Daniel Kemp's Album Reviews
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Morrissey
 
Meat is Murder (so is stabbing someone in the heart with a rusty spoon)
Albums
 
Viva Hate (1988)
 
 
7/10
 
Producer: Stephen Street
 
  1. Alsatian Cousin
  2. Little Man, What Now?
  3. Everyday is Like Sunday
  4. Bengali in Platforms
  5. Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together
  6. Late Night, Maudlin Street
  7. Suedehead
  8. Break up the Family
  9. The Ordinary Boys
  10. I Don’t Mind if You Forget Me
  11. Dial-a-cliché
  12. Margaret on the Guillotine

For his solo debut Morrissey got on board Stephen Street, who had been a producer on The Smiths’ final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come.  Viva Hate was released in 1988 and just 6 months after Strangeways.  Because of this it primarily sounds like a continuation of The Smiths, rather than the truly independent sound that Morrissey would carve out for himself later in his career.   On their final album The Smiths were moving towards lush orchestration and further experimentation within the band.  This continues within Viva Hate and some of the tracks feature prominent string sections and rousing semi-orchestral arrangements.

 

The album has a little bit of a false start with Alsatian Cousin, and doesn’t so much as sprint out of the starting blocks as trip over and fall flat on its face.  The production is clean, yet the guitars are muddy, and together it just doesn’t work.  Morrissey’s vocals become lost underneath the hideous splatter of noises and it leaves the first time listener with their head held in their palms, weeping.  Everyday is Like Sunday is where the fun really begins.  This song shouldn’t need an introduction and if it does then you need a slap round the mush with a wet kipper! For me, it is the quintessential Mozza song.  The opening lyrics are so fastidious in their observation over the monotony of life, “Trudging slowly over wet sand, back to the bench, where your clothes were stolen.” This song has the most adventurous string section on Viva Hate and really hinted as to what Morrissey could achieve now that he was his own man.
 

Bengali in Platforms is gorgeous, really it is.  It has a foreign flavour to it, with gently picked acoustics and the production is… SO DAMN GOOD! Seriously, it milks my udders!  The lyrical subject will be playing it a little too close to the bone for some, but Morrissey is merely remarking that immigrants don’t always have it easy, rather than actually airing an opinion on the matter.  He reminds us that, “Life is hard enough when you belong here.”
 
Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together is another string-laden joy.  It only clocks in at 1 minute 40 seconds but leaves the listener captivated and dying to hear more. YOU TEASE MORRISSEY, you utter tease.  Lyrically it is your pretty standard Morrissey affair, but the violins do a great deal to spice things up.  Late Night, Maudlin Street is very well written but is at least 2 minutes too long when considering that the final running time is 7 minutes 40 seconds. The lyrics are as down to earth as you get on the album, no more so than when Morrissey recounts, “When I sleep with that picture of you framed by my bed, I know it’s childish and it’s silly, but I think it’s you by the bed!”  I can certainly think of worse things to do with my time than listen to this Mozza classic.
 

The debut solo single by Morrissey was Suedehead and it is one of the better songs from Viva Hate.  It has much in common with some of The Smiths’ final singles, particularly with regards to the jangly guitars which bring to mind some of Johnny Marr’s work on Strangeways.  It reached number 5 in the UK chart, which meant that it got higher than any of The Smiths work had ever done.
 

In my opinion the album should have ended with Break up the Family, as everything which follows it is unnecessary filler, perhaps with the exception being Margaret on the Guillotine.  I genuinely believe that Break up the Family has one of Morrissey’s most tender and affecting vocal performances of his entire career.  When he makes it known that he longs to, “see all his old friends,” and that he wishes to, “put his arms around them!” He sings it so beautifully that he certainly has my heartfelt empathy.   I said that the entire back end of Viva Hate is tosh and the biggest wrongdoer is I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me.  The lyrics I actually find to be some of the album’s best, so it does nothing to drop the ball there, but the production and squealing guitar has made it exactly how I never want a Morrissey recording to sound – like a song that could have been made by anybody else.  One of the guitars is simply shocking and sounds like a bee stuck in your skull until the song is brought to a close.  It’s little more than 3 minutes long but it seems like a lifetime prison sentence.
 

