Swords - Tracklisting

[prue4ever]

Perhaps that was clumsy to bring in tenure on my part. But do you really think YOR matches the lyrical depth, the classic one liners, the insight into the human condition, that permeate all of Morrissey's other works? FOR ME, YOR is clumsy, clichéd, tired, and obvious.

It's fine, I just thought it sounded silly to say that.
I think the lyrics are fine, I just would rather have different music to them. It's the bass that gets me, I think it's too heavy.
You Were Good In Your Time is one of my favourites. I think the music AND lyrics are great in it.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vauxhall95 View Post
Finally, I absolutely know there are other points of view: all of you love everything Morrissey does regardless of quality or merit, I actually listen to it first, then decide whether I like it or not.

Oh, indeed. We are mindless drones for him. Show us the error of our foolish ways, oh wise leader

I never suggested I should lead you. Jim Jones would be far more effective herding this flock. Just out of curiosity what are your complaints? I've never heard any and you seem to accept casually everything Morrissey does regardless if it subverts his legacy or runs contrary to his core beliefs, i.e. re-issue, re-package; manufacturing animal rights controversies to sell albums, the mistreatment of fans during live shows by security while simultaneously encouraging fans to come onstage...

 

[Vauxhall95]

It's fine, I just thought it sounded silly to say that.
I think the lyrics are fine, I just would rather have different music to them. It's the bass that gets me, I think it's too heavy.
You Were Good In Your Time is one of my favourites. I think the music AND lyrics are great in it.

Yes, me very silly. There is no escaping that!

I think the lyrics are good - but the two minute break down kills the song for me. I have an edited version another member (who feels the same way I do) sent me and I listen to that. It sounds worlds better (IMO).

 

[Vauxhall95]

Same here.
Vauxhall95: When you say YOR is Morrissey-lite, I assume you mean lyrically. Which is a fair point, but I wouldn't go that far - it's simply Morrissey-light.

Still some great songs on it though. There isn't really a song on it I dislike.

Yes, lyrically. Which is why I buy a Morrissey record. Until, YOR he was miles in front of the feld in terms of wit, humor, insight, etc. YOR is just bland (IMO).

 

[prue4ever]

Yes, me very silly. There is no escaping that!

I think the lyrics are good - but the two minute break down kills the song for me. I have an edited version another member (who feels the same way I do) sent me and I listen to that. It sounds worlds better (IMO).

If I'm just listening to music, like in the background or something, yeah, I'll skip over the last two minutes, but if I'm actually listening to the music, then I'll listen to the ending, cos I like it a lot. I think it suits the song well.

 

[mcrickson]

Jesus christ, give it a rest already. I don't have any 'complaints' -- I'm just trying to get you to see that it is only your OPINION that Morrissey's career that is suffering and that YoR was a shot in the dark -- something you rarely state. When you say something, quit acting like it's the gospel truth, because you're bound to run into points just as valid as yours. I wouldn't suggest going about mocking them (i.e.: calling everyone who buys 'Swords' a 'tool'), as it merely pins you as ignorant.

Your point on getting the songs on Itunes -- I for one don't use Itunes at all. If I didn't have the tracks and was just getting into Morrissey, 'Swords' would definitely be appealing to me in a recordshop, especially reading what people on here have to say about his recent B-sides.

You're acting as if YoR was considered as commercial a failure as SG was upon it's release, when in fact it charted much higher and received much better reviews. It didn't put Morrissey into 'world consciousness' as you say, but no Morrissey album thusfar really HAS.

I never said it would sell as well as 'Greatest Hits' or YoR. Your claim, which you seem to shy away from now, is that NO ONE has a reason to buy it, which seems a little ridiculous to me:

the people who will buy 'Swords' LIKE Morrissey's recent work. We're not giving him pity cash. We're using our money on music that interests us. Just because you don't like his recent material doesn't give you cause to berate us. You're not going to change the fact that we like his music with your opinion. And WE'RE not trying to get YOU to buy 'Swords.' Like I said, we won't lose sleep over it.

 

[I am a Ghost]

No "The Public Image".

 

[Maurice E]

Mr Crickson makes some good points. I don't see why Vauxhall 95 is making such a fuss.

