What, if anything, would you change about the new album?

Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

Another thought- change the lyrics on World Peace to "each time you don't vote you support the process".
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

take out the flamenco guitar and accordion tracks

86 rabies full of scabies
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

I would have only released the spoken word videos pre release date and drop the title track a week or two before 14/07

First song should be 'Art Hounds'
Cut the intro in 'I'm not a Man' to 30seconds or so
Lose 'Earth is.....' In place of ^
Add 'One Of Our Own' in for 'Smiler with a Knife'

Strong cases could also be made for drag the river & Julie to be on the album
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

Just what is the point of the 90 seconds of ghostly noises, random drum patterns and, well, silence, at the beginning of I'm Not A Man? I can just picture the discussion with them deciding to put it in:

"Yeah, so, uh, I reckon, at the beginning of I'm Not A Man, we just put in a minute and a half of, well, not a lot, and then it'll bump it up to 7, nearly 8 minutes, and that's like, y'know, really moody an' that isn't it?"

I do like its early position in the running order though. Anyway, Scrap Kiss Me A LOt and its rhumba-rhumba bullshit. Scrap Smiler With Knife and its Morrissey-by-numbers, Morrissey cliched lyrics and horrendous melody (or lack of). Scrap Bullfighter. Scrap Earth.

In their places put Art-Hounds, Scandinavia, Drag The River and Forgive Someone.

1. Art-Hounds
2. Scandinavia
3. I'm Not A Man (at a sensible length)
4. Staircase At The University
5. Drag The River
6. World Peace Is None Of Your Business
7. Forgive Someone
8. Istanbul
9. Neal Cassady Drops Dead
10. Kick The Bride Down The Aisle
11. Mountjoy
12. Oboe Concerto

Now THAT is an album.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

I would keep the 12 songs that are on there, I'm pretty happy with them. Like many "Earth' is probably the weakest track for me but I still find myself listening to its conclusion most times. What I would do is introduce both the gorgeous 'Drag The River' and 'Art-Hounds' onto the album proper, make it 14 tracks with 4 extra tracks to make up the Deluxe package.

I did enjoy the spoken word promo's if only for the shock of seeing Morrisey and Pamela Anderson together but I think Harvest (and Moz) have missed a trick by instead releasing just one single before the album and making that single 'Staircase.' that to me is a prefect piece of Moz-pop and I think would'e appealed to many of the casual fans. Made a proper decent video, slap some live toons on the b-side and I'm sure they could have had a top 10 hit to build momentum for the album.

I would have had Morrissey at least on the cover of Mojo and Q, maybe an interview with Janice Long and put him on at least one talk show as the musical guest. Is Graham Norton going right now in England? I know he is lightweight, but he has a big audience and if Morrissey is prepared to sit next to Christine Bleakley on the One Show I can't see why he couldn't make it through 2 minutes on the sofa with Graham, haha. I get the feeling that because the almost anti-campaign of Autobiography (no interviews, no advance hype) was such a big success Morrissey may think the same will work for World Peace, but releasing a pop album against releasing an Autobiography spanning your entire career are 2 different things entirely. I don't think any of initiatives I've mentioned above would be too onerous either. Morrissey should be getting himself about for this one because it is a great record and he should plug it accordingly.

In some ways I'd be pleased if Oboe Concerto was the very last song he ever released, what a way to call time on your career. 'The rhythm of life goes 'round.'
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

In some ways I'd be pleased if Oboe Concerto was the very last song he ever released, what a way to call time on your career. 'The rhythm of life goes 'round.'

I'd personally be quite disappointed. That song (in specific the uninspired lyrics) was a let down for me after having read all the ridiculously optimistic reviews of it. I went in listening to it hoping for something moody and epic, a complex, sinister track. What I got was a lazy, roundabout jaunt about Morrissey drinking to the tune of a sub-par Boz chord progression.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

I'd personally be quite disappointed. That song (in specific the uninspired lyrics) was a let down for me after having read all the ridiculously optimistic reviews of it. I went in listening to it hoping for something moody and epic, a complex, sinister track. What I got was a lazy, roundabout jaunt about Morrissey drinking to the tune of a sub-par Boz chord progression.

See aint that the thing? I lurve that song. I think it is the simplicity I like best, kinda like 'I'd Love To' in that the lyrics and music are sparse but powerful (to me that is, not to you, haw haw.)
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

See aint that the thing? I lurve that song. I think it is the simplicity I like best, kinda like 'I'd Love To' in that the lyrics and music are sparse but powerful (to me that is, not to you, haw haw.)

