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!]
Showing posts with label morrissey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label morrissey. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Friday, 1 May 2009
Morrissey 'Southpaw Grammar' re-presentation
In 1994, Morrissey released 'Vauxhall and I', an excellent and consistent record that mixed Morrissey's perspective on his various troubles at the time with some lighter, character-based songs such as career-highlight 'Now My Heart Is Full' with its "loafing oafs in all night chemists". As I was a bit too young to fully appreciate The Smiths back in the 80s, this was the album that made me grow to love Morrissey's songs and I look back on 'Vauxhall and I' with nostalgia now. Its hard to believe it was 15 years ago.
Just a year later, when Steven Patrick came to record the follow up album, Britpop was in full swing. He could have attempted a bandwagon-jump and made an album full of cheeky ditties about loveable cockney rogues....but it was never likely that he would want to do that and so came 'Southpaw Grammar', a difficult album then and a record that was all but written off by the music press at the time. For me, it was a seriously under-rated collection of songs. If my memory serves me correctly it was released on a bank holiday and I remember playing it and thinking "thank goodness, he hasn't done what the NME would have wanted him to do".
'Southpaw Grammar' contained some of the most powerful songs of Morrissey's career. Just eight songs long and bookended by two ten-minute epics, it was as far from 'Parklife' as could be. It is also one of the most musically-minded Morrissey albums. Recorded with simply two guitars, a bass and drums, it is murky and claustrophobic but on the long songs in particular, the drums and guitars are given free reign to such an extent that the swirling coda to the 11-minute 'The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils' is thrilling even without any input from SPM himself.
On the original release, the middle section of the album contained the shorter, more comercial sounding songs and here on this 're-presentation', Morrissey front-loads the album with these songs...possibly the only thing that could have saved it commercially at the time. It starts, then, with a spring in the step, 'The Boy Racer' is typical Morrissey knock-about.."he thinks he's got the whole world in his hands/ standing at the urinal", while 'Dagenham Dave' ("I love Karen/ I love Sharon/ on the windowscreen") could have been on any 90s Mozzer album, but is fun nonetheless. Elsewhere, 'Just Do Your Best and Don't Worry' offers re-assurance to a friend and 'Reader Meet Author' may just contain yet another attack on the NME.
This time around then, the darker, longer and more majestic songs ('The Operation', 'Southpaw' and the magnificent 'The Teachers...') come later, only for a couple of songs that didn't make the original cut to close the album. 'You Should Have Been Nice to Me' is the best, light and wistful, its a mystery why it was left off back in '95.
The other new additions don't really add to the record that much but what make this re-release even more essential is the new artwork, with some nice photos of Mozz and more importantly, the simply enthralling sleeve notes written by the man himself which reveal much about Morrissey at the time and also show that if he ever penned a memoir, it would be likely to rival 'Chronicles'.
I hadn't played 'Southpaw Grammar' much in the last few years and now I wonder why that is. It is a great record, powerful and triumphant, one of his best. It serves as evidence that sometimes an album is judged on how it fits in with the times, rather than on its quality. Morrissey went on to make 'Maladjusted' two years later before taking a seven year sabbatical. I'll take a look at the re-issued 'Maladjusted' next week.
9.0
['Southpaw Grammar' has been re-presented by Morrissey and is out now on beautifully packaged cd]
Just a year later, when Steven Patrick came to record the follow up album, Britpop was in full swing. He could have attempted a bandwagon-jump and made an album full of cheeky ditties about loveable cockney rogues....but it was never likely that he would want to do that and so came 'Southpaw Grammar', a difficult album then and a record that was all but written off by the music press at the time. For me, it was a seriously under-rated collection of songs. If my memory serves me correctly it was released on a bank holiday and I remember playing it and thinking "thank goodness, he hasn't done what the NME would have wanted him to do".
'Southpaw Grammar' contained some of the most powerful songs of Morrissey's career. Just eight songs long and bookended by two ten-minute epics, it was as far from 'Parklife' as could be. It is also one of the most musically-minded Morrissey albums. Recorded with simply two guitars, a bass and drums, it is murky and claustrophobic but on the long songs in particular, the drums and guitars are given free reign to such an extent that the swirling coda to the 11-minute 'The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils' is thrilling even without any input from SPM himself.
