You Are The Quarry

There was a redeeming value to Smiths era Morrissey. 2004's You Are The Quarry shows what an insufferable prick the man is. Still a decent album as most geniuses put out good material with little effort, very few tell you how great they are while they're doing it. 3/5

Morrissey without Marr is singularly pretentious. Despite my distaste for the man, the album is competent. The *music* is competent. The arrangements are good. The lyrical content is mopey, dramatic, pretentious bullshit that dribbles from the mouth of the person at the party I'm definitely trying to avoid. Morrissey is constantly writing the soundtrack for the redpill incel movement.

Fred Flintstone worked at the quarry. I always wished I had a job where a bird punched my timecard with it's teeth. Oh well. I never really got into Morrissey or the Smiths, not an album I'll revisit but I'm glad I listened to it.

Pleasent albeit a bit bland music at least to begin with. It picked up and became more interesting to me in the second half of the album Standouts The First Of The Gang To Die Let Me Kiss You All The Lazy Dykes 3/5

There's definitely worse on this list, the music's ok, the vocals are much better than his performance with the Smiths, but still not my thing.

I played it once or twice before, but not more. I recognized some of the songs. Probably my favorite solo album of his. It's good, but not spectacular. Favorite song: How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel

Not bad, but depressing but that’s Mozza. Not the same without Marr

2.5 stars. Lyrically not a fan, no subtlety. Musically it's fine, if boring. Pretty singing voice. Instrumentally kinda generic sounding alt/pop rock

Some 700 albums in and I start to think this might be the last Morrissey album for me? I hope so. I might be repeating myself in this review: - He is obviously not a bad singer. - There are some GREAT tracks on this record (“Irish Blood, English Heart” and “I Have Forgiven Jesus” being two). The rest I don’t really care for. - His discography really isn’t diverse enough to grant him this many spots on the list. What is You Are The Quarry doing that his earlier albums didn’t showcase?

It always surprises me how much I actually enjoy Morrissey when I actually listen to it,

3.5/5. Seriously, this better be the last Morrissey album that comes up.

Never heard from him and it seems in from general consensus that he is of questionable character. In that light , I've only heard of a few Smiths albums and they were ok . Trying to separate the art from the artist was hard here since the art itself contains his staunch beliefs. But it wasn't a bad record.

Fav: First Of The Gang To Die Least Fav: I’m Not Sorry

Ok Morrissey we get it America sucks and you hate it, sure. Irish Blood, English Heart is not my thing. I Have Forgiven Jesus is pretty good.

Couple of epic singles and some unremarkable album tracks

Non un granché

Pas un mauvais album, mais à ce point je me demande à quel point il a besoin d'avoir autant d'albums ici. Pas mal les mêmes commentaires que pur les autres. 6/10

Morrissey is unique, there are those that adore him and those that loathe him. I am somewhere in-between. This is a decent album but not as good as his debut solo album .

Yes, Morrissey is a smug nasty piece of work, but most of the time it works to his music’s advantage. It fits the slinky arrangements quite well.

My fourth and, god willing, final, solo Morrissey album from the list. This didn't actively annoy me in the same way some of his other stuff has, but lawd, the lack of self awareness in some of these songs is pretty cringe. Fave tracks - eh, "First of the Gang to Die" maybe?

Its okay 3.0

Some really good songs, but mostly not very interesting.

Some lyrics are questionable to say the least. Prefer him with the Smiths. Standout: First of the Gang to Die

This must a lesser known album, heretofore unbeknownst to me, and with good reason.

I love and laugh at Morrissey’s lyrics and self pity. But I miss Johnny Marr’s jangling guitar and melodies on this one. Morrissey solo is just not on par with The Smiths, which to me is perfection

Stabilt.

I never really got on the mortuary/smiths band wagon. But it’s not terrible. Nice after work drive home album.

3.5

New found appreciation for Morrissey after hearing this record

Better than I anticipated...had been a huge fan of Moz's solo work. Very political. 3/5

How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel // The First Of The Gang To Die //

Morrissey. No me ha hecho mucho... Ni fu ni fa.

Crashing Bores indeed Mr Morrisey. Heading into his angry old racist phase. Still some nice tunes though.

um okay my guy

a couple misses but the smiths/morrissey scratch an itch for me

3/5. It's hard for me to get into Morissey because of his natural pretentiousness in his music but this well-polished and simple recording works well for him. Sure it definitely is more accessible and poppier but it works, it can be annoying when artists refuse to change their style for "art's sake." These are catchy and still introspective, even if some lyrics are a little too surface level. Best Song: Irish Blood, I Have Forgiven Jesus, First of the Gang to Die

not bad, smooth and easy listening which was nice and calming to listen to throughout

OK, this is my second Morrissey album (well, technically the first was The Smiths), and dare I say much better than the first I had listened too. There's still an arrogance Morrissey has that I can't quite get behind, but musically the album is good.

Yup...um...sounded like Morrissey, and for me that is not the greatest thing. I mean, whatever...

This is exactly what I expect from Morrissey and I enjoyed it exactly as much as I expected.

2024-05-21...

I didn't like this one as much as Your Arsenal. It also sucks that Morrissey sucks as a person, because I'd be more inclined to get more into him as a musician.

Despite the man who made it being a twat, the album was ok. Lets face it the man does what he does well but he did it better than the 80s. Also, what does he have against burgers? A burger has never hurt anyone but a racist… nevermind, 3 out 5 stars.

The lyrics on the first song are so dumb but also funny - I enjoy the music though. The lyrics all around are just like annoying even though his voice is good

Solid

Ugh this fucking guy again! Honestly not bad, I’ve never heard of this guy, yet he has two albums on the list so far… maybe he just was never popular in Canada. I’m not sure.

It's OK. Not a big fan of his moaning and complaining

I hate how much I enjoy Morriessey's music for him being such a shit human. 3.5/5

My first time listening to Morrissey, and it was an interesting album that I thought had some good songs on it. There were a few where I also thought he's just saying things for a reaction but overall, not bad to listen to.

Great Album!

I didn’t listen to the whole album but I was impressed with the first songs I heard I thought the Jesus song was especially moving.

Het is uit 2004, het klinkt alsof het in 1988 is gemaakt. Voor die tijd nog niet eens zo slecht, maar verder hoor ik er weinig bijzonders aan.

Omdat ik eerst altijd het bovenste kwart van de hoes zie, dacht ik even een soort Take That te krijgen. Ietsje scrollen en de hoes wordt heel anders. Vrij passend bij de muziek. Meneer pakt zijn overduidelijke aanvallen toch charmant in. Normaal gaan de teksten lekker langs mij heen. Wonderlijk dat Morrissey mij wel weet te bereiken met zijn boodschappen.

Ok, eerste gedachte: waarom moeten we in vredesnaam de zoveelste Morrissey te horen krijgen? Ik ben die man spuugzat inmiddels. En er hoort dus een maximum te zitten aan hoeveel platen er van dezelfde artiest in mogen staan. Maar dan hoor ik het album, en ik ken zowaar een aantal nummers. Morrissey gaat best aardig met de tijd mee, want het heeft best veel 00s klanken. Irish Blood is bijv een prima song. Zijn liefhebbers zullen vooral fan zijn van zijn kritische teksten. Maar dat boeit me nooit zo. Wat ik al eerder zei bij een ander album: hij drukt zijn mening door je strot, zoals bij een gans het eten door de strot wordt geduwd voor de foie gras. En daar heeft meneer Morrissey toch zo'n hekel aan? Dus eindigt ook dit album weer in een typisch Morrissey cijfer, een 3. Het heeft iets sympathieks, maar ook iets ongelooflijk vermoeiends. Je wil er een hekel aan hebben, maar het is bij tijd en wijle best aan te horen.

