Morrissey A-Z: 'All The Young People Must Fall In Love'

This Charming Bowie

Welcome to this knockabout world
Again, thanks to GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn for reminding me of this one :)(I really should get a better method of cataloguing these).
What you you think of 'All The Young People...'?
 
Now, I have a soft spot for Low In High School - I used to play it all the time when it came out, and still haven't got tired of a lot of it. Listening back to this track, it's clear that someone thought that some light relief in the middle of the dark, more abrasive sounds of the sandwiching cuts.
'All The Young' seems to be aspiring for the feel of a '60s protest song - now, with Moz's cover of Dylan's 'Only A Pawn In Their Game', we can see he had some clear inspiratory points - but never seems to rise above the happy-clappy beat and polite horns. It does have a fine hook, but everything just seems too...well, civil, to have much of an impact. The lyrics seem to be tackling the idea of condescending attitudes towards younger people, but also don't really reach for verbose gold either.
In summary, it's fine and works as a bit of a stopgap in the second side, but ultimately isn't anything to treasure much.
I do quite like the single cover - remember when Moz had some decent graphic design to his name?
51u%2BFtyVzML._AC_.jpg
 
Clearly it's supposed to be Morrissey's take on 'Give Peace a Chance', but it's one of the most insubstantial and inconsequential things he's ever produced. Would have made an acceptable throwaway B-side, but it feels very limp and filler for an album track. To my ears it sounds like a rejected offcut from 'Kill Uncle'.
 
I was besotted by this song when the album came out and absolutely played it to death. I've grown slightly less fond of it over time but still have a soft spot for it. I like the ramshackle vibe of the music, it's little more than a sketch with a "Give Peace a Chance" vibe to it and that feels so unusual as a backing for Morrissey to sing over. Lyrically, I'm not a fan of the whole "Presidents come, presidents go / nobody remembers their name" nonsense (Obama had his flaws, of course, but dear god give me him over Bush or Trump, any day).

Maybe my favourite bits of the song are the two points when Morrissey just hums the tune: I could listen to him humming, all day long...
 
I was besotted by this song when the album came out and absolutely played it to death. I've grown slightly less fond of it over time but still have a soft spot for it. I like the ramshackle vibe of the music, it's little more than a sketch with a "Give Peace a Chance" vibe to it and that feels so unusual as a backing for Morrissey to sing over. Lyrically, I'm not a fan of the whole "Presidents come, presidents go / nobody remembers their name" nonsense (Obama had his flaws, of course, but dear god give me him over Bush or Trump, any day).

Maybe my favourite bits of the song are the two points when Morrissey just hums the tune: I could listen to him humming, all day long...
I think that you can use more minimalistic arrangements to your benefit, but this one...there's something missing - maybe the clarity of the production cancels out the ramshackle vibe that it's going for?
The humming parts are certainly nice - it's interesting having a different sort of vocal texture in the mix.
 
I quite like the single mix of this song. It's not dramatically different, but it has more life to it and some of the instruments are clearer to hear.

It's not classic Morrissey by any means, but it has a strong vocal melody and there is a singalong element that probably worked better in concert.

I think it's something of a victim of the period in which it was released as had this type of track been issued at the height of Morrissey's 'comeback' (2004-2006ish), I can imagine that it might have been very well-received in concert.
 
I quite like the single mix of this song. It's not dramatically different, but it has more life to it and some of the instruments are clearer to hear.

It's not classic Morrissey by any means, but it has a strong vocal melody and there is a singalong element that probably worked better in concert.

I think it's something of a victim of the period in which it was released as had this type of track been issued at the height of Morrissey's 'comeback' (2004-2006ish), I can imagine that it might have been very well-received in concert.
Did he play it that much live. I know he included it on the radio broadcasts from 2017, but he didn't seem to play it all that much. I could be wrong though. It would certainly translate better into a live setting, you're right.
 
Did he play it that much live. I know he included it on the radio broadcasts from 2017, but he didn't seem to play it all that much. I could be wrong though. It would certainly translate better into a live setting, you're right.

You are correct. Only a few shows, albeit one was at the Hollywood Bowl I think.
 
Now, I have a soft spot for Low In High School - I used to play it all the time when it came out, and still haven't got tired of a lot of it. Listening back to this track, it's clear that someone thought that some light relief in the middle of the dark, more abrasive sounds of the sandwiching cuts.
'All The Young' seems to be aspiring for the feel of a '60s protest song - now, with Moz's cover of Dylan's 'Only A Pawn In Their Game', we can see he had some clear inspiratory points - but never seems to rise above the happy-clappy beat and polite horns. It does have a fine hook, but everything just seems too...well, civil, to have much of an impact. The lyrics seem to be tackling the idea of condescending attitudes towards younger people, but also don't really reach for verbose gold either.
In summary, it's fine and works as a bit of a stopgap in the second side, but ultimately isn't anything to treasure much.
I do quite like the single cover - remember when Moz had some decent graphic design to his name?
51u%2BFtyVzML._AC_.jpg
I'm the same as far as Low In High School is concerned. I don't really think it's a strong album by any means, far too patchy and the track order is just weird, but I played it so often (and still do) that I definitely developed a strange fondness for it.

