Maladjusted
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| Maladjusted | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Morrissey-Maladjusted.jpg Album cover | ||
| LP by Morrissey | ||
| Released | 12 August, 1997 | |
| Recorded | 1997 | |
| Genre | Rock and Roll | |
| Length | 43 min 00 sec | |
| Record label | Mercury | |
| Producer | Steve Lillywhite | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| Allmusic.com | 3 stars out of 5 | link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70311091930042175&sql=Aomeyxdkb1olk) |
| Q | 2 stars out of 5 | July 1997 (http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.review.redirect&fixture_review=130857&resource=130857&fixture_artist=145429) |
| Rolling Stone | 3.5 stars out of 5 | link (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=62357&cf=84) |
| Morrissey Chronology | ||
| Southpaw Grammar (1995) | Maladjusted (1997) | You Are the Quarry (2004) |
Maladjusted is an album by rock artist Morrissey, released on August 12, 1997. The album (particularly the lead single "Alma Matters") was praised at the time as a return to form for Morrissey, albeit one without the broad appeal of some of his earlier work. These days it is usually seen as his poorest work, possibly after Kill Uncle, although it is by no means terrible.
Morrissey released "Alma Matters" on July 21, 1997 to support his upcoming album. The song premiered on the KROQ Jed The Fish show on July 4, 1997. It was well received by fans and critics alike, praised for its surprisingly upbeat sound. The single reached #16 in the United Kingdom, making it Morrissey's highest charting single in the decade between the Vauxhall and I and You Are the Quarry releases.
Maladjusted was Morrissey's attempt to integrate the prog rock that he experimented with on 1995's Southpaw Grammar with the indie rock of his earlier career. His efforts were largely successful. In addition to "Alma Matters", the tracks "Trouble Loves Me", "Ammunition, and "Roy's Keen" stand out as high-quality songs reminiscent of the Vauxhall and I and Your Arsenal era. As such, the album met with mixed but generally positive reviews and is considered a strong work by fans. Despite this, the album was not a commercial success, bowing at a dissappointing #8 in the UK. The follow-up singles, "Roy's Keen" and "Satan Rejected My Soul" peaked at #42 and #39, respectively. Still, the reached #61 in the US and has sold 88,000 copies to Southpaw Grammar's 65,000.
The album caused a small amount of controversy over what was to be the penultimate track. Entitled Sorrow Will Come In The End, it featured Morrissey intoning, rather than singing, over a backing of manic strings and the beat of a judge's gavel. The song is clearly about the Mike Joyce royalties dispute, and lyrically takes the form of, essentially, an extended threatening message to him and his representatives. "Don't close your eyes.\Don't EVER close your eyes\A man who slits throats\Has time on his hands\And I'm gonna get you". Island Records, Morrissey's label at the time, dropped the track from UK versions of the album for fear of libel action. Joyce, for his part, said of the song, "I just found it funny. If Lemmy had written it, I might be concerned."
Track listing
- "Maladjusted" (4:42)
- "Alma Matters" (4:48)
- "Ambitious Outsiders" (3:56)
- "Trouble Loves Me" (4:40)
- "Papa Jack" (4:33)
- "Ammunition" (3:38)
- "Wide to Receive" (3:53)
- "Roy's Keen" (3:36)
- "He Cried" (3:21)
- "Sorrow Will Come in the End" (2:51) - Not included on UK release
- "Satan Rejected My Soul" (2:56)
External links
Lyrics to Sorrow Will Come In The End on LASID (http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/lyrics/maladjus/sorrowwi.htm)sv:Maladjusted