Customer Reviews

You Are The Quarry (Gatefold)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It might just be that the patron saint of adolescent sexual frustration and malaise got tired of the shtick that made him so popular. From his pompadoured, "asexual" persona at the head of the Smiths to a decade of self-indulgent solo albums, Morrissey became very predictable: his album covers would feature a near-exact design, his song titles would be ridiculously wordy and the actual music would be relatively unremarkable.

That's changed. Morrissey hasn't sound this inspired since Viva Hate. In fact, songs like "Irish Heart, English Blood" actually rock - I would venture to say that Alain Whyte has finally proven to be a better co-writer than Stephen Street ever was (despite his helping to write "Suedehead"), and Morrissey finally manages to come across as being more honest than coy. "How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel?" is indicative of this album as a whole: it retains Morrissey's biting, verbose lyrics (and title) and manages to be catchy at the same time. In fact, its guitar work sounds very similar to that of a brand-new band from Morrissey's dear Britain: Franz Ferdinand. The ability to confuse Morrissey's music with that of a band bursting with youthful vitality is a very, very pleasing thing.

This is the best work Morrissey has done in years, and it is most likely his best solo work yet. It's nice to see him finally step outside of his tired old formula; if this is his swan song, he's going out on a really high note.

Seven years on the sidelines must have given Morrissey plenty of time to think about where his music has been, gone and will go, because when he finely sat down and recorded a new album, he sounded like Morrissey again. Like most of the reviewers here, I feel like this is his strongest work since those first couple of solo albums, filled with dour smiles and crusty observations. To wit, the state of pop music from singers "so scared to show intelligence, it might smear their lovely career." ("The World is Full Of Crashing Bores," which is a Moz title if ever there was.)

While songs like "Bores," "First Of The Gang to Die" and "Come Back to Camden" sure taste like Smiths/Morrissey of old, there are a couple of slam dunks that show an older and wizened Mo, in particular "America is Not The World" and "Irish Blood, English Heart." A stinging indictment of Bush politics and Prime Minister Tony Blair's willful lap dogging, it begs for understanding from a heart which "you say you don't need." Even with that kind of roiling discontent, "America" wouldn't be a Moz song without the get-out-clause, and here Morrissey ends the rant with the frustration of a patriot who tells his country and countrymen, "haven't you me with you now? I love you." It's a moment worthy of "The Queen Is Dead."

Even better is the album's first single, "Irish Blood English Heart," which compound those feelings. In lyrics that echo U2, Morrissey struggles with the love of homeland and the contorting dismay of, as he puts it, dreaming of being an Englishman who longs "...not to be baneful,
to be standing by the flag
not feeling shameful, racist or partial."

It's enough to make you wish you were in college again, ready to get your mope on. The musicians here aid in delivering on those old emotions. Despite what some may be saying, Blink 182 producer Jerry Finn does little to mess with Moz' general sound other than add a few electronic effects and making keyboardist Roger Manning a little more prominent. But it sure is nice to hear that a grown-up Morrissey can now project some grand old adult angst in the same tones delivered during his twenties.

It's so nearly great. The guitars chug along, doing nothing we haven't heard guitars do before. Some of the songs are shapeless, more like rambles with a tune than actual songs. But some are almost perfect, and they all have moments that could only come from Morrissey. "America is not the world" starts off seeming like it'll be frankly embarrassing, a childish rant, and then twists round on itself to come out entirely different, a spurned lover's overreaction. "I have forgiven Jesus" seems to be a ripoff of the courtroom scene in Trainspotting, ironic and no more, and then with the line "I have forgiven Jesus/for all the love He placed in me" it assumes tragic proportions, steeped in original sin. "How can anybody possibly know how I feel?" obsessively repeats "because you wear a uniform", astonished at the arbitrariness of power and the easiness of brutality. Nothing here quite matches "Speedway" off Vauxhall and I, or "Every Day is Like Sunday" off Viva Hate -- none of the songs have quite the tightness of structure to deliver the punch full-force -- but he's certainly more than halfway back.

Many Moz purists were drawn to the Smith's because Morrissey's lyrics spoke to all the disenfranchised, odd and thoughtful youth who felt as if we were drowning in a morass of big hair bands swirling in a vacuous and offensive culture of excess. Morrissey gave us hope and inspiration. We found solice in the knowledge that we were understood. Unfortunately, his attempts to "break new ground" with "Southpaw Grammar" and "Maladjusted" strayed from the vein of inspiration that spoke to us in an intimate way. It seems that 7 years of separation from the industry has brought back the inspiration of the 80's. "You Are the Quarry" has that "magic". Its mixture of curious lyrics and tickling melodies only gets better the more you listen. Morrissey's voice somehow sounds better than ever; his smooth vibrato delicately soothes the soul and balms ones mental wounds. The poetry in lyrics will inspire a whole new generation.

oh boy. this one's the best thing morrissey has done in, i dunno, *ages*.

i don't normally collect morrissey. but this new album has a real backbone to it: he's pissed, he's motivated, he's got talent and finally is using it to potential.

rah rah! there are actual power riffs on "you know i couldn't last". in the addictively riffy "irish blood, english heart", he sings pissed betrayal: "I've been dreaming of a time when / the English are sick to death of Labour / & Tories, & spit upon the name of Oliver Cromwell & denounce this royal line that still salute him & will salute him forever." a gentle, sweet spray of acid is the best description of "i have forgiven jesus" i can think of: it's got a romantic sound and a knife-blade undertone. and i'm particularly fond of "all the lazy dykes".

check it out yerself. it's one of the finest albums on the market right now and a fantastic change from the insipid "boy/girl meets girl/boy and they hump/argue/pine". and the music! orgasmic.

