Unlike with 'Southpaw Grammar', I don't have particular memories of listening to 'Maladjusted' all that much first time around. I do recall that I had a promo and was fond of the lawyer-baiting 'Sorrow Will Come In The End', finding it amusing and brave (not so brave to pull it from the final release though!) and I thought 'Alma Matters' was an ok single, catchy but slight. Since news of this re-issue/representation etc etc broke, I have read nothing but condemnation of 'Maladjusted' and pretty universal acceptance of the view that this is Morrissey's worst album, a shambolic mess. So, with some trepedation, I purchased it anyway and have been listening to it a lot this past week.
As with 'Southpaw..' Morrissey has tinkered with the track listing, a more serious tinkering this time. Five songs are added, two removed and in this case this really does have the effect of creating a very different sounding album. The two songs removed are both "character" songs whereas the songs that come in feel more personal, and this, along with the frequently used piano and acoustic guitar creates a record that is ballad-heavy and much much lighter that 'Southpaw..' or any of Morrissey's music since.
Generally it works well. The first two tracks (the title track and 'Ambitious Outsiders') are atypically dark but 'Trouble Loves Me' which follows is beautiful. A rich ballad on a par with some Smiths classics it has humour too ("on the flesh rampage/ at your age"). There are a fair few songs which follow this formula... sad lyrics, acoustic guitar, piano and Morrissey singing more softly than he often does, more his "I Know Its Over" voice than his "Panic" voice. 'Lost' is excellent too and I wonder why it was omitted from the original album, perhaps the lyrics ("if i see you and i tell you/ that i've watched you/ don't make fun of me later/ cos i'm just lost") were deemed unsuitable to musical trends and national moods in 1997, but when did Morrissey ever want to fit in?
Perhaps the slight problem here is a lack of variety. Most of the songs are sorrowful, dignified and pleasant to the ear. 'He Cried', 'Now I Am A Was' and 'Wide To Receive' all blend into one a little. 'This Is Not Your Country' is a thoughtful, slow ballad about Northern Ireland and 'Satan Rejected My Soul' is livelier but 'Alma Matters' and 'I Can Have Both' are Mozz by numbers.
Other reviews I have read of 'Maladjusted', especially a one-star review (in both senses) in Uncut have dismissed the album as lazy and lacking in ideas and tunes. Its nothing of the sort, Morrissey evidently put a lot of effort into this record and his singing is superb. He could have put ten of the sad, mournful ballads onto one album and it would have been one of his best but would anyone in 1997 have wanted to hear that anyway?
This re-presentation is another excellent release, beautifully packaged and with more illuminating sleeve notes. 'Maladjusted' is nowhere near as bad as most people will have you believe.
7.4
['Maladjusted' is out now. Morrissey plays the Albert Hall next week!]
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