6: May 6th— Louder Than Bombs (1987) and the Teen Anthem
Listen to Louder Than Bombs
Watch:
- “Sheila Take A Bow”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-8kKH4COvg
- “Shoplifters Of The World Unite”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJRN76hxFz0
- “Panic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMykYSQaG_c
Blog question: Though this collection pre-dates Strangeways, it’s probably a more representative account of what the Smiths’ were doing at the time. The band is (modestly) older, and yet it appears that Morrissey is as charismatic as ever when it comes to speaking for young people in their teen years. What are some of the values that Morrissey is putting forth in this record? Is there something like a philosophy here?
The initial songs in the album, like "Is It Really So Strange?", "Shoplifters of the World Unite" and "Sweet & Tender Hooligan" gave me the impression of an upbeat sounding tone for the album. But the album's overall tone seemed to vary throughout my listening. Initially upbeat, but punctuated with more familiar previously heard songs like "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "Back to the Old House" that are sombre and lower energy than the songs they're ensconced between. The album ends on a fairly melancholic note with "Asleep" with a song talking about suicide, as evidenced with lyrics like "Sing me to sleep / And then leave me alone / Don't try to wake me in the morning / 'Cause I will be gone."
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult for me to ascertain what kind of values Morrissey is trying to convey in this album. You have songs like "Sweet & Tender Hooligan" where's he singing about a hooligan (who are young British soccer fans that are characterized as having outbursts of violence and criminal behavior) that has committed a series of serious crimes—murders—and they're being read before a jury. There is also the song "Girl Afraid" singing about the miscommunication between a girl and a boy and how they interpret their intentions for each other. I'll posit that Morrissey's generalized themes he's offering throughout the album are the uncertainties, awkwardness, anxieties, potentials for leading ones' life astray, and the general Sturm und Drang in Britain's youth.
--Daniel Rivera
DeleteThere are a variety of values that Morrissey mentions throughout this album. I don't think any of these songs necessarily connect, but most of his songs entail some sort of heavy topic, such as: suicide, shoplifting, love, riots, unrequited love, loneliness, hangings, etc. I think Morrissey sings for teenagers while he grows older because he feels many of the same emotions and goes through similar instances as teenagers. Regardless of the musical sound, either fast paced or slow or sad or happy sounding, most songs contain similar details, for example: "Half a Person", "Hand in Glove", and many other songs on the album, talk about love, or a lot of the time the absence of it. I want to know why exactly he speaks towards teenagers so much, especially since he is an adult.
ReplyDeleteThere are a variety of values that Morrissey mentions throughout this album. I don't think any of these songs necessarily connect, but most of his songs entail some sort of heavy topic, such as: suicide, shoplifting, love, riots, unrequited love, loneliness, hangings, etc. I think Morrissey sings for teenagers while he grows older because he feels many of the same emotions and goes through similar instances as teenagers. Regardless of the musical sound, either fast paced or slow or sad or happy sounding, most songs contain similar details, for example: "Half a Person", "Hand in Glove", and many other songs on the album, talk about love, or a lot of the time the absence of it. I want to know why exactly he speaks towards teenagers so much, especially since he is an adult.
ReplyDeleteThere are a variety of values that Morrissey mentions throughout this album. I don't think any of these songs necessarily connect, but most of his songs entail some sort of heavy topic, such as: suicide, shoplifting, love, riots, unrequited love, loneliness, hangings, etc. I think Morrissey sings for teenagers while he grows older because he feels many of the same emotions and goes through similar instances as teenagers. Regardless of the musical sound, either fast paced or slow or sad or happy sounding, most songs contain similar details, for example: "Half a Person", "Hand in Glove", and many other songs on the album, talk about love, or a lot of the time the absence of it. I want to know why exactly he speaks towards teenagers so much, especially since he is an adult.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why that posted three times im sorry
DeleteIt seems like Morrissey is an expert at unfolding the teenage psychic through his music. In this album The Smithes touched on important adolescent issues such as love, belonging, taking risks and so on. In relation to love, the song Girl Afraid, the focus is on a love story that is not reciprocated, or more specifically the situation is misinterpreted by the two parties involved. There is something poetic and philosophical about this song in particular because in a way it shows how unexperienced teenagers are in love so they misinterpret situations and make mistakes; however, in all honesty this can apply to many adults too and indicate that a lot of us are just as inexperienced and naïve, especially when it comes to love.
ReplyDeleteThe Smiths represent something that I really can't explain. Morrissey's lyrics are so timeless, that even almost 30 years later, they still resonate with the average teenager. I remember listening to some of these songs when I was a teenager a few years ago, and it spoke to me in such a way, that I felt like Morrissey understood the teenage experience, despite him being well into his 20s at the time when these songs were written.
