Oi, Ronson, get off my radio. You’re on it way too much. Gerofff!
Yes, friends, ‘Stop Me’ - Mark Ronson’s rejiggered cover of some ‘80s guitar band's 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before' - is what euphemistic reviewers may call ‘radio friendly’. A bit too friendly if you ask me, but I don’t have to power to do much about that – apart from turn it off.
Smiths fans (of which I am one) will probably hate it. Kids at Fuse Nightclub in Redditch will probably think a Morrissey is an old Austin motorcar. It’s dangerous to blend the two, you’d think (interestingly, Ronson explains his motives to an angry Smiths fan here).
But, despite everything that ought to be wrong about ‘Stop Me’, Ronson gets away with it. Daniel Merriweather’s vocals are soul-by-numbers (the “Who said I lied ‘cause I never, nee-veer,” bit is infuriating) but the man who's produced Girls Aloud and Xtina does, admit it Smithophiles, know what he’s doing. The strings and daft brass bring to life the humour that Morrissey always made more subtle within the presentation of the Smiths' material. And, if it brings a new generation to the music of Marr, Moz and co, that’s no bad thing, surely?
A covers album full of jazzed-up renderings (Ronson's Version) of the likes of Coldplay and Kaiser Chiefs should be awful - really, it should be bloody terrible - but 'Stop Me' is a bunch of fun. Go on, admit it. That said, having heard it more times in the last week than is pardonable, it’d be quite nice if someone did stop him because I have heard it, many, many times before.
It's not as bad as it could have been
I'll grant you. But it's still not good.
The vocals are poor. Morrissey generally puts such a strong, and distinct vocal on his work that no-one else can possibly do the song justice. That's the case here as well.
I also don't think it will 'bring a new generation' to the Smiths. This is the first fairly major source where I've actually seen/heard the Smiths' connection built up, rather than played down or just ignored altogether.
Although fair play to Mark Ronson
for justifying it. It does seem to be borne out of love, rather than some cynical cash-in attempt.
makes
me sick
gnarls barkly (sp?) blandness
He also does
..The Only One I Know by the charlatans on his albums with vocals provided by...........................................Robbie Williams.Unbelievable.
It's pretty awful
But to be fair he does seem to actually like the song and isn't just trying to cash in. It annoys me how he shortened the title though.
heard it for the first time today...
...in the gym, the only place where I'm forced to listen to commercial music.
I don't think its a particularly good cover at all.
Also the string sections are blatantly ripping off Rob Dougan's Furious Angels (the Matrix Reloaded theme).
rubbish
let's all ignore him together....
his cover of Just
to me is genius though. i've been wanting to get my hands on it since zane lowe played it aaaaages ago.
i didn't really like the just cover
but this, love it, love it!
at first i thought this was ok
but now i hate it. it gets worse on every play. the only redeemable thing are the lyrics which of course ronson had nowt to do with.
its just dire
awful tripe. yes i am a smiths fan, a fucking big one. its not even about the whole "hands off my tune ronson" thing. its just that he's done such an awful job.
Horrible
There are some bands and some songs that shouldn't be touched and this is one of them.
not a good song, but...
The album is a lot more fun than this single, I have to say. I don't listen to commercial radio, but pop justice were raving about the album so i gave it a whirl. for me, this is the weakest song (I hate the vocals), but valerie with amy winehouse and the just cover are good. He even almost makes lily allen, kaiser chiefs and kasabian listenable to. the only way to do that is to take away the original tun and stick some horns over the top.
Stop It Now!
The ironic thing about Stop Me is the lyric "stop me if you've heard this one before"..I wish I could so stop it cos I’ve hear this one before many times and I didnt like it the first time. Another example of a mediocre talent being lauded by the ultra trendy music press because they're probably all mates anyway ....Its just a shame so many people belive all this hype. Novelty cover versions of songs that do not touch the originals are not the work of a genius..just someone with too much studio time on his hands. Yawn