Your Arsenal

Your Arsenal
Studio album by Morrissey
Released 27 July 1992
Recorded February 1992 at Utopia Studios, Primrose Hill; March 1992 at The Wool Hall, Bath, England
Genre
Length 39:45
Label HMV
Producer Mick Ronson
Morrissey chronology
Kill Uncle
(1991)		 Your Arsenal
(1992)		 Vauxhall and I
(1994)
Singles from Your Arsenal
  1. "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"
    Released: 27 April 1992
  2. "You're the One for Me, Fatty"
    Released: 6 July 1992
  3. "Tomorrow"
    Released: September 1992
  4. "Certain People I Know"
    Released: 7 December 1992
  5. "Glamorous Glue"
    Released: 1992

Your Arsenal is the third studio album by English singer Morrissey, released on 27 July 1992 by record label HMV.

The album received critical acclaim and reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.

Content

Morrissey had been rehearsing with a new band prior to the release of Your Arsenal, which was the first official album of this new line-up, whose core has remained stable to date (since this record was released, his music has been chiefly composed by either Alain Whyte or Boz Boorer, two musicians originally coming from the rockabilly scene).

Commencing with "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side", the album represents a clear change in direction for Morrissey from indie pop to a more muscular rock sound;[4] with some elements of rockabilly. It also contains a glam rock influence, due to the involvement of ex-David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson. Songs such as "Certain People I Know", "Glamorous Glue" and "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday", which are respectively influenced by T. Rex, and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust period songs (e.g. "The Jean Genie" and the latter by "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide").[5] David Bowie later covered the track "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" on his 1993 album Black Tie White Noise.

Some tracks from the album were lyrically controversial, although much of the controversy was generated by the New Musical Express, who had turned against Morrissey by this time. "Glamorous Glue", though a personally conflicted and ambivalent song, was accused of anti-Americanism, while the similarly ambiguous "We'll Let You Know" was accused of defending football hooliganism. "The National Front Disco", meanwhile, was accused by some of glorifying the British National Front, a far-right group, and the ambiguity of lyrics such as "England for the English" was criticised.

Release

The first single released from the album, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", peaked at number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. It also hit number 2 in the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The UK also saw the release of "You're the One for Me, Fatty" (No. 19) and "Certain People I Know" (No. 35). In the United States, "Glamorous Glue" and "Tomorrow" reached No. 13 and No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart, respectively.

Your Arsenal was released on 27 July 1992 by record label HMV. It reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.

The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.

In 2014, Rhino Records issued a "Definitive Master" of the album. This version was remastered and substitutes the original album version of "Tomorrow" for the U.S. single mix. It also includes a bonus DVD of a 1991 concert from Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Blender[7]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
NME7/10[10]
Pitchfork Media7.3/10[11]
Q[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]
The Village VoiceA−[15]

Your Arsenal was praised by critics. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice called it his "most consistent solo set to date".[15] Bill Wyman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that guitarist Alain Whyte "provides the very melodic, sometimes rockabilly-inflected settings Morrissey demands, and frequently they end up triumphant."[8]

Referring to the album as "a dynamic, invigorating fusion of glam rock and rockabilly" and noting that it "rocks harder than any other record Morrissey ever made", Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic cited Your Arsenal as Morrissey's "finest solo record and his best work since The Queen Is Dead."[6]

Your Arsenal was listed as one of the top 50 albums of 1992 by Q.[16]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Morrissey; all music composed by Alain Whyte, except as noted.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side"  Mark E. Nevin3:38
2."Glamorous Glue"   4:01
3."We'll Let You Know"   5:17
4."The National Front Disco"   4:23
5."Certain People I Know"   3:11
6."We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"   2:29
7."You're the One for Me, Fatty"   2:58
8."Seasick, Yet Still Docked"   5:07
9."I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday"  Nevin4:20
10."Tomorrow"   4:05

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1992) Peak
Position
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 4
US Billboard 200 21
Chart (2014) Peak
Position
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 49
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[18] 18

References

  1. 1 2
  2. ↑ Pitchfork review
  3. ↑ 2004
  4. 1 2 "Out Now: Morrissey – Your Arsenal – The Definitive Master". rhino.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/morrissey-it-sounds-too-much-like-waitrose-it-needs-to-be-more-harrods-16913
  6. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Your Arsenal – Morrissey". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Power, Tony (15 September 2004). "Morrissey: Your Arsenal". Blender. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  8. 1 2 Wyman, Bill (14 August 1992). "Your Arsenal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Hochman, Steve (16 August 1992). "Morrissey Back On Track". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Collins, Andrew (25 July 1992). "Morrissey – Your Arsenal". NME. Archived from the original on 3 October 2000. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (21 February 2014). "Morrissey: Your Arsenal". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Aizlewood, John (September 1992). "Morrissey: Your Arsenal". Q (72): 72.
  13. ↑ Coleman, Mark (29 October 1992). "Your Arsenal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  14. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 561–62. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
  15. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (9 March 1993). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Rocklist.net...Q Magazine Recordings of the Year". Rocklist.net. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Morrissey | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart
  18. ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – {{{year}}}. {{{week}}}. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
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