I think, at a certain point, Morrissey felt like he needed to augment his persona with harder edged music. I never found the tough guy act particularly convincing and usually don't think it suits him musically. For me, the nadir was "I Will See You in Far-Off Places." I remember the dread in seeing that accordion come out, woof.Agree wholeheartedly. Too bad that rockabilly EP never came to fruition. Also: bring back the sideburns!
For me, his strengths shine in those lighter moments. Give me a setlist with "My Love Life" and "Driving Your Girlfriend Home" and stuff like that.