Maladjusted Reappraised

S

Skylarker

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I'd like to argue for the greatness of this album. It often gets lost in the shuffle when an overview of his work is discussed in journalism.

It contains some of his best lyrics/vocal melodies (title track, Trouble Loves Me, Papa Jack, He Cried, Ammunition), some of the best compositional work from Alain and Boz (Satan Rejected My Soul, Ambition Outsiders, Alma Matters, Trouble Loves Me), one of the first -if not the first- overt references to the internet in pop music history (Wide To Receive), as well as just blatant fun popsong greatness (Roy's Keen, Satan Rejected My Soul, Alma Matters).

I'll concede that Sorrow Will Come In The End is dreck, but hey, he more than made up for it with Lost, I Can Have Both, and The Edges Are No Longer Parallel.

Does anybody feel the way I do?
 
Skylarker said:
2000.jpg


I'd like to argue for the greatness of this album. It often gets lost in the shuffle when an overview of his work is discussed in journalism.

It contains some of his best lyrics/vocal melodies (title track, Trouble Loves Me, Papa Jack, He Cried, Ammunition), some of the best compositional work from Alain and Boz (Satan Rejected My Soul, Ambition Outsiders, Alma Matters, Trouble Loves Me), one of the first -if not the first- overt references to the internet in pop music history (Wide To Receive), as well as just blatant fun popsong greatness (Roy's Keen, Satan Rejected My Soul, Alma Matters).

I'll concede that Sorrow Will Come In The End is dreck, but hey, he more than made up for it with Lost, I Can Have Both, and The Edges Are No Longer Parallel.

Does anybody feel the way I do?
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Oh yeah, I do. I remember it being poorly received when it came out and it rushed headlong into the remainder bins. But I could not figure out why. Satan Rejected my Soul is a masterpiece! Roys keen a joy. I could go on.
 
Peterb said:
Oh yeah, I do. I remember it being poorly received when it came out and it rushed headlong into the remainder bins. But I could not figure out why. Satan Rejected my Soul is a masterpiece! Roys keen a joy. I could go on.
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Great, great album. I remember buying it the day it came out at Tower in Chicago with my then-girlfriend who hated Morrissey. God I could not wait to drop her off, so I could play it.

:thumb:
 
Skylarker said:
Great, great album. I remember buying it the day it came out at Tower in Chicago with my then-girlfriend who hated Morrissey. God I could not wait to drop her off, so I could play it.

:thumb:
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Am I right saying that this was the last album before his break in recording?
 
"Satan rejected ... " is such a fun summer-time hit ( okay , well it should have been ...) ...



As for the title track , I don't think Morrissey's lyric-writing was ever better...
 
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Peterb said:
Am I right saying that this was the last album before his break in recording?
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Well...yes...it would be another seven years til we head anything on record.

123xyz said:
"Satan rejected ... " is such a fun summer-time hit ( okay , well it should have been ...) As for the title track , I don't think Morrissey's lyric-writing was ever better...
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I honestly think Satan one of the best songs he's ever done. And the title track is just...legend.
 
All my love to long ago.

 
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I agree with everything here. Although it's not one of his stronger albums, it's still got enough quality tracks. Alma Matters, Ambitious Outsiders, Heir Apparent, Lost, I Can Have Both, the fantastic title track, and one of my all-time favorite Moz songs: Trouble Loves Me.

He doesn't know how to write a bad album
 
Iarwain said:
I agree with everything here. Although it's not one of his stronger albums, it's still got enough quality tracks. Alma Matters, Ambitious Outsiders, Heir Apparent, Lost, I Can Have Both, the fantastic title track, and one of my all-time favorite Moz songs: Trouble Loves Me.

He doesn't know how to write a bad album
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Just to bang on about the ( as you rightly put it ) fantastic title track , I'm always reminded of what a superbly clever lyricist Morrissey is whenever I hear the " ...Stevenage overspill... " pun in this song .
 
