Morrissey's solo albums ranked - NME

1. Your Arsenal - I can’t imagine what it was like in 1992 when this came out, following up Kill Uncle. 10 songs. No duds. Great production. Great lyrics. I do remember being 11 years old and seeing “Tomorrow” on MTV and being intrigued, but not enough to dig in until a few years later. Classic.[/QUOTE]. - FREDKOCHERPEPSI

Off the Record on highway 101 in Encinitas CA opened at midnight - Monday night, before the official Tuesday release. At 11:30 not a huge crowd had gathered, maybe 25 or 30, mostly guys my age early 20s - all dressed in the current Moz (rockabilly /hair high-n-tight, jeans rolled)style. I wondered where these guys came from...
When the doors opened at 11:58 and the line wove inside around the record, cd, (cassettes were on the wall) bins - the needle was dropped on that new LP, and I was transfixed - couldn't move, and didn't want to. Could not believe what I was hearing, YGNSBYS blasted from the speakers w/ guitar drums and verve like no one would have dreamed of; - all we had heard from YA was (if you remember was WHIWOFBS) - nothing had prepared me for this, and I still haven't gotten over it. Probably my top music moment of all time.
I wanted another album like this one...; after that - 'Vauxhall and I' took a long time for me to except.
It's all about expectations but following Kill Uncle I could never have expected this.
 
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1. Your Arsenal - I can’t imagine what it was like in 1992 when this came out, following up Kill Uncle. 10 songs. No duds. Great production. Great lyrics. I do remember being 11 years old and seeing “Tomorrow” on MTV and being intrigued, but not enough to dig in until a few years later. Classic.

Off the Record on highway 101 in Encinitas CA opened at midnight - Monday night, before the official Tuesday release. At 11:30 not a huge crowd had gathered, maybe 25 or 30, mostly guys my age early 20s - all dressed in the current Moz (rockabilly /hair high-n-tight, jeans rolled)style. I wondered where these guys came from...
When the doors opened at 11:58 and the line wove inside around the record, cd, (cassettes were on the wall) bins - the needle was dropped on that new LP, and I was transfixed - couldn't move, and didn't want to. Could not believe what I was hearing, YGNSBYS blasted from the speakers w/ guitar drums and verve like no one would have dreamed of; - all we had heard from YA was (if you remember was WHIWOFBS) - nothing had prepared me for this, and I still haven't gotten over it. Probably my top music moment of all time.
I wanted another album like this one...; after that - 'Vauxhall and I' took a long time for me to except.
It's all about expectations but following Kill Uncle I could never have expected this.[/QUOTE]

From that to this, world peace. Doh!
 
The rockier stuff on Your Arsenal is a bit tiring though, isn't it?
Which is about half of it, I guess. It's just so unconvincing. This is Morrissey ffs! World Peace is much more natural and eclectic and alive!
I can understand Your Arsenal being appealing to people who think it has a bit more masculinity to it, but it just doesn't. It's all surface. I think that's the point, really. World Peace has far more depth.
 
I love the quotation marks too but they are really only meant to be used on a song or album if the title is actually "quotable" as in something someone actually says. Which is why they aren't all like that. The "Kill Uncle" sleeve is so beautiful though isn't it? But you're right they could've done a few more with quotes. They definitely missed out on a few. You Are The Quarry should've had them for sure.

Yes, but it does have a comma. I love that comma.

The Kill Uncle sleeve is so gorgeous. It looks like the album sounds—dipped in pale blue, muted and soft.
 
I was 21 when Your Arsenal came out. I remember it being hyped massively, with some proclaiming it as good as The Queen Is Dead. Anticipation was high.

