10: June 3rd — You Are The Quarry (2004) and Comeback
- Alma Matters
- Trouble Loves Me
- Wide to Receive
- Sorrow Will Come In the End
- America is Not the World
- Irish Blood, English Heart
- I Have Forgiven Jesus
- I’m Not Sorry
- The World is Full of Crashing Bores
- The First of the Gang to Die
- Let Me Kiss You
- All the Lazy Dykes
- I Like You
- You Know I Couldn’t Last
- Don’t Make Fun of Daddy’s Voice (b-side)
- The Never Played Symphonies (b-side)
- My Life is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye (b-side)
- Mexico (b-side)
- You Have Killed Me
- Dear God Please Help Me
- The Youngest Was the Most Loved
- The Father Who Must Be Killed
- Life is A Pigsty
- I’ll Never Be Anybody’s Hero Now
- To Me Your Are A Work of Art
- Good-Looking Man About Town (b-side)
- Something Is Squeezing My Skull
- Mama Lay Softly On the Riverbed
- I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
- All You Need is Me
- When Last I Spoke to Carol
- That’s How People Grow Up
- It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore
- You Were Good in You Time
- Because of My Poor Education (b-side)
Blog question: After Maladjusted, which wasn't well received, and a fairly long hiatus during which he wasn’t able to land a record deal, Morrissey returned with a great new set of songs on You Are The Quarry. Meanwhile, during this break in his career, his reputation among Mexican Americans in cities like Los Angeles grew enormous. The following two LPs, Ringleader of the Tormenters and Years of Refusal confirmed to many that Morrissey was hitting a new peak.
Pick a group of songs among those above and write about them in regards to what they add to his catalogue, both as a solo artist and with the Smiths. Does he use new beats, instrumentation, production ideas? Does he use his voice in a new way? Is there something new (or maybe not so new) about his lyrical content?
I picked Years of Refusal from the above options for my blog post because it was the most contemporary option and I wanted to compare what we’ve heard from the beginning of The Smiths to Morrissey’s solo career in the 2000s. I noticed first in comparing the early music The Smiths and Years of Refusal that much more mainstream Morrissey’s solo music sounds. Listening to Years of Refusal, it reminded me of Muse, Counting Crows, Smashing Pumpkins, and The Strokes. I think I see these similarities because Morrissey’s songs are notably more drum-heavy and sound like a very typical rock or alternative song. However, in terms of the lyrics, Morrissey doesn’t seem to change his British jargon. Phrases such as “Spare priggish” are still sprinkled throughout his songs. I mentioned this last week, but I still noticed that there are barely any remnants of Morrissey’s crooning voice of early The Smiths in Years of Refusal. His voice is much more digestible for a mainstream audience, but I also think he has lost one of his defining traits. The content of the songs in Years of Refusal seems to have evolved in maturity. Before, Morrissey would sing about his angst and romantic exploration. In songs such as “One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell,” it seems more like he advises his audience or bestows wisdom on them.
ReplyDeleteThe album "You Are the Quarry" stood out to me most both for some of the songs' subject matter, and also Morrissey's seemingly resurgent sounding tone in the album overall. I can understand why people didn't like "Maladjusted." The songs in "Maladjusted" don't sound like anything Morrissey or the Smiths released before, and I think Morrissey tried to remedy that in "You Are the Quarry." In fact, if you notice on the official Morrissey YouTube pages showing the singles for "Maladjusted," the comments are all turned off. I'm going to safely assume it was due to all the negative feedback people were leaving.
ReplyDeleteI think the songs "America is Not the World," Irish Blood, English Heart", and "Mexico" showcase the explicitly political signaling Morrissey was moving towards. It also is demonstrative of his 'maturing'—if one could call it that—and adoption of subjects that don't necessarily concern adolescent subject matter. The song titles in "You are the Quarry" also seem like declarative statements from Morrissey, i.e. "I'm Not Sorry," "I Have Forgiven Jesus," "I Like You," and "The World if Full of Crashing Bores." I think you can hear in these songs Morrissey redoubling his efforts in performance and sound, and if I were to hazard a guess, perhaps due to the criticism he received from his previous release.
