Your Arsenal

What do people want from Morrissey? All he's really guilty of is being a curmudgeon. He's always gone out of his way to say inflammatory things to the press, only to contradict himself in later interviews. But people seem to take Morrissey's shit so seriously. The homo-erotic sect suggests he's in the closet, and ashamed to admit his sexuality. Apparently, the dude simply hates sex. But he certainly loves animals (Morrissey was the first and still only artist to successfully prohibit McDonald's from selling food during one of his concerts in California, something not even famed vegetarian Paul McCartney could pull off). We can all agree that Morrissey probably isn't the most pleasant person to hang out with, which is something you could say about most of the artists who appear on this list. Yet people who've likely never met Morrissey hold some insane personal grudge against him to the point where they write off his music. I'm talking about people who cut their teeth listening to The Smiths, who suddenly read some "shocking" quote Morrissey off-handedly gave to a music writer and it completely changes their mindset. And the thing of it is, Morrissey has been doing this shit his entire life! If you're upset at something Morrissey said or did recently, just give it a few minutes. He'll change completely and move on to something else. He's the British Neil Young, and overall his musical catalog is on par with Ol' Neil. This is possibly The Great White Mope's best solo album, although I can't say that with certainty since I have yet to listen to all of them. This was one I owned on Compact Disc when it was first released, so I was already familiar with it. Not surprisingly, it holds up better than most of the CD's I bought in 1992. I don't want to be friends with Morrissey, but I do enjoy a lot of his music.

Not this moaning xenophobe again. I'm still trembling here, with him stood behind me, greasing up his penis, forcing me to eat brussel sprouts. Vegan tosser.

Oh great, another Morrissey album. I wonder if he's still sad all the time. Okay, it turns out this album is actually pretty fun and not the absolutely crucifying experience I've come to associate with Morrissey. Lots of diversity in the music, and it works well with his voice. Does this mean that I like Morrissey? 4/5

3.5 - Is this what Brexit sounds like? Here's a supremely talented band and singer who manage to screw it up because Morrissey can't stop moaning about problems that only the most provincial of Brits would care about.

RACIST CUNT

I know, i know... im as surprised as you are

“Were the last British people you will ever know” sounds pretty sus when you remember Morrissey’s racist shit.

Morrissey can get in the sea.

Yeah, I thought it was pretty good. People always ask who's your Arsenal. For me it's not the invincibles, it's not "it's up for grabs now" Michael Thomas Fever Pitch et al Arsenal, it's not record breaking FA Cup winning Arsenal or Xhaka getting sent off or Jack Wilshere getting injured. No, it's Carl Jenkinson and co getting beaten 8-2 at Old Trafford with "with a packet of sweets and a cheeky smile, Arsene Wenger is a paedophile " playing in the background.

Idk... not that into the music and he keeps singing about things that make me think he's an asshole.

It’s painfully obvious in listening to this that Johnny Marr was the heart of The Smiths.

Another beautiful Morrissey album. One I have sadly neglected, I always seem to listen to Viva Hate or a Smiths when I need a shot of Morrissey's wry humour, deprication and stinging commentary. But Your Arsenal is worthy of attention too. 4 stars

The worst man who’s music I will love forever. Not his smiths best but still very decent and one of his best solo efforts. 4/5

I'm not a Smiths fan enough to be really interested in Morrissey's solo career, which just sounds like a less interesting version of his old band to me. It's not bad though, just... not something I'll want to return to.

fuck morissey, he was never a gud musician just was at the right place at the right time. look like the asshole guy who be treating his girl badly

Four Morrissey solo records down, zero left to go. Finally.

Zeus: Are the wickedest queens always the comeliest? Hercules: Usually I mean, talk about an asinine personality and attitude wrapped in sexy packaging. Morrissey is so yummy on this album cover, looking like a real snack. But then he lives to instigate bullshit and it’s just so immature and painful to watch. I love and appreciate his immense lyrical talent, and I feel like I could empathize with him, but then I read quotes of the things he’s said and I’m repulsed by his wretched insistent cuntiness. The heart wants what it wants though, and ultimately, mine wants witty, wry and darkly humorous lyrics, something Morrissey always delivers.

