Morrissey: Best/Worst; Over/Under

[GodEmperorMorrissey]

With the upcoming release of California Son, i thought we could consider his solo discography up to this point. Lot of politics as of late so how bout some focus on the man and his music. I'll start...

Best: Your Arsenal ( Excellent opener with a tight track list and Moz at his most smirking, cynical and plaintive)

Worst: Southpaw Grammar (Opener makes me think Moz would slay a Bond theme song but overall i find myself distant from this album)

Overrated: You Are The Quarry ( Really strong album actually but it does not make my top 5)

Underrated: Low In High School ( This has the strongest side A of a Moz album since Vauxhall and I. Singles Jacky's Only Happy' and Spent The Day In Bed are excellent and are the songs that made Moz fans of two college aged girls i know)

 

[Ugly Devil]

Best: Vauxhall and I. The best opener and closer to any album ever. With lush gorgeous songs sandwiched in between.

Worst: Kill Uncle. There's some lovely songs on here, but there's also some really dreadful material which weighs it down.

Overrated: You Are The Quarry. We agree on this. Too much filler, with an awful opener.

Underrated: Years Of Refusal. Basically Your Arsenal part 2. His best album since Vauxhall and I.

 

[Oh my]

Best: all the albums

Worst: none of the above

Overrated: The Guardian

Underrated: The album that will follow California Son

 

[SOUTHPAW GEEZA]

Best - SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR

A raw gripping album, a lot of people miss the point of it causing them to hate on it. Brilliant album

Worst - World Peace/Ringleader/Years Of Refusal

All forgettable, very samey, have some good moments

Over - You Are The Quarry

Has its great moments but also some duff ones

Under - SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR, Maladjusted, Vauxhall and I, Viva Hate

 

[Anonymous]

Best: World Peace Is None Of Your Business

Worst: California Son. Only because I'd prefer an album of Morrissey originals over a covers album.

Overrated: Interlude

Underrated: World Peace Is None Of Your Business and Low in High School.

 

[Anonymous]

Good idea for a thread!

Best - Viva Hate, Street's songwriting and arrangements were simply in a different league to any other solo collaborator, and even better than Marr's in some aspects. Switch in Suedehead b-sides for the album's weaker songs and you have an amazing collection of songs.
Worst - Southpaw Grammar, the only solo album that doesn't have a single great song, just a few quite good ones.
Overrated - Quarry, marked the arrival of M writing truly dismal lyrics (and has continued ever since) and has only one genuinely great song. It's his biggest selling album which shows that quality and commercial success are often totally unrelated.
Underrated - World Peace, title track is awful but there are more brilliant songs on the deluxe version than any M album since the Street era.

 

[SweetnTenderYorkshireman]

Best: “Your Arsenal”
“Vauxhall and I” almost pips it, though I just think the track list of “Your Arsenal” is very marginally stronger towards back end e.g. “I Know It’s Gonna Happen” > “The Lazy Sunbathers”. “Speedway” however is my favourite Moz song possibly ever.

Worst: “Years of Refusal”
Few good tracks “SISMS” “Black Cloud” “Mama..” but overall my least favourite release, “World Peace” is just a mixed, though I appreciate the risks he took and I started really getting into Moz at the time of that albums release and tour etc.

Over: “You Are The Quarry”
Seemingly popular choice for overrated, I like it and it has some brilliant moments for me “Camden” “Irish blood” “crashing bores” but the production is a little flat and there is a handful of filler, an important record in the Morrissey narrative, but far from his best work

Under: “Maladjusted”
at his most unfashionable (until perhaps now) and whilst there are some patchy spots, I like a good majority of this album, particularly the title track which is brilliant, “Trouble Loves Me” kills me every time, “Alma Matters” is a bit dull, “Satan Rejected..” is fun and controversially...I like “Roy’s Keen”.