Morrissey's "You Are The Quarry," released in 2004, marked his return after a long hiatus. The album features his signature wit, melancholy, and social commentary, wrapped in polished rock production. Standout tracks include the anthemic "First of the Gang to Die," the introspective "I Have Forgiven Jesus," and the infectious "Irish Blood, English Heart." Morrissey's vocals are emotive, delivering his biting lyrics with conviction. While the album is a strong solo effort, it doesn't quite reach the heights of his work with The Smiths. Overall, "You Are The Quarry" is a solid but not exceptional effort, earning it a 3 out of 5.

Good album. I never know what to say about it, I mean, it’s Morrissey. He’s kind of his own sound. He was better with Johnny Marr by his side, but still entertaining.

This really didn't gel with me, but it took me until the second listen through to figure out why. It's because of that reserved British thing where the lyrics are angry and emotional but the music is poppy and whimsical. To me the juxtaposition just doesn't work.

Moz. Not the best, but still Moz.

It’s quite difficult listening to a Morrissey album in 2024. What previously passed for self-deprecating wit just sounds like a bitter old man whining about how nobody loves him. There are still some great songs here (Irish Blood English Heart, I Have Forgiven Jesus, First of the Gang to Die) but a lot of boring and cringy ones too (I Like You is especially bad)

Not as good as viva hate Don't enjoy the lyrics at all I enjoy it musically Few good songs; Let Me Kiss You is one of the highlights. High 3?

Forgettable. Waited too long to review and don’t even remember anything from it.

It was fine, but quite boring.

Ok I can’t deny the instrumentals and melodies and songs themselves are quality. But I can’t get over Morrisseys self righteous whiny ass liberal ass attitude all over this album. I haaaaate most of the lyrics on here.

Morrissey. No me ha hecho mucho... Ni fu ni fa.

Irish Blood, English Heart elevates an otherwise passable album to a worthy listen. 3.5 stars.

- lyrics are fuckign odd. i mean it’s morrissey so duh - thought lazy dykes was going to piss me off more than it did - i haven’t listened to the smiths that much and I’m sure some of their lyrics are odd too, but the kind of chill smiths vibe guitar with ‘well, america, you know where you can shove your hamburger’ - realized his voice is KIND of vaguely similar to alex turner’s but i think it’s just becuase they’re both british and annoying - will listen to again but won’t add to my library - 3/5 i GUESS… it’s like fine to listen to

2,5

Interesting storyteller

Good music.

It’s OK, I enjoyed it upon its release… and still revisit it now and then (“Come Back to Camden” in particular, with its kinda throwback R&B ballad style), and I suppose it got some play back in the day on WXRT. But seems neither masterful, influential or historic. There are other Morrissey-adjunct albums I could imagine appearing on the 1001 albums list … this is far from one. 🤷‍♂️

It was okay but it was certainly no The Smiths. That is also a pretty hard act to follow because The Smiths were amazing.

This was the first Morrissey album I purchased myself, the others that were available to me were my brothers’. At the time I was disappointed. There didn’t appear to be any songs with the charm of the older ones. And tbh I always found Morrissey and the Smiths a hard listen because of the jazz type phrasing of his lyrics. I could cope with this if I knew the song really well, but obviously didn’t know these songs well. This has subsided with time and hearing this album with fresh ears I really rather enjoyed it.

morrissey pisses me off with his racist bullshit

Ah yes, The Smith. Just one of them. Here we have the first of four Morrissey albums that I'll be listening to for this project. He definitely does not deserve four albums, but if any of his solo albums are going to be on this list, this one makes more sense than the others. Anyways, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Is it as good as the one The Smiths album I've gotten so far? No, definitely not. However, this album isn't that bad, but it's not perfect. I'll start with a complaint that I don't think I've ever made before. The singing is decent, and the instrumentals are quite solid, but I feel like they don't mesh well with each other. Anyways, the writing is certainly interesting. Some of it makes sense, other parts don't. I was expecting the album to feel like The Smiths, but it really didn't at all. That's fine and all, I just don't like the sound of this album as much. Has this album aged all that well? Not really. Sometimes it's for funny reasons, like in the first song where he brings up how America's never had a black president. Other things relate to more serious topics regarding who Morrissey is as a person. Overall, this album's fine, but kind of forgettable. Low 3/5.

He has better

A real surprise and delight. Lyrically on point, and even over 10years old and it is still prevalent, as if he predicted the future. The Lefties just struggle liking him as the truth hurts.

Love Morrisey! But this album is nothing special 3,5/5

Ah, the Morrissey paradox. The guy is so obviously sad, damaged and lonely that I can't help but feel quite sorry for him. But his entire public persona for the last 30+ years send to have been to make himself as dislikeable as possible. A real arsehole, but one who still made plenty of objectively good records. This is decent, not great, but definitely a diverting listen. Begrudging respect.

It’s odd, with the other 800 albums I’ve reviewed, I don’t think the personality of the musicians has much of a bearing on my score, but for some reason with this guy the two things are inexorably linked. The tunes are OK, Morrissey has some very strong options I don’t always agree with.

Pretty forgettable, but mostly pleasant tunes. 2.5/5

Morrissey's 2004 release, "You Are The Quarry," landed with a mix of anticipation and skepticism. Here's a breakdown of its elements: Lyrics: Classic Morrissey Themes: Angst, alienation, societal critique ("America Is Not The World"), and introspective melancholy ("First Of The Gang To Die") dominate. Witty Wordplay: Lines like "You have never been in love/ Until you've seen the sun rise/ Behind the Home for the Blind" ("Irish Blood, English Heart") showcase his signature lyrical style. Self-Obsession: Critics point to a focus on personal woes overshadowing broader themes. Tracks like "I Have Forgiven Jesus" delve into self-pitying territory. Music: Polished Production: Producer Jerry Finn provides a clean, radio-friendly sound. This departs from the Smiths' jangly guitars, leaning towards a fuller, more mature rock aesthetic. Genre Blending: Elements of electronica ("Certain People I Know"), glam rock ("The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores"), and even a touch of reggae ("Irish Blood, English Heart") create a diverse soundscape. Catchy Melodies: Singles like "First Of The Gang To Die" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" showcase strong hooks and memorable choruses. Production: Slick and Polished: The album boasts a high production value, evident in the layered instrumentation and crisp sound. Overproduced at Times: Critics argue the emphasis on polish sacrifices the raw energy present in some earlier works. Emphasis on Morrissey's Vocals: Finn's production keeps the focus squarely on Morrissey's distinctive baritone, which has matured with a richer, smoother quality. Themes: Disillusionment: The album reflects a general sense of disappointment with society and the world. Songs like "America Is Not The World" criticize American cultural dominance. Loss and Mortality: Tracks like "The Loneliness Of A Middle Distance Runner" grapple with themes of aging and the passage of time. Unrequited Love: A recurring theme, evident in songs like "First Of The Gang To Die" and "Certain People I Know," explores the ache of unfulfilled desire. Influence: Continuation of Legacy: "You Are The Quarry" solidified Morrissey's status as a solo artist with a dedicated fanbase. Limited Commercial Success: While commercially successful compared to his later works, it didn't achieve the heights of The Smiths' era. Divided Critical Reception: The album received mixed reviews, with praise for its catchy melodies and Morrissey's voice, alongside critiques of its self-indulgent lyrics and overproduction. Pros: Strong Vocals: Morrissey delivers a powerful and nuanced vocal performance throughout the album. Catchy Melodies: Several tracks boast memorable hooks and sing-along choruses. Genre Exploration: The album incorporates diverse musical influences, showcasing Morrissey's artistic evolution. Cons: Repetitive Themes: The album heavily relies on familiar themes of alienation and self-pity, potentially alienating new listeners. Overproduction: The polished sound can feel sterile compared to the rawness of his earlier work. Lyric Shortcomings: Self-absorption and a lack of fresh perspectives in certain lyrics limit the album's emotional depth. In Conclusion: "You Are The Quarry" is a polished and commercially accessible album showcasing Morrissey's signature voice and songwriting style. While praised for its catchy melodies and strong vocals, it suffers from repetitive themes and a lack of the innovation that marked his earlier work. The album serves as a testament to Morrissey's enduring influence while reflecting a shift towards a more mature sound.

