Morrissey A-Z: "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member






Our song for today is Morrissey's California Son cover of this Bacharach/David composition, originally featured on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album I'll Never Fall in Love Again.

What do we think?
 
The title is 10/10, but the song itself does nothing for me. One of many dull tracks on CS.
 
I like it, though it took a while to warm up to it since first hearing it when California Son came out.
 
As a cover, I love it! I like the way they've done the sound on this and hearing Morrissey's voice on any Bacharach/David song is a treat, for me. It's just a classic pop song, with the bright jaunty music juxtaposed with the lyrics about the pain of falling in love (again). Do I listen to it that much? No. Is it a lovely thing to have in the world? Yes.
 
The original is stunning, and one of the songs I had prior knowledge of before CS was announced and released. As @Gregor Samsa rightfully stated, the title is quintessential Moz without even being his song. I do enjoy this cover, as I do enjoy every song on the album, but to me this is one of the weaker cuts overall. His voice, as always, is great and it’s definitely interesting to hear the introduction of the electronic elements that would rule over much of Dog. But, those cheap horn sounds don’t gel well with this atmosphere: if the electronics were to take prevalence, surely the arrangement would have to alter? Even as an electronic music fan, replacing orchestrated sounds with presets doesn’t usually end up sounding good, unless done in a purposeful, specific way.
Apart from that and it’s short length - another caveat to the original - this is a fun cover that slightly pales in comparison to some of the stronger tracks on the LP.
6/10
 
probably the song i listen to most off cali son,classic song,voice is good on this,not that he has to do much with it.
8 pleasures/10 pains.
 
The original has a much better sound and Dionne Warwick sounds more believable. I don't think the lyrics suit Morrissey. When he loses someone I imagine he's got bodyguards watching them pack to make sure they're not stealing anything and probably doesn't sit around missing them once they're gone.
Even though the song is about loss and remembering it's done in a kind of bouncy upbeat way and that works in the original but I don't think it's a good fit for Morrissey.
I agree with @This Charming Bowie that it might have been better with a new arrangement. And Morrissey must connect to this song somehow but I"m not getting it. It's not bad but I think it's about 4/10.
Where are the "Is if about Johnny Marr" people at?
 
The original has a much better sound and Dionne Warwick sounds more believable. I don't think the lyrics suit Morrissey. When he loses someone I imagine he's got bodyguards watching them pack to make sure they're not stealing anything and probably doesn't sit around missing them once they're gone.
Even though the song is about loss and remembering it's done in a kind of bouncy upbeat way and that works in the original but I don't think it's a good fit for Morrissey.
I agree with @This Charming Bowie that it might have been better with a new arrangement. And Morrissey must connect to this song somehow but I"m not getting it. It's not bad but I think it's about 4/10.
Where are the "Is if about Johnny Marr" people at?
This is funny to imagine. "When he loses someone I imagine he's got bodyguards watching them pack to make sure they're not stealing anything and probably doesn't sit around missing them once they're gone."
 
This is probably my least favourite song on what is a very strong covers album.

The music feels a little too synthetic and I don't think it adds a great deal to the original. Morrissey is still in strong voice however.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 190th from 264 solo songs.
 
Moz does a great job on vocals, but the song itself stinks.
I don't know, or care if/where any of these versions charted, but it has to be one of Bacharach's worst efforts, surely, especially when compared to the likes of "I'll never fall in love again", for example.
I don't care for CS at all, & just view the whole album as Moz being self-indulgent. Which, of course, is OK by me.
 
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The arrangement is laughable. John Shuttleworth would be embarrassed to release something this bad.
 
The original has a much better sound and Dionne Warwick sounds more believable. I don't think the lyrics suit Morrissey. When he loses someone I imagine he's got bodyguards watching them pack to make sure they're not stealing anything and probably doesn't sit around missing them once they're gone.
Even though the song is about loss and remembering it's done in a kind of bouncy upbeat way and that works in the original but I don't think it's a good fit for Morrissey.
I agree with @This Charming Bowie that it might have been better with a new arrangement. And Morrissey must connect to this song somehow but I"m not getting it. It's not bad but I think it's about 4/10.
Where are the "Is if about Johnny Marr" people at?
o_O

FC can you explain how someone 'who is lost' is suddenly packing clothes watched
by bodyguards.:rolleyes:
0 sense again FC:blushing:
 
The original is AMAZING! Short sweeping moving powerful.

This cover? not so much, poor choice of arrangements, a little kitschy, too light.

If the Smiths had the chance to cover it, it might of sounded like this.

Not my favorite on CS. Though it’s
a song Morrissey loved for years, and that’s good enough for me.



VIVA MOZ !!!

:thumb:
 






Our song for today is Morrissey's California Son cover of this Bacharach/David composition, originally featured on Dionne Warwick's 1970 album I'll Never Fall in Love Again.

What do we think?

Both are wonderful in their own way
 
The best thing about this cover was discovering the original, which is AMAZING as Ketanine Sun said.
The original sounds fresh and playful, with a beautiful voice and excellent musical arrangements.
The musical arrangements of the cover are the biggest letdown: have to agree with This Charming Bowie here.
 
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