Artist: Morrissey
Album: Swords
Year: 2009
Grade: 3 pretzels
2009 was an important year for Morrissey. First of all, everyone's favorite curmudgeon turned fifty back in May (presumably, he had an “unhappy birthday”). However, second and more importantly, he released Years Of Refusal in February, a strong, assured album that capped a tremendous comeback decade for Moz. Combined with You Are The Quarry (2004) and Ringleader Of The Tormentors (2006), Morrissey’s work these past ten years has reassured the world that the Mozfather isn’t fading into obscurity as he ages. Not unlike Nick Cave, who is still rocking hard at fifty-one, Morrissey is entering his fourth decade in the music industry on a very strong note.
However, as the last dregs of the 2000s float around, Morrissey is releasing one final album, Swords, compiling the assorted b-sides that accompanied his past three albums. This makes sense on a number of levels. For one, those three albums will always be grouped together by music historians, hopefully as Morrissey’s “renaissance period.” Having all their outtakes grouped together is convenient for fans and underlines the albums’ trilogy-like status. Morrissey has also established a precedent for releasing compilation albums, giving his fans more and more of the moody babble and anti-social moaning they love so much (I say that with affection, Moz). Finally, if nothing else, it gives the world more of Morrissey’s amazing song-titles.
I mean, really, how does this man come up with this stuff? “If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look At Me”? “Friday Mourning”? Perhaps best of all, Swords offers up “Don’t Make Fun Of Daddy’s Voice”. While the actual track is a lackluster guitar cruncher marred by some misplaced keyboards, just reading that song title makes me grin (an experience foreign to Morrissey himself). As is occasionally the case with Moz, the idea is better than the actual execution and most of the songs here are better quips than they are songs. However, there’s nothing truly abysmal, with the possible exception of the shapeless “Sweetie-Pie”. These are b-sides and they sound the part. They would have dragged any album down a bit, but they’re still interesting to those deeply interested in Moz’s craft and bottomless depth for musical moping.
Swords doesn’t have too much value for casual Morrissey fans (although a fiery cover of Bowie’s “Drive-In Saturday” is nothing short of awesome). Those interested in buying into the cult of Mozzer are encouraged to pick up his aforementioned three proper albums of the decade, along with his very solid work from the early 90s. Once you’ve thoroughly absorbed those basics, you should be ready to dive into Swords, which features a less polished, but still rewarding side to the man’s songwriting.
However, as the last dregs of the 2000s float around, Morrissey is releasing one final album, Swords, compiling the assorted b-sides that accompanied his past three albums. This makes sense on a number of levels. For one, those three albums will always be grouped together by music historians, hopefully as Morrissey’s “renaissance period.” Having all their outtakes grouped together is convenient for fans and underlines the albums’ trilogy-like status. Morrissey has also established a precedent for releasing compilation albums, giving his fans more and more of the moody babble and anti-social moaning they love so much (I say that with affection, Moz). Finally, if nothing else, it gives the world more of Morrissey’s amazing song-titles.
I mean, really, how does this man come up with this stuff? “If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look At Me”? “Friday Mourning”? Perhaps best of all, Swords offers up “Don’t Make Fun Of Daddy’s Voice”. While the actual track is a lackluster guitar cruncher marred by some misplaced keyboards, just reading that song title makes me grin (an experience foreign to Morrissey himself). As is occasionally the case with Moz, the idea is better than the actual execution and most of the songs here are better quips than they are songs. However, there’s nothing truly abysmal, with the possible exception of the shapeless “Sweetie-Pie”. These are b-sides and they sound the part. They would have dragged any album down a bit, but they’re still interesting to those deeply interested in Moz’s craft and bottomless depth for musical moping.
Swords doesn’t have too much value for casual Morrissey fans (although a fiery cover of Bowie’s “Drive-In Saturday” is nothing short of awesome). Those interested in buying into the cult of Mozzer are encouraged to pick up his aforementioned three proper albums of the decade, along with his very solid work from the early 90s. Once you’ve thoroughly absorbed those basics, you should be ready to dive into Swords, which features a less polished, but still rewarding side to the man’s songwriting.
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