On the original release, the middle section of the album contained the shorter, more comercial sounding songs and here on this 're-presentation', Morrissey front-loads the album with these songs...possibly the only thing that could have saved it commercially at the time. It starts, then, with a spring in the step, 'The Boy Racer' is typical Morrissey knock-about.."he thinks he's got the whole world in his hands/ standing at the urinal", while 'Dagenham Dave' ("I love Karen/ I love Sharon/ on the windowscreen") could have been on any 90s Mozzer album, but is fun nonetheless. Elsewhere, 'Just Do Your Best and Don't Worry' offers re-assurance to a friend and 'Reader Meet Author' may just contain yet another attack on the NME.
This time around then, the darker, longer and more majestic songs ('The Operation', 'Southpaw' and the magnificent 'The Teachers...') come later, only for a couple of songs that didn't make the original cut to close the album. 'You Should Have Been Nice to Me' is the best, light and wistful, its a mystery why it was left off back in '95.
The other new additions don't really add to the record that much but what make this re-release even more essential is the new artwork, with some nice photos of Mozz and more importantly, the simply enthralling sleeve notes written by the man himself which reveal much about Morrissey at the time and also show that if he ever penned a memoir, it would be likely to rival 'Chronicles'.
I hadn't played 'Southpaw Grammar' much in the last few years and now I wonder why that is. It is a great record, powerful and triumphant, one of his best. It serves as evidence that sometimes an album is judged on how it fits in with the times, rather than on its quality. Morrissey went on to make 'Maladjusted' two years later before taking a seven year sabbatical. I'll take a look at the re-issued 'Maladjusted' next week.
9.0
['Southpaw Grammar' has been re-presented by Morrissey and is out now on beautifully packaged cd]
Monday, 27 April 2009
treasure
Still we wait for the new LP from the incomparable Innocence Mission. It is due sometime soon it would seem and last year's 'Steet Map' was a wonderful taster. Since The Innocence Mission are undoubtably a Spring or Winter band, they should hurry and get it released as soon as possible.
This morning, leaving the house early to go swimming I selected 'We Walked In Song' (their last LP..from 2007) on my ipod and it was perfect. Sitting on the train, watching the sun rise and listening to the most gentle, serene and moving music. The really great albums, the ones you would call favourites are the ones that you play without thinking about it, the ones you find yourself turning to automatically.
Its hard to believe we are already a third of the way through the year. We've had some pretty good releases already this year. When I think about which ones may be beyond good...albums that I will be playing for years to come, I think of M Ward's 'Hold Time' and Bill Callahan's 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle'. Callahan's LP especially, still sounds wonderful. Its one of the best sounding records I've heard in a long time. There's been some amusing discussions and differing opinions on the Smog mailing list, but for me it is one of his best albums. Other records have come and gone this year, sounded great at times, but those two are my favourites thus far.
I'll be reviewing Morrissey's re-issued, re-packaged, re-presented, re-sequenced 'Southpaw Grammar' in a few days time. For me, unlike the similarly re-done 'Maladjusted', SG was always a very good album, unfairly derided. Its easy to forget that it was released in the middle of Britpop, when lengthy, wordy, dirge style songs were the least fashionable thing going. Morrissey never did care too much for trends.
Also will be writing about the Handsome Family and Art Brut albums in the days to come.
and I have heard a whisper of some very exciting news for UK people who are fans of a T&G favourite. But I'm not allowed to say anything yet.....
This morning, leaving the house early to go swimming I selected 'We Walked In Song' (their last LP..from 2007) on my ipod and it was perfect. Sitting on the train, watching the sun rise and listening to the most gentle, serene and moving music. The really great albums, the ones you would call favourites are the ones that you play without thinking about it, the ones you find yourself turning to automatically.
Its hard to believe we are already a third of the way through the year. We've had some pretty good releases already this year. When I think about which ones may be beyond good...albums that I will be playing for years to come, I think of M Ward's 'Hold Time' and Bill Callahan's 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle'. Callahan's LP especially, still sounds wonderful. Its one of the best sounding records I've heard in a long time. There's been some amusing discussions and differing opinions on the Smog mailing list, but for me it is one of his best albums. Other records have come and gone this year, sounded great at times, but those two are my favourites thus far.
I'll be reviewing Morrissey's re-issued, re-packaged, re-presented, re-sequenced 'Southpaw Grammar' in a few days time. For me, unlike the similarly re-done 'Maladjusted', SG was always a very good album, unfairly derided. Its easy to forget that it was released in the middle of Britpop, when lengthy, wordy, dirge style songs were the least fashionable thing going. Morrissey never did care too much for trends.
