Morrissey - Your Arsenal
Not many artists have managed to distill the feelings of betrayal, awkwardness and isolation into their music as well as Morrissey. His sharp witted lyrics were full of sexual and social frustration, delivered with a healthy dose of theatrical crooning. In a short time, Morrissey helped turn The Smiths into one of the most important indie bands in British music history. At the same time, he turned himself into an icon.
Your Arsenal rocks harder than just about any of Morrissey's other albums. Boz Boorer assumed guitar duties and churns out swaggering, powerful riffs that give the proceedings a more edgy, ferocious tone. Thanks to the production of Mick Ronson, the music achieves a polished sheen that is a detour from the style that Morrissey fans were used to hearing. The music runs the gamut of Morrissey's usual emotional subject matter and social observances. All the while, his pen is sharper than its ever been. The songs are clever, biting and occasionally moving. For years, Morrissey had been anchored to his adolescence. Truly, the most notable shift is how the songs on Your Arsenal deal with the issues in Morrissey's life on a more adult level.
To many fans, this album was the beginning of a new chapter in this iconic singer's career. This time around, Morrissey's music was made more accessible because he surrounded his sullen lyrics and fragile voice with roaring guitars. By changing the method of his delivery, Morrissey set a new artistic watermark for himself and the legions of musicians/bands he inspired.
Your Arsenal is an album you should own.
Morrissey is about to release a new record on 2/17/09 called Years Of Refusal.
Further listening: "Viva Hate", "Vauxhall and I", "You Are The Quarry"
Further listening (The Smiths): "The Smiths", "The Queen Is Dead"
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