All The Young People Must Fall In Love used to be one of my least favourite tracks on it though, probably because the placing on the second side doesn't work for me. I've got used to it now, it's quite all right and enjoyable when isolated from the rest of the album, although lyrically I only really like the first verse and the "To watch or to be, that's up to you" bit.

Agree about the protest song vibe and I think the contrasting of the lyrics with the happy bob-along music is intentional. Who else but Morrissey could get away with singing a line like "Incinerate innocent men and women and children" in such a cheerful way?
I think the general gist of the song is that it doesn't really matter what's going on in the world today, it's always the same anyway and falling in love is much more exciting and young people have the luxury of being able to live in the moment.

The humming really is the highlight, sounds so warm and full.

The single cover is great, especially in combination with the back cover.

ATYPMFIL_back_cover.jpg

I don't think any of the more recent single covers were terrible, to be honest. Just the album art for the original LIHS, California Son and IANADOAC were. One tends to forget that the most horrific visual abominations were only posted on Central and never actually made it on any release.
 
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I'm the same as far as Low In High School is concerned. I don't really think it's a strong album by any means, far too patchy and the track order is just weird, but I played it so often (and still do) that I definitely developed a strange fondness for it.

All The Young People Must Fall In Love used to be one of my least favourite tracks on it though, probably because the placing on the second side doesn't work for me. I've got used to it now, it's quite all right and enjoyable when isolated from the rest of the album, although lyrically I only really like the first verse and the "To watch or to be, that's up to you" bit.

Agree about the protest song vibe and I think the contrasting of the lyrics with the happy bob-along music is intentional. Who else but Morrissey could away with singing a line like "Incinerate innocent men and women and children" in such a cheerful way?
I think the general gist of the song is that it doesn't really matter what's going on in the world today, it's always the same anyway and falling in love is much more exciting and young people have the luxury of being able to live in the moment.

The humming really is the highlight, sounds so warm and full.

The single cover is great, especially in combination with the back cover.

View attachment 67500
I don't think any of the more recent single covers were terrible, to be honest. Just the album art for the original LIHS, California Son and IANADOAC were. One tends to forget that the most horrific visual abominations were only posted on Central and never actually made it on any release.
Yes, the single covers are miles better than the album covers.
 
You are correct. Only a few shows, albeit one was at the Hollywood Bowl I think.
Played only 6 times, Hollywood Bowl being the last time.

 
Have relatively little time for this song. The fact it was sparsely played live was a bonus, as well - I think I heard it once. I did play the album quite often for the first month when it came out, and then around the early months of 2018, I felt the tour that year got better as it went on (though Israel’s only ever performance in Aberdeen, was a privilege) and by the time the tour reached the climax at the end of 2018, only 3 songs from LIHS were getting played in Latin America. :ahhh:
 
I enjoy the song but like many at the time said I think the production deflates it as I think it emphasizes the wrong qualities of the song. Some boogie piano could’ve given it some more swagger. I like the lyrics a lot
 
A minor thing that still bothered me a lot when I first looked at the CD booklet: Who fell asleep on the apostrophe key while typing the lyrics? It's transcribed "president's come, president's go" every single time.

Should probably be used to the typos by now...
 
I enjoy the song but like many at the time said I think the production deflates it as I think it emphasizes the wrong qualities of the song. Some boogie piano could’ve given it some more swagger. I like the lyrics a lot
Yes agree. Remember hearing the live version with piano louder in the
mix before the album release, and thinking it could be a hit, or at least
received and appreciated more than it was.

It’s the mix that fails it.
 
Yes agree. Remember hearing the live version with piano louder in the
mix before the album release, and thinking it could be a hit, or at least
received and appreciated more than it was.

It’s the mix that fails it.

That first live version was the top of the stack.
They kinda messed it up on the record but puttin' out the Bob Clearmountain mix fixed it up some.
This thing had so much feel to it that they shoulda just left it alone.
It's a heck of a Turkey Stepper too!

 
It would have been good to get more low end physicality on this song. My first impression when I heard it was that it felt like a song rushed out though I know that’s not the case. Sometimes I wonder if they wanted to keep that as is vibe to connect it to the vibe of give piece a chance. It was good live
 
Yes agree. Remember hearing the live version with piano louder in the
mix before the album release, and thinking it could be a hit, or at least
received and appreciated more than it was.

It’s the mix that fails it.
I generally like Chiccarelli's production, but this is one of those rare occasions when it completely misses the mark. Given a bit more welly and 'oomph' would certainly have improved it.
 
I generally like Chiccarelli's production, but this is one of those rare occasions when it completely misses the mark. Given a bit more welly and 'oomph' would certainly have improved it.

Agree. Think the chorus and changes could have been more dynamic and given more support.

It may be Morrissey who wanted it that way. I’m sure that it’s Morrissey that has the last word, and so I’m afraid that Joe’s hands were tied. I could be wrong, but wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case in regards to why the song came out the way it did.
 
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a-z all the young people must fall in love bob clearmountain low in high school morrissey morrissey a-z solo
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