Also will be writing about the Handsome Family and Art Brut albums in the days to come.
and I have heard a whisper of some very exciting news for UK people who are fans of a T&G favourite. But I'm not allowed to say anything yet.....
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Morrissey 'Years of Refusal'
This week I saw an interview with Morrissey where he acknowleged the devotion and loyalty of his fans and was asked if he worried about letting them down by making a bad album. "No" was the answer.
He is probably right to feel confident that his fans will stick with him. There seems to be an unspoken agreement that runs somewhat like this:
1. Morrissey releases an album every 2-3 years which will have a great cover, be heralded as his best since....and will contain at least a couple of tracks good enough to appear on a 'best of' (one of which will also be released every couple of years).
2. Fans buy at least two of the numerous formats and special editions made available.
3. Morrissey tours and plays enough Smiths songs to keep the fans happy and the cycle starts again in a couple of years.
If all this sounds cynical, it probably isn't. It is just that none of this has much to do with creativity and sometimes a Morrissey album reminds me a little of painting by numbers. There are several standard verse/chorus/verse songs here on which Morrissey appears to be on auto-pilot. 'Thats How People Grow Up' must have been on at least two of his previous albums surely? The same applies to three or four other songs, the band play the same tune (or sound) and Morrissey sings about the usual things over the top. You've heard it all before.
Yet...yet....there is 'Something Is Squeezing My Skull' which is just thrilling. A critique of modern life, sung with legitimate passion and edge. And there is 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris', nothing new but a catchy feel-good (well as feel-good as any song with the line "only stone and steel accept my love" can be) Morrissey single done well. On 'Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed' he sympathises with a woman driven to distraction by the modern world and 'On You Were Good In Your Time' he sings a lament to a hero who is percieved to be past his best. I wonder who he is referring to?
Lyrically Morrissey is generally on good form here. He attacks and he criticises hatred and greed and settles old scores, he seems to revel in his isolation. Its just a shame that the mid-section of the album is dragged down by stodgy, predictable anthems where Morrissey sounds bored. Musically the only variation of the drum and guitar heavy sound are a few brass flourishes here and there. Morrissey and his fans (of which I am one. I will be at the Albert Hall in May to see him) were probably hoping for five or six songs good enough to fit well into his setlists for the year and he achieves that easily but this lacks the consistency needed to be his first truly great album since 'Vauxhall and I'.
7.0
['Years of Refusal' is out now on various formats including a cd/dvd with a conversation between Morrissey and Russell Brand which is far from essential. Morrissey tours in May and T&G can confirm that a Morrissey gig is almost always a lot of fun]
He is probably right to feel confident that his fans will stick with him. There seems to be an unspoken agreement that runs somewhat like this:
1. Morrissey releases an album every 2-3 years which will have a great cover, be heralded as his best since....and will contain at least a couple of tracks good enough to appear on a 'best of' (one of which will also be released every couple of years).
2. Fans buy at least two of the numerous formats and special editions made available.
3. Morrissey tours and plays enough Smiths songs to keep the fans happy and the cycle starts again in a couple of years.
If all this sounds cynical, it probably isn't. It is just that none of this has much to do with creativity and sometimes a Morrissey album reminds me a little of painting by numbers. There are several standard verse/chorus/verse songs here on which Morrissey appears to be on auto-pilot. 'Thats How People Grow Up' must have been on at least two of his previous albums surely? The same applies to three or four other songs, the band play the same tune (or sound) and Morrissey sings about the usual things over the top. You've heard it all before.
Yet...yet....there is 'Something Is Squeezing My Skull' which is just thrilling. A critique of modern life, sung with legitimate passion and edge. And there is 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris', nothing new but a catchy feel-good (well as feel-good as any song with the line "only stone and steel accept my love" can be) Morrissey single done well. On 'Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed' he sympathises with a woman driven to distraction by the modern world and 'On You Were Good In Your Time' he sings a lament to a hero who is percieved to be past his best. I wonder who he is referring to?
