Which Moz' "Hard Rock" album is better, Southpaw Grammar or Years Of Refusal?

[Chip]

There are people in this world who think "Years of Refusal" is a... hard rock album?

It's a bit of stretch, but I get what they are trying to say. How would you classify Years of Refusal?

 

[Anonymous]

How would you classify Years of Refusal?

Shit on a stick?

 

[Jamie]

p.p.s. "Istanbul" is beautiful lyrically and vocally but the choppy axe of Jesse Tobias cuts into the more poetic qualities of the song. I wish the song had not gotten half-buried under what literally sounds like a guitar doubling as an axe.

I hate to break it to you, but if you're referring to the guitar that sounds like the rhythm part on the verses of Jack The Ripper, that is Boz. In fact, most of the electric guitar in the left channel on the album appears to be Boz (see: the start of the title track, Staircase).

 

[marred]

I love both of the albums. Progressive rock maybe, but hard? Hardly.

 

[Anonymous]

years of refusal is a pop rock album

 

[VivaGil]

Yeah I think the first half of YOR is pretty great but the second half leaves much desired. What kills southpaw grammar for me is the sound quality of it all. It and kill uncle just don't sound good. It doesn't sound clear or clean and it bugs me. The songs are good for the most part, although it probably is my least listened to solo album.

 

[Agharta]

As much as I love Years Of Refusal, I've done a little tweak and trim on it's tracklisting, and it improves things for me even further:

Et voila:Years Of Reduxal

1. Something Is Squeezing My Skull
2. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed
3. All You Need Is Me
4. Because Of My Poor Education
5. When I Last Spoke To Carol
6. It's Not Your Birthday Anymore
7. I'm Ok By Myself
8. Black Cloud
9. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
10. You Were Good In Your Time

Check it out, if you like: https://www.mediafire.com/?rhdq02j2xn3d0oy

 

[Peterb]

Yeah I think the first half of YOR is pretty great but the second half leaves much desired. What kills southpaw grammar for me is the sound quality of it all. It and kill uncle just don't sound good. It doesn't sound clear or clean and it bugs me. The songs are good for the most part, although it probably is my least listened to solo album.

I agree with you.
I always thought it a massive shame that 'Nobody Loves Us' that comes from the same sessions has such a poor, mushy production.

 

[Hornyssey]

As much as I love Years Of Refusal, I've done a little tweak and trim on it's tracklisting, and it improves things for me even further:

Et voila:Years Of Reduxal

1. Something Is Squeezing My Skull
2. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed
3. All You Need Is Me
4. Because Of My Poor Education
5. When I Last Spoke To Carol
6. It's Not Your Birthday Anymore
7. I'm Ok By Myself
8. Black Cloud
9. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
10. You Were Good In Your Time

Check it out, if you like: https://www.mediafire.com/?rhdq02j2xn3d0oy

Thank God you dropped "Sorry doesn't help us", maybe without "I'm OK by myself" this song have silly lyrics, you can try adding "My dearest love" or "Shame is the name"

 

[Southport Grandma]

Southpaw Grammar, hands down, sonically like a brick through a plate glass window.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

I think Southpaw Grammar sounds great, production wise. Surprised people don't dig it.

 

[Agharta]

Thank God you dropped "Sorry doesn't help us", maybe without "I'm OK by myself" this song have silly lyrics, you can try adding "My dearest love" or "Shame is the name"

Thanks, but I don't really like those songs.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

YOR is his rocker by a mile. Southpaw is a heavy chord strummer, different than rock.

I think ten years from now a lot of people are going to spin YOR and think, "f***. This is an awesome album. Sorta bummed I jumped on the hater bandwagon back when I was an idiot."

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

YOR is his rocker by a mile. Southpaw is a heavy chord strummer, different than rock.

I like you (cause you're right)

 

[CrystalGeezer]

I like you (cause you're right)

I always think of Southpaw as Moz's Jazz album. He's sort of transistioned from yodeling to scat and lyric improvisation over the years, Southpaw has a real Art Blakey feel to it for obvious reasons. Jazz Rock if you want to get technical and consider it "rock."

And some people think Jazzcats are stuffy. It sounded like Moz had a stuffy nose when he recorded it so all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly.

I'll get me sweatshirt.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

I always think of Southpaw as Moz's Jazz album. He's sort of transistioned from yodeling to scat and lyric improvisation over the years, Southpaw has a real Art Blakey feel to it for obvious reasons. Jazz Rock if you want to get technical and consider it "rock."

And some people think Jazzcats are stuffy. It sounded like Moz had a stuffy nose when he recorded it so all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly.

I'll get me sweatshirt.

haha! I read in the Mozipedia that apparently he's stuffy like that cause he ate so much dairy and eggs during recording #uselessinfo ?

 

[Comtesse]

"Years of Refusal" is a "Hard Rock" album? Weird. Anyway, they're both at the bottom of the barrel. Morrissey is far better suited for lush landscapes than rawk.