Years of Refusal released 11 years ago today

Is this one of the ones that's being rereleased? Are there any songs that didn't make the cut that we might get?
 
It was a bit of a disappointment when it first came out. But I changed my mind quite early on. Such a consistent album. It has a clear vision, I think. I’m not big on AYNIM or Paris, but other than those two it’s focused and consistently good. Loud, hammering rock, with a few mellow songs thrown in to create nuance. I really like it.
 
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I posted a thread last year to wish it a happy tenth and no one seemed to care then. I should've waited one more year. The only song I don't like is Sorry Doesn't Help.

Refusal and YOU.
The astonishing scenes in Germany at one of the few gigs you’ve ever been to. Constantly spinning round to bark at people.
“Stop singing” “Stop Pushing” - honest to god. Even you’re own brother was cringing at your antics :lbf::crazy::crazy:
 
I thought the use of Jeff Beck on Black Cloud was a bit odd as you can't really tell he's even on the track - given he usually has a very pronounced style.
For sure, they could have used him more (he seems to disappear once the vocals come in) - but isn't that pretty obviously his lead guitar that starts the track off? All that wobbly tremelo stuff sure sounds like him.
 
I don't know why this album is so unappreciated, especially since it's the spiritual sibling to Your Arsenal.
It rocks like a beast and only starts to lose steam (quality) on the penultimate track.
Morrissey's third best solo album behind Arsenal and Vauxhall in my opinion.

Very much agree with the 'Your Arsenal' comparison - this is another balls-out rocker, and swings a mean punch. 'Sorry Doesn't Help Us' does slightly let the quality down, but I can still enjoy it as a homage to Sparks (particularly clearly on the ending). All in all, I find it hangs together as a cohesive album very well - much better than something like 'You Are the Quarry', which just feels like a collection of decent but disparate songs.

I would also argue this was the last album before Morrissey's lyrics took a severe nose-dive in terms of quality.
 
I wasn't keen at first, but like a lot of Morrissey's work, play it a couple of times & it becomes addictive.

This is true for many of the albums which don't hit you straight away. Then before you know it, it's your favourite & it's repeat plays.
Sometimes the ones that get you straight away are the ones that fall off the radar...only to be revisited later & then played endlessly further down the line.
Rinse & repeat.
Sadly I don't tend to listen to much else these days...a smattering of other artists from time to time, maybe. Nothing else seems to fit the bill or give me what I need at the time.
Like many, I think I have a Moz addiction, as his vast, comprehensive works cater for all life's situations, moods, & needs, even in 2020.
 
I like it fine. For all the things it lacks for me it sorta makes up for it with the momentum of the album. I never really cared for that’s how people grow up and it becomes a bit samey towards the end but I enjoy about two thirds of this one. Weird story about Jeff beck. I like many thought it strange for him to basically come in and do an intro and he hardly seems on the track at all but when I was with my mother playing the album for her in the car, she who is a classic rockish person and not a big fan of morrissey, mentioned as soon as the intro came on that she liked this bit. I was annoyed because of course I’m trying to make her love my music and she finds the one twenty second moment that’s about someone else she already likes. I can’t hear it but I guess maybe there’s something to the guest spot maybe
 
I don't know why this album is so unappreciated, especially since it's the spiritual sibling to Your Arsenal.
It rocks like a beast and only starts to lose steam (quality) on the penultimate track.
Morrissey's third best solo album behind Arsenal and Vauxhall in my opinion.

Is it really unappreciated? It received very good reviews when it came out, better than ROTT. I think it resonated with a lot of more casual Moz fans because it was straightforward, both lyrically and musically, energetic, and it had a consistent sound. But the sound was very American, and I think the reception in UK and Europe was more mixed as a result.

I listened a lot to it back then in 2009, less so now so I guess it didn't a top favorite of mine. But I agree that Skull was a fantastic opener with also a great lyric btw. His voice was much more powerful than on previous recordings and that strength was also present in the live performances and remains until today. It also featured his first Latino flavored song ( Carol), a lovely track. I suppose Birthday was meant to be the epic song on that album, I liked how it kept changing pace throughout the song and was very impressed with the vocals delivery. The album flattened out towards the end ( Speedway has to be the best closing track of any Moz album). The production was' not anything special when compared to the more recent records, but I think the plan was to give it a consistent sound with Green Day and The Killers as sources of inspiration. I would say that YOR has its place in the catalog.
 
I think it's great one of his best solo albums, the opening and closing tracks are my favourites and I even quite like sorry doesn't help. An 8.6/10 from me :thumb:
 
Is it really unappreciated? It received very good reviews when it came out, better than ROTT. I think it resonated with a lot of more casual Moz fans because it was straightforward, both lyrically and musically, energetic, and it had a consistent sound. But the sound was very American, and I think the reception in UK and Europe was more mixed as a result.

I listened a lot to it back then in 2009, less so now so I guess it didn't a top favorite of mine. But I agree that Skull was a fantastic opener with also a great lyric btw. His voice was much more powerful than on previous recordings and that strength was also present in the live performances and remains until today. It also featured his first Latino flavored song ( Carol), a lovely track. I suppose Birthday was meant to be the epic song on that album, I liked how it kept changing pace throughout the song and was very impressed with the vocals delivery. The album flattened out towards the end ( Speedway has to be the best closing track of any Moz album). The production was' not anything special when compared to the more recent records, but I think the plan was to give it a consistent sound with Green Day and The Killers as sources of inspiration. I would say that YOR has its place in the catalog.
Unappreciated by the fans rather than the critics. Whenever there's a Morrissey from best to worst album ranking it's more often than not near the bottom. Just above Kill Uncle and Malajusted.
 
Unappreciated by the fans rather than the critics. Whenever there's a Morrissey from best to worst album ranking it's more often than not near the bottom. Just above Kill Uncle and Malajusted.

I would rank YOR in the lower half of Moz albums myself too, but it s still way better than the truly unpopular albums (Kill Uncle, Maladjusted).
 
When I've seen recent fan polls about the albums, this normally just about makes the top half which seems fair.

Morrissey's voice is great, there are some generally good lyrics and the production is solid. The opening track, When Last I Spoke to Carol and It's Not Your Birthday Anymore are some of the highlights.

A few of the songs feel a little Morrissey-by-numbers, but that's to be expected of any songwriter who has had a long career.

It's not up there with Viva Hate or Vauxhall and I, but it's a long way above Kill Uncle, Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted.
 
Really liked this album when it first came out but the novelty soon wore off. With hindsight it just seem to be another Morrissey by numbers album with nothing too adventurous on. Paris is still a great song though.
 
Half the record is pretty good veering from amusing to moving. Skull, Paris, Carol, all you need, someday and it’s not your birthday are all good songs. the other half is very generic sounding and feels insubstantial. As most of the songs are spread out the whole album feels a bit light. It does have a nice momentum though. Unlike any other morrissey album
 
I think my least favourite Morrissey album.
I never clicked with songs like Black Cloud, Birthday, Sorry or OK.
The singles were pretty good, but two of them were already a year old when the album was released.

Your thoughts.
And not only that, they’d already appeared on an album. Frankly, I was surprised to see them appear on Refusal—it diminished any urgency (for me) about buying the release.
 
His worst album ever. All You Need Is Me is his worst song ever. When YOR came out, I thought it was all over. I don’t care about his political views, but this appalling album nearly led me give up on him.

Thankfully, the subsequent four albums have all had some quality material.
 
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