Customer Reviews

My Early Burglary Years

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Arguably Morrissey's (DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM STEVE) best compilation since "Bona Drag," "My Early Burglary Years" gives us die-hard fans a chance to rejoice. And while he is not a marketing wizard (how many times can you release "Suedehead," "The Boy Racer," or "Everyday is like Sunday"?), he truly shines when at his best. Prime examples are "Sunny," "Nobody Loves Us," "The Girl Least Likely To," and "Boxers." There are some lowpoints, which keep me from rating it 5 stars. I'm sorry folks, but I wasn't overly impressed with "The Boy Racer," or "Pashernate Love" the first time I heard them. It is a crime that these incredible B-sides did not make it onto any album (compiliations not included). "The Girl Least Likely To," while by no means a new track, is one of his best lyrical achievements ever (even with the Smiths). "Nobody Loves Us" is classic Morrissey and undeniably deserved A-Side status. I truly believe that Morrissey purposely walks the fine line of stardom and obscurity and ambushes his own career by deliberate choice. The singles he releases are usually not the best tracks on the album, and he sends hauntily brilliant songs into B-side obscurity which I can only explain as deliberate sabotage. Definitely not his worst, and at times close to his best, "My Early Burgarly Years" is an excellent musical choice for new listeners and a slightly bromic pill for the tried and true fan.

As a tired consumer of buying re-packaged songs, this cd is not bad at all. "Pashernate Love" is perhaps the best song. Hard to find B sides will flourish your stereo at home or work or play. Added bonus if you have a computer and a true Morrissey fan, you even get a freebee video for the song "Sunny". Bottom line, it is a good compilation of Moz' B side songs in one family fun packed cd. Hurray for Moz. Let it rip!

an extremely strong collection of songs and very worthwhile buy. I've heard the complaints - so much Smiths and Morrissey in re-circulation.

With this one you get solid, interesting songs that tell a very different tale than the one your local radio station is piping out. Elegant melodies and richly biting lyrics permeate this disc and remind those of us who have followed Morrissey for so many years why we stick around.

A useful but frustrating collection of Morrissey B-sides/rare tracks. Perhaps I can give a balanced view, now that most strange & scary cult fanatics have set their sights on Radiohead...

There are catchy & inspired moments on this compilation, but why lie? Morrissey's creativity and voice declined rapidly after the patchy yet wonderful 'Vauxhall and I' album. This CD could never be a Greatest Hits package, but it's useful as a collection of rare singles & B-sides for established fans. But sadly, like the cynical 'World of Morrissey' compilation, we get overlapping album tracks like the neat "Reader Meet Author" and the lame "Boy Racer". 4 of the other 14 tracks have appeared in some form on 'The World of Morrissey.'

This stinginess hurts both the record and Morrissey's reputation. I often love the music, but I can't ignore the money-grubbing music industry wheels turning. Although we get a lot of good B-sides, we don't get ALL of them, which means obsessives will still have to pay extra to get that last remaining B-side on every Morrissey single released in the '90s. (And we miss some great stuff: we don't get the catchy "East West", the thrilling KROQ "My Love Life", or rarities like "I Know Very Well How I Got My Name.") This complacent song-hoarding cynicism screams The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. Why don't we get a package like the Beatles 'Past Masters' or Joy Division's 'Still'/'Substance', which shored up all of the rare stuff worth hearing? Morrissey compilations provide just enough goodies for you to buy the countless singles. This is a greedy & mean way to play the market.

I know this Cd has been avalible for a few years, but due to a horriffic price over in Britain, I finally got it through Amazon at a very reasonable price, but enough brown nosing. This CD is class. It's so good to hear "nobody Loves Us" getting another chance, after being stuck on the B-side of "Dagenam Dave", because it truly is one of his finest moments. and its a song even non Morrissey will like. As is "The Boy Racer", although not a rarity, you know a song is good, when my girlfriend sings along to it. (She's not a big fan!) "Boxers" too is hardly a rare track, but it is another example of his best work. Other highlights are "Cosmic Dancer", the funky "Sister I'm a Poet", "Girl Least Likely To" and the vintage Morrissey of "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty". Well, if making top class songs is something to be guilty about, then it's a life sentence for Morrissey.

I was expecting an album with all new songs and didn't get it here. However, most of the singles and/or songs put together here, I never heard before and really liked them. My favorite songs on the album are, Sunny, At Amber, Nobody loves us, Michael's bones, Girl least likely to, etc. The reason I cite these as my favorites (and also I like many other songs on this album) was because I hadn't heard them before and it was nice to hear some good (new for me) material from him. I hope Morrissey will get out of this repetitive rutt of putting old rehashed songs into a so-called new album and come out with an entirely new album, with brand new songs!

Although morrissey can be accused of doing the very thing he loathes of repackaging material, nevertheless he can certainly change his plea to guilty on the number of collections he has released. He can be forgiven for these sins when an excellent collection as this is brought forth to the hungry Moz fan. Hard to find singles such as Sunny, and B-Sides such as Nobody loves Us, and Swallow Upon My Neck can attest to the strength of the Mozzers abilities, as many B-sides are as good or better than many A-sides.