I can never tell whether Morrissey is serious or taking the piss, but it kinda makes him cool. Music was catchy in that UK pub rock way that I'm sure Morrissey actually hates, and I'm sure there are a kazillion instances of him talking shit about other bands that sound exactly like this. Lyrics are full of his usual oddball social commentary and nihilism. There was one line that said "we don't vote conservative, never have ... everyone lies" haha. Nailed it. You know what, I'm actually gonna get out the 5/5 for this one. Fucken brilliant.

Too much morrisseyyyyyy

Really solid Alt Rock album. F**k Morrissey tho

morrissey might be a twat but he makes decent music

I tried (and probably failed) to listen to the album with an open mind. I like The Smiths, I really dislike Morrissey. I didn’t particularly enjoy this album, maybe because I couldn’t get past how I feel about Morrissey, but I do think I also just didn’t enjoy the music that much. I definitely prefer his work with The Smiths to his solo stuff. The national front disco could be an excellent track about people being drawn in by the far right, but when Morrissey sings “England for the English” it’s hard to view the song as a critique rather than an endorsement. Similarly when he sings “we are the last truly British people” it’s impossible not to read that in the context of his Xenophobia. All that aside, I think the music just wasn’t massively exciting to me, although there definitely were parts I enjoyed. Fav song: You’re Going to Need Someone on Your Side Least fav: You’re the One for Me, Fatty

So so album, and then he went mad.

Sounded like a budget INXS.

F this guy

No.

No.

Unfortunately good.

WAIT.. THIS BANGED??? God damn it

Day673 - i begrudgingly enjoyed this but morrissey still sucks

I love Morrissey. Would like to give an extra star for the thirst trap this is the album cover, but I won't do that :-D

Was surprised how rock-focused this is. Some songs are still reminiscent of the Smiths, but others go for some straight-forward rock. It's nice. Lyrics are still on-point. Favorite tracks: "The National Front Disco", "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"

I think pretty much every Smiths or Morrissey record that's come up so far, I've taken a pop at the militant vegan xenophobic Brexiteer. So it would be a bit boring to do so again. Without the Smiths and Johnny Marr in particularly, Morrissey starts to sound a bit bland IMO.

Gros problème dès le départ : l'album s'ouvre sur la mélodie de la chanson Un Rayon de Soleil de William Baldé. Si on met ça de côté, c'est du Morrissey tout craché : de bons morceaux et une horrible pochette.

Morrissey

Loved this!!

Prise my Morrissey records from my cold dead hands

Just an amazing album from beginning to end.

I'm giving this a 5. None of it is boring and great opening track and it doesn't stop from there

Classic

This was great. I love Morrissey because his musical style is so clever and surprising, but his vocal delivery is so dry and serious-sounding, but then you listen to the actual lyrics and it's so dry and satirical (see "You're The One For Me, Fatty", "Seasick, Yet Docked", and "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful". Every song is interesting musically -- say, if you don't understand English, but the lyrics add a whole level of awesomeness that I can't get enough of. I listened to it twice and could have gone again if I had more time. Five stars.

Morrissey as a person aside, this is a great album!

I really enjoyed this album. It's funny because The Smiths can be very hit and miss for me, but here you have an album where Morrissey just comes out on his own and sings banger after banger. Haven't heard his solo albums that precede this one, but may just have to give them a listen. Excellent through and through and I definitely will be returning.

One of the best Smiths albums every produced. such a diva.

morrissey is coming back to this list, swapping his usual moody new wave sound for something tougher, bolder... he's got a new image, new band members and a brand new sound to boot. it's very interesting listening to this album. you could tell this album compared to the other stuff from the smiths, morrissey speaks his mind from start to finish. ambiguous, ironic, and full of wit, i was... really not surprised by how good the album was objectively, but the new sound complimenting his voice strongly.