When I finally heard it, I was pleased. Off the back of Kill Uncle, this sounded much better. But it wasn't the Second Coming - yes, the guitar crunch and pared back lyrics were a long way from the whimsy we'd had before, but there was all that dodginess of flag waving and 'National Front Disco'. And let's not forget the utter shite that was those 2 singles 'We Hate It..' and 'Fatty'. While I can appreciate 'NFD' much more now, with the benefit of distance, those last 2 songs are irredeemably cheesy arseburgers and sink the album somewhat for me. They don't fit.

If he'd swapped those 2 for better efforts, it really would be a much improved work.
 
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The rockier stuff on Your Arsenal is a bit tiring though, isn't it?
Which is about half of it, I guess. It's just so unconvincing. This is Morrissey ffs! World Peace is much more natural and eclectic and alive!
I can understand Your Arsenal being appealing to people who think it has a bit more masculinity to it, but it just doesn't. It's all surface. I think that's the point, really. World Peace has far more depth.

Good god no. The guitars make Your Arsenal - just as they make Years of Refusal.
 
The rockier stuff on Your Arsenal is a bit tiring though, isn't it?
Which is about half of it, I guess. It's just so unconvincing. This is Morrissey ffs! World Peace is much more natural and eclectic and alive!
I can understand Your Arsenal being appealing to people who think it has a bit more masculinity to it, but it just doesn't. It's all surface. I think that's the point, really. World Peace has far more depth.

Then there's the cod rockabilly of 'Certain People I Know' - it's all sort of light rock, isn't it? I think that's why a lot of male Morrissey fans like it: it gives them a pair of trousers at last, as Smiths/Morrissey fans. Of course, the notion of masculinity is bollocks anyway, but I think I understand why Your Arsenal is over-rated.
World Peace on the other hand is all man, so to speak. A particularly handsome man, fit as f*** and who can speak several languages, including sexy Spanish.
 
Good god no. The guitars make Your Arsenal - just as they make Years of Refusal.

They're so watered down though, aren't they? Why would you go to that album for the guitars when stuff like that's been done better on so many other albums by far better musicians?? Without Morrissey it's just so conventional; diluted rock, weak rockabilly, a rudimentary ska bassline on Tomorrow. I can't imagine why anyone would go to it for the guitars.
 
They're so watered down though, aren't they? Why would you go to that album for the guitars when stuff like that's been done better on so many other albums by far better musicians?? Without Morrissey it's just so conventional; diluted rock, weak rockabilly, a rudimentary ska bassline on Tomorrow. I can't imagine why anyone would go to it for the guitars.

I agree about the rockabilly - not a fan of that phase of his music at all.

But the guitars and rockier elements are fine - play it loud and it holds up well. There's enough variety and texture to keep things interesting.

Far better that than the godawful soufflé muzak of the new album, which some bizarrely seem to think is 'experimental'. I've even seen the words 'avant garde' being banded about! f*** me.
 
I agree about the rockabilly - not a fan of that phase of his music at all.

But the guitars and rockier elements are fine - play it loud and it holds up well. There's enough variety and texture to keep things interesting.

Far better that than the godawful soufflé muzak of the new album, which some bizarrely seem to think is 'experimental'. I've even seen the words 'avant garde' being banded about! f*** me.

'Fine', yes, but why would you go to a rock album because the guitars are 'fine' or 'interesting'???
It's such a half measure, isn't it?
And Years of Refusal is even worse in that respect. It's an album you almost instantly forget once it's over. At least the lyrics on Your Arsenal are memorable and seem to have a purpose, even if they're a bit 'light' on reflection.
 
