Just revisited 'Vauxhall And I', and remembered what an amazing album that was, and is. Still sounds as fresh and brilliant as it did in 94. His last 2 efforts have been pretty good without being exceptional...

...But there's something about him; almost Prince-like, in that he is unknowable, an enigma.

Aside from Prince, I find Morrissey one of the most compelling and interesting people/personalities in the music business over the last 30 years.

What do we think people?

I love The Smiths. I haven't gotten as much into Morrissey's solo career, but I adore You Are the Quarry.

Moonbeam said:

I agree, love The Smiths. I think 'Vauxhall And I' is probably as close as Morrissey has come to The Smiths in terms of quality (not style). ....to a lesser extent 'My Arsenal'.

He's been pretty hit and miss over the journey, but no matter I still find him interesting. He still exudes that same 'tortured, uncompromising artist' feel that he had during The Smiths.

Vauxhall and I, Southpaw Grammar (the guitar work against his singing is undeniably great) and You Are The Quarry.....classic music. To be honest, I think the Smiths were more about Johnny Marr's beautiful songwriting and musicianship. I loved them for that and leave it at that.

Morrissey as a solo artist is definitely evolving with each release, without a great deal of regard for past achievements. I love that in a man.

Morrissey and Prince are my two favourite artists. I think Morrissey is on a creative high since his comeback with You Are The Quarry in 2004. His latest album "Years Of Refusal" is exceptional and his live-shows are fantastic, too. Love him!

The Smiths were fantastic, love them to bits.


HOWEVER, I think Morrissey is better since he went solo.


Either way, Morrissey is fabulous and has easily earned his reputation as one of the "classic" artists whose work will be held up for generations.

i am to morrissey and the smiths as moonbeam is to the beatles. can't stand 'em.

Anxiety said:

Morrisey is not my favorite, either. But I do listen to him every now and again. Careful there, Anxy - the more you ignore him, the closer he gets.

Anxiety said:

Gotta be at least one song you can tolerate

I absolutely adore Morrissey.

every once in awhile in the last couple years I get it in my head that I really dig Morrissey and want to listen to him. and then I do and I enjoy it for about 10 or 15 minutes at a time and then I get over it.

I think part of the problem is that I can identify with his personality and what he sings about too well and I don't really want to. if you know what I mean?

errant said:

Nice. You inspired this:

http://prince.org/msg/8/317551

I am not a normal gay. I am not into him, never have been and probably never will. He's good to look at and all that but I have no connection to his style of lyrical expression.

Anxiety said:

OK, I was being diplomatic. He makes me want to hurl

exenn said:

that doesn't really describe it in this instance. it isn't that it hits too close to home and is difficult to listen to. it's more like.... when i listen to him, it's like listening to the same bullshit that goes on in my own head on a daily basis. and who needs that? i have my own miserable, snotty thoughts, i don't need a similar version of them crowding them out.

errant said:

That's basically what I was saying with how The Cure hits me. The mopey, painfully self-analytical lover, always falling in and out of love with the same person for years, never really feeling at home but having no intention of leaving. Being ill at ease even in the throes of love. It's hard for me to admit that I'm like that, but when I read Robert's words and hear how he sings them, I feel like it could be me writing those songs.

r1ghteousone said:

i once said that if the smiths reissued all their records as instrumental versions, MAYBE i could listen to them and perhaps even enjoy them.

but morrissey's voice goes STRAIGHT to my nervous system. fingernails on chalkboard. bleeding ears. the works.

The Smiths are pretty great. Have only heard some solo songs, but it didn't really make me hungry for anything further. Love "Sing Your Life".

Yeah I like him.

Anxiety said:

I can respect that. Although I love his voice, I certainly see it's one that can polarise.

You must love 'Oscillate Wildly' .....instrumental.

TyphoonTip said:

ummm....i like the talking heads album that has johnny marr on it.

Tortilla said:

Have you listened to 'Vauxhall And I'?

It may be sacrilegious to say this, but I love that album as much as anything The Smiths have done.

His other stuff is a lot more inconsistent.

Anxiety said:

Sold.

Anxiety said:

That is a bit like me and the Fabs! I can NOT stand their voices- fingernails on a chalkboard is an apt description of how it sounds to me. I also can't stand most of the music elements either, though.

Anxiety said:

I've gotta be in the mood myself...Morrissey's voice is certainly an acquired taste and I do still find myself unknowingly cringing at times during certain songs. Saying that, I Know It's Over is one of my fave songs. period .

I love him, but I have to be in the right mood.

Anxiety said:

Naked!

great album

I have the best of Morrisey and the best of the Smiths on cd. I would not be excited if they ever got back together though.

Pretty sure I read somewhere that there is no chance of that happening.

Moonbeam said:

the music elements of the smiths have always been just kinda "blah" to me...not pleasant or unpleasant. i could listen to instrumental smiths as background music if i had to, i guess. it's just that man's voice that makes me want to break furniture.

I think Morrissey is the kind of artist with no middle ground: you either love him or hate him.

I belong to the second group: he annoys the hell out of me. He seems such a selfabsorbed poser and his voice is just too whiney sounding for me (the same reason why I can't stand Thom Yorke).

Thats the main reason i haver never put interest discovering the music of the Smiths (aka listening to their albums).

Later on i did obtain a live cover-version of the Smiths-song 'There is a letter and it never goes out' by Neil Finn with Johnny Mar on the guitar. I really love that song in that version, so maybe the Smiths could indeed write great songs. BUT, as I said, Morrisey just withholds me from listening to their music.

i never got the whole self-loathing bit but i guess he was really a tortured soul and most of the people i knew that liked him kinda were like that too

his voice i hated at first.....then it grew on me and kinda went along with his image of being a whiny puss that hated everything

and if you were punk in my high school, you were either hardcore or you were into pussy bands like the Smiths and the Cure, etc.