Morrissey's solo albums ranked - NME
- Thread starter Uncleskinny
- Start date
Nikita
Senior Member
There are probanly two or three ways to rank the albums : those I listen to most, those I consider as my favourites and those I consider the best as albums (as opposite to a collection of songs)...
In all cases, Vauxhall and I is number one and Maladjusted is number nine.
If I try to merge these ways of ranking, it would probably go like this:
1. Vauxhall and I
2. Viva Hate
3. You are the Quarry although I wish one day, they make a "naked" version of it as I dont like the production very much
4. Your Arsenal
5. Ringleader of the Tormentors
6. Kill Uncle (which I like a lot)
7. Years of Refusal
8. Southpaw Grammar
9. Maladjusted (his only album I never listen to, only a couple of songs)
In all cases, Vauxhall and I is number one and Maladjusted is number nine.
If I try to merge these ways of ranking, it would probably go like this:
1. Vauxhall and I
2. Viva Hate
3. You are the Quarry although I wish one day, they make a "naked" version of it as I dont like the production very much
4. Your Arsenal
5. Ringleader of the Tormentors
6. Kill Uncle (which I like a lot)
7. Years of Refusal
8. Southpaw Grammar
9. Maladjusted (his only album I never listen to, only a couple of songs)
marred
Member
Whether you think I'm stupid or not 'anonymous' it's a collection of Moz of songs I listen to more than most, so therefore it's an album. I wouldn't bother continuing to convince me otherwise. It's my list and I'm sticking to it.
marred
Member
Only because it's the one I listen to the least. I hate the god awful art work with pink and yellow colour scheme. On the bright side though it brought forth some of Morrissey's strongest B sides which get a spin on my stereo more often than Quarry itself. I'll give it a spin today just for you. Happy?
On a side note I'd rank Ringleader even higher on my list if it wasn't for the hideous production or the mix, or whatever is responsible for the muddy unimpressive sound. Can we get a remaster of that one ASAP please Mozzer? How they managed to drown out all those instruments is beyond me. How does Morrissey consider Visconti a genius? Thank god he didn't produce TQID.
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realitybites
making lemonade
The artwork does not affect my listening experience. Not sure how it affects yours. To me it's about the music. I am not a collector. Probably haven't even seen all the single sleeves. Anyhow, did you enjoy it?
CrystalGeezer
My secret's my enzyme.
It's impossible for me to do this.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Morrissey's post-Smiths albums are generally frustrating, patchy things. He's often made ridiculous decisions and put out rubbish as singles (Dagenham Dave, Roy Keen, People Grow Up) whilst hiding the best stuff on b-sides.
Here's the definitive order:
9, Southpaw Grammar - it's the only Morrissey album that does not contain at least one genuinely great song, just a few quite good ones
8, YATQ - the only Morrissey album to contain just one great song. There is so much rubbish on this album, it's hard to know where to start. The lyrics are frequently dreadful. Poetry free, witless nonsense - smelly uniforms, 15 miles of shit, Jesus do you hate me, the whole of Crashing Bores, the foolish confused nationalism of Irish Blood. It's a largely horrible album. There some real gems though lurking on the single b-sides
7, Ringleader - a tiny bit better than YATQ but that's not saying much
6, YOR - his best 21st century album (to damn with faint praise). In Carol and Birthday, we have two brilliant songs, in Paris we have a simple but sweet single, and one or two others are ok.
= 4, Kill Uncle and Maladjusted. Both unfairly maligned, and they're both way better than his 21st century albums as they include at least three genuinely great songs each (Sing your life, Driving, Mute witness, Family line, Alma, Trouble, Satan, Wide to etc)
3, Vauxhall - yeah, it's a good album but it's not that good. Now My Heart deserves all the accolades it receives, Sweet Boy is a beauty, Ignore Me, one of his best singles, Find out for yourself, a great piece of music. The rest is a bit dreary. Sorry.
2, Arsenal - three brilliant songs in NFD, I know it's gonna happen, and Certain people, plus lots more really good stuff too.
1, Viva Hate - the only solo album that gets anywhere near the majesty of the Smiths. About 5 genius songs, 2 of his best ever singles, brilliant arrangements (especially the songs with strings), fantastic melodies, hugely evocative, powerful and poetic lyrics, anyone rating Vauxhall above this must be clinically bonkers. And the b-sides to the two singles were just phenomenal - absolute beauties. The worst thing to happen in the post-Smiths years was the breaking up of the songwriting relationship between Morrissey and Stephen Street.
