If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Moz...

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Morrissey or The Smiths, would his latest releases have brought you into the fold?


Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

[the_kaz]

I'm 23 now and I must have been 19 or 20 when I first got into Morrissey and The Smiths. I got the two disc best of The Smiths, just to try something new, and quite liked it. But it was a short time later when I borrowed Morrissey's (at the time) latest solo album, 'You Are the Quarry', of a friend and copied it* that I fell in love. I thought the lyrics were hilarious, the political messages were great, and it was just a lot more accessible to my young ears that only really listened to whatever was popular than The Smiths were.

Then I moved onto Morrissey's solo best of and didn't care much for it. Then 'Ringleader' came out, and I loved it almost as much as I loved 'Quarry'. Of course, since then I've grown a little and acquired a taste for old Morrissey and The Smiths and I now realise that they were a lot better than the new stuff. But, as a young listener, I needed the accessibility of the new albums to ease me in.

*Before anyone jumps on me! I copied it for myself and have since purchased it legally. But if it wasn't for the fact that I illegally copied it in the first place, I never would have gotten into Morrissey at all. Piracy can be beneficial to the music industry!

[PsychodelicateGirl]

That is an excellent question-
One of the things that really moves me about Years of Refusal is that it sounds very much, in many ways like the music I was drawn to when I first discovered Morrissey, when I was 19/20. I am now 25.
I was very (and still am) enamored with David Bowie, and from ROTT to YoR, I can hear in the music this elegance and cinematic quality that drew me to Bowie when I was a child, and does to this day. There is a lush menace in Moz's newer work, with arrangements and sounds that spiral down my spinal column.
So to answer your question, 'yes, I certainly would'

[9 x Fined]

If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Morrissey or The Smiths, would his latest releases have brought you into the fold?


Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

I thought about this recently. I am grateful to have been a fan during the release of Arsenal, Vauxhall, Southpaw etc. I bought Vauxhall a few minutes before boarding a ferry from Long Island to Connecticut on a cold rainy day. Talk about the perfect soundtrack.

Ah, memories.

[dagenham don]

It's a good question. I don't have an answer. I do feel like Morrissey and I have aged together. Each new release seems to fit my frame of mind at that time.

[Not Right in the Head]

God no.

[Chileiceman]

It's funny, I've only become a Moz fan in the last year or so, but it was The Smiths and his earlier solo work that drew me in. Although the first time I ever heard of him was when I heard Irish Blood...on the radio when I was 14, and I quite liked it. I also liked his next two songs I heard on the radio (First of the Gang, Let Me Kiss You). The I became aquanited with some of his older hits, like Suedehead, Everyday Is Like Sunday, The More You Ignore Me..., Alma Matters.

When ROTT came out I liked You Have Killed Me, but no so much The Youngest Was The Most Loved (although I dig it now).

[nugz]

definitely not. I became a Smiths fan first, bout 6 years ago, so no I don't really think so.

I mean, I know that if I was gonna try to get someone into Morrissey now, I definitely wouldnt use his last 2 albums

[David]

I am 19 and have liked Moz since I was 14. Most of ROTT had little effect on me, but I really think YOR is a return to form. "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" and "When Last I Spoke to Carol" in particular are strong lyrics, with a great deal of emotive expressiveness. The album as a whole is one I can appreciate on a level deeper than just aestheticism.

[9 x Fined]

I should note that I heard Strangeways and feel in love with it before getting into Moz's solo stuff. Still love that album dearly.

over and out

[Theo]

If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Morrissey or The Smiths, would his latest releases have brought you into the fold?
Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

I'd probably get into Moz if I were coming of age right now. I mean, I did get into Leonard Cohen with his "The Future" album and he was pretty old by then, and "by then" was actually a couple years after that album came out.

So, yeah, I think I'd end up discovering "Years of Refusal" as an alternative to:

She's A Very Freaky Girl Dont Bring Her To Mamma
First You Get Her Name Then You Get Her Number
Then You Get Some Brain In The Front Seat Of
The Hummer Then You Get Some Brain In The Front
Seat Of The Hummer

Which is a great song, but you can only play a song about getting head in the front seat of your Hummer so many times before you crave songs about more complicated and messier feelings.

[Sister Rose]

yeah, they totally would have. I always appreciated good music...right from a young age. The first time I heard moz I must have been about 12 years old, it was my brother's record. " Last Of The Famous International Playboys" and a lot of Talking Heads, New Order...good music from an early age. I was listening to the Sex Pistols at 16 years of age when all the other teens were listening to boy bands and stuff....not that I don't listen to pop music cos I do, but I appreciate good music and songwriting better....

I really should piss off to bed!.....hahahaa

[Oh my god, it's Robby!]

If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Morrissey or The Smiths, would his latest releases have brought you into the fold?


Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

yatq for sure
yor maybe
rott, hmm, i dont know, depends how i felt about the church and gayness that week

[LukaInExile]

definitely not. I became a Smiths fan first, bout 6 years ago, so no I don\'t really think so.

I mean, I know that if I was gonna try to get someone into Morrissey now, I definitely wouldnt use his last 2 albums

It disappoints me Nugz--that you do not like YOR. And half of ROTT was great. I know you will do the right thing and come to love YOR by the time it is officially released. After all, we all need something to love. You will love YOR.

You otherwise seem like a cool person, do not fuck it up. ok. thanks.

[I am a Ghost]

Yes..

[sweet and tender hooligan]

Well i first heard Morrissey when i was 13 but i was into the Smiths first and because that was around the time of Quarry i heard his songs on the radio (it took me a while to realise that they were solo songs and not some odd smiths tracks i had never heard) so i think the answer would be yes.

[ellay mort]

Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

YATQ definitely does.

ROTT definitely does not. YOR- somewhere in the middle??

[Depeche609]

If you were the age now that you were when you first discovered Morrissey or The Smiths, would his latest releases have brought you into the fold?


Does YOR, ROTT, YATQ speak the language of the youth?

Well YATQ did re-light my heart fire so I gotta go with that. I liked Morrissey since I was 15 (now 28) and saw him for the Malajusted tour but Quarry totally sparked obession level! I bet I'm not the only one....

[nugz]

It disappoints me Nugz--that you do not like YOR. And half of ROTT was great. I know you will do the right thing and come to love YOR by the time it is officially released. After all, we all need something to love. You will love YOR.

You otherwise seem like a cool person, do not fuck it up. ok. thanks.

hahaha! im sorry to destroy your dreams.

at this point, i LIKE YOR. but thats it. its better then ROTT. only 3 songs stick out to me. I'm sorry. I still love the Mozzer. always will. i cant say i will love it. but i will be at Webster and Carnegie, and I will be lovin our beloved Morrissey during those few precious hours. I'll be dancing and singing and maybe you'll see me. SAY HAI!

[esheh195]

I'd hate to say it....but no, probably not.
I think when I first came across Morrissey's music in like 92 or so, I was at a certain point in my life where alot of his work really spoke to me. And since then I feel like what someone else earlier said, we grew up together...I can kinda relate to some of what he presently expresses in his modern work....but I don't think I would be so into him if I heard him for the first time today.
umm...does that make sense ..eh, watever...I'm tired.