Apologies if this has been posted before, but which of these albums do people now consider to be best (or least worst maybe)?
Personally I would rank Maladjusted quite a long way above SG. Firstly for the title track. Musically it's nothing special, but I would say that there are more impressive lyrical ideas in this one song than there were in the entire previous album. Trouble Loves Me is the other obvious standout track (certainly should have been a single) and He Cried and Ammunition aren't bad at all either.
On the down side, the production is weak and things like Ambitious Outsiders and Sorrow should have sounded far more powerful with proper orchestration. Roy's Keen and Papa Jack ought to have been cut from the original and replaced with Lost and The Edges are no Longer Parallel.
As for SG, I've read a lot about people saying that it was adventurous for Morrissey and almost a prog-rock album. But I think the length of most songs was just dictated by Morrissey having written so few lyrics. The style by his desire to be seen as a tough guy which was never going to convince anyone. I never really listen to this one and don't think any of the songs can actually be described as being good.
Perhaps it could have been different though. If The Operation lost not only the drum solo but also the guitars at the end then it would be much improved. Both the first and last track could have at least 3 or 4 minutes trimmed off them. Do Your Best and Don't Worry and Best Friend also get far too repetitive. If these had been cut back a lot and a couple of other songs that were around at the time like Swallow or You Should Have Been Nice To Me re-recorded and added then it mightn't have been so bad.
Personally I would rank Maladjusted quite a long way above SG. Firstly for the title track. Musically it's nothing special, but I would say that there are more impressive lyrical ideas in this one song than there were in the entire previous album. Trouble Loves Me is the other obvious standout track (certainly should have been a single) and He Cried and Ammunition aren't bad at all either.
On the down side, the production is weak and things like Ambitious Outsiders and Sorrow should have sounded far more powerful with proper orchestration. Roy's Keen and Papa Jack ought to have been cut from the original and replaced with Lost and The Edges are no Longer Parallel.
As for SG, I've read a lot about people saying that it was adventurous for Morrissey and almost a prog-rock album. But I think the length of most songs was just dictated by Morrissey having written so few lyrics. The style by his desire to be seen as a tough guy which was never going to convince anyone. I never really listen to this one and don't think any of the songs can actually be described as being good.
Perhaps it could have been different though. If The Operation lost not only the drum solo but also the guitars at the end then it would be much improved. Both the first and last track could have at least 3 or 4 minutes trimmed off them. Do Your Best and Don't Worry and Best Friend also get far too repetitive. If these had been cut back a lot and a couple of other songs that were around at the time like Swallow or You Should Have Been Nice To Me re-recorded and added then it mightn't have been so bad.