Morrissey - Years of Refusal

To say the least, Morrissey is the main reason why I listen to alternative music. Prior Morrissey, I was hopelessly in love with Chynna from Wilson Phillips. What made me deflect to the dark side was seeing Morrissey's black humor as he sings his heart out to "There is a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends" on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

I bought everything I could from BMG music club. I still think it's a great deal, you get 4 CDs for the cost of "shipping" - which usually works out to be about $4 a CD. BMG had a back catalog of only some Smiths albums (they were missing albums like Meat is Murder and Rank to name a few) and only two Morrissey albums, Viva Hate and Bona Drag (the latter is more or less a compilation).

When those few albums wasn't enough for me, I sought out singles, collecting cover artwork, fanzines, and bootlegs. I suppose it shouldn't surprise anyone that I can get a bit obsessive.

Just to let you know, for the sake of being faithful and for collecting, I still buy his singles. I no longer try and get all different version of a 'greatest hits' album or anything. For instance, I think there's a new Smiths greatest hits out, which I'll be ignoring... although there's always this nagging voice in the back of my mind to 'complete' the collection, you know?

Okay, for those still awake, Morrissey's latest album is called Years of Refusal. If you are only familiar with the 'mopey'/depressing Morrissey of those Smiths days, I have to warn you that this album is very muscular and aggressive. There is, of course, the odd sad song ("You Were Good In Your Time"), but they are quite outnumbered on this album.

You might have seen his "All You Need Is Me" tongue-in-cheek answer to all your woes or have heard "That's How People Grow Up" on his last Greatest Hits album (that song was a brand new song at the time). The new "hit" single from this album is "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris", which sounds sweeping. I don't know how to describe it, it sounds like the song should be epic, but it's wrapped up in a two minute pop song. Typical Morrissey to end the song with "nobody wants my love".

I really enjoyed the opening and closing songs ("Something Is Squeezing My Skull" and "I'm Ok By Myself"), they seem like fitting bookends to a great novel. The first song is just a fast song with an amusing Morrissey lyric of "don't give me anymore". The last song was co-written by Jesse Tobias, who is a semi-new collaborator. The rest of the album are written by old band rockabillish members, Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, they've been with Morrissey since 1991.

Morrissey is definitely a more modern and mature musician since The Smiths... and easily his most poppiest album to date. New fans will be delighted, old fans may not really like. But you know they are going to buy it anyway, so it doesn't really matter what I say.... although I will have to say this album is much, much, better than his last one, Ringleader of the Tormentors .

You can find Years of Refusal at any record store. If you can't find it, then you are shopping at the wrong record store. Fans should be sure to only get the deluxe edition with bonus DVD.

Look for Julia Riley if you're going to attend a show. I will at the Minneapolis show, so come say hi.

As a special bonus, here are some Morrissey songs I've previously mentioned:

Morrissey - Reader Meet Author	Morrissey - The National Front Disco	Morrissey - Sunny	Morrissey - Girl Least Likely To	Morrissey - Jack The Ripper (live) 4 comments
Morrissey - Boxers	Morrissey - Piccadilly Palare	Morrissey - That's How People Grow Up 4 comments	Morrissey - Jack the Ripper (studio)	Morrissey - Tomorrow (Single Mix) 3 comments