My heart sank when I saw who it was. I don’t like Morrissey and can’t understand the fuss. However, it wasn’t bad. It was easy listening. I would never seek out his music as there’s so much better out there but overall a middling 3*

Bit cringey at times but fine.

Who knew that the quarry he was talking about would turn out to be foreign people

I had never heard it, but as with most Morrissey albums, I enjoyed it while knowing that there are probably lots of people who just hate it! Hahha!

interesting

Not really my style, but not horrible. I feel like it seems a bit Frank Sinatra + 90s alt. Does that make sense? I hear influences from both here.

Not a huge fan but it's not bad either

Listened to all of it. None stood out.

One of the better albums from Morrissey that I have listened to, not the usual monotonous " slash my wrist "music but Morrissey is so famous for

I was not expecting vocal flips from Morrissey. I kinda like it

A lot of this album is the musical equivalent of: "These days, mate, if you say you're English, right, these days, you'll get arrested and you'll be thrown in jail." Whilst I don't agree with the gammony world view it expresses, I do quite like this record. Alt rock with good pace and melody. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: The First Of The Gang To Die Date listened: 29/02/24

Not terrible, nothing special.

Morrissey being a pretentious dickhead definitely hurts a record that could have actually been really enjoyable. The music itself is quite strong, but the lyrics and concepts lack any nuance making it bland and downright annoying at times. All that being said I still enjoyed it more than I expected to.

I go back and forth with Morrissey. Sometimes I like him more than other time. Not a bad listen, but I'm not a fan (today). 3.5

Jesus Christ that first song made me want to rip off any part of my body that has senses

It's OK - but prefer the Smiths - can't see myself going back to it

Album Nr. 50 Im Vergleich zu den beiden vorherigen Alben, welche mir hier vorgeschlagen wurden, schon fast eine Wohltat. Aber leider noch immer Mittelmaß.

It's not bad. Not the Smiths mind but Moz would probably not want us to be compairing.

Some great lyrics but tunes really same

I like the sound. Wouldn't buy it but wouldn't mind listening again.

I liked this musically but lyrically it was hard to get around

Most of post-Smiths Morrissey is bad to mediocre, but this album is actually quite solid. It sounds pretty similar to britpop that was already waning at this point (Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Keane) but still sounded good.

Based on the lyrics of the opening song, America can talk to Morrissey now

A bit monotonous but perfect for an overcast California day.

Its not bad. But personally i just liked one song which made it through my filters :)

Morrissey is a strange beast. On one hand, I can recognize just how *pretentious* this guy is, so convinced of his own intelligence. On the other, he does get some solid jabs put with his standard sad-boy affect on here. That being said, I think this record suffers from too much: one thing I loved about The Smiths and previous Morrissey records is they didn't feel so... full? This one just has so many various instruments, it screams "late-period comeback" for any musician, a good point of this being "I Like You", which has the kitchen sink thrown in there. That all being said, it's... good. He just sucks. But we knew that. Favorite tracks: "First Of the Gang To Die", "I'm Not Sorry"

Morrissey is definitely not my cup of tea. Some decent lyrics, but the music kills me.

my second experience with solo morrissey, after listening to 'vauxhall and i' - and i can't say i am any more impressed with it than the first time. here, i find his lyrics are a bit more cringey, maybe not less biting than i've heard him write before, but certainly a lot more bold-faced. once again, even with how i feel about his lyrics, they are better than the music, which is down quite a few pegs from his smiths days (more of a glowing review of johnny marr than anything). so yeah, not very impressed with this. it was fine, but i can't say i would ever seek it out again.

Nice melodies and Morrisey's vocals are great, but I'm tired of his whinging. His personal views no longer accord with mine and the subject matter no longer chimes with me.

I really liked the music but even for Morrisey lyrically this is overwrought bullshit. It’s so over the top, even for one of the biggest cunts on earth, that it might actually for a parody of himself. I wanted to hate this album, but I didn’t. Goddamn Morrisey. It’s so lush and beautiful melodic. Lyrically ridiculous but so unique. 7.1/10

Better than I thought, as I find Morrissey to be very uneven. His usual sins (a nearly complete lack of lyricism) and virtues (a great melodic and attitudinal sense) are on display here, but show a little more depth and sophistication than some of his earlier work.

3.75

I wasn’t digging this album at first and thought it was going to be a struggle To get through, but it slowly won me over. I relistenned a second time and dug it more. The start was slow, but got much better at the end. I still prefer his work with the Smiths

As long as Albums by The Smiths are easily available, Morrissey’s solo work will be a footnote to me at best. First Otf The Gang To Die and How Can Anybody… are brilliant, but there’s too many slow songs and self indulgent lyrics to consider this a classic in my book.

Not bad, typical Morrissey. Could take it or leave it, to be honest.

Morrissey ohne Marr ist Mittelmaß

3,5. fín lög inn á milli. ekki hans besta en ekki slæmt.

Wel gezellig

I find this album to be a pretty mixed bag, as often it feel as though it thinks its doing something fantastical and breathtaking, and it really isn't, while other times it really is something special. That isn't even only the hits that get that reaction either, as some of the deeper cuts here are great, as well as the big tracks. However, truly puzzling is parts that Morrissey seems to think he can get away with, such as lesbian slurs, and poor "critiques" of the U.S. that make this album hard to care for at points. I think this album has a decent amount of potential, but at the end of the day, unlike many Morrissey releases, this doesn't feel special enough to listen to despite the singer's more than idiotic beliefs. If this is your only encounter with solo Morrissey so far, I would understand sticking with The Smiths, even if tracks like First of the Gang to Die are fantastic.

Kind of funny in a surreal way to hear Morrissey’s venomous lyrics set to more “contemporary” accompaniment. No way you have to listen to this before you die but there’s nice sounds here and there

I wasn't really in the mood for Morrissey today but I also think this is significantly weaker than most of his other albums I've heard. 5/10

I'm surprised at how palatable this was. Quite a few songs that I liked, although still would never put on the album by itself.

No thoughts. An album I listened to

Paar toffe tracks maar over het geheel niet zijn beste werk. Al kan ik zijn stem en muziek altijd prima hebben.

Beetje een zeuralbum.

Rating: 5.5/10 Decent album overall. Some songs were great, very catchy instrumentally with some clever lyrics by Morrissey. Some songs were very boring, however, the middle sections was not good. When it works though, this album works quite well. Favorite songs: America Is Not the World, How Can Anybody Know How I Possibly Feel?, First of the Gang To Die. Worst song: I Have Forgiven Jesus.

I preferred Viva Hate to this one. Irish Body, English Heart is really good. Album also ends well.

Again I'm tempted to slag this with a one star review just for the egregious over-representation of Morrisey on this list. But really to me it's just a solid 3: the music is pedestrian, he certainly has chops as a singer but lyrically I find it a little plodding and artless, and the songs with a "message" are typically self-important and preachy.

Top 5 worst album covers

It’s Morrissey being loquacious and a crooner. Some guitar work is interesting. I like the single Irish Blood English Heart, but it’s very short at two and half minutes! An alright album. Forever lacking Johnny Marr.

the smiths were very political so naturally this is too, doesnt always entertain but the first of the gang song is a banger

I will have to give Morrissey credit, he goes off on America on that first track, but it's not just "America sucks." I think he encapsulates how a lot of people feel about America in "America Is Not The World." So this is the FOURTH Morrissey album on the list? And it's no longer on the list, even. Saying that, this is significantly better than "Viva Hate," the last Morrissey album I reviewed. The instrumentation is "harder," the singing is not as whiny all of the time (there ARE moments, though (looking at you "Let Me Kiss You")). So I'd say it's the best Smiths / Morrissey album I've heard. But that is not saying a heck of a lot.

3 times in a few weeks is a lot but again decent songs albeit with a massive slice of gammon on. Irish Blood, English Heart has a lot of answering to do.

