Your Arsenal
Morrissey
1992
Album Summary
Your Arsenal is the third studio album by English singer Morrissey, released on 27 July 1992 by record label HMV. The album received critical acclaim and reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.
WikipediaNot 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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
“Were the last British people you will ever know” sounds pretty sus when you remember Morrissey’s racist shit.
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"
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
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.
Idk... not that into the music and he keeps singing about things that make me think he's an asshole.
The third solo album The Smiths vocalist Morrrissey. Perfect rockabilly / glam rock. One of the best albums in England of 1992. I liked it very much. Will definitely listen it again and again.
I feel like Morrissey would be great to see live, but no songs really stood that much out from eachother. I take that back, "We'll Let You Know" is very nice. Ok they're all very different actually goddamn. And otherwise I enjoyed it all. I gotta go and listen to some more The Smiths. "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" got me in a fucking trance damn. 4, could be a 5 actually, na 4 is good. The way the songs get better over time reminds me of Arctic Monkeys ngl. Damn, people really hate this guy, and well, most of the lyrics on this album does make him seem like an asshole who's bitter that his band left him. it's great music though. 5 lol
Does anybody think you could describe his voice as spooky? I think that's a good descriptor. I liked the album a lot! Cool sound, Def a vibe
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yo a Morrissey no lo puedo criticar. Cualquier cosa que haga me parecerá de bien para arriba. Puede que sea este su disco con menos éxitos pero para mi está bien. Y las tres canciones seguidas que forman: Certain people I know, We hate it when our friends become successful y You're the one for me, Fatty.
Just about my favourite Morrissey solo album but some of the more problematic lyrics seem even more questionable in light of his recent madnesses.
El Morrisey más sucio y ruidoso. Psicobilly y glam, pop esquisi. Mi favorito del prenda.
Yes it's Morrissey. I'm not as bothered by his voice as others, although time has proven him to be just as disagreeable publicly as his bandmates found him privately. Still, his solo work has touches of The Smiths with some extra rock riffs and typically sardonic lyrics.
A segunda metade não é tão boa quanto a primeira e fuck you Morrissey, porém discaço.
Morrissey is just as irreverent as ever, and a lot of tracks on here jams, even if they aren't Smiths-tier masterpieces. I'll be putting "National Front Disco" on repeat for a few days, though!
I love Glamorous Glue, Certain People I Know, You’re the One for Me Fatty, national front disco, and I know it’s gonna happen someday. I’m digging the rock vibes and also smoothness of this album it’s something I can have on in the background and just enjoy
It's not the best album of Morrissey, but four songs saved it, hence 3.5* which is equal 4*
Liked this one. Bass playing is great, songs are good. A little whiney though. Would check out again
Whilst it's becoming increasingly hard to divorce the art from the individual, I'm still not yet to let Morrissey go. This is certainly not the album I'd choose to make a greatest albums of all time list, but it does represent an interesting point in his career with vestiges of Smiths sounds evident in much of the content.
This was cool - you forget how cool he was these days, now you know he’s become such a twat
Morriseylla on hieno ääni ja fraseeraus, mikä luo teksteihin viiltävän sävyn. Myös musan puolesta aika jees. En tiiä annanko näitä liikaa mut 4/5
When I first saw this next listen I wasn’t thrilled. Morrissey conjures images of too-cool college music I never really related to. I’m not in the mood for angsty, miserable music… It was with some surprise that I enjoyed the first track, “You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side.” It rocked more than I expected - I enjoyed it. Then “Glamorous Glue” sounded a bit more rock than I expected. The third song, which was closer to what I had initially expected, was still pretty good if not my favorite. So what’s this? I’m enjoying Morrissey? I loved “The National Front Disco.” What? You can dance to Morrissey? “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful” gave me a chuckle. Not entirely sure what to make of “You’re The One For Me, Fatty”… but it is catchy. “I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday” is downright optimistic… What’s this? A hopeful Morrissey song?! And closing the album with a request for a hug? It looks like I… misjudged. I liked this a whole lot more than expected. I still could use a bit more vocal variety, and I’m not sure I can distinguish a lot of the songs as they kind of blend together, but I enjoyed this. Maybe not something I’ll often play from start to finish often but I wouldn’t object to it, and there are a lot of songs I will happily revisit again.
I've never been a huge fan of The Smiths and didn't expect to like this much but then You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side started with Peter Gunns a-blazin' and made me all, like, whoa. I also loved the next track, the driving Glamorous Glue, and the last two tracks I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday and Tomorrow. The tracks in the middle were more what I expected and kind of mushed all together for me. But the tracks I liked were enough to push this from a 3 to a 4.
Wow, how did I miss this one for thirty years? I guess I just lost track of Morrissey at some point. This album rocks, and Morrissey sounds great on it. I loved it.
Doing some quick catch up. Liking this so far. Also a bit not what I expected from Morrisey; not as mopey as I might have guessed. Nothing super special, I guess, but I'll round up.
He’s not someone I would hang out with, but I can’t deny he creates some good music. The opening track is my favorite.
