Swords

Morrissey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 3, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ume Imports
• ASIN: B002ONEIRW
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,752 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Crowning what is undoubtedly his most productive year since his solo career began in 1988, SWORDS compiles 18 select songs released as b-sides of his 13 hit singles from his last four albums.

As an artist who has always ensured his b-sides are of as outstanding quality as his singles and album tracks, SWORDS features some of Morrissey's finest material. 12 songs are collaborations with guitarist Alain Whyte, the rest co-written with guitarists Boz Boorer and Jesse Tobias, and former keyboardist Michael Farrell. In keeping with the three remarkable studio albums covered in his period - 2004's You Are The Quarry, 2006's Ringleader Of The Tormentors and Years Of Refusal - the music is powerful and adventurous.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars should have been more complete, November 3, 2009

By 

Russell Chamberlain "Russell" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Swords (Audio CD)

Why not a two CD set to pick all the singles from this period.

Mexico
Human Being
Song From under the Floorboards

and a few others could have filled out a second disc.

That being said,What is here is good. And, I am giving it four stars (instead of 3) for not throwing recent singles on it like Moz collections have in the past, ie World of Morrissey and My Early Burglary Years.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the last two studio albums, November 27, 2009

By 

Comedy Album Fanatic "W.C. Fields Forever" (Western New York) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Swords (Audio CD)

This CD is a collection of B-sides recorded over the course of Morrissey's last three studio albums: "You are the Quarry", "Ringleader of the Tormentors", "Years of Refusal".

The primary reason I like this collection more than his last two studio albums might be the variety of atmosphere. His album "Ringleader" was sonically dark, and "Years of Refusal" was sort of stripped down music with a post-punk feel. Both albums were good, but wore me down, unlike "You are the Quarry" which had a very bright poppy sound. This CD balances all those sounds well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a surprsingly, delightfuly pleasant treat!, February 7, 2010

By 

Nathan Surber - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swords (Audio CD)

So, I've been a fan for many years, have seen several shows, bought many albums, posters, videos, etc. from this singularly unique man. I've even had the pleasure of meeting him once, however brief. And through the years, I have had my high and low opinions about his enormous body of work, from the early Smiths to the late Years of Refusal. Morrissey is probably my most favorite music artist of all time, but that's not to say that I have enjoyed all of his productions. Most range from awesome to great. Some are good. Some are OK. Some you'd like to forget about, and some make you race to the remote to skip a track.
HOWEVER, I am so very, very, very pleased with this latest compilation of b-sides that I feel like I'm in love all over again. What a great selection! What a wonderful sound! What an extraordinary mix of his talent all rolled into one very worthy CD! This is the collection that I have been waiting for for years as a long-time fan. Nearly every single track is brilliant. The mix in this anthology reveals that mystical, indescribable magic that resonates within the soul which only the maestro can evoke. It's the power, insight, cleverness, and emotions in this collection that has renewed my faith and has lead me to rediscover what makes this man so special to me when he works his magic. And also, with his team, the music matches the lyrical art song-for-song.
I don't think I have anything really specific to say about this CD; it's just the overall work and presentation that has just blown me away and has left me speechless, leaving me yet again exchanging the words in my head for the poetry in his songs.
I guess you could say that you should take this review of mine as more of a fan-based impression than a blow-by-blow critique of the CD. I guess the only thing I might put a fine point on is, like some others have said, is that, somehow, this collection of year's worth of b-sides is just simply better than, in my opinion, most of the stand-alone productions themselves in recent years. With this one CD, you get the quintessential artist at his very best, even after so many years have passed. It is the culmination of a career full of sincere, palpable humanity, proffered in a solid state of musical and lyrical bliss, a CD that stays in your head and has you rushing back to the console to hear it again and again.
Long-story-short, if you like Morrissey, I'd like to think that you'd love this CD as much as I do. If you are a new-comer to the legend, this CD is an excellent introduction. And if you can't relate to him by now, with this compilation in hand, then you probably never will.