Cet album dresse le bilan émotif de ce qui a formé Morrissey. Les textes sont parfois un peu premier degré. Belles textures musicales

I love the Smiths and enjoy some of Morrissey’s solo work and this album is no different. It is overtly political (though his racist statements more recently casts much of what he says into doubt) taking on the Iraq war, the American military industrial complex, and his own Englishness and the legacy of colonialism that it holds. It is also dizzying self-pitying and self-aggrandizing at the same time in a way that completely separates him from the working class he champions in his lyrics. Musically, the album retreads familiar Morrissey melodic turns of phrase and incorporates elements of alternative rock and even some pop punk. It’s a strong album but is not necessarily doing anything new, especially in 2004.

I dig it for the passionate political lyrics, I’m not a huge fan of Morrisey’s voice.

Mostly kept my interest, there were some powerful parts and enjoyable for the most part. Nothing amazing but decent

Listened Before? N Oh Morrisey, you conceited piece of shit. It's such a shame that you're a giant asshole, because your voice and writing are great. Just FYI: your little tirade about America aged like milk. I hope someone adjusts your face soon, but I doubt they will since they haven't yet. Much like your America thing, I'm going to say "I love you" out the side of my mouth though. I will never spend a cent on your music or concerts, but he clearly has talents. Eat your heart out, you douchey edgelord. Four stars for content, Two stars for being a douche. Average - 3. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Irish Blood, English Heart

I can't believe I *liked* a Morrissey album. I had to shower afterwards. Disgusting human, laughably awful and indulgent lyrics, very good melodies and music.

Not bad, I liked it more than The Smiths albums I've listened to.

Eh

Morrissey! He's a pillock, but I love him. At the time I thought he'd given up making music, then this appears, or so it felt like at the time. Loved 'first of the gang to die', but don't remember the other singles apart from 'Irish Blood English Heart'. After listening to this in full, it's not up to The Smiths standard at all, and never will be. I agree with his sentiments on track 1, but not his execution. The rest of the album is ok, pleasant enough. Not his best by a long way, but good enough for a solid 3.

Good but I still don’t fully get why he has 7 records on this list (aside from The Queen is Dead, admittedly a gem). Maybe it’s because I was exposed to the Smiths/Morrissey relatively late in my life I do like Morrissey’s vocal performance throughout, however. Sounds more assured of the musical direction than in Your Arsenal, but also less musically diverse as a result. Ya win some you lose some HL: “Irish Blood English Heart”, “You Know I Couldn’t Last”, “…Crashing Bores” November 19th, 2023

It's a bit boring at moments but it has other which are highs in his career. Additional star for that fun and moving song "the first of the gang to die"

nothing memorable but i do like the vibe of it overall

The stupidest shit, but hey the music is fine

Not my favourite of Morrissey's albums, not by a long shot, but this was fine.

Ihan siistiä aika modernin kuullosta rockia. Levy ei kyllä olekkaan mikään kauheen vanha. The Smithsin laulajan soolohommaa. Ei mitään erityistä huippukohtaa, ihan tasahyvää kokoajan.

Surprisingly jaunty album with acerbic lyrics. Morrissey is too clever for his own good, too often, like Jeremy Corbyn who, if he were Morrissey, might produce something more folksy and less accessible than this.

Rock

Nice album, liked Morrissey's voice a lot, It's very emblematic, I have never paid much attention to the Smiths.

Nice tunes but the apex of "cheer up Morrissey" 3.2

He really just says the exact thing he thinks every time.

A Morrissey album. Bleh

It was alright. Wouldn't listen again.

Estilo característico del cantautor inglés. Escuchable, pero sin nada más. No me ha parecido muy destacable, aunque se puede escuchar sin problemas

Hyvä levy, monta kivaa biisiä. Toki oishan sitä nollarilta kiinnostavampaakin voinut löytää kuin taas vanhoja tuttuja rock-tähtiä.

At first, I was all "Oh great, it's Morrissey". The first couple of songs beat you over the head with proto-emo political tomfoolery, and the theme infuses the entire album, but once it evens out around halfway through, it's not terrible.

Oui correct encore comme album de Morissey. ca tourne toujours autour un peu du meme style son paroles. Donc on aime ou on aime pas mais moi en somme je trouve ca sonne bien. 3.5

I knew Morrisey had controversies surrounding him but didn't know details. Listened to the album first and liked it good enough. Then I read about the musician behind the art and just yiked constantly. such a shame.

At first I was like ugh Morrissey again? But then I actually didn’t hate it

Ekki besta platan hans, en ágæt þó.

A perfectly fine record made by the master cry-baby.

Not in my edition of the book. 2004. 3 stars. I was quite prepared to dislike this - I don't care for Morrissey's singing or his views - but its actually quite good. Decent tunes and some sharp lyrics, offset by the usual self pitying/self-loathing you expect from the miserable Mancunian racist.

Goes along nicely. Bit pretentious, but not unlistenably so.

I was only vaguely aware that Morrisey was still making music post Smiths and was surprised to find that he's actually been pumping out so much material. This album was very well produced and Morrisey's voice sounded great. The material itself was okay, not as musically interesting as earlier songs, but there were some good tracks and it was all nicely put together. I didn't hate on the lyrics as much as I thought I would; they were basic but nothing I wasn't expecting. I doubt I'll listen to this again, so I'm going to give it 3 stars, even though it felt like a strong 3, maybe a 3.4, not quite enough to push it up to a 4. I'm probably letting myself be swayed a little by the fact that Morrisey is a bit of a dick?

Not too bad: When I saw the album cover I just thought it was the most middle-aged, cheap 00s photoshop in the world. The level you see on 'best of' CDs. The album itself was nothing to write home about. Just Morrissey being him and singing with a guitar to back him. Nothing special or to come back to.

This man seems insufferable. The music was ok.

This is my 7th Morrissey album, and I feel like the rating I give always depends on what mood I'm in. But then again, right after this album, Spotify threw me a Smiths deep cut and I thought, "yeah they were much better then." As always, he has a nice emotional melancholic voice with widely personal lyrics, but I feel he gets even more and more egotistical. Like what the hell is with "The World is Full of Crashing Bores"? Get off your high horse, fucking hell. Based on how he behaves in real life, I genuinely think he truly believes he's better than every other songwriter. It's nice production. Very modern, atmospheric with cool electronic synths and a bare semblance to his 80s jangly upbringings. The harder riffs amplify his more emotional lines, but more often than not I find it's counterproductive to his style. The outro "You Know I Couldn't Last" is too over-produced, with the hard riffs clashing with the soft genuine vocals I think he's trying to go for. But at the same time, his vocals feel unnecessarily harsher to keep up with those riffs. The first few 3 tracks essentially show the extent of what he's capable of, with the most experimental sounds, but the rest of the album feels like it's trying to match that. And sometimes he does. But for the most part, it's not worth it. There are some really good tracks, and a lot of it is at least decent. But most of it is boring and repetitive. It's not very innovative or genuine, feeling rather commercial. For most of the deep cuts, I could hear a one-minute snippet and feel like I get the basic gist. For example, "Come Back to Camden" is just a complete bore except for his lovely falsetto near the end. Not worth the rest of it. I should emphasize by no means is this a bad album. None of the tracks scream cringe (beyond the lines where he's too full-of-himself). In fact, this is probably his best album post-1994. It's certainly consistent, produced well, and not overtly bloated. He's still got impressive vocals, and his lyrics are genuine and poetic. And as mentioned, some of his songs here are super good and match the hard style. For what he was trying to evolve into, this was his best shot. But I much prefer his earlier discography, and it's harder to find things I like that isn't just comparing to what he used to do. Favorites: Irish Blood English Heart, This World is Full of Crashing Bores, First of the Gang to Die, Let Me Kiss You

I don't know that I would have put You Are the Quarry on this list, but I also don't know that I would have expected Morrissey to put out an album this good 20 years into his career. Lyrically, Morrissey is scathing and acidic as ever when he wants to be, turning on a dime to reveal great vulnerability and pathos. He sounds excellent here, with anguished, self-loathing and torchy vocals that recall his best solo work from the late 80s/early 90s. The quality of individual songs might vary, but it's never not interesting. Fave Songs: Let Me Kiss You; Come Back to Camden; America Is Not the World; I Have Forgiven Jesus; Irish Blood, English Heart; The World Is Full of Crashing Bores

Nice, although most songs sound the same.