Lyrically Morrissey is generally on good form here. He attacks and he criticises hatred and greed and settles old scores, he seems to revel in his isolation. Its just a shame that the mid-section of the album is dragged down by stodgy, predictable anthems where Morrissey sounds bored. Musically the only variation of the drum and guitar heavy sound are a few brass flourishes here and there. Morrissey and his fans (of which I am one. I will be at the Albert Hall in May to see him) were probably hoping for five or six songs good enough to fit well into his setlists for the year and he achieves that easily but this lacks the consistency needed to be his first truly great album since 'Vauxhall and I'.
7.0
['Years of Refusal' is out now on various formats including a cd/dvd with a conversation between Morrissey and Russell Brand which is far from essential. Morrissey tours in May and T&G can confirm that a Morrissey gig is almost always a lot of fun]
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Single of the Week.....Morrissey!
The best thing about Morrissey releasing a new album is it means that he will tour. The last couple of albums have been...good, but not 'Vauxhall and I' but the gigs to accompany them, especially the Palladium in 2006, have been superb and great fun.
By all accounts the new LP is pretty good so I'll be reviewing that in a couple of weeks. The new single 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris' is what you'd expect. A bit of a stomper, solid verses leading up to a catchy, singalong chorus. Better than 'You Have Killed Me' and it'll be good live. Morrissey has fun in the video too, with a dog and a tambourine.
So, come on, what more could you ask? Out on cd/7"/digital with a variety of b sides too.
In other news, the Emmy the Great review has been slightly delayed due to the postal service being disrupted by the snow here. Expect a review on Sunday or Monday. I still haven't got my head round the J Tillman album enough to review it either.
Looking forward to seeing The Mozz at the Albert Hall in May!
By all accounts the new LP is pretty good so I'll be reviewing that in a couple of weeks. The new single 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris' is what you'd expect. A bit of a stomper, solid verses leading up to a catchy, singalong chorus. Better than 'You Have Killed Me' and it'll be good live. Morrissey has fun in the video too, with a dog and a tambourine.
So, come on, what more could you ask? Out on cd/7"/digital with a variety of b sides too.
In other news, the Emmy the Great review has been slightly delayed due to the postal service being disrupted by the snow here. Expect a review on Sunday or Monday. I still haven't got my head round the J Tillman album enough to review it either.
Looking forward to seeing The Mozz at the Albert Hall in May!
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Happy New Year
A Happy New Year to all TracksandGigs' readers, whether accidental or deliberate.
Here's hoping 2009 will be as good a year as 2008. Things T&G are looking forward to in the early months of the year:
- New M Ward LP (due Feb) and UK date.
- New Morrissey LP and UK tour
- New Bill Callahan LP (the wonderfully titled 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle')
- Fleet Foxes UK dates
..and of course all the great surprises we don't know about yet. Amazing to think that this time last year we knew nothing of Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes!
A quick word for what I believe to be the most under-rated album of 2008, even by TracksandGigs...
Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks' 'Real Emotional Trash' has rarely left the T&G stereo in recent weeks. It is a really superb album and a joy to listen to all the great guitar breaks and jams. I gave it an 8 in my review but it definitely deserves a 9. Which leads me to the T&G new year's resolution....which is to wait a little longer before reviewing albums...to live with them for a while more before jumping in with an opinion. Sometimes it is hard to wait when you think you have an album figured out, but T&G will try to this year!
Happy New Year everyone.
Here's hoping 2009 will be as good a year as 2008. Things T&G are looking forward to in the early months of the year:
- New M Ward LP (due Feb) and UK date.
- New Morrissey LP and UK tour
- New Bill Callahan LP (the wonderfully titled 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle')
- Fleet Foxes UK dates
..and of course all the great surprises we don't know about yet. Amazing to think that this time last year we knew nothing of Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes!
A quick word for what I believe to be the most under-rated album of 2008, even by TracksandGigs...
Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks' 'Real Emotional Trash' has rarely left the T&G stereo in recent weeks. It is a really superb album and a joy to listen to all the great guitar breaks and jams. I gave it an 8 in my review but it definitely deserves a 9. Which leads me to the T&G new year's resolution....which is to wait a little longer before reviewing albums...to live with them for a while more before jumping in with an opinion. Sometimes it is hard to wait when you think you have an album figured out, but T&G will try to this year!
Happy New Year everyone.
Monday, 10 November 2008
The Smiths 'The Sound of The Smiths'
6am on a cold, wet, grey Monday morning. Walking to the swimming pool and contemplating, afterwards, a day at work. What else could I listen to but 'The Sound of The Smiths'?
