Morrissey - Greatest Hits

And, indeed, they are. Surprising though it may seem to some, every track on here (except the two new ones) reached the top twenty, with most of them in the top ten. Undoubtedly bolstered by his ever-loyal Smiths fanbase, it's still pretty damn impressive, considering this album spans a whole decade's work. It's a bit of a shame that the tracks aren't done in chronological order cos it's interesting to hear how his voice and style change over the years; from songs like 'Suedehead' and 'Every day is like sunday', which sound exactly like The Smiths, albeit minus Johnny Marr's distinctive guitar hooks, through to the stalkerish 'The more you ignore me the close I get', which is where I think he really found his own voice, to the brand new single 'That's how People Grow Up', finally laying to rest the ghost of his former band. From start to finish his trademark brand of provinicial melancholy and love of kitchen sink drama is evident, kind of like Alan Bennett set to music. His favourite recurring themes of unrequited love, revenge (generally with someone coming to a grisly end) and feelings of social indadequacy are offset by the most delicious, beautiful melodies, combined with a sly humour and wit Oscar Wilde would give his left ball for. Yes, The Smiths will always be better than a solo Morrissey, but this album is no poor relation to, say, 'Hatful of Hollow'. In whatever guise he chooses to make his music, in a world where shite like Leona Lewis can still get to number one, Morrissey will always matter. And thank God for that.

moz is an arse

Fi Beckett

 


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