Morrisseys best ever year?

Maverick

Maverick
For me, it has to be 1995.

Coming off the back of Vauxhall in 1994, we had the Boxers EP, followed by his best ever solo album yet in the shape of Southpaw Grammar, then the Sunny EP to top it all off.

That years superb live tour was showcased with the excellent Introducing Morrissey video in 1996, and that just concreted what had to be Mozzers best ever year of output.

Will he ever top those glory days?
 
I don't know i would say either 1988 or 2004, at the time of Viva Hate or You Are The Quarry
 
Personally I thought 2004 was his best year. Commercially speaking that's certainly the case.

However I think that because he was getting on a bit by then (he was 44 and 45 that year) a lot of media outlets and people were put off. Perhaps if he was fifteen or twenty years younger and making a record like that and putting on shows as good as that then he would have had four #1 singles and a #1 album.
 
I think the trio of Your Arsenal/Vauxhall/Southpaw is Morrissey at his peak, so I'd choose 1994 as his peak year.

2004 is a close runner up as the comeback was great and was a reward to all us fans of old who had carried on following him during his wilderness years.
 
I love his mid-90s period, but i'd say it has to be 2004.
 
For me, it has to be 1995.

Coming off the back of Vauxhall in 1994, we had the Boxers EP, followed by his best ever solo album yet in the shape of Southpaw Grammar, then the Sunny EP to top it all off.

That years superb live tour was showcased with the excellent Introducing Morrissey video in 1996, and that just concreted what had to be Mozzers best ever year of output.

Will he ever top those glory days?

1995??????? That's one of his WORST ever years! He released his worst solo album (especially glaring after coming after the triumphant Vauxhall and I), he released a pair of middling and uninspiring a-sides, his personal life was in shambles (this was the year he severed ties with Jake) which accounted for his depressing concert appearances where he had very little interaction with the crowds and was often on the verge of tears (I think there's nothing as sad as watching him barely make his way through "Moonriver" on the Introducing Morrissey video), and he quit the David Bowie tour in disgrace. An extremely bad year and hardly "glory days".

I think his greatest year was 1984. The excitement of young Morrissey finally getting an avenue for his creative expression led to an onslaught of amazing appearances and recordings. The perfect quiff! The spectacles! The hearing aid! The flowers! The bush in the back pocket! The Evans Outsize Shop blouses! "Marry Me"! Gunning down the dancers during "How Soon Is Now"! Hatful Of Hollow! The Smiths! "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"! "William, It Was Really Nothing"! "Eight Days A Week"! Sandie Shaw! Interviews galore! Now, THAT was a good year.

As far as solo years are concerned, you'd have to argue between 1992 and 2004 as the best years. Not necessarily musically (I'd argue for 1988), but as far as his career was concerned. Both of those years marked comebacks and exceptionally successful tours. I think Morrissey himself would have to agree that 2004 was probably the best year of his career: after several years in the wilderness, he returned with a triumphant album; he had a wildly successful tour; critical acclaim; and he topped it off by reuniting his favorite artists for the Meltdown festival. Kind of a hard year to top.
 
1995??????? That's one of his WORST ever years! He released his worst solo album (especially glaring after coming after the triumphant Vauxhall and I), he released a pair of middling and uninspiring a-sides, his personal life was in shambles (this was the year he severed ties with Jake) which accounted for his depressing concert appearances where he had very little interaction with the crowds and was often on the verge of tears (I think there's nothing as sad as watching him barely make his way through "Moonriver" on the Introducing Morrissey video), and he quit the David Bowie tour in disgrace. An extremely bad year and hardly "glory days".

I think his greatest year was 1984. The excitement of young Morrissey finally getting an avenue for his creative expression led to an onslaught of amazing appearances and recordings. The perfect quiff! The spectacles! The hearing aid! The flowers! The bush in the back pocket! The Evans Outsize Shop blouses! "Marry Me"! Gunning down the dancers during "How Soon Is Now"! Hatful Of Hollow! The Smiths! "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"! "William, It Was Really Nothing"! "Eight Days A Week"! Sandie Shaw! Interviews galore! Now, THAT was a good year.

As far as solo years are concerned, you'd have to argue between 1992 and 2004 as the best years. Not necessarily musically (I'd argue for 1988), but as far as his career was concerned. Both of those years marked comebacks and exceptionally successful tours. I think Morrissey himself would have to agree that 2004 was probably the best year of his career: after several years in the wilderness, he returned with a triumphant album; he had a wildly successful tour; critical acclaim; and he topped it off by reuniting his favorite artists for the Meltdown festival. Kind of a hard year to top.


I agree about 1995. I saw him on The Boxers tour and he looked absolutely depressed. It was eerie. I remember seeing Russ Seekatz, co-founder with David T. of the excellent 'Sing Your Life' outside of the Brixton Academy (I think david T. was there as well but I could be wrong) and Russ asked me what i thought and I just said 'depressed.'

I thought Moz was going to burst into tears during Moonriver.
 
His best year?

Easy, 1992 for many many reasons.
 
I think if you could take Moz'91 and genetically splice it with Moz'04~'09 (i.e now) it would be the perfect combo :
Moz'91 for the aesthetics ~ the most handsome he (or anyone else for that matter) has ever been, the quintessential quiff (sorry Comtesse, but the '91 pompadour trumps all over '84), the sparkly/sheer shirts/Levis/DMs look, magenta nail varnish, Harvey'n'Edith and all the other stars that came out to play on the 'Kill Uncle' world jaunt, ~ basically *see 'Morrissey Shot'
MozNow for the sound ~ the strength and stretch of the music in the last 5 years, the lyrics - bolder, starker, honed and precise, less hiding behind tricks and quips, more direct, and, crucially, delivered via that voice - the best he (or anyone alse for that matter) has ever been. A singing voice unimaginable back on the 'Kill Uncle' tour, which was more about the raw power and the gloriously unnatural exchange between audience and star.
In dreams...
:)
 
its all a matter of opinion!!! (and age!)

1992 or 1994 for me. After the struggle of that difficult 2nd LP Moz came out with a belter. Wowed America. Took on the NME (and won??)
1993 wasn't a good year for him or me.
1994 Vauxhall. Enough said.

2004 was good though for those of us who followed him in the wilderness years.......

I think the live shows last year were his best from a setlist point of view

1983-87 were pretty solid too:lbf:
 
sorry Comtesse, but the '91 pompadour trumps all over '84

I must respectfully disagree. While the height was impressive, the sideburns weren't nearly as nice as in 84.
 
I must respectfully disagree. While the height was impressive, the sideburns weren't nearly as nice as in 84.
I can brook no dissension friend.
This can only be settled by a duel.....
a Duel of the Pompadours..
(good album title)
:)
 
1985 and 1986 were good years when I think the Smiths were at their peak.

1991 - The energy in the Kill Uncle tour was immense.

but for me for me his best year was 2002 - He was writing again whilst searching for the record deal. FOTGTD, IBEH and I Like you were certainly all written in that year and possibly the whole of quarry. His tour that year when he had no record deal and had not toured since 1999 was awesome and the setlist at Blackburn in 20002 was just amazing and I dont think will ever be topped. No album to promote and therefore no over reliance on songs from one album. Hand in Glove, Suedehead, EDILS, Alsation Cousin, Sister, TALTNGO all live in one set, Superb.

I think this year will be a good one too. He just looks so relaxed at the moment and happy with what is happening around him.
 
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1995 mav is rite!
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