4 or 5/5 was great

Viva Hate - Morrissey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another great album about Morrissey's favorite topic on earth, himself, his wonderful self, bitch! Awash in glam and rockabilly (did I hear some surf guitars just now?) our charming man sounds as good as he ever did in The Smiths. The most English, snippy, dry, brilliant, delusional, joyful, sad work of art about one's love affair with oneself since Noel Coward's 'Private Lives' with its evasion of moral judgement, and the blur of paradox and witticism. Morrissey's third solo album includes Johnny Marr's favorite Moz song, 'We Hate it When Our Ex-Band Mates Become Successful' seasick, yet still docked, indeed!

Ну хорошо Морриси, правда, его соло карьера - отличный пример, как можно развиться вне бенда. Кайф

Great album. Banger after banger.

Fucking phenominal album. This is the best thing Morrissey ever did, this albums rocks and has hilarious moody Morrissey lines and some genuine heartbreakers. Nearly perfect album

A really good album, i like it, and i don't care what happens with Morrissey as person.

To misquote Godard, it turns out "All you need to make an album is a quiff and a quill" - and now realizing I enjoy Moz's music much more without the accompaniment of Marr's jingle jangles...

A new world of Mozza solo work has opened up before my eyes. Absolutely loved this.

This album is really good as it combines Morrissey's brooding grandeur with surprisingly driving guitars, bass and drums. It's a great combination and definitely something else than the jangly territory of The Smiths.

I’m surprised I never heard of this guy before today. I’ve heard of the smiths but never listened to them, so I don’t know how i would have ever run across his solo work. It seems like everyone has an opinion of him, and he isn’t well liked. But since i have no prior history of him being an ass, i was able to be pragmatic with this. Loved it. This will be a repeat listen.

4.5 - love morrissey. definitely expanded beyond the smiths and has a much stronger beat with the normal morrissey lyrics.

This man is something else. The music he makes is timeless, transcendental, mystical, other-worldly. It reminds me of an ambiguous time in the past, but makes me have memories of a lived future at the same time. The only "crime" he's ever committed is to be ahead of public opinion by 15 years. All of the supposed nefarious things he's said all became true. I love him even more for his stance and for his conviction. This album is a 4, but because of the absolute legend that is Morrissey it's a 5 for me.

This is the first Morrissey album I've ever listened to. I was also in a similar situation in respect of The Smiths, and I've listened to three of their albums via this website - one bad, two good. As a result of my experience with The Smiths albums I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, I am pleased to say this was another good, in fact great, album. Eminently listenable, the lyrics are really clever, the music is top-notch, and I like his singing voice. There wasn't one bad track. I absolutely loved "You're the One for Me, Fatty" and "Certain People I Know". I will be listening again for sure.

I don’t know if it was this here project shoving him down my throat or the election, but this hit me in the feels today. I’m gonna go take a shower and see if I can wash off this ick.

An excellent post-Smiths solo album. More musically interesting than any other album I've heard Morissey do. Powerful guitars, provocative effects, rockabilly, hard rock. Right up my alley. 4.5/5

Mehr als ok! Klingt handgemacht, frisch und für mich unverbraucht!

Fabulous. Big Morrissey fan so loved every song. He can do no wrong

Solid album. I like this one better than the last Morrissey album I got. I have yet to get a Smiths album, I'm sure that will change soon.

Morrissey is not a great person but damn he makes great music. I loved this whole album, my fave song is Tomorrow.

I somehow missed this entirely; not only had I never heard of this album, but I didn't know a single song from it. I'm blaming it on my first born coming along the previous year, so I was a bit distracted? It's an extremely good album, well paced, cracking songs, and an interesting sound that's different enough from The Smiths without going off into weird territory. I have to give this 5 stars it seems.

Perfect.

Morrissey and the Lads at their peak. Mick Ronson's production is stellar. It's possible that my love due to some amount of nostalgia, it was during a fun, happy time of my life but I think it holds up. I know that Morrissey isn't for everyone, I'm not sure he's for me anymore with some of the absolutely asinine things he's said over the last decade or so, but literally every song on this album is stupendous.