Despite a perplexing, perhaps insincere need to continually put his sweet self down--and indeed anyone else who should happen to admire him!--Morrissey's successful comeback CD "You Are The Quarry" is filled with quirky pop hooks, haunting balladry, wickedly quotable lyrics and lush orchestration. "Let Me Kiss You" is a great example of Morrissey's melding of lovely romantic music with cutting words that nearly dispels the romance (and intentionally so). Morrissey isn't ambivalent or indifferent, but he's helplessly suspicious and mired in doubt. He wants us to examine our feelings of need (via his) but warns us of the treachery of desire. I'm not sure how much of this music is truly autobiographical, but it makes for a compelling listen. Best cuts: "Let Me Kiss You", the eerily beautiful "I'm Not Sorry", and the rocking "First of the Gang To Die"; weakest is the opener, "America Is Not The World", for whenever Morrissey gets his political ire up, the leaden sarcasm weighs down the music like a wet pound cake.

After a 7 year layoff, Morrissey signed with a new label, and made one of his best solo albums EVER. This album can stand next to Viva Hate, Southpaw Grammar, Your Arsenal, and anything The Smiths put out. Morrissey's brilliant voice, his pen, and his endless style & panache are here for us diehards to enjoy, and for those who are curious as to why Morrissey has such diehard, enthusiastic fans, check this album out. It's a great introduction to the brilliance of Morrissey.

The album is embarrassingly rich with pleasures. My favorite song here (out of many great ones) is probably I Have Forgiven Jesus. It has one of the most complex lyrics that Morrissey ever wrote, and it gets deeper and more powerful everytime I listen. Come Back to Camden is a beautiful, poignant song. The World is Full of Crashing Bores is another brilliant Morrissey title (and a damn good song as well). First in the Gang to Die is a beautiful melodic, powerful song as well. Irish Blood, English Heart is a bit political, but I still really dig it. It's not as preachy as most political songs, and the music is fantastic. There isn't one clunker here. Morrissey's voice is as strong as ever. He still has it, despite the layoff. In fact, the layoff seems to have been renewed him and he's full of his muse again. Thank goodness. He's one of the greatest artists the U.K. ever produced.

Don't go away again, Morrissey!

Great customer service, product was delivered within reasonable time frame although they had more time to do it. Item came as promised, no surprises. Will buy from this seller again:)

Unfortunately, it isn't saying much that 'You Are the Quarry' is Morrissey's best solo venture, and it'll come as no surprise that the best songs on it are the ones which sound most like the Smiths.
It has much the same failings as 'Southpaw Grammar', ie; Moz resorting to sub-rock MOR, which is unforgivably lazy as well as artistically unchallenging.
It feels strained and contrived; a dash of strings here, a twiddle of synth there, a sporadic Mozzer exclamation just enough to save it all from inevitably going down the pan.

But, and it's big but, he has a handful of songs here, which out of the complete blue, partially resurrect him as a protuberant talent and go some way to re-establishing him as a force in modern pop. If only he had a couple more, he'd be within a midget's wink of achieving what's really important to him; critical acclamation, and therefore some sort of Morrissey assuage.

'You Are The Quarry' has one of the best songs Morrissey has ever written: 'First of the Gang To Die' is certainly his best solo effort but I think it would stand up to most Smithsongs. Racy, percussive, then giving way to a mad terrace-chant chorus, with howling lyrics and a ferocious Marr-style guitar/mandolin arrangement.
I don't know if it's a surprise or not that he can still produce stuff like this, but it shows a bit of the old spirit and bile is still there after all this time.
Is he deliberately keeping it hid? Perhaps to punish the critics, and remember it was his failure as a rock-writer which inspired him to write lyrics in the first place. When Marr met him he already had reams. Song after song features snippets of reviews and quotes, and all are stuck it to by Moz and his venomous canards and spirants.

'I'm Not Sorry' is a goodish slushy ballad with a cool flute outro, and the album heads for home quite powerfully with the VERY Smithsian 'All the Lazy Dykes' but it's the final song 'You Know I Couldn't Last' that takes the final lap. 'Paint A Vulgar Picture 2' would be a better title, with it's ruthless barbs at the music industry and yet more digs at those perennial targets - music journalists.

Solid Mozzer songs to be sure but the rest is pure filler; 'America is Not the World' (try telling Bono that!) is dull, 'The World is Full of Crashing Bores' is as pretentious as its desperately eccentric title warns and 'How Could Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel' is just plain frightful. It's the usual solo Morrissey-down-in-the-dumps confusion, as if he's excitedly found some piece of new self but can't let go of the (very!) old.

If he calmed down a bit he might enjoy some form of renaissance but I'm convinced he'd be better employed elsewhere.
Give him a TV show, cast him as Hannibal Lecter in the next Thomas Harris adaptation, he'd probably write you a great soap.....

We wait with baited breath. It'll be the greatest back-from-the-dead trick since Lazarus.

there has been quite a bit written and even more said about Morrissey. This record puts to rest any bed wetting that his fans were going through after the surprisingly great " Malajusted" The best songs certainly stand out (Irish Blood, English Heart being one of the best songs since the "your Arsenal" period) amongst the weaker ones. All in all though this record was and is a complete return to form for the Pope of Mope.