-i thought it was pretty good -think my favorite song is I Have Forgiven Jesus

I love the Smiths so much, and have a weird fascination toward Morrissey. I love some of his solo work, and this album is just okay to me. Having a decade now between me and my high school years where I was obsessed with everything the Smiths, I now see that Johnny Marr really made that band what it was. That being said, I love Morrissey’s voice and I love him as a lyricist. He never fails to make me laugh. “The World is Full of Crashing Bores” had me laughing pretty hard: “ Lamenting policewomen, policemen Silly women, taxmen, uniformed whores They who wish to hurt you Work within the law This world is full, So full of crashing bores And I must be one 'Cause no one ever turns to me to say ‘Take me in your arms Take me in your arms And love me’” God I love him. But also totally understand why he is such a polarizing person. You are the Quarry was a fun listen, but at times felt like divorced dad rock. I also love the album cover. Likes: Irish Blood, English Heart Come Back to Camden I’m Not Sorry The World is Full of Crashing Bores First of the Gang to Die

Hmmmmm…I like The Smiths and I like Morrisey but this album just passed me by….one great tune does not an album maketh! Poor compared to what I was expecting. But as with all music, one mans milk is another mans poison. Don’t start on this if you’re like “hmmmmm Smiths and Morrisey” 3 stars.

Schönes Britpop Album. Gleichwohl auch ein paar Lieder, die ich erstmal als "Füller" bezeichnen würde. Andererseits, zwei echt geile Lieder. *He was the first of the gang...*

frustratingly not that bad to listen to. if only he wasn't such a bell end. like a huge bell end. I've got some decent memories of this album due to being about the time i went to all the festivals and he was also at a lot of them probably crying about burgers.

Probably the last of his great albums before he outed himself as the rock n' roll Nigel Farage. These days big mouth strikes again and again and again and heaven knows I'm miserable now.

same morrissey vibe as ever: the great songs are *great* and the non-great songs are....not great.

oh Morrissey

Nice

Kind of done with Morrissey at this point. But it's okay.

Decent. Not his best work but decent

2.8

I didn't know any of the songs on this album. I though the first two songs were kinda interesting. I do like the sound of Morrisey's voice.

Good album but not something I would come back to regularly. Sounds feel very iconoc though. I feel it would fit great into nostalgic movies or series.

Not bad but nowhere near his early stuff. Interesting first song.

Pretty OK.

Musically interesting, but lyrically too hamfisted.

Fine music, I like his voice, cadence, etc fine enough. Just not my style lyrically. Too eccentric yet...blunt?

I dunno what to expect from a Morrissey solo album. Kinda keen? First song name is funny but I'm already bored of the entry level America criticism stuff. See how the rest goes. Second song is really cool. Lyrics are annoying when I listen to them, music and vocal melodies are good if I don't hear the words. Album cover is pure arrogance. Got old towards the end - every song sounded the same and had the same "ooh look at me I'm an edgelord" attitude. Still, 3/5.

I love The Smiths and really like a lot of Morrissey, but this is one of his lesser works and does not belong on this list.

Sieben Jahre Funkstille, dann das hier: You Are The Quarry, aufgenommen in den Sarm Hook End Studios in Berkshire und bei Conway in Los Angeles, produziert von Jerry Finn. Ich hätte nach so langer Pause mit einem vorsichtigen, abgeklärten Morrissey gerechnet. Bekommen habe ich das Gegenteil. Schon der Opener „America Is Not the World" holt aus, als wäre nie Zeit vergangen. Finns Produktion gibt dem Album einen amerikanischeren, druckvolleren Sound, als man es von Morrissey gewohnt war – das merkt man sofort. „Irish Blood, English Heart" ist der Song, an dem sich die Geister schieden, weil er so unverblümt politisch war wie kaum ein Stück zuvor in seiner Karriere. „First of the Gang to Die" dagegen tanzt fast, während der Text vom Sterben handelt – genau diese Reibung macht Morrissey aus. „Let Me Kiss You" wurde später sogar von Nancy Sinatra gecovert, noch vor Morrisseys eigener Single-Auskopplung. Bitterkeit in Pop zu übersetzen, ohne dass es larmoyant wird: Das kann außer ihm kaum jemand. Nach dem Hören hatte ich das Gefühl, ein Gespräch fortzusetzen, das nie richtig unterbrochen war. Sieben Jahre Pause, keine Sekunde Rost angesetzt.

I enjoyed some songs, but I'm never going to listen to it again. Some tunes were fine, but I just don't connect with him and his lyrics, despite being a hardcore The Smiths fan.

Lighten up, Morrissey. (Irish Blood, English Heart sounds atrocious in 2026. Reform UK battle song.)

I already stalled this listen cause I know I don't care for this dude's voice. But I'm 2 songs in and listening; I really do like his message. The music also isn't bad, but the dude's voice just isn't for me. Yeah, the music sounds decent but dont care for this guys voice too much. I HATE slow songs. AaAhHHAATeeee. so i'm second to last song now and yeah lot of the lyrics are super great, the melodies are ok, and i think it's just not for me. Too slow and broody/moody for my taste. TOOSLOW. 2/5

I did not like or enjoy this album. But it was so much better than Prefab Sprout.

It's 2004 and Morrissey is still feeling sorry for himself. There are a few tracks I like but I'm not sure why he needed to make an album that sounded like 1994 +/-.

I'll be honest, I didn't hate this album as much as I thought I would given the Morrissey of it all. I don't think it's fantastic and it definitely does live up to the Morrissey reputation (as mentioned by many of the other reviews). So 2.5 stars, rounding down, because if nothing else "Good Luck, Babe" is an orders of magnitude better take on denying your sapphic feelings than "All the Lazy Dykes" (which I also really struggled with whether or not I needed an corollary to my f-slur rule for).

Please, give me some Who Quadrophenia.

Morrissey has slow pronounced airy vocals with a Cure sound and feel. Standard beat tracks and ramped up guitar chords fills most songs. The piano cords and electric organ sound seem similar to Supertramp, especially Morrissey's "I Have Forgiven Jesus" and Supertramp's "Goodbye Stranger" downbeat bass piano notes. Much of the albums feels like a poetry jam session possessing melancholy beginnings that builds to an emotional intensity. Maybe I could connect with this album if I was at a crossroads wrestling with life's struggles but for now, I'm happy to leave this album on the shelf collecting dust.

boring

Meh

Mid

Oh my word. He’s got 4 (!!) solo albums on here in addition to 3 with The Smiths. How/why?? Please just give me whiny, depressed, mopey Morrissey rather than this pretentious, pseudo-intellectual political drivel on here. 1.5 stars

few cool moments but overall not an interesting album really.

I've had enough Morrisey, tyvm.

I inexplicably just do not like this. I can’t point out why but something about this ain’t right

Obligatory "Morrissey is a twat"... OK, now that's out the way, I genuinely couldn't wait for this insufferable, pretentious chore of an album to end. Listening to this feels less like enjoying music and more like being cornered at a pub by the most exhausting, self-satisfied twat imaginable. From the painfully on-the-nose, youth-hostel geopolitics of "America Is Not The World" to the blatant Reform UK dogwhistling of "Irish Blood, English Heart," the whole thing reeks of a miserable narcissist desperate to play the victim while spewing reactionary nonsense. He moans about being called out for his own bigotry, masking his contempt for the rest of humanity behind a veil of pseudo-intellectual martyrdom. And without Johnny Marr around to inject some actual artistry into the proceedings, the music itself is relentlessly dull. It’s just generic, lifeless backing tracks that exist solely as a vehicle for his droning, self-pitying lectures. Half the time, it sounds like he’s just awkwardly cramming too many syllables into a bar, stretching random words out with that signature croon that has long since lost any of its charm. It's an utterly joyless, musically bankrupt slog from a deeply unpleasant man who really just needs to shut up and retire already.

