Genre: Rock Year: 2005 Country: USA Official Site: Morrissey Details: Tracks & Audio Label: Sanctuary Records
2004 marked the unexpected return of Morrissey to the spotlight with the release of the more rock-oriented album You Are The Quarry. Live at Earls Court chronicles the musical trajectory of a man who successfully reconverted to a solo career after having led one of the most influential bands of the post-punk era.
Listening to the opening track, "How Soon Is Now", it is clear that the singer has finally made peace with his past as a member of the Smiths, a statement confirmed through this live repertory, mixing Smiths' anthems such as "Big Mouth Strikes Again" and solo tunes.
While I doubt that Smiths followers—of which I'm not a part—will be able to go past the absence of guitarist Johnny Marr while listening to the Smiths renditions here, this CD officiates as a sort of greatest hits, despite the absence of a few solo gems like "Suedehead" and "The Last of the Famous International Playboys".
With the focus on the last album, and with songs like "First of the Gang to Die" and "Irish Blood, English Heart", "Let Me Kiss You" & "I Like You", the set has been Americanized, drifting away from the English shore through a series of muscled riffs.
While the show has an undeniable big sound that, at times, lacks the subtlety of the Smiths' original material, one notices that Morrissey's voice gets derailed several times throughout the CD. I also have some bigger issues with the—expected—megalomaniac tone of the ensemble, from the cheesy cover to the big letters spelling his name on stage and the pretentious lyrics of a song such as "I Have Forgiven Jesus". But it's not like Smiths and Morrissey's aficionados are known for their simplicity in the first place, so I guess it's part of the game, and it certainly shouldn't restrain you from liking this album, whether you're a die-hard fan or an occasional amateur like me.
Morrissey Live at Earls Court