Skylarker said:
2000.jpg


I'd like to argue for the greatness of this album. It often gets lost in the shuffle when an overview of his work is discussed in journalism.

It contains some of his best lyrics/vocal melodies (title track, Trouble Loves Me, Papa Jack, He Cried, Ammunition), some of the best compositional work from Alain and Boz (Satan Rejected My Soul, Ambition Outsiders, Alma Matters, Trouble Loves Me), one of the first -if not the first- overt references to the internet in pop music history (Wide To Receive), as well as just blatant fun popsong greatness (Roy's Keen, Satan Rejected My Soul, Alma Matters).

I'll concede that Sorrow Will Come In The End is dreck, but hey, he more than made up for it with Lost, I Can Have Both, and The Edges Are No Longer Parallel.

Does anybody feel the way I do?
Click to expand...



Good call about the internet reference in "Wide ...". Early tech-adopting isn't really an idea that comes to mind when thinking of Moz but there he was , in '97 , casually articulating the loneliness of the unanswered poster/blogger/etc.
 
123xyz said:
Good call about the internet reference in "Wide ...". Early tech-adopting isn't really an idea that comes to mind when thinking of Moz but there he was , in '97 , casually articulating the loneliness of the unanswered poster/blogger/etc.
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These guys did it too, but not til six months after Morrissey. Still a very early incorporation of the Internet age into modern song.

 
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Skylarker said:
These guys did it too, but not til six months after Morrissey. Still a very early incorporation of the Internet age into modern song.

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This is starting to become an interesting question. How far ahead of the field was Moz ( regarding internet references in pop lyrics ) ? Obviously , there were any number of bands mentioning it before '97 but how many popular , mainstream-ish , pop/rock acts were doing so ( and doing so in such a discreet manner i.e. every track on the album wasn't about "the future" or "virtual reality" or "people turning into computers ... maannn " , etc. ) ?
 
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123xyz said:
This is starting to become an interesting question. How far ahead of the field was Moz ( regarding internet references in pop lyrics ) ? Obviously , there were any number of bands mentioning it before '97 but how many popular , mainstream-ish , pop/rock acts were doing so ( and doing so in such a discreet manner i.e. every track on the album wasn't about "the future" or "virtual reality" or "people turning into computers ... maannn " , etc. ) ?
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Well, I mean, he was and is a genius, despite whatever shit music he's settling for now.

I can't think of any internet reference in pop before Wide To Receive.
 
It does have great songs, though Alma Matters doesn't hold its own. I rather like Sorrow. Maladjusted is a grower.
He should play more of them live - Ammunition, Satan, Wide, He Cried.
Worth a mention that Morrissey doesn't sound like himself on this record, I don't know what
was done to his voice, but it sounds like he has a lamp in his throat.
The drumming is also excellent. I think he tried to recreate Vauxhall & I and I think he almost managed to.
Those slagging it off, have no idea what they're saying.
 
Skylarker said:
Well, I mean, he was and is a genius, despite whatever shit music he's settling for now.

I can't think of any internet reference in pop before Wide To Receive.
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One reference comes to mind. In 1997, Faith No More released their final album, humbly titled "Album of the Year." There is a song, "Naked Infront of the Computer." I'll let one of the band members explain:

"Naked in Front of the Computer" It is one of the few songs in the Faith No More catalogue written solely by Mike Patton. When asked about the song's meaning, Billy Gould replied:
“Actually, this song is about email. Patton is kind of obsessed with the idea of how people can communicate and have relationships over the computer without talking or ever meeting. So this is an extreme version of that concept. Funny thing is...the image of someone sitting naked in front of a computer might not have made sense to people a few years ago, but now everybody knows what it means. It's become part of our culture."
 
Funnily enough I listened to Maladjusted just the other day in it's entirety, I thought the same, what a great album.
As you say it was not well received at the time.

I would say the same fate awaits Years Of Refusal.
Morrissey albums have a habit of getting better with age, I reckon all the whiners on here who say his current work is shyte will be re-appraising in the future...
 
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