New Morrissey Album - Years of Refusal

Whipping Boy

Years of Refusal, the new Morrissey album has found it's way online in the last few days, a month before it's full release.
As a huge Morrissey fan I've been counting the days to this but I must admit I was disappointed initially as having heard 5 of the songs already (live bootleg) I focused solely on the new songs and found them somewhat lacking. They all sounded the same to me and while I really liked the songs I'd heard prior the album just didn't gel.
However, having given the album a fair few listens over the last few days it has, to my delight, grown on me enormously!
It has a 'rockier' feel to his earlier work and it's clear that the music has progressed most notably on the excellent 'Black Cloud', it feels somehwat lacking on the lyrical side however and though Morrissey's melodies and vocals are once again top notch, the album is perhaps laxking in real lyrical depth compared to the past. This is disappointing but it must be noted that at 50, Moz is now a different entity entirely from the gladioli swinging 20 something year old he was in The Smiths.
Highlights include the rip roaring opening track 'Something is squeezing my skull', 'It's not your Birthday anymore' and 'I'm Ok by byself' and overall it's a very good album, a clear progression and improvement from the previous album but one that is most definitely a grower.

Roll on Galway in April!

Has anyone heard it?

Musoabuso

"I'm putting my arms around Paris" is the best track on the album I think, It's Boz Boorer at his best... I think the last album had more lyrical depth and a better production...There's no "Life is a pig sty" or in others words epic on this album... Some tracks are growing on me so my view could change in a few days I suppose. Anyways, it's always good to have a new Moz album.

Whipping Boy

I agree that there's probably not the usual couple of stand out tracks as there usually is; for instance Quarry had First of the gang/Irish blood and Ringleader had Life is a pigsty/Dear God please help me etc.

However I think it's a far better album as a whole than Ringleader and possibly Quarry, it really took time to grow on me but I love it now.
When last I spoke to Carol is one of the best songs he's done in years.

tech77

This is disappointing but it must be noted that at 50, Moz is now a different entity entirely from the gladioli swinging 20 something year old he was in The Smiths.

OT, but slightly a propos of this point^
Does anyone else think the fact that Morrissey has a Myspace page with thousands of friends is a bit ironic and risible.
I love the Smiths- more ambivalent about what Morrissey has become though.

PaulBrewer

tech77 wrote: »

I love the Smiths- more ambivalent about what Morrissey has become though.

I agree with above , but why is it odd about the MySpace?

DarkJager

PaulBrewer wrote: »

I agree with above , but why is it odd about the MySpace?

I think the poster is pointing out that Morrissey was always a guy that the lonely underdog could relate to...not some pop star up to his eyeballs in fans on a social networking website. He's probably just moving with the times you can't begrudge him that, but I do see the irony

Whipping Boy

To be honest I doubt Morrissey has any real involvement with his Myspace.
It's probably all coordinated by his label/PR people and is just another place for fans who, in this case, are called 'friends' to keep up to date with the latest news.

cossy09

A cracker of an album. I have been listening all weekend

Standout tracks Something is squeezing my skull
Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed
Paris
Its not your birthday anymore

The whole thing really.:D I listened to his live BBC concert on Wednesday night and he looks and sounds better than ever at 50. He played a punkier version of This Charming Man on Ross on Friday night and I loved it. This album together with the imminent reissue of Southpaw Grammer will make "Tour of Refusal " a must. I have my tickets for Omagh and Belfast anyway and flying to Manchester for his 50th birthday gig.:)

"We are gonna miss him when he is gone"

JeanH

I think it would be more exciting had I not heard 6 of the songs so far in advance. He'd been playing the others on the tours and also two of the songs were on the Greatest Hits last year.

I LOVE Paris, Skull, AYNIM, It's Not Your Birthday Anymore (why do most seem to hate this?! - EDIT: Ah would it be the helium moment at 2minutes-summat that annoys people? ;-) Seriously one of the best songs on the album) but that's about it. Black Cloud and That's How People - they're OK.

I love the b-side Because of my Poor Education. Not too fond of Shame is the Name.

I will say though I think Moz is sounding vocally brilliant this time round.

thebouldwhacker

Roll on
killarney:cool:

hatful

I'm a fan of ringleader of the tormentors as a whole and I like about half the tracks on quarry but I just can't stomach Years of Refusal. It's over produced and layered, as a Jerry Finn case in point listen to "Life is an endless succession..." a Quarry b-side, he murdered the delicate harp on that track. It's possible that the new band members have messed it up also. The lyrics aren't extraordinary... Herb Alpert was supposed to play on the album but it wasn't to be, although I shudder to think what Finn would have done with his contribution. Hyndes' and Becks' contributions were insignificant on "shame is the name" and "black cloud" respectively.

For me 'I'm throwing my arms around Paris' is the stand out track, 'i'm okay by myself' and 'because of my poor education' are satisfactory. On the sleeve is written- 'play very loud'. No, I bloody won't i'm too embarrased.

Years of Refusal cost me 24.99 in hmv 2 euro cheaper than tower. The new deluxe "Franz Ferdinand" album was 12.99 with 20 tracks in total counting bonus tracks!

Rant over.

Enzo Scifo

hatful wrote: »

I'm a fan of ringleader of the tormentors as a whole and I like about half the tracks on quarry but I just can't stomach Years of Refusal. It's over produced and layered, as a Jerry Finn case in point listen to "Life is an endless succession..." a Quarry b-side, he murdered the delicate harp on that track. It's possible that the new band members have messed it up also. The lyrics aren't extraordinary... Herb Alpert was supposed to play on the album but it wasn't to be, although I shudder to think what Finn would have done with his contribution. Hyndes' and Becks' contributions were insignificant on "shame is the name" and "black cloud" respectively.

For me 'I'm throwing my arms around Paris' is the stand out track, 'i'm okay by myself' and 'because of my poor education' are satisfactory. On the sleeve is written- 'play very loud'. No, I bloody won't i'm too embarrased.

Years of Refusal cost me 24.99 in hmv 2 euro cheaper than tower. The new deluxe "Franz Ferdinand" album was 12.99 with 20 tracks in total counting bonus tracks!

Rant over.

I could not disagree with you more.

I think the new album is fantastic, maybe his best solo yet. IMO it is his 1st solo album that has no fillers, 12 great tracks that are growing on me every day and yes, play it loud.

I really like(d) Franz but J e s u s their new stuff is utter s h i t e compared to previous work. The album has got 6 all right efforts and the rest is rubbish (have not listened to the bonus stuff yet). I'm going to see them in Limerick on Sat night but I'm really disapointed with their latest offering.

Back to the legend, cant wait for Killarney .