Without the filler I would give Viva Hate a higher rating, but as it is, I have to bring it down a mark or two.  It’s still a strong entry in the Morrissey catalogue though and makes for an impressive start to the man’s solo career.
 
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Bona Drag (1990)
 
 
8/10
 
Producer: Stephen Street, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley
 

  1. Piccadilly Palare
  2. Interesting Drug
  3. November Spawned a Monster
  4. Will Never Marry
  5. Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference
  6. The Last of the Famous International Playboys
  7. Ouija Board, Ouija Board
  8. Hairdresser on Fire
  9. Everyday is Like Sunday
  10. He Knows I’d Love to See Him
  11. Yes, I am Blind
  12. Lucky Lisp
  13. Suedehead
  14. Disappointed
Bona Drag is a compilation of early Morrissey singles and their respective b-sides.  Rather than produce a brand spanking new album full of unreleased material, Morrissey decided to release a string of singles which would later be compiled on this collection.  People who have listened to Viva Hate will already be acquainted with Everyday is Like Sunday and Suedehead, yet do not let the slightly familiar tracklisting put you off, as this is one of Morrissey’s strongest solo sets.
 

The opening song, Piccadilly Palare, initially appears to be about the difficulty of fitting in amongst your peers whilst growing up.  So I was somewhat shocked to discover that the song is allegedly paying homage to the slang talk which male prostitutes used to use in the Piccadilly area of London.  The musicianship is rich, full of life and very bouncy.  The sprightly piano chords dance with the poetic flavour of a horse trotting its way towards a gold rosette at a prestigious awards ceremony.
 

One of the many highlights on side one of the album is November Spawned a Monster.  Morrissey continues to defy the laws of mainstream acceptance as he sets about penning a song with the subject matter of physical retardation.  Sounds like classic material, eh? What might have been a poorly conceived idea riddled with offensive lyrics turns out to be quite the opposite and has some of the most socially aware lyrics on the record.  And while Andy Rourke from The Smiths returns to play bass guitar on a Mozza record, it is the intuitive guitars which stick with you.  The song’s b-side, He Knows I’d Love to See Him, has a really mellow bass line and light drum strokes, while the lyrics are attractive, as Mozza declares that he used to, “Live in the arse of the world!”
 

The Last of the Famous International Playboys has some of the most incorrigible lyrics on Bona Drag.  From a jail cell Morrissey pens a love letter to the notorious London gangsters, Ronnie & Reggie Kray, and laments that, “I never wanted to kill, I am not naturally evil and such things I do, just to make myself more attractive to you!” Whether it was intentional or not it is the dynamic keyboard playing which makes the greatest lasting impression of all.  However, the song’s b-side, Lucky Lisp, is the worst track on the album and indeed, one of the worst from Morrissey’s entire career.  A confused mess of sarcastic words are married to some vile guitar picking and it really brings Bona Drag down a peg or two.
 

Hairdresser on Fire was the b-side to Suedehead and it completely obliterates everything else on the record.  I ask you - since when were b-sides allowed to be of such high quality? The song is a revolutionary fusion of classic Morrissey irony and overtly camp musicianship.  It is truly outstanding and I recommend a listen to everyone reading this.
 

We had already heard it on Viva Hate, but Everyday is Like Sunday deserves another mention.  I hate it when artists re-release the same tracks, but in this instance I really couldn’t care less.  How many days has it been since my Viva Hate review? Have you had a listen yet?  DO IT!! The chorus is an irreverent but nevertheless wholly expressive beast, which still manages to bring tears of joy to my eyes, providing the mood is right.  Everyday Is Like Sunday’s b-side, Disappointed, closes the album in an impressive way.  The hard rock guitars and careering drum rolls re-establish the fact that Morrissey hadn’t survived the break up of The Smiths by chance or by sheer luck, but because he was a demanding and creative force within the music industry.
 

