release date: Mar. 14, 1988
format: vinyl (7 90180 1) / cd (1988) / (2012 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Stephen Street
label: HMV - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Alsatian Cousin" (4 / 5) - 3. "Everyday Is Like Sunday" (5 / 5) - 4. "Bengali in Platforms" (5 / 5) - 5. "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together" - 6. "Late Night, Maudlin Street" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Suedehead" (4 / 5) - 8. "Break Up the Family" - 9*. "The Ordinary Boys" - 10. "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" (4 / 5) - 11. "Dial-a-cliché" - 12. "Margaret on the Guillotine" (4 / 5)
[ full album ]
*[track replaced on 2012 remaster by the original outtake "Treat Me Like a Human Being"; on the US version track #9 is the bonus track "Hairdresser on Fire"]
The solo studio debut album by (Steven Patrick) Morrissey, former vocalist of The Smiths. This was a marvellous album demonstrating how much he could do without his former band members in The Smiths and especially without his usual friend, guitarist, and composer Johnny Marr. The composer duo Morrissey / Marr was already a legendary brand like Lennon / McCartney, so it truly was one of the major questions if Morrissey as a solo artist could perform without Marr. Producer Stephen Street co-wrote the songs with Morrissey and helped writing the music for his lyrics - he did the Marr part - and Street was more than adequate in filling that task because he brought in an essential person who helped giving birth to the album, as well as filling the shoes of Marr: guitarist Vini Reilly (aka The Durutti Column), who really has his fingerprints all over most of the tracks on the album. Allegedly, Reilly absented from being credited just as long as he could have control of the musical part. He was not credited, and nor was he given any royalties to this day. In fact, Reilly, who was credited as instrumentalist on the original issues isn't even mentioned on the 2012 remaster.
The album was generally well-received, especially in the UK a huge crowd of fans just wanting to hear more of The Smiths. The two singles for the album, "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday" both received much success, whereas the final track "Margaret on the Guillotine" was regarded highly controversial as Morrissey in the song suggests that former Prime Minister Thatcher was beheaded.
Morrissey won as Best Solo Artist at the NME annual prize awards - a prize he would go on to win the following consecutive four years.
The album remains one of only three Morrissey solo albums to top the UK album charts list, and it is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 ]
Morrissey won as Best Solo Artist at the NME annual prize awards - a prize he would go on to win the following consecutive four years.
The album remains one of only three Morrissey solo albums to top the UK album charts list, and it is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 ]
 |  | |
| 1997 remaster | 2012 remaster |
Show lyrics <- click...