ReplyDeleteIn "Half a Person," Morrissey sings "Sixteen, clusmy and shy, that's the story of my life." Morrissey wrote this as an adult, but something about saying being sixteen is the story of his life. At sixteen, you don't know anything; you're naive, unsure and are trying to find you place in the world still. The fact he's saying that even as an adult, he still feels this sense of uncertainty and apprehension (the way 16-year old would) as an adult speaks to the teenage experience.
Simiarly in "Sweet and Tender Holigan," he sings "He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan/And he said that he'd never, never do it again/And of course he won't (oh, not until the next time)." Teenagers make mistakes all the time, and Morrissey recognizes that in a sense. Whether he condones it is another question.
Of course there some classic songs that just any teenager can relate just because of the themes so present when being that young. "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby," speaks to the pain that comes with unrequited love and the longing for a sense of belonging. "Rubber Ring," refers to the nostalgia we will experience once we grow up. "Stretch Out and Wait," is about sex. And "Asleep" is probably one of the saddest and most depressing songs I've ever heard, but speaks to so many emotions teenagers experience during these years.
In terms of concrete values that Morrissey is putting forth in the album, it is hard for me to pinpoint specific ideas as the album overall references and discusses many different parts of teenage life, some of which can even apply to adulthood. But, I would say that feelings of lonesomeness, love (whether that love be reciprocated or not), and hooliganism are all present in differing parts of the album. In terms of a philosophy, I don't know if I can definitively say whether or not one is present. In a lot of ways, this album appears to be an ode to teenage years and the emotions that teenagers experience during that developmental time of their life, as seen in songs like "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (which speaks to the feeling of unrequited love), or in "Sweet and Tender Hooligan," which speaks to the rebellious feeling teenagers may experience during their teenage years.
ReplyDelete-Andrew Myers
This album is an anxiety fueled roller coaster of emotions. I think when people talk about how depressing Morrissey's lyrics are, this album is the pinnacle of that. They also manage to make a wonderful compilation album that flows almost like a story, with the first half of the album encapsulating the rebellious spirit of teen youth along with his disdain for the monarchy, with songs like shoplifters and panic. Then ending on a a very melancholic note on the last side of the album. Have you ever been a sad teenager if you didn't listen to Asleep while alone in your room cuz someone you were dating for 2 weeks in high school dumped you. I sure haven't but there's definitely someone out there and this album appeals to them too. Then as already stated earlier, girl afraid is an interesting encapsulation of confusion and miscommunication between a boy and a girl and makes for a wonderfully written song
ReplyDelete-Andrew Naranjo
As others have pointed out, there's a lack of 'focus' or direction in this album. The songs don't have a flow or a common theme. However, that's unavoidable since this is a compilation album and I think they did a good job with the tracklist.
ReplyDeleteMorrisseys lyrics explore the kind of stuff a regular teenager would be going through, love, sexuality, recklessness, loneliness, rage (shoplifting, rioting) etc. I think Morrissey has a great talent for writing lyrics about heavy topics like these. Whats also interesting is that sometimes the lyrics are very deep and talk about important issues, but the tone of the song is very upbeat.
As many others have mentioned, Strangeways appealed to younger people in their teens because the values Morissey puts forth aligns with their attitudes. Morrissey emphasises the cheeky, youthful, rebellious nature of working class teens, represented in hooliganism, love, and loneliness that resonated with emotional teens. - Samantha Wong
ReplyDeleteAs others have alluded to, this album is sort of all over the place but generally encompasses the teen struggle. Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album released for the American market which can explain the variety and lengthy tracklist for this work. Although the songs vary in terms of tone, from the upbeat first half of the album with songs like "Is It Really So Strange?", "Sheila Take a Bow", and "Panic" to the more melancholy backend that features "Back to the Old House", "This Night Has Opened My Eyes", and "Asleep", they all connect in terms of dealing with problems young people face. Morrissey discusses identity, depression, rebellion, relationships, sexuality, and naivety. I am a little unsure as to why Morrissey, who was in his late 20s here, is still so fixated on youth. I think maybe his fixation on the kitchen-sink dramas we discussed early on plays into it because most of these stories focused on the issues of young people. This guess is also supported by the fact that Shelagh Delaney, writer of A Taste of Honey (which we viewed a clip of a couple weeks ago), is featured on the cover of Louder Than Bombs. Also, I have also seen Morrissey as someone who deviates from the expectations of society so this embrace of teenage struggle could be seen as a rejection of resignation to growing old. He wants to stay youthful, not become boring and old, so he continues to write songs about the issues of teens and cater to The Smiths young fanbase.