Because of the nature of compilation albums the tracklisting on Bona Drag does not hang together as well as on a true studio album. But what you get in exchange for this is a greatest hits record of sorts and one of Morrissey’s most mischievous LP’s, all for the price of one album.
 
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Your Arsenal (1992)
 
 
8/10
 
Producer: Mick Ronson
  1. You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side
  2. Glamorous Glue
  3. We’ll Let You Know
  4. The National Front Disco
  5. Certain People I Know
  6. We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
  7.  You’re The One for Me, Fatty
  8.  Seasick, Yet Still Docked
  9. I Know it’s Gonna happen Someday
  10.  Tomorrow
At the time of release of Your Arsenal, things were less than sunny in the world of Morrissey.  His previous album, Kill Uncle, had been mauled by the critics and it seemed that if it had the great man’s name attached, it was worthy of ridicule.  In addition to this, the NME had taken a particularly malicious slant against Morrissey and declared that Your Arsenal was thick with racism and prehistoric views.  One has to admit that Morrissey does little to avoid controversy, especially with song titles such as The National Front Disco, but as ever with Mozz it’s more an observation of society than personal opinion.  Anyone listening to the album will find such powerful claims as those made by the NME are completely unfounded.
 
So, not one to be beaten, Mozza teamed up with Glam-rock guitar legend Mick Ronson as producer.  The result is that Your Arsenal is Morrissey’s rock album - the guitars crunch, the drums crash, and the vocals are delivered with confidence and intent.  The opening You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side is quite alarming for a Mozza release, with a distinct wall of feedback slicing through this typhoon of guitar work that is played with an incredible amount of intensity.  The presence of Mark Ronson behind the production desk is there for everyone to see from the off, and the song comes off as a successful revamp of Alsatian Cousin from Viva Hate.
 

One of the best songs here is the upbeat and cheery single You’re The One for Me, Fatty.  Only our Mozza could pen a song as witty as this and still retain credibility at the same time.  The guitars are very indicative of This Charming Man era Smiths and take joy in jangling all over the place.  I have no doubts when proclaiming it one of his most uplifting songs and for me it is quintessential Morrissey through and through!  Other single We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful has some great lyrics. “We hate it when our friends become successful, and if they’re Northern, it makes it even worse,” to name but one such verse.  The production again is very well thought out and the song is given room to breathe.  This song is such a brilliant observation of the petty attitudes of human nature that one can do little to oppose the opinion that Morrissey is back on top form.
 

I remember hearing Seasick, Yet Still Docked for the first time when going through a particularly hard time in my life and it rang ever so true.  It is one of the most genuinely affecting songs Morrissey has ever penned and the lyrics are sang with such regret that if you are not moved, you must have a heart of slate.  The moving vocal performance during the opening verse, “I am a poor freezingly cold soul, so far from where I had intended to go,” is one of the definitive moments in the entire Mozza catalogue and makes the purchase of this album an essential one.
 

If any criticism can be levelled at the album it is that is that there is very little variation in the song production.  It could be argued that once you have heard a couple of the tracks that you have heard all the album has to offer.  Having said this, the strength of the songwriting and arrangements always shines through, so it isn’t a criticism that could be called entirely reasonable.  Any Morrissey fans should already own this cracker of an album and anybody wanting to listen to Morrissey for the first time could do worse than purchase a copy of Your Arsenal.
 
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Vauxhall & I (1994)
 
 
Producer: Steve Lillywhite
 
9/10
  1. Now My Heart Is Full
  2. Spring-Heeled Jim
  3. Billy Budd
  4. Hold on to Your Friend
  5. The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
  6. Why Don’t You Find Out for Yourself
  7. I Am Hated for Loving
  8. Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning
  9. Used to Be a Sweet Boy
  10. The Lazy Sunbathers
  11. Speedway

Released in 1994, Vauxhall & I is Morrissey’s fourth solo album after leaving The Smiths.  Less heavy-rock orientated than its immediate predecessor, Vauxhall & I blends a more acoustic leaning with some of Morrissey’s finest lyrics up to this point in his career (material with The Smiths not withstanding).  In the past there has been a sense that Morrissey was still approaching his song writing with the mind of an adolescent.  Granted, if he was still an adolescent in mind, he was a unique one, with more criticism and scornful words than your post-WWII Granddad.  But here is the first indication that we are dealing with an established and mature Morrissey, settling down into his mid-30s.  This alone makes Vauxhall & I a revelation in the world of Morrissey.  Yet, the song writing is the strongest it has ever been in the Mozza camp.

