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Underground > Radio & Music >

Morrissey: You Are The Quarry

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Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

14:53 / 20.01.04

Information has been sufacing about Morrissey's forthcoming album. From Morrissey-solo:

MORRISSEY NEWS

9th January 2004

You Are The Quarry is produced by Jerry Finn and engineered by Joe McGrath.

Musicians on the album are: Boz Boorer (guitar), Alain Whyte (guitar), Gary Day (bass), and Dean Butterworth (drums), with Roger Manning (piano).

The album has been recorded at Sarm in Berkshire (England), and Conway Studio in Los Angeles.

Songs recorded on the session are:

"America Is Not The World"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"I Have Forgiven Jesus"
"Come Back To Camden"
"I'm Not Sorry"
"The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores"
"How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?"
"The First Of The Gang To Die"
"Teenage Dad On His Estate"
"I Like You"
"The Never-Played Symphonies"
"The Slum Mums"
"You Know I Couldn't Last"
"Home Is A Question Mark"
"The Public Image"
"It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small"

The album is set for release on the Attack label through Sanctuary Records in the second week of April.

Attack are also negotiating with Nancy Sinatra to release her version of "Let Me Kiss You" as a single. The song was originally recorded by Morrissey for inclusion on You Are The Quarry. Also, Attack plan to release a single by James Maker (ex-Raymonde) called "I'm Unbearable."

Obviously it's too early to make any actual judgements, but some of those song titles seem a little clunky, but some I kind of like. I dunno, it's doesn't help my aprehensiveness about the album. I heard some of the new tracks on his tour, and while they were pleasant, I wasn't entirely convinced by them. I thought with the addition of strings (The world is full of crashing bores, esp.), and more instruments, some of those songs could have sounded suitably dramatic. The production on this album is being handled by Jerry Finn - who has produced bands such as Blink 182 and Greenday, so I don't really know what to expect. I read somewhere, although I can't find it now, that Morrissey was quoted as saying he wanted a fuller sound, with more hooks. Don't take that as gospel, though.

I think more songs may also have been recorded - I'm not sure, but I know there's a good total of songs for the album, singles + b-sides.

What say you?

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:01 / 20.01.04

I hear these are the titles for possible b-sides:

'Grumpy Old Man Goes Beyond Self-Parody'
'Council House In Clapham, In The Rain'
'I Am Full Of My Own Self-Importance'
'Why Won't Sensitive Teenage Thugs Listen (To Me & Not Hip-Hop)?'

15:16 / 20.01.04

'Why Won't Sensitive Teenage Thugs Listen (To Me & Not Hip-Hop)?'

Funny thing is, a lot of sensitive thugs do listen to Morrissey.

This is probably news to nobody but me, but I was stunned to read recently that Mozza has a huuuuuuge following among young het Latinos in the US Southwest, especially in L.A. and environs. It's bizarre--these guys are the embodiment of machismo; many of them are in deep denial about Morrissey's sexuality; most of them are Morrissey solo fans, rather than Smiths fans; and most of all, they're young--they're not reliving their teenage angst, they're in the midst of it right now, and Morrissey for them is (despite his long silence) not a retro figure but a vital cultural force.

I read the article in a collection of 2002's best music writing. It originally appeared in SPIN: I'll try to find it online...

15:20 / 20.01.04

Oh, and

some of those song titles seem a little clunky

...as opposed to such pithy gems as The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore ...

15:33 / 20.01.04

Ooh! I knew about the Latino following but I hadn't realized it was mostly het boys and I'd be interested to hear more about that if you can find the article, Jack. (Especially since the last time I was at a Smiths disco I was followed round for part of the night by an anxious straight boy drunkenly confessing that even though he was straight, he'd shag Morrissey, and asking me whether this was normal. I was, of course, able to tell him that from what I've seen of Morrissey fans, it's more than normal, it's compulsory...)

V excited about new album. Love the lovely Morrissey.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

15:39 / 20.01.04

That's true, Jack. I was just thinking about that, actually. The titles on their own never stand up to a lot, but some of these seem especially... bad. This embodied by the fact that possibly more than one of Flyboy's joke titles sound like they would fit in with that bunch. I just hope the songs stand up to more than the titles. And I guess I don't think of the title's you mentioned as clunky, because I can think of the song as reference, instead - rather than taking it as is. Except the one's I haven't heard which, yes, sound shit. I think most of this is "fore-cringing" just in case Flyboy is very very right. "Teenage Dad on his estate" doesn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm.