Probably my favorite album from this project by an artist that I had zero awareness of prior to it coming up here. Mostly a 90's alt vibe but there was even a bit of a country twang to some of it. A fun listen!

Perfect.

MASTERPIECE

When one thinks of Morrissey, one thinks of The Smiths, the jangly literate erstwhile kings of Manchester who produced one instant classic after another; their sound having influenced and colored a generation of musicians who came in their wake. While his third solo album after the band's acrimonious split, Your Arsenal, doesn't offer up any semblance of that kind of fanaticism, it is equally as excellent and on par with the best of them. From the get-go, Your Arsenal is Morrissey turning a new leaf and conducting a band that rocked harder than any that has come before or since while still offering the sardonic and eye catching lyricism and imagery that fans come to know and love him for. Nearly forty minutes of brash confidence and renewed vigor, just the one for us fattys.

Finally I get a solo Morrissey album! I’ve been looking forward to this since I’ve liked The Smiths, although I haven’t gone back to any of their albums yet. I ended up really liking this. I appreciated the more upbeat energy of the songs. Keeping this one on my phone!

It’s really laughable ah ha haha haha

#moz4lyfe

The best Morrissey album. I gave his weaker albums a 5, this one should get a 6.

There’s a lot of Morrissey on this list, but this one feels like a fair inclusion. Good production, distinct from the Smiths, and lyrics that don’t make me hate everything.

i’m just so biased here because of nostalgia, but i really love this album. basically always have. this was never going to be less than a 5 for me

Great Morrissey album. Probably only behind Vauxhall & I.

This is pretty good shit. I'd definitely listen to it again.

I am a poor freezingly cold soul

Another surprisingly enjoyable listen! I had only heard a few of the songs in passing back in the day, essentially writing it off as soft pop for angst college girls, but that’s on me for not giving it a chance. Truly enchanting at moments, extremely cohesive but broad in its subject matter and overall themes. Really a five star gem!

I don't get what people's problem with Morrissey is. For some reason the British press decided to crucify this guy from the beginning, and he has a long standing practical joke of doing things to get headlines and attention. Good for him. As for the album? It's brilliant. Cutting political savagery but not in the tired old 'fight the power' way. It's a slice of the UK in the early 90s. It's a mirror held up to an entire nation. It's disenfranchisement. Unplug your ears for a minute and you'll hear character stories from the working class of Britain. Welfare slobs, football hooligans, locals down the pub, the youth taking up with the National Front. I'm not British but this paints a picture better than any article in the Guardian. This is real. This is a love letter to a country that Morrissey saw spiraling out of control.

Por fin un album bueno tú

Suspeita por adorar as músicas do Morrissey. Esse álbum é uma delícia, a maioria tem um ritmo animado mesmo que as letras continuem o mesmo dramalhão de sempre. Não acho que nenhuma música se destaca muito, o álbum acaba sendo "morno" por isso para mim mas não muda nada o tanto que eu gosto dele.

I love the music of Morrissey but I find the man himself obnoxious and I don’t listen to him much anymore. Lately, though, I’ve introduced the Smiths to my teenager so I have been enjoying his collaborative work, and listening to this album now reminds me how much I love his solo music as well. It also reminds me of how horrible he is. Some of the lyrics are straight up xenophobic, others are mean-spirited and obnoxious. But all of the songs are so catchy! I love listening to them! Ugh, so torn. I'm giving this album a 5 since the music is so good, but I probably won't listen again because it also makes me feel kinda gross.

I don't know exactly what I thought I knew about Morrissey that made me think I wasn't going to like this. Whiny and depressing, maybe? Well, color me shocked, but apparently I'm a fan. There was nothing here I didn't like and several I loved: "Certain People I Know," "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful," "Tomorrow."