--Daniel Rivera
I was quite busy this week and only got the chance to listen to "You Are the Quarry," and was pleasantly surprised at what I heard. Compared to the previous LPs we have listened to during Morrissey's solo run, "You Are the Quarry" almost seems like a return to form for Morrissey. To me, this LP hearkened back to the sound and style that was present in the Smiths LPs we have listened to thus far. It does not surprise me that following the negative reception Morrissey received for "Maladjusted" that he would make an LP that is similar in feel and style to previous Smiths LPs. Additionally, the messages Morrissey is sending in "You Are the Quarry" are far more clear and blunt, case in point the track "America Is Not the World," which contains the lyrics
ReplyDelete"In America...The land of the Free, they said...And of Opportunity...In a just and a truthful way...But where the President...Is never black, female or gay." In regard to what the tracks on "You Are the Quarry" add to Morrissey's catalogue, these tracks are all very much refined and sound like they have plenty of production behind them. Additionally, while I wouldn't say Morrissey explicitly uses his voice in a different way, his lyrical style and content are much more akin to how they was in the Smiths LPs when compared to his solo artist LPs. Overall, I very much enjoyed this LP and would most definitely listen to this over any of the other solo artist LPs of Morrissey's that we've listened to.
-Andrew Myers
I personally liked You are the Quarry out of all the selections of albums. Listening to the tracks on this album reminded me of an early 2000s romcom/teen drama movie. I think the songs were very distinct to the type of kind of punk music of the time it was released, especially the song “I’m not sorry”. Actually, a new element that I noticed, specifically on this track is what I believe to be a flute incorporation at the end. There was also some techno incorporation in some songs like “All the Lazy Dykes” and “I Like You” which in all honesty I would not have expected of Morrissey. Even though I saw some changes in the way he sang, as in he went back and forth within notes a lot more, he still kept his kind of singular monotonous voice which I think is so distinct to Morrissey and the Smiths in general. Although I would say the whole album is more on the calm/sad side, “First of the Gang to Die” is more upbeat, in fact, I would say it has kind of an LA sound to it. In terms of his lyrics, I don’t think much has changes, I would say he stayed in his usual pessimistic self. I do have to say though, now that I look back at his early days with the Smiths so much has changed in terms of the sound. When I first started to listen to the Smiths it was so unfamiliar and unique to them, that I would have trouble comparing them to other artists; however, this album is so much more similar to any other music of the time. I feel like the melodies in this album have been used so many times, that it could be labeled as overused.
ReplyDeleteI really liked You Are The Quarry. I think the selection of songs was great and Morrisseys voice and the production quality were pretty good. Morrissey doesn't have that 'weird' (sorry, I don't know how to describe it but you know what I mean) voice that was so iconic on The Smiths, and I really enjoy that.
ReplyDeleteMusically there were some new elements that I found interesting. The record starts with a hip hop style beat that's present in a few other songs too, which was new. But the main thing I could hear across most tracks was a huge punk rock influence. The guitar work is distinctly punk rock, for example in tracks like Irish Blood English Heart and First of the Gang to Die (which happen to be the 2 most popular tracks on this record). This obviously has a lot to do with Jerry Finn's presence, who was involved with Green Day and Blink-182 in the 90's. I didn't expect Morrissey to be into this style but I was wrong and its a sign of his evolution.
I chose to listen to "You Are The Quarry," and was not disappointed. Like others have said, it feels like Morrissey is returning to his roots with these songs. All the songs piqued my interest, even the ones that I felt were weak on the album.
ReplyDelete"America is Not the World," was an interesting track for me, as I'm so used to Morrissey bashing on the UK, him bashing on the US felt a little weird, but not out of character for him. It is followed by "Irish Blood, English Heart," which feels like a total Morrissey song. Other songs like "First of the Gang to Die" or "I Like You" have a more of an early 2000s pop-rock sound to me. "Mexico," to me is a political statement about America's relationship with Mexico. I don't know if the intent here is genuine or the fact he knew he had a strong Chicanx following in the U.S., especially in L.A. and decided to exploit that. Either way, it's a lovely song and one of the better tracks from this selection.
Overall I think the production on this album is super clean and hearing this I know longer hear anything that remotely reminds me of The Smiths, sticking to more generic rock and indie sounds that suit his voice quite well.
I'm going to be sort of basic, and pick "The First of the Gang to Die" as a song to explore regarding Morrissey's changing discography. Like, this is one song I could never imagine being a Smiths record. It just doesn't fit. Some British band singing about some guy named Hector dying in Los Angeles, that's the Clash if anyone. Speaking of, would have loved to see Joe Strummer do a cover of this song not because I think it would be spectacular, I just think it should would be memorable like a William Shatner cover but imma keep it real with y'all...I think The Clash's "The First of the Gang to Die" would be better than Morrissey. Very different but probably better.
