California son - how do you rate it?

tivvissey

Member
morning starship // 8
dont interrupt the sorrow // 9
only a pawn in their game // 8
suffer the little children // 7
days of decision // 8
its over // 9
wedding bell blues // 9
loneliness remembers what happiness forgets // 7
lady willpower // 8
when you close your eyes // 9
Lenny's Tune // 9
some say i got devil // 7

Perhaps in the minority here...but i think its a great covers album. For what it matters..

8/10

What do the rest of you think?
 
Im
morning starship // 8
dont interrupt the sorrow // 9
only a pawn in their game // 8
suffer the little children // 7
days of decision // 8
its over // 9
wedding bell blues // 9
loneliness remembers what happiness forgets // 7
lady willpower // 8
when you close your eyes // 9
Lenny's Tune // 9
some say i got devil // 7

Perhaps in the minority here...but i think its a great covers album. For what it matters..

8/10

What do the rest of you think?
I'm so unfamiliar with the original songs makes it hard for me to rate fairly. I like the ones he released pre album release apart from Lady Willpower just not my cup of tea. I've only briefly heard the other tracks and don't interrupt the sorrow and the some say I've got devil I like at first listen. I think maybe some of the others may be better with repeat listening. I'd give it a 5/10
 
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pretty close.i would have given loneliness a 9 but lennys tune a 7 ,apart from that your pretty much spot on but its all subjective.im sure somebody on here will dish out 3s and 4s.
 
Im
I'm so unfamiliar with the original songs makes it hard for me to rate fairly. I like the ones he released pre album release apart from Lady Willpower just not my cup of tea. I've only briefly heard the other tracks and don't interrupt the sorrow and the some say I've got devil I like at first listen. I think maybe some of the others may be better with repeat listening. I'd give it a 6/10

its a grower...it took a few listens before i really liked it. which is usually a good sign. :)
 
Im
I'm so unfamiliar with the original songs makes it hard for me to rate fairly. I like the ones he released pre album release apart from Lady Willpower just not my cup of tea. I've only briefly heard the other tracks and don't interrupt the sorrow and the some say I've got devil I like at first listen. I think maybe some of the others may be better with repeat listening. I'd give it a 6/10
I think it gets better with repeated listens.i hadn't a clue about any of the originals but im loving almost all of the tracks.
 
pretty close.i would have given loneliness a 9 but lennys tune a 7 ,apart from that your pretty much spot on but its all subjective.im sure somebody on here will dish out 3s and 4s.

loneliness.....the vocals are incredible. but i can't get past the cheap sounding instruments! (still good though) :)
 
morning starship // 8
dont interrupt the sorrow // 9
only a pawn in their game // 8
suffer the little children // 7
days of decision // 8
its over // 9
wedding bell blues // 9
loneliness remembers what happiness forgets // 7
lady willpower // 8
when you close your eyes // 9
Lenny's Tune // 9
some say i got devil // 7

Perhaps in the minority here...but i think its a great covers album. For what it matters..

8/10

What do the rest of you think?

So many 9/10’s. So, Don’t interrupt the sorrow, Lennys tune, wedding bell blues, are amongst morrisseys best ever songs? Up therewith Everyday Is Like Sunday, Suedehead, Now My Heart Is Full, etc etc ??
 
So many 9/10’s. So, Don’t interrupt the sorrow, Lennys tune, wedding bell blues, are amongst morrisseys best ever songs? Up therewith Everyday Is Like Sunday, Suedehead, Now My Heart Is Full, etc etc ??

Not quite up there of course. But I still think these songs will stand the test of time. And yes i do enjoy those songs that much. I am pleasantly surprised.
 
Morning Starship 7/10
Don't Interrupt The Sorrow 4/10
Only A Pawn In Their Game 6/10
Suffer The Little Children 6/10
Days of Decision 8/10
It's Over 8/10
Wedding Bell Blues 7/10
Loneliness Remembers 7/10
Lady Willpower 5/10
When You Close Your Eyes 6/10
Lenny's Tune 3/10
Some Say I Got Devil 6/10

I'd say it's a solid 6/10, better than the last 3 albums at least. Though if the last 4 albums are anything to go by some of the best songs will be b-sides/deluxe edition tracks
 
Morning Starship 7/10
Don't Interrupt The Sorrow 6/10
Only A Pawn In Their Game 6/10
Suffer The Little Children 8/10
Days of Decision 8/10
It's Over 7/10
Wedding Bell Blues 7/10
Loneliness Remembers 6/10
Lady Willpower 8/10
When You Close Your Eyes 7/10
Lenny's Tune 6/10
Some Say I Got Devil 8/10

It's a very consistent recording and generally features Moz's best covers (a relative judgment). The track listing flows very well too.
 
