1001 Albums Summary

It was really fun to listen to this again. I'm immediately transported back to my childhood bedroom - dancing around with an unbuttoned shirt and a bouquet of fake flowers - desperately wanting to be Morrissey. Listening to it now, the cynical, self-centered conceitedness of his persona comes across as everything I'm trying not to be. People really shouldn't act so surprised that Morrissey sucks now, because the writing on the wall was really always there. Still, some of the lyrics are so so great at doing what they're meant to. Take a line like "I'd rather be famous than righteous or holy" or "love is natural and real, but not for such as you and I," already great on it's own. And then couple it with Morrissey's famous delivery that is somewhere in between androgynous theatricality and self-aggrandizing arrogance of a man who thinks being a poet is a personality type, and the result is just, uh, delicious? All the best and the worst of the man is on full display and I kinda love it. There's some really great songs on this album, maybe the best selection of 'hits' on any of their regular studio albums. Johnny Marr's playing is, as always, really really great. There's no gap in the mix on any of the songs that he can't in some way fill with a perfectly executed and tasteful guitar part. That being said, I think some of the deep cuts on the album, like "Vicar in Tutu," "I know it's over," and the closing track are really quite weak. They sound like worse versions of the other songs, with similar instrumentation and vocal delivery, which makes them sound very formulaic. Frankly, it's a little annoying to hear Morrissey wail in the exact same way in every track, especially when the songs aren't interesting enough to stand out. Not every album has to be great all the way through, but these songs add nothing to the experience at all. I wish they'd have changed up the songwriting or instrumentation style a little to make them stand out. I guess you could just skip them, like the people on Spotify all seem to do, but it does keep me from rating the album 5*.

Preliminary note: I am not looking forward to this. Introductory note: it was okay. The album is exactly what I remembered it being like, and it's just not for me. I can recognize why people love it, I can recognize the artistry that's gone into it, and I really appreciate the somewhat weird instrumental choices across the tracks (like the flutes, lo-fi violin, and the weird rattling noise during Willie the Pimp). But the endless noodling, paired with ironic detachment Zappa's known for, are just not my thing. Any moment that does peak my interests simultaneously remind me of other acts that center the psychedelic and soul components much more, and that I'd much rather be listening to instead. In addition, albums like these really do not pair well with my own inherent hyperactivity and anxiety, so I'd much rather avoid them (another example of this is Yes - Close to the Edge, of which I can easily recognize the brilliance, yet can't stand listening to at all). Despite all this, I understand why people love this so much. This is probably the kind of album that grows on you more and more every time you listen to it, and you should take the time to let it take root before you try to rate it. I just don't have the willpower for that. Therefore, I'd rather leave it unrated. This app won't support unrated scores, so I'll do 4 to keep the global stats the same. Auxilliary note: why is the bass so quiet in the mix, TURN IT UP! Guitarist-composers should work on their ego problems.