Morrissey - Years of Refusal

150-gram LP
NO digital version included

Audio Quality: 3.75/5
Song Quality: 3.5/5
Packaging: 3.75/5


Oh, Morrissey. Woe is you. It's now been over twenty years, and this guy still can't find anyone to love him. Apparently he now thinks he has a better shot with some Parisian architecture. At this point, I suppose he'll take what he can get. Who knows why Mr. Moz has such trouble with love? Maybe he's tragically misunderstood, or maybe he's just a dick. Either way, hopefully he can take comfort in the fact that he's a firm lock as the king of all modern lovelorn crooners. He might be all alone, but at least there are hundreds of thousands of people, men and women alike, who would literally kill each other to just catch his disgusting, sweaty shirt that he tosses off his stage like the modern-day Elvis he is. I'm not saying it's easy living with endless sexual confusion and rejection, I'm just saying that making millions by selling it probably eases the pain a little.

That opening paragraph was a bit harsh perhaps. I'm just having a bit of fun. I actually really enjoy sizable portions of Morrissey's back catalog... most of it being Smiths material, not surprisingly. However, Morrissey has had a few solo tracks really blow me away, most recently "You Have Killed Me" from 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors (the most metal sounding title for a wimpy sounding record in history). And I must admit that one of his cheesiest effors ever, 1991's "Sing Your Life," is a long-time favorite of mine. Personal meaning. Don't judge. Either way, though there are moments of greatness, I think his solo output tends to be spotty at best. I gave this album a listen with an open mind, hoping to find at least one or two tracks to fall in love with and add to my "Best of Morrissey" mental playlist.

Well, I didn't exactly find what I was looking for. Unlike most Morrissey albums, where I can find a couple songs to love amidst a bunch of mediocre ones, this record stays pretty consistently "good, not great" from start to finish. I have to say, I'm not sure which I'd actually prefer.

If I had to pick a highlight for this record, it'd probably be track 1, the curiously titled "Something Is Squeezing My Skull." It's a fast-paced rocker with a great vocal performance and super catchy melody. Moz rises up to hit an unexpectedly high note on the word "skull" in the choruses, and it's a great moment each time through, adding character to an intense and excellent opening cut. The surprise of this record is that, following this track, it remains pretty relentlessly peppy and aggressive throughout, which is hardly typical for Morrissey. It's definitely an interesting change of pace, and it makes the album as a whole easier to digest than some of his previous efforts, where the songs often get too dour for my taste. However, while this album consistently flirts with greatness, it manages to fall short. I can hear so much to love in almost all of the tracks, including "Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed," "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris," and "All You Need Is Me." These tracks are all good, but whether it be a less-than-stellar hook ("Mama Lay Softly..."), generic production ("All You Need..."), or lyrics that are ridiculous even for Morrissey ("I'm Throwing My Arms..."), there's something that holds each of them back from being as great as they could be. The only track that's a complete miss is "You Were Good In Your Time," which is long, slow, and features a noise-wash outro that is WAY out of place on this album. I really do love "That's How People Grow Up," "When Last I Spoke To Carol," and the aforementioned "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," but on the first run, these were the only tracks that left a real impression. Listening to these songs again on MP3 to refresh my memory for this review, I'm less bothered by some things than I was the first run through. Perhaps it'll grow on me... we'll see.

This album has a wonderful suggestion on the back of the sleeve: "Play very loud." Seemed like a reasonable request, so I did. And yes, it sounded pretty nice, but not amazing. It was definitely recorded digitally, which is unmistakable when you listen to it immediately after playing the gorgeous analog experience of the Shelby Lynne album. It was, however, mixed and mastered very well, and the "Play very loud" suggestion represents the fact that this album isn't mastered too loud like so many modern releases. It's not crippled with over-compression and a crushed dynamic range, so it plays back without too much digital harshness. The sounds of the fuzz bass, pounding drums, and dare I forget to mention rich and unique lead vocal, are big and clear, without being dismissively smashed together by a Pro Tools compressor. However, the record still is plagued with the high and mid-range sheen that only a digital recording can provide. It's not particularly aggressive or painful on this record... just a constant reminder that you're listening to music recorded by an inferior medium. I might advise against buying this over the CD, especially since it doesn't include a digital format with purchase, if it wasn't for the fact that this LP retails for VERY cheap. It's around $10 in most places, and this should be more than enough cause for every Moz fan in the world with a turntable to grab this album, drop the needle, and "play very loud."

Before I discuss the package, I want to mention that the version of the album being reviewed is a promotional copy not intended for resale (as evidenced by the sharpie mark on the bar code in the photo I posted). However, I am told that the packaging for my copy is identical to the standard retail version. I did some snooping on the internet and this does appear to be true, but if someone else owns a copy of this record that includes something I miss here, please do let me know.

Packaging features the album held in a sleeve with artwork on both sides. One side features album credits and a still-life paiting of fruit. The other side features what I assume to be Morrissey's band posing for an Urban Outfitters advertisement. Weird, guys. The overall package is a single slipcase. Again, no digital copy included, but for the price, I suppose that's understandable. Also, I'm pretty sure the record is pressed on 150-gram vinyl, but there's nothing that specifies in the package. It's definitely not 180-gram.

An interesting effort from Morrissey this time around. Though he may still be working out the kinks in this new form, it seems that he might finally be willing to let loose a bit. It's about time. Lyrically, he's still playing the same cards, but if the music stays this lively and fun, then I'm on board, and I'll be eagerly anticipating his next offering. But even if he doesn't and he reverts back to his old ways, I'll still be waiting in line for all his new releases just the same. After all, this is Morrissey we're talking about.

Buy the LP at InSound.com (Only $9.99!!!)
Buy the LP at Amazon.com

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