Well see, to me, "I'd Love To" is really quite complex and textured. Whereas "Oboe Concerto" just comes off as a Morrissey's-band's-take-on-a-studio-jam to me.
Gawd, he needs to play "I'd Love To" live, a la "Asleep." Somehow transition into it from the chaotic end of "Life is A Pigsty." Ugh, that'd be perfect.
You can keep your "Oboe Concerto" :p
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

Well see, to me, "I'd Love To" is really quite complex and textured. Whereas "Oboe Concerto" just comes off as a Morrissey's-band's-take-on-a-studio-jam to me.
Gawd, he needs to play "I'd Love To" live, a la "Asleep." Somehow transition into it from the chaotic end of "Life is A Pigsty." Ugh, that'd be perfect.
You can keep your "Oboe Concerto" :p

You know mcrickson at some point that song will get stuck in your head, LOL.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

The more I listen to the album, the more I think that the one thing I would change is the lyrics to Staircase at the University.

It just seems so stupid to have such a great tune wasted on a comedy tale which it is impossible to relate to or care about. If I were producing, I would have urged Morrissey (no doubt fruitlessly) to scrap the lyrics and - assuming he would be too lazy to write proper lyrics - either go with fun meaninglessness (like, for example, Kiss Me A Lot or, a long time ago, You're the One For Me Fatty) or just fill up the song with generic Morrissey-isms (like Life Is A Pigsty or Earth Is The Loneliest Planet).

Morrissey has a history of using great tunes as an opportunity for comedy lyrics. But I can squint and find poetic pleasure in Roy's Keen or Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, whereas I get absolutely nothing from this song. Yet the lyrics are too in-your-face to just ignore.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

This is how I've been listening to it, as mentioned into another thread.

World Peace is None of Your Business
Istanbul
Drag the River
Forgive Someone
The Bullfighter Dies
Staircase at the University
Art Hounds
Kiss Me A Lot
Smiler With Knife
One of Our Own
Mountjoy
I'm Not An Oboe Concerto Man (Oboe Concerto with I'm Not Man [starting with 'Don Juan....'] fading in as Oboe fades out)
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

I think I accept the album as it is now more than I did in the early days since it's kind of my nature to pick things apart and think about how they could be better but I do think if I was Morrissey I'd have made a few changes.

I'd have released just the one single before the release of the album, a 3:58 version of "World Peace..." cutting out the intro. The intro remains for the album version.

My singles would have been:

1. "World Peace Is None of Your Business"
2. "Kiss Me a Lot"'
3. "Staircase at the University"
4. "Istanbul"

"Kiss Me..." has the potential to be the true hit single here with the proper promotion.

For the single version of "Staircase..." have it fade out early and end at 4:45.

I like the intro to Art-Hounds a lot and I think it would work really well as an album opener, the song generally speaking being a smasher as the opening track. "World Peace..." as the second track allows for the listener to take a breath with the extended intro after the chaotic "Art-Hounds". After that this order makes sense to me thematically and aesthetically.

Track List:

1. "Art-Hounds"
2. "World Peace Is None of Your Business"
3. "Staircase at the University"
4. "Kiss Me a Lot"
5. "Forgive Someone"
6. "Istanbul"
7. "One of Our Own"
8. "Kick the Bride Down the Aisle"
9. "Neal Cassady Drops Dead"
10. "The Bullfighter Dies"
11. "Mountjoy"
12. "Oboe Concerto"

Extra Tracks ("B-sides"):

13. "Scandinavia"
14. "Earth Is the Loneliest Planet"
15. "Julie in the Weeds"
16. "Smiler With Knife"
17. "Drag the River"
18. "I'm Not a Man"
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

This may be stupid but I am going to put it out there. If you are going to call an album "World Peace..." would it not make sense to include those songs which mention other places on Earth? Scandinavia, Art-Hounds ("European Museums")....or am I being too literal? Keep Smiler With Knife in because I don't see any sonically similar substitute, take out Mountjoy, add Scandinavia and Art-Hounds and 13 track the album.

p.s. Now I return to listening to it the way it was intended.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

Nothing, although I think some of the songs (Drag the River, Forgive Someone, Julie in the Weeds, Art Hounds) are better than their b-side status suggests.
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

This may be stupid but I am going to put it out there. If you are going to call an album "World Peace..." would it not make sense to include those songs which mention other places on Earth? Scandinavia, Art-Hounds ("European Museums")....or am I being too literal? Keep Smiler With Knife in because I don't see any sonically similar substitute, take out Mountjoy, add Scandinavia and Art-Hounds and 13 track the album.

p.s. Now I return to listening to it the way it was intended.

I have a theory about Art Hounds.
Even though we know that there is no one on earth that he's afraid of. Morrissey may have not of put Art Hounds on the album because it would (unnecessarily) antagonize those critiquing it ...
Thoughts ??
 
Last edited:
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

^^^^^
I defer to others since I actually thought the song was about fans and not critics...
 
Re: What, if anything, Would youchange about the new album?

^^^^^
I defer to others since I actually thought the song was about fans and not critics...

The restaurant line might sway you towards critics. I can't see him writing a line involving someone demanding a table in a restaurant and throwing a hissy fit about a fan. His life is opera. As in it's there to be viewed and reviewed by critics.

I could go on.... and I could be wrong. I could be right. I could be black. I could be white...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom