For those who've heard it, how do you now rate Years of Refusal?

How do you rate Years of Refusal?

  • Total voters
    169
Stanley the 2nd said:
I've been a bit down on the Moz during this last year or so on this forum. I've been roundly booed as I suggested that ROTT was 90% filler and that his current band were pub rock wanabees. Imagine my surprise when I listened to the new album and was blown away by how shockingly good it is. Glorious even. And there I was ready to hate it. Shurely shome mishtake as what Sir Sean might have uttered in a Bond film.

Once I'd picked myself up from the floor admidst repeated listenings I really do think this is the best thing Moz has done since V&I. A bold statement, but in parts this album really is that good. The instrumentation on the album could be the best yet for a solo album as there are some lovely textures on there. The acoustic break in the middle of Black Cloud being a good example of the variety. Lots of well placed keyboards and effects all contribute to a lovely soundscape (o-er missus!).

We also get some songs that veer away from the 4/4 guitar pattern. The Last I time spoke to Carol for example. Absolutely glorious stuff. The highpoint of the album. Plus Moz's singing seems to be more in his range as he's not strainging for those difficult notes like he was on ROTT. A nice selection of lyrics, my favourite being "when I die I want to go to hell". Okay, the last couple of tracks I'm still trying to get into and the bass playing isn't that great on the album but that's me being very picky. Plus I've excluded AYNIM and THPGU as I don't really think they should be on the album in the first place.

When Morrissey said Jerry Finn was his ideal producer he wasn't wrong. A fitting epitaph to the man. Can't wait to hear the b-sides.

I'm surprised that a lot of the fans are down on this album. I think it is a step in the right direction. But then again I hated ROTT when everyone else loved it, so there you go.
Click to expand...

Nice insight there Stan. I too thought ROTT was pants so I'm really hoping this is a huge improvement (won't get to hear it til the CD comes out).
Some of the fans may be down on it but most certainly aren't. Just look at the results in the poll in this thread. A clear majority think it's way up there with the best solo albums although admittedly very few think it is his best...
 
I enjoy the track-by-track reviews, especially seeing how other peoples opinions compare to my own.

Not going to do one myself however, mainly as I don't feel I can offer anything particularly insightful beyond "love this track, particularly the bit where..."


SISMS is my favourite by several country miles. I caned the Jools Holland recording mercilessly on my iPod for the last 10 months or so, so you might think I'd tire of the studio version relatively quickly. Not so, it pushes all my buttons hard.

Not sure where I stand on the whole 'inclusion of AYNIM & THPGU' debate. I like hearing them when I listen through the album, and have only skipped the latter once. However because they are so over familiar, it is something of a jarring experience when they come on, as if you have deviated from Years Of Refusal to listen to it, before returning to the new album.

At this point, having listened many times over the last couple of days, Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed is 'winning' as my least favourite. I'm not sure why, I quite like the chorus, I just find it a little dull. After the barrage that is Something Is Squeezing My Skull I do feel a sense of apathy when Mama kicks in, and find myself yearning for the much more exciting and intresting Black Cloud.
I do remember not being that convinced by its live airings last year either.

Final verdict: S'good, innit.
 
Last edited:
spurscanada said:
...This is the first Morrissey album that I would feel slightly embarrassed to play in front of family and friends. It's so...clunky...
Click to expand...

This is what I've been thinking about since I heard it.
Except 'Skull' and 'Carol' I don't think there is anything I can imagine myself putting on a "neutral" playlist when friends come over, everything else it too jarring (and when I say "neutral" I am a music snob, so it's all gonna be quality-neutral :p)

I suppose 'Farewell', 'Paris', 'All You Need' are nice enough but nothing that I'd think anyone else needs to hear.

If there's music that I am in love with the first thing I do is put it on while me and the family are having dinner so they can hear it (who could forget the Kirsty MacColl Christmas of 2006 lol), but I have no great urge to make them hear this.

As I keep saying, I really hope that hearing some of the songs live might save them for me, but mostly I'm left shrugging my shoulders at most of this album.

(Also, it's an obvious thing, but having 'Grow Up' and 'All You Need' on the album really do slow it down. I have even taken them off the album playlist for the time being, I'm so used to hearing the songs it's like listening to a weird compilation, rather than a new album.)
 
Where'd you place YOR in the Morrissey discography

List your 9 Moz-albums here:

1) Viva Hate
2) Vauxhall
3) Quarry
4) Arsenal
5) Years of Refusal
6) Southpaw
7) Ringleader
8) Kill Uncle
9) Maladjusted

No Bona Drag please, it's a compilation!
 
Re: Where'd you place YOR in the Morrissey discography

Not again, good grief.
 
Overall better than ROTT, looking forward to the b sides. YATQ & ROTT both had exellent b sides most of them worthy of inclusion on any album. The singles from ROTT were the weakest on the album but backed up by some top rate b sides. Hope the ones on Paris are as good.
Would liked to have seen My dearest love on the album rather than the last 2 singles.
 
Well those results are interesting. Despite the negativity on here, over 60% of people think it's in the top four or even the best? (I haven't yet heard it myself).
 
Smige said:
Well those results are interesting. Despite the negativity on here, over 60% of people think it's in the top four or even the best? (I haven't yet heard it myself).
Click to expand...

You Must Please Remember, however, that the people who vote on the polls on this forum are not entirely objective. Some of these would rate Morrissey singing Humpty Dumpty as the best thing since How Soon Is Now?.

The rest would moan that it's not as good as How Soon Is Now?.
 
Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

Where'd you place YOR in the Morrissey canon?

Here's mine:

1) Vauxhall
2) Quarry
3) Viva
4) Arsenal
5) Ringleader
6) Maladjusted
7) YOR
8) Southpaw
9) Kill Uncle

No Bona Drag please, it's a compilation...
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

1) Viva
2) Quarry
3) Vaux
4) YoR
5) Arsenal
6) Southpaw
7) Kill Uncle
8) Ringleader
9) Maladjusted
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

1. Vauxhall
2. Arsenal
3. Years of Refusal
4. Southpaw
5. Viva
6. Quarry
7. Ringleader
8. Maladjusted
9. Kill Uncle
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

1. Viva Hate
2. Quarry
3. Vauxhall
4. YOR
5. Southpaw
6. Arsenal
7. Ringleader
8. Maladjusted
9. Kill Uncle
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

Not Right in the Head said:
I'll let you know when the friggin' album is released.
Click to expand...

don't be a
UNS_462.jpg
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

1) Vauxhall
2) Arsenal
3) Viva
4) Kill Uncle
5) Quarry
6) YOR
7) Ringleader
8) Maladjusted
9) Southpaw

I didn't realize it would go down so far... :( And I don't think I'll ever like it more than Quarry. And I didn't realize I liked 2 albums less than ROTT... :confused:
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

This changes every day but this minute:

1) Arsenal
2) Vauxhall
3) Southpaw
4) YOR
5) Maladjusted
6) Viva
7) Quarry
8) Uncle
9) Ringleader
 
Re: Your Top 9 Moz-albums - where will YOR go?

1. Vauxhall
2. Viva
3. Quarry
4. YOR
5. Southpaw
6. Arsenal
7. Maladjusted
8. Ringleader
9. Kill Uncle
 
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