The Smiths/Morrissey - song-by-song discussion thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Turk Thrust, Mar 8, 2019.

  1. mooseman

    mooseman Forum Resident

    DVD Who Put the ‘M’ in Manchester? 4/5
     
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  2. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    This is a DVD I don't own, and I've never seen Morrissey live, so in lieu of a rating I'll just drop off this story.

    My first visit to the USA was in April 2004 - a package tour around California, ending in Los Angeles. As our tour bus approached the hotel in LA, we passed the Wiltern Theatre. Oh look - Morrissey is starting a five-night run of shows there this evening. Of course I knew nothing about it in advance, nor did I know I'd be staying in a hotel 200 yds away from Morrissey playing live, and of course all the nights were sold out. I wasn't prepared to pay scalper prices, so to this day, the closest I have been to Morrissey playing live is eating in the adjacent Denny's.
     
  3. Vauxhall

    Vauxhall Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Easily my favorite Morrissey live DVD. A fantastic performance from a band at perhaps their most popular. I re-watched it the other day in preparation, and you could just tell how much the reception meant to Moz. Without question 5/5 for "Who Put the M in Manchester."
     
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  4. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    Who put the M...

    Great title, love the big red Morrissey letters on stage, a nice nod to the Elvis 68 comeback special

    I was also there , right up the top tier, and the atmosphere was electric..I spent the weekend In Manchester and the place was buzzing.. we also got a free badges pack as you went in which I’ve still got..the set list was very mozza, but the new songs really held up... it was a great gig . The dvd is nicely done but just can’t replicate the atmosphere of the day 5/5
     
  5. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for Who Put the 'M' in Manchester?

    1-0
    2-0
    3-0
    4-3
    5-2
     
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  6. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today’s song is I’m Playing Easy to Get:



    An unusual song in Morrissey’s career as it was both performed live and broadcast as part of a Janice Long BBC session in late 2004, and yet has never been officially released.

    Morrissey later explained, “it was recorded, but not very well, so we hid it – although my experience is that nothing can ever be hidden.”

    It’s a shame as it certainly had more potential than the song that we’ll discuss tomorrow. The music is mediocre, but Morrissey’s vocal melody makes up for that and, with the right production, it could have been a pretty good b-side at the very least.

    3/5.
     
  7. Orson Swells

    Orson Swells Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester
    They did record a studio version of this which you think would be better than the radio session. It's a slight song, but has some nice lyrics. It's nothing special, of course, though I do like the loose feel of it. 3.25/5
     
  8. Spazaru

    Spazaru Angry Samoan

    Never heard "I'm Playing Easy to Get" before. Sounds like a song playing over a budding romance montage in a rom com. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

    3/5
     
  9. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Easy to get - 3 of 5. Hadn’t heard it before. It’s nice, nothing terrible, not exactly a lost gem either
     
  10. mooseman

    mooseman Forum Resident

    "I'm Playing Easy to Get“
    First time hearing this one, I really like it. 4/5
     
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  11. inglorious

    inglorious Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    I’m Playing Easy To Get
    Never heard his either. I quite like it. Nice lyrics, okay tune.
    4/5
     
  12. StevenC

    StevenC SUEDE > Both Oasis AND Blur.

    "I'm Playing Easy to Get"
    I like this song but feels unfinished. I bet people like this song primarily for the line "Please let me lose". Typical Morrissey line.
    3.5/5.0
     
  13. Colin Allstations

    Colin Allstations Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    You're thinking of Striptease With A Difference.
     
  14. markreed

    markreed Forum Resident

    Location:
    Imber
    "Playing Easy To Get" is thoroughly OK and gets 3/5.

    "Slum Mums" and "Public Image" 2/5.

    "M In Manchester?" is probably the best live Moz DVD, though I do have a very soft spot for "Introducing" as it was filmed at one of the shows I attended. Anyway 4/5
     
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  15. ARL

    ARL Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    "I'm Playing Easy To Get"

    Never heard this before either. It's OK, but sounds a bit ordinary to me, to be honest. I can see why it wouldn't have been first in line to get a proper recording. 2.5/5.
     
  16. The MEZ

    The MEZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Playing Easy To Get 3.25/5
     
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  17. StevenC

    StevenC SUEDE > Both Oasis AND Blur.

    You're right.
     
  18. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    Yet another 3/5, this one for I'm Playing Easy to Get
     
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  19. Vauxhall

    Vauxhall Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Another good song I hadn't heard before. Shame it's not official released. If Quarry is ever re-issued, hopefully this is included as a bonus track or something similar. 3.5/5 for "I'm Playing Easy to Get."
     
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  20. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    The ratings for I'm Playing Easy to Get:

    1-0
    2-1
    3-9
    4-2
    5-0
     
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  21. Turk Thrust

    Turk Thrust Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    U.K.
    Today’s song is Noise is the Best Revenge:



    A tuneless piece of nonsense, this is the song that should have been left unreleased. Even Morrissey’s voice is much less impressive than normal and this is one of his weaker efforts.

    I guess any studio version may have been an improvement, but for this I can only stretch to 1.5/5.
     
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  22. Vauxhall

    Vauxhall Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I don't think it's completely awful, but generic hard rock isn't why I listen to Morrissey. This song is unfortunately just that. 2/5 for "Noise is the Best Revenge."
     
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  23. Orson Swells

    Orson Swells Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester
    A rare Moz/Boz/Gaz composition that seems written as a piece of heavy rock pastiche more than anything else. While it's not the greatest song in the world, there is something amusing about hearing Morrissey's somewhat faux macho vocal in this incongruous and atypical setting. The session production is just a bit too thin and unfocussed for the material though - which certainly doesn't help matters - but there are some good lines: "I've been hawking this song for too long" and "there's even a Victorian legal system". I don't find it unlistenable; it's just not a song I'd actively seek out. Not terrible, but decidedly average, and probably shouldn't have been released in this form. It feels like an unfinished experiment - yet somehow does manage to retain a certain novelty value and charm. I'll give it an extra half a point for almost quoting George Herbert. 3/5
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2019
  24. Spazaru

    Spazaru Angry Samoan

    Never heard this one before. Just a throwaway, like the whole World Peace album LOL. He's written some great songs with Boz. This isn't one of them.

    And yet, I still don't hate it. There are Morrissey songs way worse than this IMO. 2/5 for "Noise"
     
  25. Disco Robot

    Disco Robot Forum Resident

    Location:
    33417
    Noise Is The Best Revenge 2/5 - No surprise this never was properly recorded. I don't think proper production would have done much since not a whole lot of song here.
     

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