ReplyDeleteANYWAYS. Away from proposed crossovers, this song while keeping a very Morrissey lyrical pace, also sounds...different than his other lyrics. Like they are morbid for the reason he died, but other than that its a fun song. It reminds me a bit of Maxwell's Silver Hammer in that regard for some reason. The music also has a little bit more of a Chicano feel, but that might be because I have heard it at my Mexican family's house or something. Like the rhythm is sort of Chicano rockish, some what in that same rockabilly way that we heard before, but more refined to become a sound that's symbolic of Morrissey, rather than him playing with different song styles.
Had this been any other white musician I feel like this song would have been quite weird but, being that this is Moz, its fair. That's all I can really say.
- Evan Ibarra
I enjoyed You Are the Quarry more than I was expecting. I agree with Andrew and others who see this as a return to form for Morrissey. There are some new elements but many seem reminiscent of his earlier career. Songs like "You Know I Couldn't Last" or "Come Back to Camden" sort of reminded me of something off of The Smiths' self-titled or Hatful of Hollow. In contrast, "America Is Not the World" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" had clever political lyrics similar to songs from Meat is Murder or The Queen Is Dead. Although, I did notice an interesting shift in Morrissey's attitudes toward Britain between "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "The Queen Is Dead". In the former, he sings "I've been dreaming of a time when/To be English is not to be baneful/To be standing by the flag not feeling shameful/Racist or partial" which sounds extremely nationalist to me; he wants to be proud of standing by the English flag (in spite of the struggles between Ireland and Britain). However, The Queen Is Dead is explicitly anti-nationalist with lyrics like "Her very Lowness with her head in a sling/I'm truly sorry but it sounds like a wonderful thing". "Irish Blood, English Heart" is still fairly critical of England but seems much more tame in comparison to Morrissey's earlier opinions. I am curious to know what motivated this shift in opinion. As for his timbre, Morrissey isn't reaching the same sort of falsetto that he was known for in his younger years but I feel like I did hear slightly more experimentation with his range as compared to his other solo works. "I Have Forgiven Jesus" was a track that stood out to me for this reason. Overall, I think this was a pretty solid work, especially in comparison to Maladjusted.
ReplyDelete- Addison Harms
(Thanks Professor + classmates for such a great quarter! I loved getting to discuss The Smiths/Morrissey with you guys every week <3)
Dang everyone else here also picked Your Are The Quarry. That isn’t gonna stop me from talking about that one. It’s overall a solid set of songs I think. I personally don’t think any album post the smiths breakup match up to their discography. That’s not to say they’re bad. People just like hearing Morrissey a lot and many people just want to hear him because he has such a unique sound when he sings that is instantly recognizable and not easily replicated without sounding like copying. Anyways I think a lot of songs for You Are the Quary take morrissey’s best aspects as a singer and puts them here. He strays far from the smiths style but keeps the heart of his music there. morrissey as a lyricist has not changed much and this is further proof of that
ReplyDelete-Andrew
Dang everyone else here also picked Your Are The Quarry. That isn’t gonna stop me from talking about that one. It’s overall a solid set of songs I think. I personally don’t think any album post the smiths breakup match up to their discography. That’s not to say they’re bad. People just like hearing Morrissey a lot and many people just want to hear him because he has such a unique sound when he sings that is instantly recognizable and not easily replicated without sounding like copying. Anyways I think a lot of songs for You Are the Quary take morrissey’s best aspects as a singer and puts them here. He strays far from the smiths style but keeps the heart of his music there. morrissey as a lyricist has not changed much and this is further proof of that
ReplyDelete-Andrew
Dang everyone else here also picked Your Are The Quarry. That isn’t gonna stop me from talking about that one. It’s overall a solid set of songs I think. I personally don’t think any album post the smiths breakup match up to their discography. That’s not to say they’re bad. People just like hearing Morrissey a lot and many people just want to hear him because he has such a unique sound when he sings that is instantly recognizable and not easily replicated without sounding like copying. Anyways I think a lot of songs for You Are the Quary take morrissey’s best aspects as a singer and puts them here. He strays far from the smiths style but keeps the heart of his music there. morrissey as a lyricist has not changed much and this is further proof of that
ReplyDelete-Andrew
Idk why it posted 3 times sorry
DeleteOverall, I think that Morrissey's later solo music pales in comparison to the Smiths' catalog. The aesthetics and instrumentation definitely are more boring and genre-wise, he takes a step towards alternative rock and easy listening instead of the more indie sound of the Smiths. Is this objectively bad for any artist? No. Does this fit Morrissey? Also, no. I definitely feel like many of the songs are lackluster and it seems like his different ways of using his voice, seen in the Smiths and his earlier solo stuff was almost completely gone in this era. Instead, he opts to sing like any other artist in a band which becomes extremely boring.