#1 Ringleader (Last top single: You have killed me and, The B-sides are great)

#2 Quarry (Two reasons "come back to Candem", A very touching song and Wonderful B-sides)
#3 Viva Hate (One song makes the difference: Late night, Maudlin street)
#4 Vauxhall (Perfect songs but, It's so quiet, songs like "Speedway" could sounds as powerful as songs in "Southpaw)
#5 Arsenal ("Seasick...", "I know It's gonna happen...", "The National...", such a good album)
#6 World Peace (Songs like "I'm not a man", "Staircase...", "Istanbul", "Art-hounds", Instant classics)
#7 Maladjusted (Album tracks and B-sides are overrated songs, "Trouble Loves me", "Maladjusted", "The edges...")
#8 Kill Uncle (The hair looks great... and of course The B-sides era I think are better than albums tracks)
#9 Southpaw (I think "Best friend..." and "Do Your best..." are the same thing, I like: "Reader..." and "Southpaw"
#10 Refusal (The thing with this album are the vocal part, Moz' voice never sounds so bad specially in "Something is squeezing, and "It's not your birthday..." which are wonderful songs but the voice doesn't fit, the songs I only like the songs from that era: "My dearest love" and "Because of my poor education")
 
i dont really think of rock music as being an expression of masculinity but then i grew up in the nineties when the loudest bands were speaking out against just that nor do i find it tiring personally. i dont think mudhoney was a band trying to express there masculinity for example and to be truthful ive always seen morrissey as being very masculine from the start, hes very stubborn and forceful. bands like nirvana with in bloom local h with as good as dead featuring high fiven mothf#ckers on it calling them crass idiots at top volume was about the anger we experienced when having to deal with dumb asses way past there glory days and mocking them in ironic honest loud expression in an attempt to redefine what masculinity meant to us. that said i was real receptive to that album. i think rock music as an expression of masculinity went out the door in the seventies as it just ate itself with stupidity.
 
#2 Quarry (Two reasons "come back to Candem", A very touching song and Wonderful B-sides)

#10 Refusal (The thing with this album are the vocal part, Moz' voice never sounds so bad specially in "Something is squeezing, and "It's not your birthday..." which are wonderful songs but the voice doesn't fit, the songs I only like the songs from that era: "My dearest love" and "Because of my poor education")

His singing is superb from start to finish in Years Of Refusal. If you can't hear that, then well, I really don't know that to say - your ears must be wired up wrong.

As for 'Come Back To Camden', well it's all a bit ex-pat twee, isn't it? I live in Camden, and it's not like this.
 
Yes, but it does have a comma. I love that comma.

The Kill Uncle sleeve is so gorgeous. It looks like the album sounds—dipped in pale blue, muted and soft.

Hey you don't have to convince me about the comma. I put one on my fan art of WPINOYB. ie: Morrissey, World Peace Is None Of Your Business. Yes KU is one sweet sleeve and the gatefold works beautifully with the pic inside. I'm all over gatefolds. I miss the gatefold 12" Singles, not that we got many from Moz. The Hold Onto Your Friends one is gorgeous. They should have done a 7" gatefold also.


hi_1994_holdon12_2.jpg
 
His singing is superb from start to finish in Years Of Refusal. If you can't hear that, then well, I really don't know that to say - your ears must be wired up wrong.

As for 'Come Back To Camden', well it's all a bit ex-pat twee, isn't it? I live in Camden, and it's not like this.

I really like Years of refusal but for me the vocals in WPINOYB are better just hear "Staircase. . . " his voice sounds so soft and in "Something squeezing..." sounds really bad specially when he says "skull", and yes, "Candem" is a very personal, sad, melancholy song, I like for that reason, I respect your opinion friend is jus what I think
 
with its not your birthday any more i can see where youre coming from with the vocals but it doesnt come near to ruining the song for me. as for something is.., i think his vocals totally fit the songs theme. it seems some people just really want morrissey to sound soft, in sound not character and i only think that he is farther and farther away from that these days and the fan segment as a result who liked that sound is somewhat smaller today. i love to sing mama as his vocals are great on that song and the drums are huge. black cloud has that sweet hammer on/off guitar intro before the distorted ringing chord crashes "and there is nothing i can do to make you mine". sounds great to me (nice hook). with such a long excellent career it makes sense that the fan base is only gonna become more and more divided and i guess well just see how that plays out.
 
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