List of Own Albums Morrissey's Most Proud Of

here is the truthful top 10 (or at least as close as we're gonna get). sadly, the last two albums are two of his worst ever. Morrissey, please, please, please don't use them as a template for the next.
1. Queen is Dead - 9.05
2. Meat - 8.89
3. The Smiths – 8.69
4. Vauxhall – 8.60
5. Strangeways HWC – 8.49
6. Your Arsenal – 8.43
7. Viva Hate – 8.04
8. YATQ – 7.92
=9. Southpaw – 7.53
=9. YOR – 7.53
11. ROT – 7.48
12. Kill Uncle – 7.20
13. Maladjusted – 7.05

I don't entirely agree with "worst ever," but there needs to be more dynamics, some quieter interludes, on any future albums. I equate the two-fisted "rawk" approach to be his musical mid-life crisis. Much as a forty-/fiftysomething man will compensate with a flash, faster car, he seems to equate virility (if you will) with this more physical music. I would like to think the remnants of The Lads would be capable of more and its just his bloodymindedness. Either way, it's disappointing to me that he has been stuck in much the same gear since YATQ.
 
I don't entirely agree with "worst ever," but there needs to be more dynamics, some quieter interludes, on any future albums. I equate the two-fisted "rawk" approach to be his musical mid-life crisis. Much as a forty-/fiftysomething man will compensate with a flash, faster car, he seems to equate virility (if you will) with this more physical music. I would like to think the remnants of The Lads would be capable of more and its just his bloodymindedness. Either way, it's disappointing to me that he has been stuck in much the same gear since YATQ.

I don't agree with the list but it's the nearest thing we have to a fan consensus, and it would be very useful for Morrissey to realise what the fans think. Shortly before YOR's release, he said something like "journalists won't like it but real people will". Ironically, the reverse turned out to be the case. It received his best critical reception since Vauxhall but the fans voted it his 3rd worst album out of 13 (although personally I think it's about an average solo album).
The most depressing thing, though, is his belief that the last 3 albums have seen him at his very best, and that continuing this trajectory is a wise move.
 
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I don't entirely agree with "worst ever," but there needs to be more dynamics, some quieter interludes, on any future albums. I equate the two-fisted "rawk" approach to be his musical mid-life crisis. Much as a forty-/fiftysomething man will compensate with a flash, faster car, he seems to equate virility (if you will) with this more physical music. I would like to think the remnants of The Lads would be capable of more and its just his bloodymindedness. Either way, it's disappointing to me that he has been stuck in much the same gear since YATQ.

Just to add to this, Jamie, I thought YOR did actually have a nice range of dynamics. Paris is pretty subtle, musically, some nice simple motifs, a very catchy melody, and a pretty pleasing clarinet part. Carol has a very unusual musical style (for Morrissey) and I think he and the band pulled it off brilliantly - love the flamenco guitars, accordion and the trumpets. Birthday has a great contrast between the soft verses and the hugely euphoric chorus, plus the lovely oboe part. Black Cloud is pleasingly strummy, and Jeff Beck's guitar work (although woefully short) adds an unusual dimension to a Morrissey song, and Good in Your Time, whilst I don't really like the song, it does have an interesting arrangement. The initial live version of People Grow Up was good too, with the accordion much higher in the mix than the dreary recorded version.
So I don't really think the lack of diversity was a problem on the album - there was just a bit too much 'filler' (as they say).
 
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