Went in to this one open minded and honestly I didn't hate it as much as I wanted to. Genuinely felt sorry for him at first, he could have called this "Why Can't I Find Real Love"... Then I really listened to what he was saying and it became clear. I particularly enjoyed the songs "All of My Opinions Are Correct", "The World Has Always Been Out To Get Me" and "Everyone is Ontologically Bad (Except For Me)"

There are a lot of ups and downs on this album. I like the more upbeat tunes with a tongue in cheek feel and Morrissey's trademark asshole attitude. Some of it though is a little lounge heavy for my taste. Even that sound started to grow on me a bit, but not enough to save this one from the "Meh." pile.

The instrumental and vocals are actually good. But, like many the people, I find the lyrics to be too whiny. He sings about how much better his life is than everyone else’s and how terrible the world is around him, then looks for sympathy because he’s lonely. I haven’t heard them yet but I hope the smiths have much better lyrics than this

Morrissey ✅

2,4/5

This is becoming a game of chicken as to whether the guys who run this establishment are gonna run out of Morrisey albums before I run out of 2s to give them. I'm feeling pretty confident in my infinite stockpile of 2s, but I'm getting a tiny bit concerned that there may also be an infinite number of Morrisey albums on here.

Mozza had lost it by now. The lyrics are churlish the music unimaginative.

Boring music and bad lyrics

This is just good enough musically for me to not give it a 1 star but holy shit it would be so much better if Morrissey wasn’t on it. Just shut up, man!!

Not sure what to even say about this... There are moments where he gets personal and even somewhat introspective, but I’m guessing they’d land harder with someone who’s more familiar with Morrissey and his background. He touches on his unashamedly inflated ego on a few songs, and in a way it reminded me of Kanye - a similarly controversial name that I can at least connect to more. Drawing that parallel, and from that perspective, I could see how fans of Morrissey’s music could regard this album highly. Could this perhaps be his own MBDTF? ... Maybe if it was more musically impressive. As genuinely listenable as this is, it isn’t reinventing the wheel, and it certainly isn’t making me crave more Morrissey. Standouts: How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? • I Like You

I have to give this a 2 because the production is absolutely immaculate and everyone not named Morrissey is doing a great job. The guitar solo on Irish Blood, English Heart and the backing band on I Like You really make me wish he could get his head out of his ass long enough to honor their effort. However, much like Taylor Swift, Morrissey has made a career out of being a perpetual victim and lacks the insight to realize it might be more interesting to try something new once in a while. I thought he was getting there on "The World is Full of Crashing Bores" when he says "And I must be one". I naively thought we would get some self examination. Instead, he decides once again at the end of the song that everyone else is the issue. Morrissey could be a great satirist. He definitely has the voice for it and he certainly feels that he is seeing what's wrong with society, but the problem is that he takes himself way too seriously. There is no way I can believe that any adult could hear him harmonizing with himself on the words "fat pig" and say "My god, this guy is the voice of a generation." Right?

How are there 1001 albums on this list and I keep getting the same 3 or 4 guys? I'm craving some variety here. I'm not really in the mood for Morrisey's mopey BS today. Some pretty cringy lyrics on this album. He sings exactly the same way on every track. I've listened to a few of his albums now and they're all pretty much the same shtick. Some of the melodies are nice, but like, I can only do so much of this. Eh. 2/5

Boring.

Too slow. The first song felt very relevant which is yikes. I liked the message of that one but none of the other songs pulled me in the same way.

If I understand this correctly, Morrissey was SO in peoples faces for so long that even the boring-as-sin British media turned on him. He disappeared for 7 years, then came back and made exactly the same music he was making prior to being excommunicated, but this time we're supposed to love him? He's a wanker - forget 'Britain is fed up with Labour and Tories' - we're fed up with the worst musicians in the world being lauded as national heroes!!

Morrissey is definitely zero fun at parties

Very on the nose but wouldn’t expect anything less from Morrissey.

These lyrics are hot garbage. But God help me the music is solid and I like Morriseys voice (though I despise him as a person).

Didn’t know this guy had a solo career. The sophistication of the smiths is in stark contrast to these songs. Lyrics are bad, composition is mediocre, vocals are basic and flat and whiney. Also, cringe album art.

This kinda sucks? The lyrics feel written by a 14 year old who just discovered politics. It's bad, overtly obviously with no nuance. It's crazy how I gave an album by The Smiths 5/5 and this one is absolutely bothering me. I don't know if the music from The Smiths was drowning out the lyrics enough that it made it better.

I approach all these reviews separating the music from the artist, but this album is so pretentious and self-focused, its difficult to listen without it being Morrisey the person, which is not a pleasant experience. The First of the Gang to Die is a decent tune, the rest is not.

Annoying lyrics. How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel stood out as him being a dick. I don't get how this is anyone's favorite artist. 2/5

You can take only so much of his whiney, woeful coco.

Jojo, det va fint og greit og alt det der (æ hørte ikke på tekstan), men det e nokka med å vite ka slags menneske Morrissey e som gjør at alt forsvinn litt i lyttinga. (Æ va usikker på om æ kanskje bare ikke skulle høre på den her, men så blei det nu likevel.)

I set the bar really low for Morrissey and he still stumbled to get over it here....

Morrissey annoys me in general. I've never understood the appeal of The Smiths or the man himself. This album is O.K. but it's also the longest 47 minutes of my life and I still have 2 tracks to go. Save Me. 2.5 rounded down for a generous 2 stars, mostly because I know when I have to suffer through some of the other albums by him on this list it's going to get a lot worse

хз ну морисей и морисей песни не цепляют переслушивать не стану 2.7

“He said he wants to befriend me, which means he can’t possibly know me” At least he was self aware

uuuuuuuugh i just need to get through one more album from this prick, thankfully America Is Not the World - 1/5 Irish Blood, English Heart - 3/5 I Have Forgiven Jesus - 3/5 Come Back to Camden - 2/5 I'm Not Sorry - 3/5 The World Is Full of Crashing Bores - 2/5 How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? - 4/5 First of the Gang to Die - 2/5 Let Me Kiss You - 2/5 All the Lazy Dykes - 3/5 I Like You - 3/5 You Know I Couldn't Last - 4/5 Average score: 2.6/5 ⭐️⭐️ my least fav of his solo work i've heard so far. very little redeeming tracks in comparison to Your Arsenal I Cannot Fucking Wait Til Morrissey Dies

Preachy lyrics damn

we didn't need this yawning mississey album. the songs behind it aren't even good

I'M FINALLY DONE WITH MORRISSEY ALBUMS (not the Smiths), I CAN BLOCK HIM ON SPOTIFY. This album is a pretentious mess with, honestly, not great lyrics. I'm sick of his voice, and it gives me the serious ick. I'm hoping that one particular JPEGMafia song title happens sooner than later...

America Is Not The World - 3/5 Irish Blood, English Heart - 3/5 I Have Forgiven Jesus - 3.5/5 Come Back To Camden - 2.5/5 I'm Not Sorry - 2.5/5 The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores - 2/5 How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel - 2.5/5 The First Of The Gang To Die - 3/5 Let Me Kiss You - 3/5 All The Lazy - 1/5 I Like You - 2/5 You Know I Couldn't Last - 2/5

I thought America Is Not The World was fine, and then after that this just became super whiny as all hell. Somewhere around How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? I looked at the album and tried to figure out what I was listening to. I feel like Morrissey thinks he's really deep, but this is super surface level at best. First of the Gang to Die was maybe the only song I enjoyed.

I was on the fence about Americans, but the hamburger lines really changed my perspective

The music is alright but I have never liked the Morrissey delivery.

I'm trying to be more positive in life. I am positive Morrissey is in the top 10 cunts of history. If I close my eyes and tune out the vocals, the album isn't terrible.

