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Morrissey Live at Earls Court Release Date: 03/29/2005 Score: 9.2 out of 10.0 |
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What do you get when you cross Johnny Rotten, Frank Sinatra, and the fashion queer eye guy? The result is Morrissey, a musical and cultural icon from the 80's, the 90's and now the 00's. Known for his fame from fronting the band The Smiths, and his storied solo career, Morrissey possesses one of the most unique and sincerest voices in music history. After disappearing for a few years, in mid-2004 Morrissey returned with the excellent album You are the Quarry, and now nearly a year later, he releases a live album from his tour supporting You are the Quarry. Live albums are tricky, they've only been pulled off properly a handful of times. (See: Muse and Primal Scream) So how did Morrissey pull this one off? Very, very well.
Morrissey is a showman. Other than being a fantastic musician, when he puts on his shows, he gives the crowd what they want. They do want to hear the new material, but they also want to hear all the classics. Both his solo classics and The Smiths classics. And Morrissey delivers, and he wastes no time. He opens up the set with The Smiths hit single "How Soon is Now?" The album does a really good job capturing the crowd as well, as there is an eruption of cheers when the initial distorted guitars are hit, and then the whiny lead kicks in, and of course, that voice! Oh, and I must say, Morrissey's new band does an absolutely amazing job playing the classic Smiths tunes. They are spot on, and dare I say, better? Johnny Marr who? I’m kidding, I’d love to see Johnny Marr back on stage with Morrissey. After playing the classic, they break into new single "First of the Gang to Die." These two songs represent what Morrissey has been, and still is. Captured very well on this album.
This sets the pace for the rest of the album, a combination of new material, classic Smiths, and classic Morrissey. The highlight of the live collection for me, is "Big Mouth Strikes Again," which resides of The Smiths epic album The Queen is Dead. It's just played incredibly well live, and there is a slight lyrical change, with a reference to iPods. The line used to reference a Walkman, but has been updated. The line reads now: "Now I know how Joan of Arc felt, as the flames rose to her Roman nose, and her iPod started to melt."
If you are either a Smiths or Morrissey fan, this album is essential. If you are a fan of live albums, then this album is for you too. As I stated earlier, Morrissey is not just a musician, he is a showman. He makes this show very, very entertaining.
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-Scott Swinford
April 2, 2005
