Morrissey A-Z: "Human Being"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



We kick off the weekend with the last of the "H" songs - in this case, a cover of the New York Dolls song, released as a B-side on the "You Have Killed Me" single.

What do we think? (Also, feel free to post a better YouTube clip, I wasn't sure which one to choose.)
 



We kick off the weekend with the last of the "H" songs - in this case, a cover of the New York Dolls song, released as a B-side on the "You Have Killed Me" single.

What do we think? (Also, feel free to post a better YouTube clip, I wasn't sure which one to choose.)

I like that photo of him lying on the tracks. Great rendition of the New York Dolls song too.
 
It's a good cover - I don't know how to describe sound or I'd say something about the phases his voice goes through - at this time he often sounded like he was singing through slightly gritted teeth but it also had a trill/yodel to it. Or something.
 
Although not my favorite Dolls song, I do like it. Morrissey’s cover, however, I can very much do without. To me, it’s very unexciting and sort of just trudges along.
 
Although not my favorite Dolls song, I do like it. Morrissey’s cover, however, I can very much do without. To me, it’s very unexciting and sort of just trudges along.
Trudging slowly over wet sand
 
It's a shame that the studio version doesn't seem to be on Youtube...

It's an average cover of a poor and overly long song. Morrissey is a better singer than David Johansen, and the band do an efficient job, but it's not much to get excited about. Morrissey has recorded much better covers since.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 191st from 264 solo songs.
 
It's a shame that the studio version doesn't seem to be on Youtube...

It's an average cover of a poor and overly long song. Morrissey is a better singer than David Johansen, and the band do an efficient job, but it's not much to get excited about. Morrissey has recorded much better covers since.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 191st from 264 solo songs.
I found this recording to be lively, spunky, and jazzy.
 
A fine cover, not much to add to the original, but harmless nonetheless. Sturdy instrumentation with a good vocal performance. The addition of a sax breaks up the texture as well. The lyrics obviously intertwine with classic Moz themes, making it a shoe-in cover. Not sure which of his Dolls covers is my favourite: after listening, probably this one.
7/10
 
It's a shame that the studio version doesn't seem to be on Youtube...

It's an average cover of a poor and overly long song. Morrissey is a better singer than David Johansen, and the band do an efficient job, but it's not much to get excited about. Morrissey has recorded much better covers since.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 191st from 264 solo songs.
Yes, I couldn't find it anywhere on YouTube, wonder if there's a story behind that?
 
Wish he had recorded Trash or Subway Train instead. This is all right but adds next to nothing to the original. And not one of the Dolls’ strongest tracks to begin with.

6,1
 
you can see why he would want to cover it with being a fan,is it a great song,to some people it will be,its a no from me im afraid.
I o I o its off to I we go.
 
Good fun to hear live but he's done covers more deserving of being heard. If it gets people to listen to the New York Dolls that's good, though.
 
What is this mysterious "poll on the other board" that people are referring to?? Does anybody have a link to it?
 
What is this mysterious "poll on the other board" that people are referring to?? Does anybody have a link to it?
People? It's only one person - Flibberty! It's on a 'Steve Hoffman' forum.
I've asked for a direct link to the poll but not been provided.
Been told what terms to search for, too, but that hasn't worked either.
Only a small number of people voted in it, apparently, so you can't read too much into the results.
But it's interesting to hear the ratings all the same.
 
We did polls on every Smiths and Morrissey-song a decade ago on here, with thousands of votes.

This ended up being the Morrissey Top 100.

1 Everyday Is Like Sunday (1988) 9,53
2 Speedway (1994) 9,53
3 Now My Heart Is Full (1994) 9,52
4 Suedehead (1988) 9,52
5 The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (1989) 9,44
6 Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself (1994) 9,41
7 Jack The Ripper (1992) 9.28
8 Late Night, Maudlin Street (1988) 9,19
9 The National Front Disco (1992) 9,14
10 Hairdresser On Fire (1988) 9,13
11 Trouble Loves Me (1997) 9,12
12 Seasick, Yet Still Docked (1992) 9,11
13 November Spawned A Monster (1990) 9,11
14 Will Never Marry (1988) 9,05
15 First Of The Gang To Die (2004) 9,02
16 Irish Blood, English Heart (2004) 9.01
17 Sister I’m A Poet (1988) 8,97
18 Nobody Loves Us (1995) 8,96
19 I’ve Changed My Plea To Guilty (1991) 8,95
20 Life Is A Pigsty (2006) 8,95
21 The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get (1994) 8,95
22 Tomorrow (1992) 8,88
23 Piccadilly Palare (1990) 8,84
24 Staircase at the University (2014) 8,81
25 Disappointed (1988) 8,79
26 You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side (1992) 8,65
27 Let Me Kiss You (2004) 8,63
28 I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday (1992) 8,60
29 My Dearest Love (2008) 8,52
30 The Never Played Symphonies (2004) 8,51
31 I Have Forgiven Jesus (2004) 8,50
32 Spring-Heeled Jim (1994) 8,50
33 Art-hounds (2014) 8,49
34 My Love Life (1991) 8,48
35 Sunny (1995) 8,47
36 Hold On To Your Friends (1994) 8,45
37 Alsatian Cousin (1988) 8,43
38 We’ll Let You Know (1992) 8,43
39 Southpaw (1995) 8,42
40 Lost (1997) 8,40
41 Interesting Drug (1989) 8,40
42 Come Back To Camden (2004) 8,38
43 Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference (1989) 8,37
44 It's Not Your Birthday Anymore (2009) 8,36
45 Friday Mourning (2004) 8,35
46 Maladjusted (1997) 8,34
47 I Know Very Well How I Got My Name (1988), 8,33
48 I’d Love To (1994) 8,32
49 Kiss Me A Lot (2014) 8,31
50 Mountjoy (2014) 8,30

