You Are The Quarry (Deluxe Edition) [ECD] - Morrissey

...without doubt one of those you either love or hate. I happen to be one of the former but no one can deny his influence on pop culture and the importance of the smiths. His solo work has mixed opinions, 'You are the Quarrey' was his comeback album after years without a record deal and what a comeback it was: -

'America is not the world' is not a typical political song with lyrics such as "america you know where you can shove your ...
...gay, and until that day, you got nothing to say to me". Underpinned by acoustic guitar Quarrey starts off gently 8/10

'Irish Blood, English Heart' is a further political stance with reference to tories and labour amongst the lyrics but its of musical intent that it was selected as the first single. Moz at his rocking best 9/10

'I have forgiven Jesus' plods along with minimal keyboard yet is a grower that becomes ... more

Morrissey is without doubt one of those you either love or hate. I happen to be one of the former but no one can deny his influence on pop culture and the importance of the smiths. His solo work has mixed opinions, 'You are the Quarrey' was his comeback album after years without a record deal and what a comeback it was: -

'America is not the world' is not a typical political song with lyrics such as "america you know where you can shove your hamburger" as well as "where the president is never black, female or gay, and until that day, you got nothing to say to me". Underpinned by acoustic guitar Quarrey starts off gently 8/10

'Irish Blood, English Heart' is a further political stance with reference to tories and labour amongst the lyrics but its of musical intent that it was selected as the first single. Moz at his rocking best 9/10

'I have forgiven Jesus' plods along with minimal keyboard yet is a grower that becomes better with every listen. Another single 9/10

'Come back to camden' is a typical portrayal of english mentality as the album slows right down after the euphoria of track 2. 6/10

'Im not sorry' is something you can imagine Morrissey being stubborn about. There is nothing to be sorry for when albums flow as good as this. Another track laced in acoustic guitars 8/10

Once 'The world is full of crashing bores' comes into play you realise this is an album that is quite indefinately angry. Electric guitars come into the forefront now 8/10

'How can anybody possibly know how i feel?' equates to the answer is most probably cant as moz recoils upon difficult times with reference to various different authority. another strong track 8/10

'First of the gang to die' is the pinnacle not just of the album but of Morrissey in general, a catchy, querky and breathtakingly brilliant effort that is an instant classic. A fan favourite throughout every tour that has followed. The album took a long time to make but this song makes it seem worthwhile. 10/10

'Let me kiss you' is another standout track with stunning guitars and excellent, poignant Morrissey lyrics. another single 9/10

'all the lazy dykes' is a typical title for a morrissey song though after the brilliance of the previous two tracks it is inevitable that this doesnt hold up but on reflection is still a welcome addition 7/10

'I like You' is an uplifting, obscure love song. Morrissey is clearly on form and staying in tandem with the style and atmosphere of the rest of the album this is another decent track 8/10

to close the album 'you know i couldnt last' is another track that makes you think sympathetically towards morrissey but there is no feeling sorry on reflection of this, one of his best solo albums, certainly up there with the much heralded 'vauxhall and i'. This album is arguably bolder than his previous work, musically his band are on a par with morrisseys lyrics in a way that isn't too dissmilar to the way the smiths worked. As a solo artist Morrissey is a different artist yet his lyrics are still though provoking and at a standard that makes him stand up against all the porr sub standard pop music that drains the national charts.

Bonus Disc

If anyone was ever in doubt of the form morrissey found himself in this CD dispells any concerns. As a fan I would have bought this deluxe edition no matter what yet I was pleasently surprised by this CD consisting of songs from the quarrey sessions not deemed good enough for the album (some appear as b-sides).

'Dont make fun of daddy's voice' was a live favourite for some time, its heavy guitars even made it a successful opener on the quarrey tour. 'its hard to walk tall when your small' also boasts guitars played at a high volume with typical morrissey prowess. 'Never played symphonies' would have been a standout if it was included on the original album so here it stands out like a sore thumb. With simple piano it shows the rawness of the artist and shows a versatility that not many people give him credit for. A personal favourite is the mini album closer 'mexico' which blends acoustic and electric guitars perfectly, another one being a strong live track.

Overall, this is not an edition that is just for morrissey only fans, it has two cds worth of high quality material. If you think quarrey is a morrissey album you would like it is worth getting this edition as it is now usually found to be cheap in most places, including online. By the point of its release a new influx of next generation smiths fans had appeared, I dont think its any coincidence that morrissey could cash in on this, or rather no coincidence that Morrissey had an album as good as this up his sleeve! 

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