ReplyDelete- Addison Harms
This album was one of the first non-modern popular music albums I ever listened to. It really was part of my breaking off from listening to basic music and delving into an appreciation of indie/alternative music. From tracks with catchy tunes like 'Sheila, Take a Bow,' to soft and specific songs like 'Asleep,' this album really shows the entire arsenal with which the Smiths create their albums.
ReplyDeleteI would say my favorite song off this album is 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' probably because it was the song that most caught my attention when I listened to the album for the first time in high school. That song almost almost feels like it is this personified part of my life since I have listened to it around many key events and eras in my life. I guess by that I mean I consider it part of my general life soundtrack. I've always been really gripped by the line, '"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said, And I naturally fled,' probably because I'm always caught in this in-between space of being a homebody and unable to stay in one place for too long.
As far as the specific blog questions, I think Morrissey is continuing to perpetuate the general Smiths manifesto. I think it boils down to: I am God's gift to mankind but I don't care and also, fuck the government. However, I definitely think this album gives more nuance than just that basic description.
- Charlie Whitcomb
DeleteIt’s don’t see what values Morrissey puts forth in this record, especially since the themes of loneliness and sexuality seem to be the main focus in most of his songs. Although he does express other remnants of his life on a personal and political spectrum, they are all very different from one another. I suppose the closest philosophy Morrissey expresses is his desire to be seen and recognized as a human and companion. He makes it very clear that he feels lonely, questions his life constantly, and generally feels different for being the way that he is, which I think is why his music caters well towards a young/teenage crowd who may also be feeling similar things. Morrissey’s ability to express the woes of life persists in this record, which his audience probably relates with.
ReplyDelete-Jenny Cho
The songs of Louder than Bombs were a bit of a hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed Sweet and Tender Hooligan and Is It Really so Strange?, but other songs such as Golden Lights were not as exciting. Either way, I appreciated the diversity of sound on this album; this set felt much less cohesive than other records we’ve listened to so far, but I enjoyed the different vibes. Although this is a bit vague for a value, I think the overarching element of Morrissey's lyrics on Louder than Bombs is extremes or a now-or-never mentality. Whether he's discussing life, heartbreak, love, chaotic emotions, death, etc. Morrissey discusses them in the context of intensity. For example in Morrissey’s lyrics such as “I can’t help the way I feel” (Is It Really so Strange) about he speaks into the idea of uncontrollable love. I also think Morrissey promotes the value of questioning--whether it’s one’s emotions or the system, his self-reflection puts advocates for teens to question the structures around them. I think Morrissey’s ability to resonate even more with young people comes from tapping into old memories; perhaps his teenage years were when he felt most alive and writing songs about them allows him to relive those memories. Additionally, I think after being an established artist for some time now, he might have been more confident in writing about his emotions, thus making the lyrics more authentic and relatable.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this collection a lot, with my favorites probably being “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” and “Golden Lights.” I think overall, this group of songs is much more upbeat than the past albums, but it shows a lot of range as each song is very unique in its own right. I do agree that many of the songs can be considered “teen anthems,” with lines such as “Sixteen, clumsy and shy/That's the story of my life,” in “Half A Person” and “Asleep”’s timeless “I'm tired and I/I want to go to bed.” Although Morrissey is well out of his teenage years, it is clear that he is still finding himself, something all teenagers can identify with. He sings about love, heartbreak, self-doubt, and revolution, along with many other themes that are all at the forefront of any teenager’s mind. I think the main theme explored in this collection of songs is the passage of time, especially in “Rubber Ring” and “Golden Lights.” I think there is a philosophy that eludes to the fact that life goes on. That we all go through similar experiences and even if it doesn't seem like, we'll make it out the other side of our hardships.
ReplyDelete- Serafina Valisa
Evan Ibarra:
ReplyDeleteSorry this is late, this week has been a complete mess for me. I really enjoy Louder Than Bombs as a whole, but some of my favorite tracks are "Shelia, Take a Bow", "Sweet and Tender Hooligan" as well as "Oscillate Wildly" (although I am unsure if the latter is original to this album). I agree with many other who have posted saying that this album lacks direction, and I would argue it lacks direction because it is saying so many things that are sort of independent from each other with separate tones and inflections. I like this album a lot but it is a lot of singles thrown together rather than a cohesive album. I am not sure if there is a philosophy but I suppose their is a shadow of a person made in these different songs, as they all pull characterization of The Smiths and thus Morrissey in different directions. I am not sure if there is anything personally I can stick on to.