Morning Starship 8/10
Don't Interrupt The Sorrow 7/10
Only A Pawn In Their Game 7,5/10
Suffer The Little Children 8,5/10
Days of Decision 8,5/10
It's Over 7,5/10
Wedding Bell Blues 7,5/10
Loneliness Remembers 7,5/10
Lady Willpower 7/10
When You Close Your Eyes 8/10
Lenny's Tune 8,5/10
Some Say I Got Devil 8,5/10

A very solid record, good fun too.
No absolute classic on it, but no stinkers either.
 
Morning Starship 9/10
Don't Interrupt The Sorrow 7,5/10
Only A Pawn In Their Game 7/10
Suffer The Little Children 7/10
Days of Decision 8,5/10
It's Over 9/10
Wedding Bell Blues 8/10
Loneliness Remembers 7/10
Lady Willpower 7/10
When You Close Your Eyes 7/10
Lenny's Tune 8/10
Some Say I Got Devil 8/10

Not as good as World Peace or Highschool, but much better than I‘ve expected. Thumbs up!
 
I listened to it all the way through, easily, so that makes it better than the previous two records, but the sound is so artificial that it's strange to hear Morrissey this way. It's like a Tom Jones record if Tom Jones recorded direct to hard disk. I don't think it will become one of my favorites but it wasn't the disaster I was expecting. I'll give it a 5/10.
 
It’s nice that so many fans are enjoying it but I have to admit that I haven’t even listened to it all the way through yet and probably won’t be buying it. I just can’t motivate myself to care about a covers album.
 
When comparing California Son to California Son, It’s a pretty amazing record. It has it’s faults, mostly music production choices for me are my biggest criticism, though not as many as I was expecting.

Though, I love it very much, today, right now.

Who needs just the past,
when one can simply enjoy both?
 
I won't rate the songs, but I'm underwhelmed. The best part about Morrissey's cover versions in the past was that, mostly, he made them sound like a Morrissey song. Look at "A Song from Under the Floorboards", for example. If you didn't know that was a Magazine song, you'd think it was written alongside the other ROTT songs. Same goes for "No One Can Hold A Candle to You" sounding like he wrote it for YATQ.

These "California Son"songs are so over-produced, syrupy, campy, and, in many cases, completely un-Moz-like that I'm not sure what to make of it. I know I'm not running for another listen, that's for sure.

My favorite, by far, is "Days of Decision."

Just one man's opinion. I'm glad a lot of you are enjoying it.
 
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The truth is that I could not get through it. It's maddeningly adult contemporary and the songs are dull. The worst is the instrumentation, Moz's voice sounds good but that's not enough to carry me through.
 
Got round to listening more intently, and I like it quite a lot!

Artwork - 6
the cover at first I thought was completely ridiculous, and I still think this. But after listening, I can appreciate it slightly more, it suits the tone somehow, though I reckon a more professional design in the style of a lost bargain bin “Morrissey sings the songs of..” style - like “This is Morrissey” might have been more attractive, or perhaps a complete gimmick?? Only an idea I suppose..

1: “Morning Starship” - 8
Great track, great melody, Moz sings it well, my most listened to with “Wedding Bell Blues”

2: Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow - 5
Possibly least favourite, a bit too laid back and doesn't do too much for me personally

3: Only a Pawn in Their Game - 6
Again, doesn't do too much for me, appreciate the song itself but not my preferred style for Morrissey

4: Suffer The Little Children - 7
Quite like this, a big, brassy, finger snapping lot confident track, the “boogeyman” line makes me grin every time

5: Days of Decision - 6
Pleasant enough, the song itself sounding a bit like “Times They Are A Changing” though I don’t know much about the original, an observation

6: It’s Over - 8

Impressive, but the original is still king, Morrisseys voice is fantastic (not his best as he said in that interview however) but doesent reach the unattainable heights of Orbison

———

7: Wedding Bell Blues - 8
Joint favourite, very camp but enjoyable. The coming together of Moz and BJA something I never expected, but the young pop-punker within beams. Love the idea its the possible (unlikely) inspiration to “William It was Really Nothing” his voice at the end is lovely, also.

8: Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets - 6
Not one I’ll return to often, but daft and fun.

9: Lady Willpower - 7
Like this one quite a lot, very brass and daft, leaves me fist pumping along with the blaring horns of the title.

10: When You Close Your Eyes - 5
Starts of terribly dull, but then the somewhat outdated zappy synths come in and it notches it up a little

11: Lenny’s Tune - 8
Love this. Real sadness in it somewhere, the bare piano with Moz like “Israel” I find very pleasing with his current voice.

12: Some Say I Got Devil - 8
Great end, Moz often bookends his albums well, foreboding and slightly menacing, very impressive ending.

Overall I’d probs rate it a 7.5, which as a somewhat obscure covers album, ain’t too bad, it will definitely get replayed, there’s enough quality here to warrant that.
 
 
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