Really good. Unsurprisingly heavy given what Morrissey was doing before and after. Also seems to be from before he completely lost the plot
This isn’t the best he’s done, but I love what he does and this works well throughout.
¿Eres tú Morrisey? Creo que finalmente un disco de él que me guste. Sigo sin ser fan de la voz y el estilito como impostado y nasal, pero al menos estas canciones tienen más caracter y menos drama que las otras de él y de los Smiths que habíamos oído. En especial me gustó "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side".
¡Vaya sorpresa! Cuando vi que este disco era de Morrissey pensé que sería otro disco que escucharía una vez para no volver a pensar en él. Al contrario de la expectativa, el disco comienza muy bien, con gran ritmo y buena melodía en el bajo, gran rock. Continua con energía y comienzan a aparecer baladas, muy al estilo de The Smiths, pero siento que balancean muy bien a las otras canciones. No es un hoyo de depresión introspectiva sino que está muy bien calibrado. Duración perfecta, letras interesantes y buenas melodías generan una grata, grata experiencia. Sólido 4. Songs: You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side, Tomorrow
I kind of stopped paying attention to what Morrissey was up to after his first 2 solo albums. Turns out that was a mistake, because Your Arsenal is pretty fantastic. The album starts off with a surprisingly harder edge than you would expect, which really works for Morrissey. He is more in tune with his band on this album than he had been up to that point and it's probably a more cohesive group of songs as a result. Morrissey's self deprecating yet acidic humor remains, but there's something else as well. There's disappointment and regret, as well as a vulnerability that feels honest, making these some of the most relatable songs I've ever heard from him. The album lacks a strong pop single a la "Suedehead" or "Everyday is Like Sunday," but taken on the whole, this is an excellent collection of songs. This may in fact be his best album. Fave Songs: I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday, You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side, Glamorous Glue, We'll Let You Know, Certain People I Know, Seasick, Yet Still Docked
While I've never been a fan of The Smiths, I really enjoyed this album. Morrisey's voice is pleasant, and lyrically and melodically, it's re-listenable.
I always thought that Morrissey was an ass. I still think that. But this album is pretty damn good
Decent Morrissey. I forgot to rate this right when I listened to it but I feel like I remember it being a bit more uptempo than his other solo album we got. 7/10
Like fish without chips, like torville without dean, like united without Ferguson… it’s decent but it’s just not the same. Viva la Smiths!
I notice that my (rare and inconsistent) scores correlate quite closely to whether I can play the songs on the guitar. A low bar to be sure. This was one of the most well-worn albums of my college years, and most often listened to in my car on trips to and from Richmond/NoVA—side A of the tape was this album and side B was Bona Drag and I’d get through both on the ride. Clearly I’m dating myself because today, that same trek would require at least 4 albums. Or the Hamilton soundtrack 1.5 times. I listened to this album so much that the tape sounded warped, so I had to invest 15 of my 1993 dollars in a CD which limited my listening to my one and only CD played in my dorm. Hence the driving soundtrack. I originally started this review by recounting what each song evokes for me. But then I realized that that’s just an n of one and won’t mean much to anyone else. As I listen to this album with 47-year-old ears, I get why it’s not that impressive to others. But my 18-year-old ears couldn’t get enough. I like the rockabilly sound of some of the songs (You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side, the lullaby of others (We’ll Let You Know), the battlecry of I Know it’s Gonna Happen. We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful was, embarrassingly, resonated for me well into my 20s. But the perfect juxtaposition of yester-Bethany and present-day-Bethany is You’re the One for Me Fatty. My self-conscious, distorted body-imaged-self found this to be my personal theme song at the time. I even think my stupid college boyfriend “jokingly” serenaded me with this song. I don’t know what the hell it’s supposed to mean. But since Queen says Fat-Bottomed Girls make the rocking’ world go ‘round, I’m gonna go with England is more accepting of all body types (please don’t ruin this for me). But honestly I love the drums and little guitar riff. I guess music, at least for me, is all about relating to something in the songs. And I need a lot of time with an album to find the connection. Kind of like friends. Luckily I spend a lot more time with people than I do on this activity or I’d live the sad little life that Mr. Asshole Morrissey is living now.
This was a pretty solid Morrissey album. I have a limited subset of his songs in my general rotation and none of these are them. Mostly rock and with predictable rhythms, but with that trademark voice that I like and the rambling and the weird noise that I also like. Overall, just a solid album. My favorite part was the piano nod at the very end to Sing me to Sleep, a great song and worthy of the musical hat tip.
Another Morrissey Album and another good time. Although this time it was less brit-poppy and more rocky/rockabilly, it was again a decent performance. Again, not standout song that drives the album after a overall good album with a perfect runtime
I am sure Morrissey was not the most pleasant person to be around. But the sadness in his music is an extension of himself and his complicated mind - so for that I can appreciate him.
Just fine and just what one would expect from him. Best songs are “Certain People” and “We Hate It When…” and “Tomorrow” (especially the cute little piano fadeout). One might prefer other of his solo releases (this one starts a bit unnecessarily rocking), but have pretty much enjoyed pretty much everything he’s ever put out, including this. 3.8 > 4