Morrissey - Vauxhall and I

Not a clunker to be found on this album

I was ready to walk away from "popular" music forever until this came along. Come to think of it I may still, but not without bringing Vauxhall and I. A beguiling collection of songs and possibly the finest of his genre (whatever his genre truly is). May 6, 2008

Amazing Moz

5 star album by Moz, mellow and sweet!
My top tracks: Now My Heart Is Full, Billy Budd, Why Don't You Find Out..., I Am Hated For Loving, The Lazy Sunbathers. The rest are also good.
This may be Morrissey's best work! March 31, 2008

He's still got it!

Anyone who thinks that Morrissey only made music worth listening to while he was with the Smiths should spend some time getting acquainted with Vauxhall and I. Released in 1994, this album shows the Mozzer channeling the spirit of his glory days; in its finest moments, Vauxhall and I matches the sheer emotional power of albums like the Queen Is Dead and songs like "This Charming Man." The whole thing positively gushes with the things that made Morrissey so great in the first place- the lyrics are pure twisted poetry, full of razor-sharp wit and lovelorn angst, while the music is nothing short of gloriously offbeat pop.

Just listen to those songs! "Now My Heart Is Full," the album's opening salvo, is a stunningly gorgeous ode to solitude and shyness, a symphonic blast of sheer emotion that sees Morrissey's voice arcing its way over a dreamy swirl of guitars. The chorus is downright breathtaking. There's also the dark, cynical "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself," in which yours truly recounts a lifetime of being betrayed, used, and lied to. The performance (as well as the gloomy yet oddly upbeat melody) rings with tension and bitterness. Closing out the proceedings is "Speedway," which is another blinding burst of unbridled pathos. These three masterpieces form the foundation of the album, but they're by no means the only good songs here: "Hold On To Your Friends" is a dark, subtly barbed paean to self-sacrifice, while "Spring-Heeled Jim" is a wonderfully moody rocker that features hazy swirls of guitar feedback twisting around Morrissey's unsettlingly dreamy vocals. "The Lazy Sunbathers" is sunshine pop for a solar eclipse, with its lilting rhythms and apocalyptic lyrics.

To be fair, this isn't a perfect album; there are a few week tracks here. "I Am Hated For Loving" is a dull ballad with uninteresting lyrics and a melody that isn't nearly as beautiful as Morrissey wanted it to be. I could also do without "Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning," which does nothing musically or lyrically. Plus, Morrissey's whispered vocals are really annoying. "Used to Be a Sweet Boy" does have a slightly beautiful melody, but its potential is squandered by Morrissey's pained vocals and melodramatic lyrics.

But, a few duds aside, this really is a fantastic album that belongs in the possession of any fan of the Smiths or Morrissey. August 31, 2007

The Maestro at his finest hour

MOZ has always been a Poet and he always will be. Vauxhall and I is a collection of Songs and different settings from aucustic to Hard Core Rock that is classic to say the least. Billy Budd and the Billy Sheenan like Bass rift that makes this such a Hard Rock anthem, is a masterpiece with the song ending with a frightining " DON'T LEAVE US IN THE DARK!!" out take from a film as MOZ always gives us, and always has since his THE SMITHS days. My favorite song after Billy Budd must be Used to be a Sweet Boy, and then it must be Speedway or I am Hated For Loving. This is a collection of Poems and Music to be listened to time and again, but not studied so that you just enjoy it, for the same is with anything by Springsteen or Dylan as well as THE DOORS and Jaques Briel plus Berry White and Leonard Cohen. August 14, 2006

VAUXHALL AND I : purple reign

Vauxhall And I is a perfect example how beautiful and elegant modern rock music can be and shows just what kind of masterpiece Morrissey and his boys are capable of putting out when they put their minds to it.

the spine-tingling moments begin right from the start with the hauntingly gorgeous strains of "Now My Heart Is Full." it's one of those times where Morrissey's voice just sounds absolutely perfect. dripping with elegance nestled with a late-night intimacy that overtakes the mind and quickly absorbs the listener into this world of "raincoated lover's puny brothers." it's a time when it genuinely feels really really good to be a fan. this song alone warrants purchase of this album, but luckily every song on here is a keeper. "Hold On To Your Friends" finds the band shuffling with some charming melodies and great playing...especially the drummer; who laces this number with tasty and respectful fills. "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" stands out on this cd as one of the all-time definitive Morrissey songs...for the musical aspects as well as the spot-on lyrics. one of the nice surprises on this record is the closing track "Speedway", which begins nice enough with some melancholy strumming of guitar...then suddenly, a chainsaw rips forth from the background! it sounds crazy, but it works so wonderfully to gently propel the song into it's primal drumming and serves as an appropriate and astonishing album finisher.

the production on Vauxhall And I could not have been any better. every instrument is precise and sounds lovely and everything seems to be smeared in a blurry lavender opaque sound with Moz's vocals gently riding the crest. a fine album and certainly one of the finer times for Morrissey and crew. April 16, 2006

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