Here's the definitive order:
9, Southpaw Grammar - it's the only Morrissey album that does not contain at least one genuinely great song, just a few quite good ones
8, YATQ - the only Morrissey album to contain just one great song. There is so much rubbish on this album, it's hard to know where to start. The lyrics are frequently dreadful. Poetry free, witless nonsense - smelly uniforms, 15 miles of shit, Jesus do you hate me, the whole of Crashing Bores, the foolish confused nationalism of Irish Blood. It's a largely horrible album. There some real gems though lurking on the single b-sides
7, Ringleader - a tiny bit better than YATQ but that's not saying much
6, YOR - his best 21st century album (to damn with faint praise). In Carol and Birthday, we have two brilliant songs, in Paris we have a simple but sweet single, and one or two others are ok.
= 4, Kill Uncle and Maladjusted. Both unfairly maligned, and they're both way better than his 21st century albums as they include at least three genuinely great songs each (Sing your life, Driving, Mute witness, Family line, Alma, Trouble, Satan, Wide to etc)
3, Vauxhall - yeah, it's a good album but it's not that good. Now My Heart deserves all the accolades it receives, Sweet Boy is a beauty, Ignore Me, one of his best singles, Find out for yourself, a great piece of music. The rest is a bit dreary. Sorry.
2, Arsenal - three brilliant songs in NFD, I know it's gonna happen, and Certain people, plus lots more really good stuff too.
1, Viva Hate - the only solo album that gets anywhere near the majesty of the Smiths. About 5 genius songs, 2 of his best ever singles, brilliant arrangements (especially the songs with strings), fantastic melodies, hugely evocative, powerful and poetic lyrics, anyone rating Vauxhall above this must be clinically bonkers. And the b-sides to the two singles were just phenomenal - absolute beauties. The worst thing to happen in the post-Smiths years was the breaking up of the songwriting relationship between Morrissey and Stephen Street.
Chip
Member
I've always counted Bona Drag as a studio album. It sounds coherent like a studio album, most people in this day and age don't collect singles and thus most of the material is not available on other albums, and it plays well. It doesn't sound like a "compilation" album to me--even though I know it technically is. Though I feel the same way about Hatful and to a lesser extent Louder than Bombs. I don't feel that way about say My Early Burglary Years. Maybe I am being inconsistent, but oh well. I understand what you are saying.
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If we are going to debate subjective opinions I am always more disturbed by people who hold low opinions of Viva Hate.
But that's just me.
Oh my god. it's Robby!
spontaneously luminescent
what shall I have for breakfast?
Bona Drag is a compilation album by Morrissey. The album features an array of Morrissey's most popular songs from his early solo career, most of which had not been released on any previous album.
-it's the mostly part that gets me, so yeah, I'll add it to the mix:
note: I consider all of the first 6 on my list as great to good, 7-8 as OK and only really mostly don't like 9-10
although, "Life is a Pigsty" is one of my fave songs
Bona Drag is a compilation album by Morrissey. The album features an array of Morrissey's most popular songs from his early solo career, most of which had not been released on any previous album.
-it's the mostly part that gets me, so yeah, I'll add it to the mix:
note: I consider all of the first 6 on my list as great to good, 7-8 as OK and only really mostly don't like 9-10
although, "Life is a Pigsty" is one of my fave songs
marred
Member
I didn't say the art work affects my listening of the album but it doesn't help. I listened to Quarry right through. It has some great songs but as far as lyrics I can relate to there are more misses than hits. I can see why he got a lot of new fans from Quarry. Maybe the new fans were the Quarry? If so it was a successful hunt.
My main problem is it starts with a very weak song, lyrically and musically. It would've been a much stronger album minus "America is not the World", "All the lazy dykes", "I'm not sorry".
Sub in Munich Air Disaster 1958, Teenage Dad On His Estate and "My life is an endless succession of people saying goodbye"
*note no abbreviations?
Highlights are "Come back to Camden", "You know I couldn't last" and my favourite song on the album "I Like You"
It's just a list and positions on it mean as much to me as chart positions, ie; not much... There isn't much daylight between my selections but I am going to put Bona Drag at the top seeing as though it has annoyed a few here
the raytownian
Member
9 - YATQ (Some seriously great B-sides from this era, but this album's the only one I have any truly negative opinions of. A turning point for Morrissey as a lyricist and as a personality that I frankly never much cared for.)
8 - YOR (Rather mediocre, but good if I'm in the right mood.)
7 - Maladjusted (Features one of my favorite Morrissey songs, which everyone else seems to hate. A couple of pretty bad/awkward-sounding tracks drag an otherwise decent album down, though.)
6 - ROT (Well, this wasn't exactly the album that got me hooked, but it was my first major exposure to Morrissey's solo work when it came out, and it's grown on me a lot over time, particularly within the last three years.)
5 - Vauxhall (I have to be in a certain mood for this, but it's great when I am. I tend to get burned out on it more easily than the albums succeeding it in my list all the same.)
4 - Southpaw (I like it. f*** you.)
