Listening to Ringleader this morning - it's a really solid album. Alain Whyte's songwriting is really, really solid - probably some of his best moments as a songwriting partner with Morrissey. "Life Is a Pigsty" is a really great track. The album sounds tough - tons of glam riffs from Whyte, Boorer and Tobias. Great rhythm section in Matt Chamberlain and Gary Day. I've always thought Morrissey sounds his best when he has a heavy hitter behind the kit - which is where an album like You are the Quarry falls short. Also - I'm not sure that Morrissey has ever recovered from the loss of Whyte. Years of Refusal was a good album...but World Peace and Low in High School haven't been as good (at least not in my opinion).
Maybe he'll return like Gary Day did. Briefly.
...or Spencer Cobrin!
I gotta say the new band is pretty shit-hot though, at least live. This performance on YouTube is quite energetic:
As Matey knows, one of the reasons I like Spencer so much is because he uses traditional grip.
Re: The All Smiths/Morrissey Thread
Posted: 24 Jan 2019, 7:08pm
by drowninghere
I'd go:
Vauxhall & I
Viva Hate
You are the Quarry
Southpaw
and then indifference. Some comments:
- surprised by the affection for Your Arsenal. Not sure if this is just a IMCT thing or a Morrissey fan thing. I had thought the singles were widely regarded as some of his weakest, although I was aware this album was regarded as a bit of a comeback following Kill Uncle.
- surprised by the lack of fondness of You Are the Quarry. For me, like every other Morrissey album, I could happily live without hearing a good number of the songs ever again, but I'd take the best five or so from this album (Irish Blood, Come Back to Camden, I'm Not Sorry, Crashing Bores and First of the Gang) over any other 5 or so songs on any of the other albums not on my list.
- I found Ringleader completely unmemorable despite my best efforts. Only song I like is the one that talks about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I found the singles better on Years of Refusal, but the rest equally uninspiring.
- Morrissey has a lot of songs I really like, but I don't regard him as capable of putting together a strong album. Vauxhall is the closest, but even there it dies towards the end (saved of course, at the very end, by the mighty Speedway).
- did not buy the last album. Don't want to litigate his history, but the stupid comments and behaviour finally got too much for me.
I'd go:
Vauxhall & I
Viva Hate
You are the Quarry
Southpaw
and then indifference. Some comments:
- surprised by the affection for Your Arsenal. Not sure if this is just a IMCT thing or a Morrissey fan thing. I had thought the singles were widely regarded as some of his weakest, although I was aware this album was regarded as a bit of a comeback following Kill Uncle.
- surprised by the lack of fondness of You Are the Quarry. For me, like every other Morrissey album, I could happily live without hearing a good number of the songs ever again, but I'd take the best five or so from this album (Irish Blood, Come Back to Camden, I'm Not Sorry, Crashing Bores and First of the Gang) over any other 5 or so songs on any of the other albums not on my list.
- I found Ringleader completely unmemorable despite my best efforts. Only song I like is the one that talks about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I found the singles better on Years of Refusal, but the rest equally uninspiring.
- Morrissey has a lot of songs I really like, but I don't regard him as capable of putting together a strong album. Vauxhall is the closest, but even there it dies towards the end (saved of course, at the very end, by the mighty Speedway).
- did not buy the last album. Don't want to litigate his history, but the stupid comments and behaviour finally got too much for me.
Your Arsenal is great and has that 70s glam feel to it which I really like. I agree totally about You Ate the Curry having some brilliant singles/tracks. Irish Blood, English Heart is fantastic.
Re: The All Smiths/Morrissey Thread
Posted: 25 Jan 2019, 11:00am
by WestwayKid
Interesting many of us have Quarry ranked so low. I remember it was seen as such a comeback when it was released - which I guess it was - but maybe it hasn't aged well?
Re: The All Smiths/Morrissey Thread
Posted: 25 Jan 2019, 11:01am
by WestwayKid
The other Morrissey/Clash connection that comes to mind is the fact that Joe was apparently approached to produce Morrissey around the Southpaw era. It obviously never happened...but interesting to ponder what that album would have sounded like with Joe behind the board?
