Search - Morrissey :: Swords

What a surprsingly, delightfuly pleasant treat!

Nathan Surber | 02/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So, I've been a fan for many years, have seen several shows, bought many albums, posters, videos, etc. from this singularly unique man. I've even had the pleasure of meeting him once, however brief. And through the years, I have had my high and low opinions about his enormous body of work, from the early Smiths to the late Years of Refusal. Morrissey is probably my most favorite music artist of all time, but that's not to say that I have enjoyed all of his productions. Most range from awesome to great. Some are good. Some are OK. Some you'd like to forget about, and some make you race to the remote to skip a track.

HOWEVER, I am so very, very, very pleased with this latest compilation of b-sides that I feel like I'm in love all over again. What a great selection! What a wonderful sound! What an extraordinary mix of his talent all rolled into one very worthy CD! This is the collection that I have been waiting for for years as a long-time fan. Nearly every single track is brilliant. The mix in this anthology reveals that mystical, indescribable magic that resonates within the soul which only the maestro can evoke. It's the power, insight, cleverness, and emotions in this collection that has renewed my faith and has lead me to rediscover what makes this man so special to me when he works his magic. And also, with his team, the music matches the lyrical art song-for-song.

I don't think I have anything really specific to say about this CD; it's just the overall work and presentation that has just blown me away and has left me speechless, leaving me yet again exchanging the words in my head for the poetry in his songs.

I guess you could say that you should take this review of mine as more of a fan-based impression than a blow-by-blow critique of the CD. I guess the only thing I might put a fine point on is, like some others have said, is that, somehow, this collection of year's worth of b-sides is just simply better than, in my opinion, most of the stand-alone productions themselves in recent years. With this one CD, you get the quintessential artist at his very best, even after so many years have passed. It is the culmination of a career full of sincere, palpable humanity, proffered in a solid state of musical and lyrical bliss, a CD that stays in your head and has you rushing back to the console to hear it again and again.

Long-story-short, if you like Morrissey, I'd like to think that you'd love this CD as much as I do. If you are a new-comer to the legend, this CD is an excellent introduction. And if you can't relate to him by now, with this compilation in hand, then you probably never will."