As I can't sleep before the Hull City vs Man Utd game I thought I would issue to the Pink Fish world - Rich's definitive guide to Morrissey's solo career:-
1. His first solo concert at Wolverhampton Civil Hall 1988. A "secret" gig, access to which just involved wearing a Smiths t-shirt. Captured quite wonderfully here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paigekparsons/sets/72157613018478699/ and on the Hulmerist video. Wasn't there. Could have been. Hated myself for not going.
2. A stunning initial run of singles with mostly great b-sides (1988 to 1990) - Suedehead; Everyday Is Like Sunday; The Last Of The Famous International Playboys; Interesting Drug; Ouija Board Ouija Board (this was actually a bit shit); November Spawned A Monster; Piccadilly Palare. Later put together on the compilation album Bona Drag - a "must have" if you can't be arsed to get the singles.
3. Debut album Viva Hate (1988). Included the first 2 singles above but was actually a bit disappointing in comparison to the singles run despite featuring great performances by Durutti Column guitarist Vini Reilly. Best other tracks were Margaret On The Guillotine and Late Night Maudlin Street.
4. Kill Uncle album (1991). Oh dear. This was proper dog tod (a Hull term for "shit"). Produced by Langer/Winstanley I guess in some crazed attempt to get a commercial sound. Why? Oh and a bloke from Fairground Attraction helped write the songs. Nuff said.
5. Your Arsenal album (1992). This was when he first teamed up with Boz Boorer formerly of the Polecats (shit UK version of the Stray Cats). I hated it then cos my kid sister loved it more than The Smiths. Kid sisters eh? It isn't actually that bad. Clearly part of the reason being that it was produced by Hull's Mick Ronson. And it has a handful of decent songs incl You're The One For Me Fatty (how can you not love a song called that), Seasick Yet Still Docked and We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful - mainly down to working with a far more important collaborator than Boorer - co-writer Alain Whyte. Oh and his hair still looked ace. Oh and he became huge in USA and Mexico. Crazy times.
6. Vauxhall and I album (1994). Somehow the Mozza/Boorer/Whyte axis produced a truly "decent" Morrissey solo album effectively out of nowhere. Mainly cos they dropped the pseudo rockabilly mentality and focussed on what he does best - thoughtful, inventive indie pop that makes you think "what the **** did he just say?" and "where did he nick that tune from?". Opening track "Now My Heart Is Full" sets the standard.
7. Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted albums (1995-1997). Hmmm, he lost me here big time I'm afraid. Two very average albums that you could make a decent EP out of - just. Trouble Loves Me and Alma Matters (both from Maldjusted) being about the best songs.
8. Five years in the wilderness with no record company (1997 - 2002). A few tours - mainly in North and Latin America. But in the UK and the rest of Europe he was history.
9. Then in Sep 2002 - still with no record company and hence no typical "promotion" as such he played 2 nights at the Royal Albert Hall - both sell outs. More importantly he seemed to have some decent new songs - and when the RAH gigs were featured on a TV documentary, fans and the music industry started getting interested again.
10. You Are The Quarry album (2004). His best solo album by a ****ing street. and a return to live form that saw him selling out arenas all over the world including the MEN on his 45th birthday. A very, very strong album and a stunning return to form all round. I played it this morning and was awestruck yet again.
11. Ringleader Of The Tormentors album (2006). Aka the "cheap one from HMV". Much hyped due to it following YATQ and being (over) produced by Tony Visconti. But hugely let down by the songwriting. Alain Whyte was gradually being pushed out of the studio band (and totally out of the live band) and his replacement Jesse Tobias clearly is not as good a songwriter. However Life Is A Pigsty is worth the bargain purchase price alone and is unlike any other Morrissey song.
12. Years Of Refusal (2009). Quality-wise it lives half way between Quarry and Tormentors. Far less ambitious production-wise than Tormentors (a good thing) but the songs are generally not quite up to the standard of Quarry. However I do think that I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris is damn near as good a song as he as
ever done.
So, there you go.
Next, my guide to Hull City. Will be about as patchy as the above. But I can never let go.