The other Morrissey/Clash connection that comes to mind is the fact that Joe was apparently approached to produce Morrissey around the Southpaw era. It obviously never happened...but interesting to ponder what that album would have sounded like with Joe behind the board?
The other Morrissey/Clash connection that comes to mind is the fact that Joe was apparently approached to produce Morrissey around the Southpaw era. It obviously never happened...but interesting to ponder what that album would have sounded like with Joe behind the board?
Kill Uncle meets Earthquake Weather?
If it's anything like Hell's Ditch, Morrissey would be sipping opium and whiskey from a straw, whining the vocals out syllable by syllable, leaving the engineers to Frankenstein stitch the whole lot together while he's passed out next to a minor Welsh motorway. That might just have been Strummer's production style.
The other Morrissey/Clash connection that comes to mind is the fact that Joe was apparently approached to produce Morrissey around the Southpaw era. It obviously never happened...but interesting to ponder what that album would have sounded like with Joe behind the board?
Kill Uncle meets Earthquake Weather?
If it's anything like Hell's Ditch, Morrissey would be sipping opium and whiskey from a straw, whining the vocals out syllable by syllable, leaving the engineers to Frankenstein stitch the whole lot together while he's passed out next to a minor Welsh motorway. That might just have been Strummer's production style.
The other Morrissey/Clash connection that comes to mind is the fact that Joe was apparently approached to produce Morrissey around the Southpaw era. It obviously never happened...but interesting to ponder what that album would have sounded like with Joe behind the board?
It was supposed to be for Maladjusted. We could have maybe gotten a good album out of it.
Interesting many of us have Quarry ranked so low. I remember it was seen as such a comeback when it was released - which I guess it was - but maybe it hasn't aged well?
In my case, I overplayed it at the time because it was a comeback and never listen to it anymore.
- surprised by the affection for Your Arsenal. Not sure if this is just a IMCT thing or a Morrissey fan thing. I had thought the singles were widely regarded as some of his weakest, although I was aware this album was regarded as a bit of a comeback following Kill Uncle.
I don't rank albums by the singles on it, I rank it by the quality of the album as a whole, which this one nails. It's muscular and dark, has great lyrics and melodies, and outstanding drumming.
- surprised by the affection for Your Arsenal. Not sure if this is just a IMCT thing or a Morrissey fan thing. I had thought the singles were widely regarded as some of his weakest, although I was aware this album was regarded as a bit of a comeback following Kill Uncle.
I don't rank albums by the singles on it, I rank it by the quality of the album as a whole, which this one nails. It's muscular and dark, has great lyrics and melodies, and outstanding drumming.
My thoughts exactly. The album overall sounds great. Ronson's production alongside Morrissey's squad of rockabilly kids really hit and Morrissey sounds reborn. Alain and Boz's guitars crunch and roar...Gary Day's bass playing is melodic and Spencer Cobrin's drumming is very outstanding. I ranked it below Vauxhall - but it is so close.
- surprised by the affection for Your Arsenal. Not sure if this is just a IMCT thing or a Morrissey fan thing. I had thought the singles were widely regarded as some of his weakest, although I was aware this album was regarded as a bit of a comeback following Kill Uncle.
I don't rank albums by the singles on it, I rank it by the quality of the album as a whole, which this one nails. It's muscular and dark, has great lyrics and melodies, and outstanding drumming.
My thoughts exactly. The album overall sounds great. Ronson's production alongside Morrissey's squad of rockabilly kids really hit and Morrissey sounds reborn. Alain and Boz's guitars crunch and roar...Gary Day's bass playing is melodic and Spencer Cobrin's drumming is very outstanding. I ranked it below Vauxhall - but it is so close.
"Singles are for girls."
Re: The All Smiths/Morrissey Thread
Posted: 25 Jan 2019, 3:28pm
by drowninghere
^ Glam, rockabilly and muscular not really my thing so that probably explains it there. Do very much like We'll Let You Know and NFD.