I struggled to give this my full time and energy, knowing it would require a true exercise in separating the art from the artist, especially with this being Morrissey’s first solo work I’ve heard. I just couldn’t get into this. It’s not poorly executed lyrically or musically at all. Morrissey is his poetic self on here, without a doubt. I just had a lack of personal interest, today, in what he had to say, which were mostly fair and sharp criticisms from a man worthy of just as much himself. Time to move on from this one. 1 listen

There was no subtlety at all with these lyrics, they just felt really try hard to me. The music was okay but the "america is stupid" over and over was jarring, and I'm usually not one to pay much attention to lyrics.

Old man yodeling "get off my lawn!"

It sounded a little more upbeat, but it is still hard to get past his voice, the lyrics and how he delivers them. I'll just have to accept that I'm never going to be a fan of his music. 2.5/5 Won't listen again

Morrissey sucks, and this self-important album where he bitches about all the things that annoy him from his high horse would've been all right, maybe a 3.3 if it wasn't Morrissey singing and wasn't so pretentious. 2 for the melodies and the sound of the vocals if not the content.

I didn't care for the Smiths album I listened to, so what are the chances that I'm going to like a solo Morrissey album? Okay, just finished it. Musically I enjoyed this a bit more than the Smiths album. Lyrically I'm still not impressed. There are a few decent songs when Morrissey quits whining about how nobody understands him. But about half of his lyrics are just insufferable. I honestly don't understand all the fuss over this guy. The general consensus seems to be that he's some kind of musical and lyrical genius, but people get tripped up by his problematic political views. Did you have to hear him in the eighties to feel this way? Because coming at him for the first time in 2026 I find his music to be pretty uninteresting and his lyrics not particularly clever. I guess the plus of it is that I don't have to struggle over whether or not it's "okay" to listen to him.

Imagine picking this over The Smiths first album. That's the real quarry

over hyped average singer who built his reputation on a great guitar player. change the first word of the first song to Morrissey and you get where I'm sitting on this one. I loved the smiths but think yer man has a bit of a Bono complex

There’s something about the production of this album that irks me, and I’m not sure if I can articulate what it is. Maybe it’s jarring to hear Smiths-style songs in such a clean, polished format? It’s a lot less “jangly” than I’d like. I also hate how self-important many of these songs feel, and though I’ve come to expect that from Morrissey, I think it’s a little more egregious on this particular album. First of the Gang to Die still bangs though, and so does I Have Forgiven Jesus, despite how repulsively egocentric it is.

Desperately mediocre. I have no idea why anybody thinks it belongs on this list, unless it's to serve as a bad example. The music tries its best but it mostly not very inspiring. Only The First Of The Gang To Die is any good.

That flute solo in I'm Not Sorry was good! Other than that this album is mostly boring and pretentious. Definitely a 2 star album and I'm pretty over Morrissey by now. Paraphrasing a track from this album here for my review: I've had my ears dragged in 12 tracks of shit, and I do not, and I do not, and I do not like it.

The whine and mope morrissey can produce is truly a great accompaniment to his horrendous song writing, they go hand in hand. Truly, I find the lyrics unlistenable and the musical backing has not a fighting chance to reclaim any sort of dignity

Just not a fan of his voice or style.

Kind of boring, but not quite as terrible as I expected. Merely falls into the "whatever" category. As a matter of fact, it's so bland and uninteresting that I don't have much to say about it. Lyrics were either childish or cringey. A couple of almost good musical moments... but most of the songs just faded into oblivion the minute I finished the album. 3/10

Thet texts are nice, and sometimes obsolete ;-p "America(...) where the President is never black, female or gay", but who would bother to listen?

Argh… again. A few pretty solid melodies and almost actual riffs here and there, surprisingly leaning more into rock for a comeback album. The voice is less instantly recognizable too, Morrissey sounds a bit less The Smiths this time. “Irish Blood…”, “The World Is Full Of…”, “How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?” (the most dramatic and emotionally effective one), or “You Know I Couldn’t Last” are genuinely inspired moments, but not enough to make the album really stick. Very average and generic one for me, still …better than most Brit pop.

I was so ready to just absolutely dread this album. I'd heard about Morrissey and I thought he was some crazed alt-right nutjob. And I was kiiinda right. But to be honest, I did some reading before listening to this album, and a lot of the quotes I read were very tame. Sometimes he's deliberately obtuse or contrarian, but the vibe I got from him wasn't "crazy Trumpie uncle." It was more "that one kid in my class in high school that said really stupid shit but it made sense to him and he was genuinely confused as to why everyone was laughing at him." Looking at you, Max. So that's not why I disliked You Are The Quarry. It was mostly because, well, the songs just aren't good. They should've been! All of the instrumentals here are well-produced, they're pretty, they're rockin' and they just sound good. I liked them. I did not like Morrissey's lyrics at all. His voice is fine, but for every single song, it sounds like he wrote the lyrics without ever hearing the accompaniment, and then forced himself to apply his lyrics to the song unchanged. They just don't mesh whatsoever. It sounds very awkward, especially when Morrissey is singing the least subtle lyrics known to man. And oh my god, why won't be shut up about how single he is? Every other song, he's complaining about how unloved or unloveable he is. Maybe if he stops bitching about it, he'll find someone. He even blames Jesus for it in track 3. He seems to blame everyone except himself. What a loser. I really didn't like it, but at least the instrumentals were serviceable. I'm giving it 2 stars because I know it can get worse.

It's ok. It's Morrisey and it's the 4th solo album I've had by him on here? Massive over representation. So marks down for that and it's not his strongest era.

As an American, I’m all for shitting on America, but you have to do it better than rhyming hamburger with hamburger. And really, another Morrissey album?

I don't want to listen to Morrissey anymore. I'm not quick to label music pretentious but the irony of a Brit telling another country to stay where they belong was quite the kick-off. Morrissey continues to whine over uninteresting backing tracks through the entirety of the album. There are a couple of decent tracks here but even the less pretentious songs aren't special in any way.

It was alright but definitely below a 3 nothing really grabbed me.

Separate the art from the artist. C’mon, you can do this! Separate the art from the artist. Ok I think I’m in the zone…. I remember hearing Irish Blood, English Heart on the radio and thinking it kicked ass. I managed to quickly get over that feeling and return to our prior arrangement. You see, for a long time now, Morrissey and I have not got along. Wait… separate goddammit! I was a little concerned that if the full album was as good as that single, I may have found myself drawn back in despite the unpleasantness…you see, some things were said and…. Stop it! Art only! Just pretend it’s a different artist maybe? OK? OK. Fortunately the rest of the album was well below par. Like so much of what he has done solo, there was blandness where there should be vitality. Back when we got on, there was no blandness it was all unpredictable and funny and….I really am going to have to stop now. There is one Morrissey solo album I will struggle not to score poorly, but this is not it. There was 2 or 3 other songs on this album that had that a little of the vibrancy of its lead single, but the rest sounded like b-sides. And so much whinging! Wait, he used to have excellent b-sides. So, not those ones but the other shit ones, or the shit a-sides from the late 90s. Summary, the album is poor and I am relieved about that.

Best Song: Irish Blood, English Heart. There's a discernible rock energy here, and the play around this dual-national identity is at least somewhat compelling, if not characteristically childishly handled by Morrissey. Worst Song: America Is Not The World. If there was ever an indication that Morrissey thinks far too strongly of himself, starting the album with this dopey little letter directed at the concept of America itself might be it (and if it doesn't, maybe its when he elects to "forgive Jesus" only two songs later). It's also maddening some of the criticisms he levies at this odd vision of America, especially when many of the criticisms applied (in 2004) nearly as much to England as they did to America. He was upset that America had never had a black, female, or gay president? I'm not even American and I found this obnoxious. Oh and in the next lyric he rhymes the lyric "hamburger" with "hamburger". Goddamnit this guy sucks. Overall: Maybe Morrissey had totally lost the plot by this point in his career but Christ these lyrics are awful. Half the time they sound like the comment section of a Daily Mail article read aloud, but they're delivered with this smug, finger-snapping manner as though he thinks he's really just done something. There's no hint of subtlety or grace, it's just ordinary things bluntly said. "He stole from the rich and the poor and the not very rich and the very poor". Shakespeare.