I haven't been a fan of much of his solo work, other than the odd song here and there. He's always had an odd following though, hasn't he?

16:15 / 20.01.04

Deva: Oh, it's hysterical, the lengths to which these guys will contort themselves to avoid the cognitive dissonance. The most any of them will admit is that La Moz mmmmmmmmmmmmmmight be bisexual.

No joy finding the article itself online: I've got the print version, might transcribe some choice passages later tonight.

16:47 / 20.01.04

Thanks, Jack.

And I think How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel? is the best song title ever.

Flyboy - Sweet and Tender Hooligan is a sexier soubriquet than Sensitive Teenage Thug.

19:01 / 20.01.04

Decentish article on Morrissey and his Latino fanbase: http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/02/cover-arellano.

Interesting on Morrissey and British sweet and tenders: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,711904,00.html

Talking of which, the song "First Of The Gang To Die"

[Hector was the first of the gang
with a gun in his hand
and the first to do time
the first of the gang to die.]

is a song directly related to his new Latino audience.

(I've got (not great) live versions of some of these songs if anybody wants to PM me for a copy)

The Return Of Rothkoid

00:22 / 26.01.04

If you look back through Morrissey-solo you can find links to live versions of the songs. "The First Of The Gang To Die", "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" were available in a couple of renditions, I believe. They're pretty good, writing-wise. "The First..." is great.

As for self-importance: isn't that the point of Morrissey?

18:43 / 26.01.04

I hope First of the Gang To Die is as good as my memory claims it is from the live shows 15 months ago.

08:37 / 05.03.04

Oh, it's hysterical, the lengths to which these guys will contort themselves to avoid the cognitive dissonance. The most any of them will admit is that La Moz mmmmmmmmmmmmmmight be bisexual.

Isn't that pretty much all we can say 'definitively'? The whole point of Morrissey's sexuality is that it's not readily classifiable: he's not simply gay and closeted. I think the 'sweet and tender hooligan' paradoxes around Morrissey are one of the most interesting things about him.

I'm surprised not to see 'Mexico' in that list, though...

08:46 / 05.03.04

Album's out May 17th, apparently, and the first single, a week earlier, is "Irish Blood, English Heart."

He's doing a gig at Manchester the week after the album, as well.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

08:49 / 05.03.04

I imagine it may be used as a b-side. I think the title of the album is different now, too; "For Your Quarry".

09:18 / 05.03.04

He's also hosting Meltdown, in June.

09:26 / 05.03.04

There's a new official site but it doesn't seem to be working at the mo. Try www.morrisseymusic.com when it's up and running again.

10:01 / 05.03.04

I think the title of the album is different now, too; "For Your Quarry".

Bit more of a maybe-up-the-arse allusion. Bit more Morrissey.

at the scarwash

20:06 / 05.03.04

Flash press photo with the tommygun, I must say.

04:34 / 06.03.04

Yeah, that was a really excellent photo. I haven't written the new material off yet, I think it could be okay. I mean he's had years. Also, hand on heart, how many genuinely terrible records has Morrissey been involved with ? There was Uncle Frank, obviously, or whatever that 2nd solo album was called, but that's it. Honestly, isn't it ?

Goodness Gracious Meme

09:54 / 06.03.04

Deva, found an ref from an old essay, which might be of interest, haven't got the article I'm afraid, Smiths' Crips, Dazed and Confused 81, 2001, about the LA latino Moz brotherhood.

11:02 / 06.03.04

The one I'm thinking of was called "Viva Morrissey," BiP. And no, I never did find it online, and no, I never did get a chance to type up a transcript before I had to return the anthology to the library.

I suck. Sorry.

19:40 / 07.03.04

Hello,

Im confused are you guys and gals moz fans or not. Second as far as hispanics not knowing that morrissey is gay. We don't care if he is or not, but that goes for anyone. As far as us being "machismos" this isnt 1910. We have sisters, wifes, mothers, who are professionals. We enjoy morrissey music because we come from a background were music is soulful. Latin older music is romatic. Morrissey is one of the few english singers whos voice and music is hopeless and romantic. Also, when morrissey's new album comes out you cant judge it. By what standard are you going to judge him by, the current hip hop standard.
Morrissey is like no other, thats what makes him great. His music has and will continue to stand the test of time.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

20:12 / 07.03.04

I will certainly be judging Morrissey by the current hip hop standard, as there really is no other basis by which to judge any form of music.

