Your Arsenal

If you're a fan of Morrissey, you know he usually botches his re-issues quite badly. You have deleted tracks, parts of songs edited out, wrong-era photographs for the artwork, illogical tracklistings, and flimsy packaging. When I first heard that "Your Arsenal" was to be remastered and re-issued, I braced for the worst. You see, it's not only my favorite Morrissey album, but it's his finest solo effort in general. All around strong, showcasing the finest artistic quality of any of his work. What if he would have deleted "Seasick.." or "You're the one for me, Fatty"? I was worried. Like the sheep that I am, I placed my pre-order for the CD and for the vinyl editions in early December. There was no way I was passing up getting even most of these songs remastered! Days after I place the pre-order, it's revealed on his website that this re-issue would come with a bonus DVD of the live show from Halloween 1991. Particularly special for me as it was my very first ever Morrissey live show! Spectacular memories of a great halloween just a few minutes from my house. I was just 21 and I'd never seen anything like it. Example: Girls loved Dave Gahan on the Violator tour the year prior, but no one ever tried to storm the stage and hug him. The Morrissey experience was one of a kind, and the DVD was a welcomed bonus. However, I must warn you that it's just a coverted video sourced from a VHS recording so the picture quality isn't the best, but the sound is great, his band is very tight, and you're immersed in the experience I got to witness live. The CD, thankfully, is presented in tact with its original song sequence. There are rumblings from fans that he tinkered too much when he decided to present the slightly longer and more powerful U.S. mix of "Tomorrow" as the album's closer, but the reality is, it's a better version and this doesn't really alter the experience of listening to one of the best albums of the 1990s. The remastering is the very best of any of the Morrissey re-issues. Your Arsenal, like Vauxhall and I, were in desperate need of proper remastering. There was no possibilty to simply 'turn it louder' for songs like "Seasick...". The remastering is really THAT GOOD to the discerning ear. No loudness wars, or clipping, or pitchiness - - just spectacular, re-invigorated sound. The listener is left with a restored impression of such tracks as "We'll Let You Know", "The National Front Disco" and my personal favorite "Seasick, Yet Still Docked". The curious thing is that even with all of the Morrissey re-issues, "The Best, "The Very Best", "Greatest Hits", we've never had any of the three UK singles "We Hate It When...", "...Fatty", or "Certain People I Know" remastered before. We have them now. The vinyl is presented on thick 180gram virgin vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with different artwork on the back and inner cover on the sleeve. The record itself is in a plastic lined black paper jacket and there are no other inserts. The CD/DVD set is in a sturdier-than-his-usual, mini LP gatefold style digipak. One note on the artwork: It's the original album front cover art exactly with a slight altering of the Font. There is NO Parlophone logo on the U.S. version as it's released here on SIRE RECORDS and there is no word "stereo" either as some of the pictures show. I can deal with the font change if the tracklisting and appropriate front artwork are presented in tact. I would have loved a few of the "Your Arsenal"-era bonus tracks remastered. Fan favorite b-side "Jack The Ripper" (studio version) is absent and so we don't get it remastered. I always thought, too, that when we finally saw a Morrissey re-issue of Your Arsenal, we'd finally get a full/not cut off version of "There Speaks A True Friend", but we don't. There are a few b-sides from these Your Arsenal sessions that have been remastered, so you can find "Pashernate Love" remastered on the Kill Uncle re-issue and Fantastic Bird from the Southpaw Grammar re-issue, and a not-as-good long version of "Let The Right One Slip In" exists on the Bona Drag re-issue in case you'd like to burn your own deluxe edition. However, even with those extra songs missing, I'm pleased with the overall presentation of the product. With "Your Arsenal" being his best solo record, with the bonus DVD - and brilliant, brilliant remastering job, this re-issue is absolutely essential.

Make no mistake this is a superb album. His first 'gang' album since 'Strangeways' and what a gang! Four tattooed, sexy, bequiffed, rough arsed rockabilly types who looked like they would either shag you up against a wall or knuckle duster you to the floor dependent upon whether they had ran out of woodbines! Mick Ronson’s role in this work cannot be underestimated. Injecting muscle and glam savvy into the production. Something sorely lacking in the previous years ‘Kill Uncle’. The sound on this remaster is marvelous and most definitely worth the price. The packaging, yet again, is a disappointment. Only the original front cover remains intact. No longer do we have the original back cover photograph or the gorgeous sepia tinted inner picture of Charlie Richardson and daughter. Flimsy cardboard gatefold with no additions. Still, at least he hasn’t tampered with the tracks or track listing on this release. It’s always problematic being a seasoned Morrissey follower. Punching the air in jubilation at the publication of the brilliant autobiography last year. Hiding under tables in shame at the announcement of shows with the odious Tom Jones and Cliff Richard this summer (both of whom, I’m pretty sure, will not be averse to a rump steak or a Royal handshake). C’mon Mozz you make it increasingly difficult to defend you with any real conviction in a barroom fight these days!

The first glammy rocker, thanks to the new partners Alain and Boz, and - not to forget - the producer Mick Ronson's Bowie-glam approach. A somewhat misunderstood album, due to Morrissey's lyricism being perhaps less clear than ever. Does he support football hooliganism? Is he a racist? All of these question are of little interest, however - just as in the case of Mr. Morrissey's memoirs from 2013, we will never know when he is sincere, and when he is pulling our legs. Meanwhile, we are smiling throughout the whole experience of listening to the rockabilly music and the way meanings are perhaps changed, perhaps not, through his pronunciation somehow contradicting what he is saying. A masterful record, and perhaps still my favorite of his.