Some points;
-since he first started releasing records in 1983, Morrissey has always put out b-side compilations from time to time (often additionally including a-sides). why is it such a big deal that he's doing it for the 2004-2009 period?
-loads of other bands put out b-side compilations. relatively recent ones that spring to mind include Oasis, the Killers and (less recently) Suede.
-there is certainly no consensus that YOR is a massive drop in quality from previous albums. Critically, it has fared better than any of the post-comeback albums getting an impressive 79/100 on Metacritic (which averages out music press reviews).
-the fans consider ROTT to be his worst album since Kill Uncle. on balance, they probably prefer Quarry to YOR, but the consensus (fans and critics) is that YOR is better than ROTT.
-Moz is crap at selecting the best songs for albums, and often leaves them on b-sides of singles due (in my opinion) to his poor musical judgement. this has been proved by the re-released Maladjusted where b-sides have replaced original singles (Moz realising how rubbish Roy's Keen is for example). B-side compilations give the chance to rectify the poor song selection on studio albums.
-many of us lot do not download songs/use iTunes etc. we may have CD singles featuring the songs, or we may not have them at all. either way, it's a welcome opportunity to gather all these songs together.
-I share some of Vauxhall 95's concerns. I think the quality of Morrissey's lyrics has nose-dived in recent years, but I think some of the lyrics (and music) on these b-sides are much better than the recent studio albums, so I'm glad they're getting a formal release.

 

[joe frady]

"Swords" is for you tools who purchase everything Morrissey releases (even if they don't own the record player to play the vinyl on). You are Morrissey's personal ATM and he treats you this way. Whatever, you like being gouged I get it. I also get that your taste is not the final word on the status of his career either. In fact, the cold hard fact of how his last album (the one you worship at the altar of so devotedly) will in large part determine his future. To say it didn't sell well is being kind, hence we (the buying public) are subjected to this compilation so Decca can recoup something from this venture and then Morrissey (reissue-repackage) is back in the wilds, looking for a major label to sign him. At which point, I hope he regains his senses and rejoins Merck or some entity who can actually manage him successfully. See, at heart I'm an optimist. Finally, I'm sorry if my interpretation upsets you so, but I have no disdain for you. We just have differing opinions.

Right, so you have no disdain for the guy, but you call him a 'tool'. Nice.
So, you complain that no-one can 'explain why 'Swords' is great, just like you complained, repeatedly, 6 months ago, that no-one could 'explain' why 'Years of Refusal' was great. As I think I tried to 'explain' back then, if you're convinced of your current opinions, as you clearly are, do you honestly think there is a hope in hell that reading a couple of hasty paragraphs on this forum is going to turn you ? How you feel is how you feel, nothing you read on here is going to change that. So then. Why continue to post in threads about his post-'GH' work? Why not just celebrate, discuss, critique all the reams of work that you do still love? The answer I would suggest is masochism! Morrissey fans are the most masochistic fans I've ever come across. We love to be disappointed, thwarted, denied and duped. Some might say we thrive on it
Discuss?
Or should that be for another thread?
With a poll perhaps?

 

[sistasheila]

J
I never said it would sell as well as 'Greatest Hits' or YoR. Your claim, which you seem to shy away from now, is that NO ONE has a reason to buy it, which seems a little ridiculous to me:
it.

do you have read about the actual sales of both albums somewhere? where?*curious*

 

[Maurice E]

do you have read about the actual sales of both albums somewhere? where?*curious*

Greatest Hits sold about 40,000 over here in the UK.
YOR was said to have gone gold (100,000) but it won't have sold much more than that.
I expect Swords will shift at least 20,000 here. I had no interest in Greatest Hits but will defo be getting Swords.

 

[sistasheila]

Greatest Hits sold about 40,000 over here in the UK.
YOR was said to have gone gold (100,000) but it won't have sold much more than that.
I expect Swords will shift at least 20,000 here. I had no interest in Greatest Hits but will defo be getting Swords.

thanks
must have missed that..from which site did you got that?

 

[Maurice E]

thanks
must have missed that..from which site did you got that?

Not from any site!
The record company claimed YOR had gone gold on one of its press releases (probably for the Squeezing single).
I read in Music Week about the sales of Greatest Hits. Think it was 30-something thousand so won't be over 40,000 yet.

