Morrissey
My Early Burglary Years
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Morrissey
My Early Burglary Years
Reprise, 1998
RiYL: The Smiths, The Beautiful South, Lou Reed, Gene |
Or has it?
Although not nearly as universally popular as the aforementioned Rock 'N Roll Hall of Famers, there are still a handful of meaningful-yet-aging rock icons out there refusing to let their die-hard fans down. Leading the way for the last of the famous international heroes is the ever-enchanting Stephen Patrick Morrissey.
While none of the tracks on My Early Burglary Years are new in the sense that they were written in the three years prior to this disc's release, several of them will appear new to even the most knowledgeable Morrissey fans, simply because of their rare and virtually impossible-to-find nature.
Starting just after his break from the Smiths in early 1988, My Early Burglary Years chronicles the untraversed nooks and crannies of Morrissey's solo career. It features the b-sides from nine of the singer's biggest singles and reintroduces a handful of previously released album tracks from three of his past albums.
Some of Moz's most intriguing material is anthologized here in convenient, easy-to-savor fashion. The 1995 single "Sunny" stands out as one of the compilation's prime cuts. It's also accompanied by its b-sides "Black Eyed Susan" and "A Swallow On My Neck," the latter of which contains one of the most gorgeous melodies in all of Morrissey's expansive discography.
With its narrative lyrical wit, ebullient bass line and scathing social commentary, "At Amber" is another of the album's gems, plucked from the ultra-rare 1990 U.K.-only EMI single "Piccadilly Palare." Here Morrissey relays the occurrences and observations of a grimy night spent in "the foyer of the Sands Hotel, where the men and the women are acquainted quite well."
Although present on the 1993 live album Beethoven Was Deaf, the studio versions of both "Jack The Ripper" and "Sister, I'm A Poet" showcase the songs in their original, fully fleshed-out glory, polished with layered guitars and buffed with other sonic details.
"Nobody Loves Us" is the perhaps the most anthemic song that Morrissey has yet to croon, making it all the harder to believe it was only previously released as a b-side to the 1995 U.K.-only single "Dagenham Dave." Morrissey unfurls his gifts for all to hear, as he champions, "Call us home, kiss our cheeks / Nobody loves us, so we tend to please ourselves."
Even though some might view this release as a tactless milking of the Reprise back catalog, My Early Burglary Years is sure to incite a fair share of drool, especially for fans who have never been privy to the exquisite rarities contained within.
BRIAN COHEN |