3 - Your Arsenal (Loads of great songs that pack an emotional wallop.)
2 - Viva Hate (I love the somber, slightly surreal/dreamy mood of it. Same goes for "Bona Drag" if I'm including it... Id' say it's probably tied with this one)
1 - Kill Uncle (This is the album that got me hooked... I like it. f*** you.)
8 - YOR (Rather mediocre, but good if I'm in the right mood.)
7 - Maladjusted (Features one of my favorite Morrissey songs, which everyone else seems to hate. A couple of pretty bad/awkward-sounding tracks drag an otherwise decent album down, though.)
6 - ROT (Well, this wasn't exactly the album that got me hooked, but it was my first major exposure to Morrissey's solo work when it came out, and it's grown on me a lot over time, particularly within the last three years.)
5 - Vauxhall (I have to be in a certain mood for this, but it's great when I am. I tend to get burned out on it more easily than the albums succeeding it in my list all the same.)
4 - Southpaw (I like it. f*** you.)
3 - Your Arsenal (Loads of great songs that pack an emotional wallop.)
2 - Viva Hate (I love the somber, slightly surreal/dreamy mood of it. Same goes for "Bona Drag" if I'm including it... Id' say it's probably tied with this one)
1 - Kill Uncle (This is the album that got me hooked... I like it. f*** you.)
marred
Member
I like Kill Uncle and Southpaw also so f*** you too!
Oh my god. it's Robby!
spontaneously luminescent
oh no! I really like both KU & YATQ, which seem to be the two albums that either one chunk of fans or another hate
once again, on my own, like any real Moz fan
once again, on my own, like any real Moz fan
marred
Member
oh no! I really like both KU & YATQ, which seem to be the two albums that either one chunk of fans or another hate
once again, on my own, like any real Moz fan
I don't think anyone here actually hates Kill Uncle or You are the Quarry.
My only problem with it is the sound. I enjoy the songs but it's just mixed so blandly.I didn't say the art work affects my listening of the album but it doesn't help. I listened to Quarry right through. It has some great songs but as far as lyrics I can relate to there are more misses than hits. I can see why he got a lot of new fans from Quarry. Maybe the new fans were the Quarry? If so it was a successful hunt.
My main problem is it starts with a very weak song, lyrically and musically. It would've been a much stronger album minus "America is not the World", "All the lazy dykes", "I'm not sorry".
Sub in Munich Air Disaster 1958, Teenage Dad On His Estate and "My life is an endless succession of people saying goodbye"
*note no abbreviations?
Highlights are "Come back to Camden", "You know I couldn't last" and my favourite song on the album "I Like You"
It's just a list and positions on it mean as much to me as chart positions, ie; not much... There isn't much daylight between my selections but I am going to put Bona Drag at the top seeing as though it has annoyed a few here
realitybites
making lemonade
I didn't say the art work affects my listening of the album but it doesn't help. I listened to Quarry right through. It has some great songs but as far as lyrics I can relate to there are more misses than hits. I can see why he got a lot of new fans from Quarry. Maybe the new fans were the Quarry? If so it was a successful hunt.
My main problem is it starts with a very weak song, lyrically and musically. It would've been a much stronger album minus "America is not the World", "All the lazy dykes", "I'm not sorry".
Sub in Munich Air Disaster 1958, Teenage Dad On His Estate and "My life is an endless succession of people saying goodbye"
*note no abbreviations?
Highlights are "Come back to Camden", "You know I couldn't last" and my favourite song on the album "I Like You"
It's just a list and positions on it mean as much to me as chart positions, ie; not much... There isn't much daylight between my selections but I am going to put Bona Drag at the top seeing as though it has annoyed a few here
I Like You is my fave on Quarry as well. Should have been a single, imo.
marred
Member
Absolutely should've been a single! The version on Live At Earls Court is even better. I love the way it ends rather than fades out on the record. have a listen.
A
Anonymous
Guest
1. Vauxhall and I
2. You are the Quarry
3. Ringleader of the Tormentors (this ranks low on many people's lists, but I've always thought it was one of his best)
4. Viva Hate
5. Your Arsenal
6. Years of Refusal
7. Maladjusted (reissue ranked higher; original would have been lower)
8. Kill Uncle
9. Southpaw Grammar
Based on the four songs released so far, I expect the new album to come in at the higher end of this list.
2. You are the Quarry
3. Ringleader of the Tormentors (this ranks low on many people's lists, but I've always thought it was one of his best)
4. Viva Hate
5. Your Arsenal
6. Years of Refusal
7. Maladjusted (reissue ranked higher; original would have been lower)
8. Kill Uncle
9. Southpaw Grammar
Based on the four songs released so far, I expect the new album to come in at the higher end of this list.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I've never understood all of the hate for Kill Uncle. I quite like that album.
