Re: Fave Morrissey albums - Viva Hate onwards (no compilations, except Bona Drag)

[LoafingOaf]

1. Vauxhall And I (A+)
2. Your Arsenal (A)
3. Viva Hate (A)
4. Beethoven Was Deaf (A)
5. Bona Drag (A-)
6. Southpaw Grammar (B+)
7. You Are The Quarry (B+)
8. Maladjusted (B)
9. Live At Earls Court (B-)
10. Ringleader Of The Tormentors (C+)
11. Kill Uncle (C-)

Letter grades are based on how satisfied I am with the album in relation to my high expectations for Morrissey, with "C" equaling "satisfactory" and "A" equaling "blows me away."

A mere satisfactory C-grade Morrissey album is obviously better than most of the garbage released nowadays, and is a good album, but has to be considered a disappointment from someone so talented. Those who consider "Ringleader of the Tormentors" a great Morrissey album strike me as Morrissey shills, or people who think that a great Morrissey album need only have two or three great songs. I know that Morrissey himself expects a great album to be great from the first song through the last, and I agree with him on that. I give "Ringleader" a + because "Life is a Pigsty" and "Work of Art" are especially beautiful songs, but one had to be really fooling themselves to believe that album is up to snuff. Go back and listen to "Vauxhall & I" and "Meat is Murder" to hear what a Morrissey/Smiths album can do when it is truly great.

IMHO, the prime of Morrissey's solo career was from the "My Love Life" single thru the "Sunny" single. This stretch was, to me, as great as The Smiths' years.

 

[puddle.]

i would give YATQ a C, ROTT a B+, and Viva Hate a B+ (saying it is great is thinking that a great Morrissey album need only have two to four great songs).

everything else is the same as yours. although i wouldn't use any A+'s, with A being the highest possible. so I would say Vauxhall and I is tied with Your Arsenal.

also, i wouldn't use any live albums..but i do like Beethoven more than Live at Earl's Court. the matter of fact i can't even listen to Earl's Court because of its poor audio quality.

> 1. Vauxhall And I (A+)
> 2. Your Arsenal (A)
> 3. Viva Hate (A)
> 4. Beethoven Was Deaf (A)
> 5. Bona Drag (A-)
> 6. Southpaw Grammar (B+)
> 7. You Are The Quarry (B+)
> 8. Maladjusted (B)
> 9. Live At Earls Court (B-)
> 10. Ringleader Of The Tormentors (C+)
> 11. Kill Uncle (C-)

> Letter grades are based on how satisfied I am with the album in relation
> to my high expectations for Morrissey, with "C" equaling
> "satisfactory" and "A" equaling "blows me
> away."

> A mere satisfactory C-grade Morrissey album is obviously better than most
> of the garbage released nowadays, and is a good album, but has to be
> considered a disappointment from someone so talented. Those who consider
> "Ringleader of the Tormentors" a great Morrissey album strike me
> as Morrissey shills, or people who think that a great Morrissey album need
> only have two or three great songs. I know that Morrissey himself expects
> a great album to be great from the first song through the last, and I
> agree with him on that. I give "Ringleader" a + because
> "Life is a Pigsty" and "Work of Art" are especially
> beautiful songs, but one had to be really fooling themselves to believe
> that album is up to snuff. Go back and listen to "Vauxhall &
> I" and "Meat is Murder" to hear what a Morrissey/Smiths
> album can do when it is truly great.

> IMHO, the prime of Morrissey's solo career was from the "My Love
> Life" single thru the "Sunny" single. This stretch was, to
> me, as great as The Smiths' years.

 

[LoafingOaf]

> i would give YATQ a C, ROTT a B+, and Viva Hate a B+ (saying it is great
> is thinking that a great Morrissey album need only have two to four great
> songs).

> everything else is the same as yours. although i wouldn't use any A+'s,
> with A being the highest possible. so I would say Vauxhall and I is tied
> with Your Arsenal.

> also, i wouldn't use any live albums..but i do like Beethoven more than
> Live at Earl's Court. the matter of fact i can't even listen to Earl's
> Court because of its poor audio quality.

I gave Earls Court a - due to it's sound quality and Sanctuary's editing of the between-song banter.

A few of the songs on the live albums I prefer to their studio versions.

I'm in love with "Beethoven Was Deaf" and that's why I felt I had to include live albums. I just dig that disc too much to leave it out.

Viva Hate's highs are so high that they make up for the minor flaws. I'll admit that sorta contradicts my assertion that a great album has to be great all the way through. Oh well.

 

[LoafingOaf]

And while I rate "Kill Uncle" low because I think it was far too half-assed an effort (due to his not having a proper band), I did listen to that CD today on my discman while taking a nature walk through a park (I got excited by the sudden nice weather in Ohio)...and I have to say I miss when Morrissey was singing about homeless chihuahuas and frisbees.

 

[ReggieKray]

In order:

Bona Drag
Viva Hate
Ringleader
Quarry
Vauxhall
Kill Uncle
Southpaw
Maladjusted

Bona Drag just has too many bangers on there to leave it off.....

 

[sdavenport666]

you have way too much time on your hands (and really questionable taste)