 

[Flibberty]

Best: Just about Viva Hate (above Vauxhall and I). Two great singles, the wonderful Late Night Maudlin Street and a lot of very inspired lyrics.

Worst: Southpaw Grammar. Morrissey had written nowhere near enough lyrics and most songs are twice as long as they should be. The only album that I never listen to in its entirety.

Overrated: Along with Southpaw Grammar, I would say slightly Your Arsenal. A great production album from Mick Ronson, but some dodgy lyrics occasionally (eg. Fatty).

Underrated: World Peace is None of Your Business - especially the deluxe version. I enjoy all 6 of the bonus tracks, and there are several strong songs on the album proper too.

 

[Anonymous]

Best: bona drag

Worst: southpaw

Overrated: Vauxhall/arsenal (vauxhall is mixed for me. Some really good songs and some really boring ones. Very uneven record I think. Arsenal is an album where I love the music but feel that the songs subjects don’t always engage me. You’re gonna need someone, fatty, certain people, friends successful all kinda don’t connect with me to much and feel kinda light weight. Musically I love it)

Underrated: world peace by a long shot. A fantastic mix of everything that makes Morrissey good. Only thing missing maybe is a bit more humor. Also maladjusted but mostly the reissue

Most played: it changes all the time I guess but probably swords these days

 

[Eldritch]

Best: Vauxhall & I. His most mature and consistent album with career-best opener and closer.

Worst: Southpaw Grammar. I like the heady concept of opening and ending the album with 10+ minute tracks, but almost everything between them is dull and dreary (bar Reader Meet Author). I expect California Son to be worse, though.

Overrated: Perhaps Ringleader Of The Tormentors, which was a real let-down after Quarry.

Underrated: Maladjusted. The opening four tracks are up there with anything he's ever done and if he had followed them with the b-sides from that era, this would be one of his best albums.

 

[Thewlis]

Always a good idea. Maybe @ordinaryboy86 and @Surface always care to contribute, as they do seem to like (some of) Morrissey's music too

Best: Always either Viva Hate or Vauxhall for me. But in fact is really has to be Bona Drag
Worst: Years of Refusal. 4-5 great songs, but the rest I don't really care for.

Overrated: Ringleader, as a follow-up to the great Quarry it just didn't do much for me at the time, and still doesn't. Although Pigsty is monumental.
Underrated: Kill Uncle of course. Cannot believe nobody has mentioned it yet. Really like the feel of this album, it wanted to be Morrissey's Transformer and although it didn't quite match that I'll always have a soft spot for it. A really good album, and I hope Moz will tour a song or two from it again, someday.

 

[Sarcasmos]

Best: Vauxhall And I

Worst: Southpaw Grammar

Overrated: Your Arsenal

Underrated: Maladjusted

 

[ordinaryboy86]

Always a good idea. Maybe @ordinaryboy86 and @Surface always care to contribute, as they do seem to like (some of) Morrissey's music too

Best: Always either Viva Hate or Vauxhall for me. But in fact is really has to be Bona Drag
Worst: Years of Refusal. 4-5 great songs, but the rest I don't really care for.

Overrated: Ringleader, as a follow-up to the great Quarry it just didn't do much for me at the time, and still doesn't. Although Pigsty is monumental.
Underrated: Kill Uncle of course. Cannot believe nobody has mentioned it yet. Really like the feel of this album, it wanted to be Morrissey's Transformer and although it didn't quite match that I'll always have a soft spot for it. A really good album, and I hope Moz will tour a song or two from it again, someday.

As you wish..

Best: VIVA HATE (most consistent, track for track, from start to finish, only track I might skip is Angel, Down We Go). I think it has the best opener of any Morrissey album, Alsatian Cousin, possibly tied with Now My Heart Is Full. Late Night, is a masterpiece, EILS & Suedehead are still two of his greatest songs of all time. Bengali & Break Up The Family are just soothing, melancholy lullaby like tracks. And the outro on Margaret On The Guillotine is just beautiful.