If you perused the racks at a record shop (wikipedia it, kids) you would never guess that The Smiths are one of the greatest and most influential bands...ever. Their back catalogue has been left in such a shabby state that all we have are 1993 reissues of their studio albums and a couple of 'best ofs' put together without much thought or care. It was great news then, a couple of years ago, when it was announced that Morrissey and Marr would work together on a series of deluxe editions of Smiths albums and, at last, a proper boxset.
This collection is not actually a legacy of that announcement, although it is endorsed by Morrissey (who came up with the title) and Marr (who supervised the remastering) and it is the most comprehensive and best collection of The Smiths' music yet released.
Everyone should know these songs and to know them is to love them. I remember being introduced to the wonderful world of Morrissey and Marr by my best friend Lee, who made me a compilation tape which I still have. I remember playing the tape and being amazed by how joyous the music was, so far from the popular perception of what The Smiths are actually like. Morrissey's words and singing struck me first, how could they not, somehow it seemed I knew what he was going to sing next before I'd even heard it. Then I listened again and I could hear the most fantastic, innovative guitar playing. What a combination, what a band!
The start of this compilation is spookily similar to the start of the tape Lee made me. Only 'Still Ill' in the place of 'William It Was Really Nothing' changes in the sequence of the first six songs. The running order is roughly chronological, meaning that there is an absolutely stunning run of songs about two thirds of the way through...'the boy with the thorn in his side', 'bigmouth strikes again', 'there is a light...', 'panic', 'ask'. Seriously, how many bands can do better than that?
We can all quibble about some songs that are left out. What would a Smiths 'best of' be without 'I Know Its Over' and 'The Queen Is Dead'? But this is not a 'Best Of', it is the sound of the Smiths, and it is an extremely good representation of that. Listening to the bonus cd is for another day, for now I want the joy of listening to these wonderful songs again to last.
The World has moved on of course. Teenagers used to play Smiths songs on their walkmans while sitting on buses, now they play tinny, barely recognisable music out loud through their mobile phones. To paraphrase both Kevin Rowland and Thom Yorke...take me back to those old days, I wish it was the 80s.
Pop music gets no better than this.
9.8
['Sound of The Smiths' is out now on cd and 2cd]
If you perused the racks at a record shop (wikipedia it, kids) you would never guess that The Smiths are one of the greatest and most influential bands...ever. Their back catalogue has been left in such a shabby state that all we have are 1993 reissues of their studio albums and a couple of 'best ofs' put together without much thought or care. It was great news then, a couple of years ago, when it was announced that Morrissey and Marr would work together on a series of deluxe editions of Smiths albums and, at last, a proper boxset.
This collection is not actually a legacy of that announcement, although it is endorsed by Morrissey (who came up with the title) and Marr (who supervised the remastering) and it is the most comprehensive and best collection of The Smiths' music yet released.
Everyone should know these songs and to know them is to love them. I remember being introduced to the wonderful world of Morrissey and Marr by my best friend Lee, who made me a compilation tape which I still have. I remember playing the tape and being amazed by how joyous the music was, so far from the popular perception of what The Smiths are actually like. Morrissey's words and singing struck me first, how could they not, somehow it seemed I knew what he was going to sing next before I'd even heard it. Then I listened again and I could hear the most fantastic, innovative guitar playing. What a combination, what a band!
The start of this compilation is spookily similar to the start of the tape Lee made me. Only 'Still Ill' in the place of 'William It Was Really Nothing' changes in the sequence of the first six songs. The running order is roughly chronological, meaning that there is an absolutely stunning run of songs about two thirds of the way through...'the boy with the thorn in his side', 'bigmouth strikes again', 'there is a light...', 'panic', 'ask'. Seriously, how many bands can do better than that?
We can all quibble about some songs that are left out. What would a Smiths 'best of' be without 'I Know Its Over' and 'The Queen Is Dead'? But this is not a 'Best Of', it is the sound of the Smiths, and it is an extremely good representation of that. Listening to the bonus cd is for another day, for now I want the joy of listening to these wonderful songs again to last.
The World has moved on of course. Teenagers used to play Smiths songs on their walkmans while sitting on buses, now they play tinny, barely recognisable music out loud through their mobile phones. To paraphrase both Kevin Rowland and Thom Yorke...take me back to those old days, I wish it was the 80s.
Pop music gets no better than this.
9.8
['Sound of The Smiths' is out now on cd and 2cd]
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