2/2 simply divine

wanted to hate it because morrissey but it's a decent continuation from the smiths - also great song titles. glamorous glue the national front disco certain people i know we hate it when our friends become successful you're the one for me, fatty i know it's gonna happen someday tomorrow

Brilliant

Morrissey is great. The Smiths were great. Really enjoyed this album. Couple of catchier poppy songs which sounded great with Morrisseys voice.

Hard to hate. Immensely good stuff.

Good album. Not something I would have chosen to listen to on my own. Also learned he’s the lead singer of The Smith’s

One of his three top solo albums (Your Arsenal, Vauxhall and the best, but unappreciated Southpaw Grammar). Some nice rock songs, lyrics original as always, but also the beautiful "Seasick, Yet Still Docked" and We'll Let You Know and the brilliant last song Tomorrow. Tomorrow, will it really come. And if it does come, will I still be human. Loneliness at its peak. A shame the later albums became more of a parody of what he made in his best years.

To paraphrase Morrissey, some songs are bigger than others, some songs mothers are bigger than others.

Not one of my favorite Morrissey albums, but he is still an artist where his music is eclectic and passionate with wonderful & introspective lyrics. It's unfortunate that he's leaned heavily into a bit of a twat persona, but i am still thoroughly engaged in his music.

I’ve already reviewed a few albums by The Smiths, but this will be my first review of Morrissey by himself. My thoughts so far have been that it has been decent music but with annoying lyrics and vocals. Let’s see if this is more of the same. Songs I already knew: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful Favourites: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful, You’re The One For Me Fatty I hate the fact that I’m writing this because Morrissey seems to be a horrible, racist, mess of a human, but this album was really good. So much better that I expected it to be. I didn’t find his lyrics quite as annoying here as I did with The Smiths albums, but maybe I’m just in a good mood. The overall music just felt it had more going on, and had a bit more attitude. If you can separate the art from the artist, and if you haven’t heard this album before, definitely give it a listen.

Great album, really good lyrics….

grande presença

What a great project! What a blend of sounds, the guitar sounds so awesome, and he sings so elegantly on every song. The production is on point as well.

"Your Arsenal" is the third studio album from Morrissey and features a new band. The album was produced by Mitch Ronson (former David Bowie guitarist) and you can tell with influences and homages to David Bowie, T. Rex and even The Smiths. The music is more rockin' than his two previous albums which is obvious on his first few songs. Of course, Morrissey, during this time, was involved in controversy with accusations of Nazi racism with one of the songs, "The National Front Disco," wishing a variety of deaths (to The Smiths' biographer Johnny Roman's and wishing a motorway pileup) and performed wearing the Union Jack Flag with a back drop of two skin-head girls. Regardless, the music on this album is great: rockin, tuneful, lyrics, a band. And, the title "Your Arsenal" has a possible triple entendre: the power you command, pun on on 'your arse an' all,' and a jab at the Arsenal football team fandom. The album starts out with two hard rocking songs. Great wah-wah wobbly guitar reminiscent of Guns N' Roses begins "Your Gonna Need Someone on Your Side." A "Peter Gunn" rockabilly bass comes in and now the music sounds like X (the band)...that's a good thing. Morrissey's lyrics are probably about offering a friend help who doesn't want it. The second single "Glamorous Girl" continues the muscular rock with great guitar in the intro and throughout. Moz first sung about the queen being dead years before and now it's London. He is apparently angry with his home country. The second half of the album continues the barrage of good songs. The first single "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" again has a great guitar intro (pattern here?) And just a killer melody and chorus. It's more in the pop-rock category and has sort of soft-loud-soft dynamics which I'm a sucker for. Self-explanatory lyrics. "Tomorrow" ends the album and is one of my favorite Morrissey tunes. Another great pop song melody. A classic Smith's sounding song. Is it about not wanting to leave the morning after spending the night with someone, just getting old or both? I have to admit this is the first Morrissey album I've listen to in its entirety. I have no idea why? I've listened to all The Smiths' albums and have heard most of these songs. Anyway, it's a great album and in the conversation for some of his best work.