ReplyDeleteThe songs I chose to discuss in particular are 'America is Not the World,' 'The World is Full of Crashing Bores,' 'First of the Gang to Die,' 'The Father Who Must Be Killed,' and 'That's How People Grow Up.' I chose these songs because I feel like they were pretty indicative of the albums that they are each found on. More than anything, the lyricism on these albums feels boring and any time that he says something provocative, I can just feel him smirking in a recording booth. In the Smiths, the provocativeness was fresh and usually pretty witty, however, it just feels forced and mean in these songs. He also chooses really interesting topics then shits the bed whenever he actually starts singing about them. With all these criticisms, I haven't even reached my biggest problems with these songs: they are utterly boring. There is no excitement like there was earlier in his career and it feels like every song is just cranked out rather than crafted, as songs should be. I was definitely underwhelmed and I will not be revisiting these particular songs in the future.
- Charlie Whitcomb
DeleteThis week I listened to Ringleader of the Tormenters (2006) version, including the live version where is it me or I felt his vocals were really good in 2006. Actually his songs were really different here, where he had Dear God Please Help me which to me had a orchestral feel to it and The youngest had the most love which had reached top 14 songs in the UK at one point time had a really nice rock feel to it. Personally I also enjoyed it because it was more relatable for me. However, in talking about the entirety of the album , it was revolving around sex and killing. It reminded me that Morrissey had a great voice but I think I am getting tired of hearing of such topics, maybe if I were to listened to it in 2006 it would have a different feel to it. But in 2006, it is an entirely different era so I would need to delve more into that period to give it a go again.
ReplyDeleteMax
I was pleased with “You Are the Quarry”. Contrary to what others have said about Morrissey’s sound and style in this LP, I think the exact opposite. If anything, it feels as if Morrissey is expressing a completely different type of sound and style that you don’t hear in his past LPs with the Smiths, and I don’t see how he goes back to his roots. Many, if not all, of the songs implement the early 2000s rock and pop sounds, and Morrissey’s singing is not as monotone anymore. The closest Smith-ish content I heard from any of his songs in this LP was probably “America is Not the World” and “The World is Full of Crashing Bores”, the former being because he makes fun of/criticizes America and the latter being the use of similar studio sounds that I heard from his songs with the Smiths. His lyrical content has also shifted a little, as he seems to pitch in more of his personal beliefs in his songs instead of the usual loneliness and homosexuality themes that are prominent in most of his songs I’ve listened to so far.
ReplyDelete- Jenny Cho
I chose “We Are The Quarry” to discuss because I really enjoyed it and I think there is a good amount to unpack. Of course we know this album was 7 years in the making while Morrissey searched for a record deal, which makes it special in a lot of ways. I enjoyed that the album is more relaxed and chill, similar to how The Smiths’ songs had been, but still retaining his solo touch. Like everyone else has said, it has some rock/pop influence, but I do think it is remanent of The Smiths' sound. I’m not great at picking up on the beats and instrumentation in songs, but this album doesn’t seem to be doing anything groundbreaking on those fronts from what I can tell. While Morrissey will always have an uncannily recognizable voice, I feel that he has strayed a bit from the crooning he did in The Smiths and at the beginning of his solo career; his voice has much more variation in his songs now. His lyrical content is very similar to the work he has done before as well in that he has a lot to say about the world around him, but the things he comments on continue to evolve. From “America Is Not the World,” “Irish Blood, English Heart,” to “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores,” he provides us with his commentary on Americans, his heritage, governmental workers, and the pop stars of the time. The album still has similar themes of love, heartbreak, etc. that are Morrissey’s trademarks, but this album is less depressing than his earlier ones had consistently been.
ReplyDeleteSerafina Valisa