My Early Burglary Years is a great compilation culled from years of
Morrissey's studio work after the demise of The Smith's in 1987. To
elaborate on his choice of title,"My Early Burglary Years", could
well have been associated with The Smiths? Never denied, or admitted.
But worth thinking about? [Andy Rourke's 1962 'P' bass, Johnny Marr's
plethora of guitars, and of course the road gear.]

The Smiths made Morrissey the man he is. Without the brillance of
Johnny Marr,[The The, {a couple of songs,} Pet Shop boys session work,
The Healers, Electronic,- 'left over New Order songs'; Modest Mouse,
and recently a full time member of The Cribs.

Andy Rourke's melodic bass lines turned into heroin addiction. A lawsuit
against Morrissey, [a settlement of more than half a million.]
Andy went home to Manchester, and is now is a DJ. His life turned full circle.

Mike Joyce will always be the man behind those tricky beats, and precise
timing.He also presented Morrissey with a lawsuit, for unpaid "wages."
Which leads us back to Morrissey himself......

Worldwide there seems to be an "aura" surrounding THE MOZ. In reality,
anyone can be A MOZ. To qualify you need to be born in Northern England
and attend Grammer School. Become educated in English Literature and then
waltz around as This Charming Man. A Lancashire accent, helps ice the cake.
All the references to him being "The Oscar Wilde of Pop" is false information.
To think that Morrissey could be a drunken Irishman writung poems or plays
is nonsenese.Oscar Wilde wallowed in aestheticism, and finally died a broke
and ill person. Morrissey invented his own aestheticism. By wielding flowers
on stage, and soaking in antique bathtubs at his Chelsea home;He kept a modest
step away from publicity.In effect he became a second Keats, or Shelley,
blurting out such things as.."Michael's Bones...he's just someone's luckless
son"...to "He does the military two-step down the nape of my neck"..
[Headmaster Ritual].

Having established himself with The Smiths, the man with the whimsical voice
recruited Stephen Street, and guitarist Vini Reilly to help with the making
of "Viva Hate" in 1988. Mike Joyce on drums. In 1990, along came another
compilation, "Bona Drag", with Rourke on bass, Mike on drums. In 1991 it was
"Kill Uncle", slammed by the critics, for such songs as "November Spawned A Monster."
"Your Arsenal" in 1992, produced by David Bowie's ex- guitarist, Mick Ronson
[now deceased],introduced Gary Day on bass. The Rockabilly's had arrived..The
mellow "Vauxhall and I" bridged the gap,with Rockabilly #2, Johnny Bridgewood
on bass from The Stingrays. In 1995, another compilation called "The World of
Morrissey." [see Amazon for details.] Johnny Bridgewood turned up the Ampeg on
"Southpaw Grammer" a brilliant, rocking album in 1995.[As a footnote, Gary Day
the bassman, left Morrissey between 1993-1996 to re-launch "The Sharks", with
Alan Wilson of Cherry Red Records, UK.] Johnny, held down the bass line for Morrissey,
as Gary Day played his double bass.

The importance of chronologically emphasing all that came before "My
Early Burglary Years", is the 'crossover' of musicians. From "Viva Hate",
to "Southpaw Grammer." Alain Whyte, and Boz Boorer two guitarists from
the streets of Rockabilly, in London, England ; set the tone musically,
and worked tirelessly with Morrissey to make albums.[Arranging, writing.
.coming up with ideas, electonic effects ,handed down to the producer.]
From all that effort,came "Burglary Years." The video OYE ESTEBAN
["Hey Steve!" in Spanish] features many of the tracks from "Burglary Years."
in black and white or color!

Since 1998. Morrissey has treated us to "Quarry","Ringleader",and
despite it's awful production, "Years of Refusal." His health is
failing, and at 50 years old his wisdom shines upon the British Flag.
Johnny Marr is now the caretaker for all the vintage Smiths material.
Andy Rourke is trying with Freebass, and Mike Joyce is just Mike! A
natural drummer, worth twice his weight in gold.

With regard to compilations, everyone from ABBA to YES have released
maybe 1 or 2 of them. Morrissey releases "Swords" in a few days, and by
all accounts, it could be his best compilation to date. Be urged to
support this unique songwriter. Wintertime is perfect for fireside
listening. And who better than Morrissey to transform your world??

While not my favorite Morrissey CD, My Early Burglary Years is incredible nonetheless. That such varying styles of songs from such a variety of years can be so seamlessly juxtaposed is a fine accomplishment. It's worth a listen.

A stunning compilation of cast-offs and B-sides that shows the Mo is still unsurpassed master of reflective, well-crafted pop music. The instrumental work is stunning too, with several tracks carrying perfect evocations of the full "Smiths" sound. A perfect complement to "Bona Drag" in your collection...