was absolutely the right choice for Vauxhall and I, but Morrissey should have moved onto another producer by this point (as he's acknowledged himself).

I'd like to still be the age I was in 1997 too, but in some ways the fact that Morrissey was only 38 was one of the tragedies of that era. For him to be considered entirely redundant at such a young age cast a shadow over things and it was no surprise that he ended up without a record deal for so long. The only surprise is that he came back so strong in 2004.
 
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