 

Mozza, you are a cynical old fool, but that’s why I love you. “Everyone I love in the house will recline on an analyst’s couch quite soon, your father cracks a joke and in the usual way empties the room,” mocks Morrissey in the opening verse of Now My Heart Is Full, before turning to the swoonsome chorus, “Tell all of my friends.  I don’t have too many, just some rain-coated lovers’ puny brothers!”  It is amongst the ranks of the greatest opening tracks ever.  The melody and instrumentation is astounding and sweeps away the competition in one fell swoop.

 

Hold on to Your Friends is one of the most amiably controlled recordings which Morrissey has ever composed.  With the help of his backing band the music is allowed to remain kind and mannered while his words have more bite than a cobra.  Morrissey reveals the unreliable nature of the main antagonist of the song, “Now you only call me when you’re feeling depressed.  When you feel happy I’m so far from your mind!”  It’s like reading into Morrissey's most personal diary, and I like it.

 

Reaching number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get became Morrissey’s first top 10 hit since Interesting Drug way back in 1989.  Dealing with the subject matter of infatuation and misplaced love & affection, Morrissey approaches things with his mordant wit and acerbic humour.  So, on the basis of this alone, what isn’t to like?!

 

The opening and end tracks withstanding, the strongest part of the album is the middle section.  Both Why Don’t You Find out for Yourself and I Am Hated for Loving are inexplicably gorgeous.  The songs share relatively simple instrumentation, but it is the authority and clout of Morrissey’s broken heart which makes these two songs stand out from amongst everything else.  The former serves as an advisory tale, as Morrissey warns a dear friend of the dangers of success, to which they pay little attention. This in turn causes our Mozza to cry in a crippled outburst, “You’ll never believe me, so why don’t you find out for yourself?  Sick down to my heart, but that’s just the way it goes…”

 

Casual observers of Morrissey’s music often claim that pessimism is the name of the game 90% of the time, but those who are prepared to listen properly to his music will not be missing out on his often sardonic wit.  Something which Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning shovels out by the spade full.  To justify my comment, see the following lyric: “Always looking for attention and always needs to be mentioned, who does she think she should be?  The shrill cry through darkening air, doesn’t she know he’s had such a busy day?” Now, even the most expressionless fool will surely agree that is hilarious, even more so as Morrissey employs the use of a deadpan vocal delivery, with his tongue held firmly in cheek.

 

One of the shortest tracks here, Used to Be a Sweet Boy, is absolutely heartbreaking to listen to, especially when considering the subject matter is painfully recognisable as something which we see over and over again in our damned system of things.  Essentially a tale of a child gone off the rails, it doesn’t even matter that it only has two slight verses, as Morrissey manages to convey all he needs to in his agonisingly honest words and vocals.

 

The album opened with a masterpiece.  Similarly, it closes with Speedway, a breathtaking Mozza tour de force.   “All of the rumours keeping me grounded,  I never said that they were completely unfounded,” confesses Morrissey, to a begrudging jury, before turning to his untrustworthy ‘friend’ and crying, “And when you try to break my spirit, it won’t work… because there’s nothing left to break anymore!”  Musically, it features the heaviest instrumentation to be found on Vauxhall & I, and works perfectly as a counterpoint to the opening Now My Heart Is Full.

 

Undeniably the strongest LP in Morrissey’s solo career at release, Vauxhall & I is essential Mozza.  It shows the man doing what he does best - lampooning everyone who wrongs him, and everyone who does not.  If this wasn’t enough for you to feast on, his backing band is on top form and produces some of the most sincere recordings of Morrissey’s solo career.  Top stuff!
 
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