 

[Barking]

What bothers me considerably is that we'll never know if Teresa Teresa was a song about Russell's ex girlfriend. (See? I DO pay attention to semicelebs' sex lives)
If it was then the lyrics must be quite someth

...And was I'm looking forward to going back a cover of "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis?
We'll never know.

 

[nogodsnomasters85]

I won't be purchasing this. The only track I really want that I don't have is 'Christian Dior' because I lost it when I had to format my MP3 player, a painful experience, I must say. I'd love to hear the live take on "You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby", it's one of my all-time favorite Smiths songs. The cover looks GREAT, if only he'd gone with something like this for Refusal, instead of the hideous image he actually chose, of course it wouldn't have sounded any better...

 

[Oso Blanco]

Why are there only eight tracks on the bonus disc?

 

[sistasheila]

Why are there only eight tracks on the bonus disc?

I wonder about that too..
.didnt they also had only a few songs from a live show in 2007 (hollywod bowl?) and not the complete show as well on the GH special edition?

 

[mcrickson]

Why are there only eight tracks on the bonus disc?

I think it's because he wants the emphasis to be on the b-sides and not the live recordings. That's why only initial CD releases come with it, I suppose.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

This is the better answer about infinity Swords questions.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Right, so you have no disdain for the guy, but you call him a 'tool'. Nice.
So, you complain that no-one can 'explain why 'Swords' is great, just like you complained, repeatedly, 6 months ago, that no-one could 'explain' why 'Years of Refusal' was great. As I think I tried to 'explain' back then, if you're convinced of your current opinions, as you clearly are, do you honestly think there is a hope in hell that reading a couple of hasty paragraphs on this forum is going to turn you ? How you feel is how you feel, nothing you read on here is going to change that. So then. Why continue to post in threads about his post-'GH' work? Why not just celebrate, discuss, critique all the reams of work that you do still love? The answer I would suggest is masochism! Morrissey fans are the most masochistic fans I've ever come across. We love to be disappointed, thwarted, denied and duped. Some might say we thrive on it
Discuss?
Or should that be for another thread?
With a poll perhaps?

My hypocrisy knows no bounds... What disappoints me about "Swords" is the tracklisting: there's really nothing to hook die hard fans and the idea a casual fan would purchase this when they punted on "Greatest Hits" is a silly argument.

Therefore, I lament the fact Morrissey didn't do any work whatsoever to make "Swords" a more vital release in his catalog, and I'm lambasted for "not being a true fan." This is all so boring. Moz could have very easily released a very fine and far more marketable b-side collection with the addition of previously unreleased songs along the lines of: "I'm Playing Easy to Get," "Redondo Beach (Studio)," "Everyday is Like Sunday" with the banjo opening, along with his quality b-sides instead he opts to re-issue and re-packagethe songs thus making an easy payday and again he takes his rapid fans for granted.

Oh and as usual, I received PM's thanking me for taking the stand I did. But again it matters not, you enable Morrissey to release sub par material as you'd buy 45 minutes of silence provided it was released under Morrissey's name. To me that doesn't make one a fan it just makes one Morrissey's personal ATM which he gladly exploits.

Would you like a copy of "Swords?" Now that the album art is released just burn a copy. There's no reason to wait: all the songs are readily available either through electronic download or used CD singles. I'm sure someone would help you convert "My Dearest Love" and "Drive In Saturday (Live)" with a USB turntable. No reason for me to wait for the official release date, when I had this compilation back in March! I'm sorry but "Swords" is just an absurd tracklisting. Also, "Kit" is done. Hell, Boz sings it live. But Morrissey doesn't need to go back into the studio to record anything his fans would really dig because they'll buy this schlock anyway...

Also, to the other poster: why is it I like and defend ROTT while you people attack it and you are "true fans" but I dislike the utterly forgettable YOR and I'm a "bad fan?" Nice set of standards you have here...

And here is the best defense anyone could muster for YOR:
- It is good for an artist his age.
- It's better than most other work out there.

Both are weak at best, comical at the very least. Go watch "The Proclaimers" recent SXSW set and tell me those assumptions still hold.