I am about the same age as Morrissey and obviously like the same music he did/does. Whilst he has his own distinctive sound there are so many influences here that are right up my street. Lovely rocking guitar and chunky beats that will owe a lot to Mick Ronson's production who in turn got so much from playing for Bowie in the Spiders from Mars.

The now rehabilitated Pope Of Mope, Morrissey – whose shockingly cavalier business plan for the past five years has been to reissue old albums and singles in new, lesser sleeves, promote the singles by becoming a recluse, and releasing a single that is off a different album completely, continues his quest to alter the body of work with a reissue of “Your Arsenal”. After butchering “Viva Hate”, “Bona Drag”, “Kill Uncle”, “Southpaw Grammar” and “Maladjusted” with vastly different (and inferior) tracklistings seemingly chosen at random from across his career and cover art from decades later, “Your Arsenal” thankfully has seemed to survive almost unscarred : the original album, his finest solo record, is 90% intact with only the more muscular American version of 'Tomorrow' replacing the original album version. No songs removed, replaced, or resequenced, no cover art changed, FOR ONCE. Sadly, the usual Morrissey approach avoids any extra songs – which, as this album also birthed 6 superlative extra songs including the wonderful 'Jack The Ripper', none of which are here. What's wrong with putting the albums out again in their original sleeves with extra songs on a second CD and a DVD of a live show from the period? There's a minor change - a more muscular mix of "Tomorrow" closes the record, and sadly the b-sides are all bafflingly absent, but it is 95% the original record - and Morrissey's best. Well, half-right, anyway. In terms of extra content, meanwhile, there is a concert DVD taken from the tour for the previous album. This show, a rough and ready VHS quality show from October 1991 is far superior to the then-issued “Live In Dallas” video, but still not particularly good. His band are tighter, the sound better, and and the setlist includes two songs from the forthcoming “Your Arsenal” sessions, but again, it's a virtual retread of “Live In Dallas” from four months earlier, albeit with several different songs. There's little sign of the demonstrable insanity in the crowd that is clearly evident, but every minute or someone some crazed fan, of which I was once one, runs on stage and gives him a hug or some other form of physical contact, so much so the show is interrupted – not the first show, or the last for such an event.

I Can assure you that the five star rating is purely for how good the album is. If buying this album for the first time, go for this version. But don't otherwise. There was no point in releasing this. Apart from a live dvd, and a different version of tomorrow, it is exactly the same! Surely what is needed is more alternative versions, bonus tracks and, although this is debatable, a new cover art. Unless you are the type who must own everything, or if you don't have any version, don't bother buying!

decent album

One the finest albums by Morrissey, amazing lyrically and even tries his hand at rockabilly! Highly recommend and even better sounding on vinyl

Excelente album, Morrissey suena como nunca antes, a pesar de los alos que han pasado sigue sonando fresco y actual

Morrissey em um momento muito bom

perfect

最近になってモリッシーのソロを改めて聴き直しているのだけど、個人的にやはりこのアルバムが一番好き。実はスミス時代の『クィーン・イズ・デッド』よりもこっちの方が好き。ストレートなギターサウンド、骨太なバンドグルーヴ、キャッチーで抜けのいいメロディと三拍子揃っている上に、アップテンポで激しい曲とスローでアコースティックな曲のバランスが絶妙で聴き込む程に全体の流れの心地よさがツボにハマる。 92年リリースのこのアルバムが全米で21位という、ザ・スミス時代を含めてその時点で最も高いチャートでの成績を獲得したことで、その後の彼の世界的なソロキャリアが軌道に乗ったと言えると思う。また、それまでのS・ストリートやM・ネヴィン、K・アームストロングなど作曲パートナーが変わる度に作風が安定しなかった時期を抜け出して、現在でもメインの共作パートナーとしてたくさんの名曲を産み出しているA・ホワイトおよび彼を含むバックバンドが固定したのもこのアルバムからで。またプロデュースを担当したM・ロンソンはD・ボウイのグラムロック期のギタリスト→モット・ザ・フープルに加入という、モリッシーにとっては正に”レジェンド”的な存在の人。このアルバム完成直後に病死するのだが、もしかするとD・ボウイがこのアルバム収録の９曲目（あからさまに"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"のリフを引用してるのがミソ）を『ブラック・タイ・ホワイト・ノイズ』でカバーしたのは、M・ロンソン追悼の意を込めて、であったかも知れない。 このアルバムからは５・６・７曲目がUKでシングルになって、５曲目はいかにもT-Rexの「ライド・ア・ホワイト・スワン」を意識したアレンジなのが泣かせるが、USでは10曲目がシングルになってモダンロックトラックス・チャートで一位を獲得（シングルバージョンは少しリミックスされてて、各種ベスト盤で聴くことが出来る）。さらに2011年リリースのベスト盤のプロモーション用に2曲目もシングルカット…という。個人的には「バットマンのテーマ」のパンクバージョンのような１曲目（モリッシーが『バットマン』のファンなのは有名）、『ワールド・ウォント・リッスン』のB面を彷彿とさせる３・８曲目がツボだったり。 スミス時代、というよりJ・マーに対する未練を断ち切って再スタートを切ろうという前向きな意志が漲っている。モリッシーみたいな人だからこそ「明るくて元気」な作風にシフトしたことに大きな意味やドラマ性があるんだと思う。名盤。

Solo due parole, Morrissey e doppio CD. Ovviamente avevo la versione originale ma come fare a perdersi questi gustosi contenuti extra? Da riacquistare per i fan e da acquistare per chi nn ha questo album stupendo.