Fine a few songs test not memorable in the least 2.5

Quintessential whining Moz. Everything I dislike about him summed up in one album!

It's definitely not my favorite from Morrissey.

im gonna kms if i get another album from his (joking ofc) i just dont understand what it is abt this guy that ppl love his music so much. to me its just so nasally and annoying. I hate his songwriting, its either super on the nose and preachy or just uninteresting. i cant stand it

Morrissey has all the tools to be a very good artist. The music, the vocals, the vibes they’re all there. I think what falls flat is the lyricism and writing. It’s just so meh.

Ich mag sein Gesang nicht. Ich mag die Lyrics überhaupt nicht. An sich sind manche songs eigentlich ganz gut produziert aber es ist nichts besonderes, und es fühlt sich einfach Bedeutungslos an.

This is where music gets tricky. Sometimes it is impossible to separate the music from the musician and as a consequence you can no longer listen to the music. There are a variety of reasons where things happening in a musician’s personal life can turn you off of there music. They don’t all have to be pedophiles, groomers, sexual abusers or all of them combined. As you read that last sentence I’m pretty sure you can name an example in each category. I’ll help you with the last category: Ian Watkins of Lostprophets. So what about Morrissey who has been a douche bag from the very beginning? Is it possible to separate his politics and behavior from the music? I could during Morrissey’s run with the Smiths. I knew he was an ass but it was tempered by Johnny Marr and the quality of the songs. On his own, the songs are just arrogance e.g I Habe Forgiven Jesus, combines with self-importance e.g. Irish Blood, English Heart. This is not to say that Morrissey can’t turn a phrase or that his singing has diminished. Neither of these skills has diminished. His singing is still interesting and engaging and the odd lyric is still catchy and poignant. The problem with most of these songs is that the arrogance and self-importance present in each of these songs diminish their quality and in short it comes off as a full length album of whining. So back to my first thought. I really cannot separate the music from the musician. And while I recognize my bias, I’m pretty sure at this point that a number of people think Morrissey is an ass, and feel the same about his music. It’s not the Smiths and it’s obvious. 2/5

Really? Another Morrissey album? Less than a month after the last one. Ugh.

ridiculous album by a ridiculous man

Once again, Morrissey makes an ok album. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t listen again. Also, some of the songs on here are edgelord-y. Jesus I forgive you? Just comes off as try-hard, like look how shocking I can be. And the America song, while not baseless, was as subtle as a brick to the back.

I've always wanted to dislike Morrissey; and now I've finally gotten the chance!

Sounds nice in the background, but bizarre lyrics

wtf is this?

not nearly nonchalant enough

Removed Album #29 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) Nice! Morrissey. It's been about 360 albums since I listened to Meat Is Murder, after which I've been left cold waiting for my second album in the Smithsiverse. I've seen this album cover while flicking through my scan of the book. I quite like it. I'm a big fan of the Morrissey physiognomy. His foolhardy look complements this style of music pretty well. I'm hoping that I'll like this album, but the late-career picks on this list have generally been pretty weak. Here goes. I did not like this album. Bummmeeeerrrrrrr. I'm vaguely familiar with this style of music, though I'm not sure what I'd pin it as. Alt./indie/pop rock apparently, though a lot of early-2000s UK pop rock has this distinctively kitschy, tacky, sentimental sound. It sounds pretty shit. There's no bite to the guitars, and the same can be said about the feckless backing instrumentation. I'm not normally a stickler for lyrics, but the ones in here are really shit. Vain, self-aggrandising and full of empty moral posturing. All things I could excuse if the songwriting was good, but there isn't a single gripping vocal hook on this album. I did say I liked Morrissey's appearance, but not enough to watch him wank himself off in the corner for 47 minutes. Thirty minutes is plenty enough for me, thank you. Time to figure out why this album was removed. Let's see. Included in the original 1001 lineup and pulled from either the 2013 or 2016 editions of the book (I don't have a scan of 2013). Wow - it lasted a lot longer than I was expecting. The entry for this album says the music is critical of shallow people. "...the pompadour sprouts from a receding hairline, but this collection of guitar anthems and ballads proves that Morrissey has not lost any of his trademark pathos and sardonic humor." Recorded after Morrissey moved to America, which I guess explains that title track, huh? "You Are The Quarry" was hailed by critics and earned Morrissey a legion of new fans. Don't call it a comeback. Just call it his best album in years." Wikipedia verifies that this album was a commercial resurgence, reaching number two on the UK charts and having all four of its singles breach the top ten singles chart. The critical response is a little shaky, but generally affable. Why was this album removed? I think it's pretty obvious. Morrissey is grossly over-represented on the list. I get that he's influential within British indie music, but come on. Huge emphasis on "British" and "indie" here. His seven list albums put him in line with The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Brian Eno, which he just doesn't measure up to. On my ideal list, Morrissey's inclusions would come down to three Smiths albums and one solo album. Fortunately, this isn't my list and I'm content to listen to seven Morrissey albums, so I guess I cosign this inclusion.

First time listen Morrissey's stuck-up-his-own-assedness is on full display here. Songs like "America Is Note The World" and "I Have Forgiven Jesus" are so pretentiously written that they wrap around to being comical. They have the subtlety of a baseball bat to the face. I can usually handle his smarmy sarcastic lyricism except for the fact that instrumentally a lot of this album is totally boring and lacking the catchy jangle pop sound that complimented his lyricism with The Smiths. I think it picks up more in the back half, but even most of that stuff isn't particularly evocative. Favorite Tracks: The First Of The Gang To Die, All The Lazy Dykes, How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? Least favorite: America Is Not The World, I Have Forgiven Jesus 2.5/5

What a wanker! A sad decline from the genius of The Smiths output.

Obama was president. Checkmate morrissey

I said "shut up Morrissey" so many times during this listen that I'm sure he's been hearing it from his friends his entire life. America is not the World is pretty funny but everything else is just word salad that sounds deep. The most musically insufferable guy in your friend group makes fun of you for not "getting it" but its just Fart Huffing: The Album.

There are a handful of good songs on here but more misses. This clearly shows how vital the rest of the band was The Smiths. The instrumentals weren’t super interesting and the lyrics were hit and miss. 4/10

Lame. Uninventive songs with at times some pretty awkward and weak lyrics arranged essentially the same, over and over production. Kind of liked First of the Gang to Die, but otherwise why suffer the insufferable (unless the deep artistic point)?

The angst that sounded plaintive and edgy in the younger Morrissey does not wear well here. Or maybe it’s just the songs that aren’t as good.

I like a lot of different music but Morrissey is exhausting. He’s got “Guy from show choir” vibes. Every song has the same amount of lackluster vocals.

It's not great really. I used to like this record around it's release time. I don't think I can help but be influenced by what we've come to learn about Morrisey's character (I try to separate art from artist but it gets tricky when the lyrics are so self indulgent). The production choices are kind of of-their-time and it feels slightly dated now. First of the gang to die and come back to Camden are brilliant but there's much too much beige self indulgence here for me now

This list overvalues “insightful” lyrics. There is a lot more to music! I think this album is a little trite from Morrissey in 2004 but is fine I guess. Point deducted for too much from him

Don't like him very much

Angsty af. The backing music was pretty interesting but the performances felt more smash poetry rather than real music.

Ok

You don’t have to listen to this before you die anymore because it’s the same old sad, lonely dirge that Morrissey always dredges up.

Some of these lyrics are a bit rich now as Morrissey morphs into everything he was stood against. What a loathsome prick. That aside, this is a adequate album. At times it slaps, at other times it sounds like a parody of better Smiths albums.

It’s really hard to be a smiths fan and have to contend with Morrissey’s solo work let alone his abhorrent personality! This was a tough one. Even the singles, which I’m vaguely familiar with, aren’t great. Like I bet ‘Irish blood, English Heart’ pops off in a stadium or festival setting but why is it so short?? I wasn’t mad at ‘You know I couldn’t last’ but in general this was not my cup of tea and I don’t see how this is something anyone needs to hear.