For me, at least, Morrissey has always walked a fine line. His mopey crooning can be incredibly affecting, or it can veer toward maudlin.
The two keys to success seem to be (a) his use of wit in the lyrics and (b) the musical accompaniment. Morrissey’s best work finds a way to counterbalance his dreary demeanor with humor and a catchy tunefulness. While fronting the Smiths, he and the band almost always struck the right chord. You can get away with comparing your petty sufferings to those of Joan of Arc burning at the stake when (a) you mention the quirky detail of her melting Walkman and (b) Johnny Marr’s spritely acoustic guitar keeps the mood light and airy.
For his solo career (and toward the end of his Smiths tenure), I find the results more hit-or-miss. Sometimes he buys a little too sincerely into the myth of his own grief.
The Smiths
I haven’t yet made a Smiths artist spotlight yet, but a good dose of the Smiths would be the best place to start your Morrissey listening experience. Their first three proper albums (The Smiths, Meat is Murder, and perhaps best of all, The Queen is Dead, inserted below) and their singles compilations Hatful of Hollow and Louder than Bombs are the best places to start. I’ll update this post with a Smiths playlist when I get to it.
Morrissey’s Solo Work
If your sampling of the Smiths hasn’t quenched your thirst, here’s a CD-length playlist with highlights from Morrissey’s ‘80s and ‘90s discography. Enjoy.
Here’s the same playlist expanded to include all his singles from the period, plus all songs ranked by AcclaimedMusic.net from the same period.
Cover Art:
- “Your Arsenal”: Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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