Worst: World Peace & Low In High School


Overrated: World Peace & Low In High School by a stretch. Though Your Arsenal, while it has some of my favourite Moz tracks ever, (Seasick, We’ll Let You Know, National Front), is let down by the midsection, (Fatty, We Hate It When & Certain People I Know)

Underrated: Not sure if it’s underrated, but Ringleader is his last great album. If you’re still not sold on it, I suggest taking the afternoon off and sticking the LP on. It’s one of them you can just drift off too, with tracks like, Dear God Please Help Me, To Me You Are A Work Of Art, I’ll Never Be & Life Is A Pigsty.

 

[Thewlis]

As you wish..

Best: VIVA HATE (most consistent, track for track, from start to finish, only track I might skip is Angel, Down We Go). I think it has the best opener of any Morrissey album, Alsatian Cousin, possibly tied with Now My Heart Is Full. Late Night, is a masterpiece, EILS & Suedehead are still two of his greatest songs of all time. Bengali & Break Up The Family are just soothing, melancholy lullaby like tracks. And the outro on Margaret On The Guillotine is just beautiful.

Worst: World Peace & Low In High School


Overrated: World Peace & Low In High School by a stretch. Though Your Arsenal, while it has some of my favourite Moz tracks ever, (Seasick, We’ll Let You Know, National Front), is let down by the midsection, (Fatty, We Hate It When & Certain People I Know)

Underrated: Not sure if it’s underrated, but Ringleader is his last great album. If you’re still not sold on it, I suggest taking the afternoon off and sticking the LP on. It’s one of them you can just drift off too, with tracks like, Dear God Please Help Me, To Me You Are A Work Of Art, I’ll Never Be & Life Is A Pigsty.

Or you want me to troll-rate this? As you did mine
Look, these kind of posts are great. Great choices too!
Hopefully Surface will follow.
I'm not going to wait for Skinny to do his

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Don’t be embarrassed, Ketamine Sun didn’t even make it past “Music legend Morrissey”.

Why are you talking shit about me? I leave you alone.. Leave me alone.

Such trolling behavior calls for me to rate your posts accordingly.



Edit: ha! See how you deleted your post, trying to get rid
of the evidence that points to your trollish behavior?

 

[Surface]

Or you want me to troll-rate this? As you did mine
Look, these kind of posts are great. Great choices too!
Hopefully Surface will follow.
I'm not going to wait for Skinny to do his

Quick reply but Vauxhall is my favourite followed by Ringleaders and Quarry, least favourite is LIHS. Interestingly LIHS is my daughters favourite and she absolutely loves My love I’d do anything for you and has the beginning as the ring tone on her phone!

 

[ordinaryboy86]

Or you want me to troll-rate this? As you did mine
Look, these kind of posts are great. Great choices too!
Hopefully Surface will follow.
I'm not going to wait for Skinny to do his

Oh, now they’re great cos they’re somewhat complimentary to your King? This kind of comment shows what a f***in cretin you are.

 

[Thewlis]

Oh, now they’re great cos they’re somewhat complimentary to your King? This kind of comment shows what a f***in cretin you are.

No, it shows what a f***ing cretin YOU are.
They are great because they actually say something about the reason why anyone would come here, eg because they like the music instead of your usual bile-spreading.
But never mind, we give up on you.

 

[ordinaryboy86]

No, it shows what a f***ing cretin YOU are.
They are great because they actually say something about the reason why anyone would come here, eg because they like the music instead of your usual bile-spreading.
But never mind, we give up on you.

Stop saying “we”, like everyone shares your opinion on me and my posts. You’re in a very small group of deranged fans.

 

[Thewlis]

Stop saying “we”, like everyone shares your opinion on me and my posts. You’re in a very small group of deranged fans.

I choose what I say and do not say, thank you very much.
And no, YOU are in a very small group of hypocritical ex-fans, only outweighed by KnobSkinny in brainlessness and abusive behaviour.