Hip hop is best!

23:11 / 07.03.04

Of course you can judge it. What a strange thing to say. Quite apart from anything else, you can compare it to his previous work.

11:58 / 08.03.04

I suck. Sorry.

Nah, transcribing is a pain in the bum (I do it for a living) and it was very above-and-beyond the call of Moz duty...

Ganesh (hello, by the way; I missed you):

The whole point of Morrissey's sexuality is that it's not readily classifiable

Yes. Yayy. I started identifying as "Morrisseysexual" a few years ago, and still do in contexts where people might have the slightest clue what that means. One of the loveliest bits of the Beeb documentary last year was when the interviewer was trying to get him to "set the record straight" and he kept saying "But no-one's said anything that needs to be set straight!" Sigh. Such a role model for these gloriously troubled, post-closet, times.

Rab:

are you guys and gals moz fans or not

Some of us are, some of us [fixing Flyboy with pained glare] inexplicably are not.

Thanks for the reference, btw, bip - I'll see if I can track it down. (Your old essays are kewl.)

13:22 / 08.03.04

Deva (and Rab): I think it's a little more complicated than that. It's possible to be a fan while also being a critic--that is, while acknowledging the limitations, eccentricities, and weaknesses of the thing you like.

And when you craft a strong public persona, as Morrissey has done, you do so largely by process of elimination--by narrowing your focus of subjects, concerns, and approach.

There's a constant risk of slipping over the line into cartoon, or self-parody, and artists--even great ones--occasionally slip over the line. Simply acknowledging that doesn't mean you love the music any less.

13:26 / 08.03.04

(For the record, I'm only a casual Moz fan, myself--I've followed his career from a distance, and I like a few songs here and there, but I don't own any of the records. I am, however, a big fan of other artists [Nick Cave, Richard Thompson, John Cale] whose public personas, while very different from Morrissey's in substance, skirt that same cartoon-ish edge, and open them to similar ridicule from both detractors and fans: from the latter, it tends to be half-exasperated and half-affectionate: e.g., the Thompson fan club issuing a cassette of live tracks and rarities under the title "Doom and Gloom from the Tomb.")

15:12 / 08.03.04

Hey guys and gals,

First of all for those of you who think hip hop is the best. You have no business even talking about Morrissey. Hip hop is the most shallowist of all music. I find it interesting that everyone is always trying to analyse him. No one cares what Britney Spears has to say in her music, but everyone one wants to critic Morrisseys music. As far as judging him, you can't judge him because you may like one or two songs and on his new album you don't like any. Being a casual listener does not qualify you to judge hes music. For example, I think Justin Timberly is a joke, how could I tell you if his new album is good, I would think its a joke. Morrissey has a fan base like no other. His fans have stayed true to him for 20 years. Other artist may have a bigger fan base, but they don't stick around for more than several years.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

15:17 / 08.03.04

Are you a joke? Everything points to "yes!"

Well done.

15:30 / 08.03.04

Your the joke, you have no business talking about MOZ. Go and listen to your meaningless hip hop.

16:58 / 08.03.04

The NME needs a letter off you STAT!, rab.

The first post was okay, but it's downhill since there.

17:10 / 08.03.04

I normally don't act like this, however, im amazed how Morrissey gets criticed. Especially those who think hip hop is the best. Find an artist in hip hop and talk about them. I assure you there much more negative stuff to talk about.

17:29 / 08.03.04

A stalwart lover for sure.

Regrettable Juvenilia

17:30 / 08.03.04

Find an artist in hip hop and talk about them.

Feel free to choose one of the many, easily located threads already existing in this forum which fall into this category (a broad one indeed), and join in the discussion.

Or, y'know... You don't have to.

17:39 / 08.03.04

(a) This isn't about Morrissey vs. hip-hop. Someone is playing a little joke on you.

(b) "You have no business talking about MOZ" is, frankly, a dumb thing to say. Everybody's free to have an opinion: music belongs to everyone.

(c) Everything and everybody is fair game for well-thought-out criticism,and Morrissey is no exception: his farts stink, just like everybody else's.

(d) You can judge Morrissey's new work--or anybody else's--by two criteria:
(1) How does it compare to the best of his past work?
and
(2) How well does it do what it is trying to do?

(e) Dude, calm down. It's only music.

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