51 Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning (1994) 8,29
52 I Am Hated For Loving (1994) 8,29
53 Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together (1988) 8,27
54 No One Can Hold A Candle To You (2004) 8,27
55 The Loop (1991) 8,27
56 Whatever Happens, I Love You (1995) 8,25
57 You Have Killed Me (2006) 8,23
58 Reader Meet Author (1995) 8,20
59 Something Is Squeezing My Skull (2009) 8,20
60 We Hate It When Our Friends Become Succesful (1992) 8,18
61 The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores (2004) 8,18
62 Boxers (1995) 8,13
63 Istanbul (2014) 8,13
64 I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (2009) 8,06
65 Sing Your Life (1991) 8,03
66 Lucky Lisp (1989) 8,03
67 I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me (1988) 8,02
68 I Can Have Both (1997) 8,01
69 Glamorous Glue (1992) 8,01
70 Ganglord (2006) 8,01
71 The Boy Racer (1995) 7,99
72 All You Need Is Me (2008) 7,98
73 I’m Not Sorry (2004) 7,95
74 You Know I Couldn’t Last (2004) 7,95
75 I'm Not a Man (2014) 7,94
76 Alma Matters (1997) 7,94
77 The Edges Are No Longer Parallel (1997) 7,90
78 When Last I Spoke To Carol (2009) 7,90
79 Satan Rejected My Soul (1997) 7,89
80 There’s A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends (1991) 7,88
81 I Like You (2004) 7,88
82 Girl Least Likely To (1990) 7,86
83 Used To Be A Sweet Boy (1994) 7,85
84 One Of Our Own (2014) 7,82
85 Yes, I Am Blind (1989) 7,82
86 You Should Have been Nice To Me (2009) 7,81
87 Honey, You Know Where To Find Me (2009) 7,80
88 Certain People I Know (1992) 7,79
89 I'm OK By Myself (2009) 7,79
90 Mute Witness (1991) 7,77
91 I’ll Never Be Anybody’s Hero Now (2006) 7,76
92 It’s Hard To Walk Tall When You’re Small (2004) 7,74
93 The Lazy Sunbathers (1994) 7,73
94 Ouija Board, Ouija Board (1989) 7,72
95 Our Frank (1991), 7,72
96 A Swallow On My Neck (1995) 7,68
97 I’m the End Of The Family Line (1991) 7,67
98 Shame Is The Name (2009) 7,67
99 In The Future When All’s Well (2006) 7,67
100 Little Man, What Now? (1988) 7,66


Human Being ended at number 205.
 
The band did a fine job on this version. It's still one of my least favourite covers of his (together with the other Ringleader era cover b-side, A Song From Under The Floorboards) because I feel like it doesn't fit his voice and singing style and the tinny sound doesn't help. David Johansen's rattling delivery is an essential part of what makes the original and Morrissey can't quite keep up with that, in my opinion.

It's not hard to see why he chose this song in particular though, the lyrics are great and very Morrissey-esk in sentiment and seem to have had some influence on his own writing in the past, specifically the line

Why don't you try to give me something that
I'll never ever forget


always reminds me of These Things Take Time

And you gave me something that I won't forget too soon

So it's still enjoyable enough but not something I play very often.


Also! Fun fact, the You Have Killed Me single was released exactly 15 years ago on this day.
 
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People? It's only one person - Flibberty! It's on a 'Steve Hoffman' forum.
I've asked for a direct link to the poll but not been provided.
Been told what terms to search for, too, but that hasn't worked either.
Only a small number of people voted in it, apparently, so you can't read too much into the results.
But it's interesting to hear the ratings all the same.
This Flibberty character ignored my request also but Famous When Dead linked me up. Can’t remember the link as the board was rubbish.

as for the song. I don’t like the dolls with the exception of Jet Boy and I don’t like this song and never listen to it.
 
The band did a fine job on this version. It's still one of my least favourite covers of his (together with the other Ringleader era cover b-side, A Song From Under The Floorboards) because I feel like it doesn't fit his voice and singing style and the tinny sound doesn't help. David Johansen's rattling delivery is an essential part of what makes the original and Morrissey can't quite keep up with that, in my opinion.

It's not hard to see why he chose this song in particular though, the lyrics are great and very Morrissey-esk in sentiment and seem to have had some influence on his own writing in the past, specifically the line

Why don't you try to give me something that
I'll never ever forget


always reminds me of These Things Take Time

And you gave me something that I won't forget too soon

So it's still enjoyable enough but not something I play very often.


Also! Fun fact, the You Have Killed Me single was released exactly 15 years ago on this day.

:thumb:


As always, it gives me the joyful giggles imagining the happiness this eternal teenager that is Morrissey gets from doing these covers of artists that he cares deeply about.

Let’s face it folks, he does these for his own pleasure, he doesn’t care what the hell we think about them.

:lbf: :tiphat:


Anyway, treat me like a .....
 
It just seems bland to me and while I accept as a singer Morrissey loves songs I believe there are better songs he could give his appreciation to e.g. Man in the corner shop The Jam.But that's just my opinion.
 
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