Southpaw Grammar

by

Morrissey

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This album has been unfairly slagged and I'm not sure why, but I'm glad to see some fans on this forum are sticking up for it. SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR is one of Morrissey's most rockin' albums and it's musically ambitious with two songs breaking the 10-minute mark. "The Operation," my favorite one here, is nearly 7 minutes long. I noticed that everyone has different favorites and least favs, so that right there should tell you that the objections people have to this album are really just a matter of taste. The music itself is great and Moz retains his title as the master of mope, encompassing both bleak despair and biting humor.

VAUXHALL & I might deserve its reputation as Morrisey's best solo record, but overall SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR is my favorite; I like it even more than that other rockin fan fav YOUR ARSENAL. Of course, anyone just getting into Moz needs to start with the band that launched his career, the legendary Smiths (any studio album of theirs will do nicely but THE QUEEN IS DEAD is typically considered to be their best).

Here are some personal impressions of SOUTHPAW GRAMMAR from an actual southpaw:

"The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils" - orchestrated with sweeping strings and brooding atmospherics including a squalling guitar in the background, the opener clocks in at 11:15. All-out rocking ensues midway through. This song is about the misery a typical school teacher must endure these days. "Say the wrong words to our children/ We'll have you arrested." *****

"Reader Meet Author" - a rather average Morrissey pop song, made all the more average for following "Teachers," but it's agreeable enough and it does rock along nicely. Also has some nice orchestral flourishes. ****

"The Boy Racer" - fun rocker - Moz is jealous of the Boy Racer and wants to "kill this pretty thing" who "has too many girlfriends" and "always speeds but never gets pulled over." ****

"The Operation" - This track launches off straight into a "gutsy" drum solo (I recall that's how Rolling Stone put it - "gutsy" has become an overused term in music journalism, but that's the first time I read it. Incidentally, the magazine rated this album 4 out of 5 stars). The drum solo is really long and it's super-cool too, with strange background mob noises and trotting horses jangling sleigh bells added on. The song itself is a Morrissey classic about a friend that undergoes a personality change after an operation and ends up getting on peoples' nerves even though the change is apparently an improvement. Towards the end, the song takes off into orbit, reaching a head-spinning climax. Totally rocks! *****

"Dagenham Dave" - another decent rocker that suffers a bit coming after a killer song. Moz sings the words "Dagenham Dave" a bit too much though, and sometimes I find the song rather annoying unless I'm really in the mood for it. ***

"Do Your Best and Don't Worry" - I love this one - it's very upbeat and finds Morrissey handing out genuine advice and encouragement, no tongue in cheek. A great song! *****

"Best Friend on the Payroll" - For some reason, I find this one hilarious. I guess it's similar to that certain tendency to laugh at uncomfortable situations and I can (unfortunately) personally relate to this song. "I turn the music down and I don't know why - This is MY house!" Another great, rockin' tune. *****

"Southpaw" - The 10-minute closer is a brutal, cutting indictment against the life of a loser and another song I can sadly relate to. The guitars are spine-tingling and other-worldly. Stunning. *****

Some of these songs are indeed good if average Morrissey fare, but the great songs are great enough to elevate my rating to 5 stars. Blender magazine stupidly called this album difficult and ugly. If you only looked at the cover and didn't bother giving the music a chance, then I could understand that comment.

the brilliantly titled Southpaw Grammar was such a confusing album when it was first released due it's shift in style that caught many Morrissey fans off guard and left many puzzled. it's certainly not an instantly likeable album...but it has grown better over time, i think. the confusion begins early with the 11:15 album opener The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils. overall, the song is an more of a mood piece, with stale sounding strings and a minor-key melody that is neither catchy nor all that memorable. where one would think that the first song on an album like Southpaw Grammar should be a real statement and something that really states a purpose; but sadly, the song fails to strike any signifigant chord. Reader Meet Author has a good pace to it, but it still sounds a bit off base. thankfully, The Boy Racer adds a much needed drive to the proceedings and was perfectly picked as the leadoff single. ther listener is thrown another curveball with the opening drum solo of The Operation. and not really a good drum solo, either...more like a drum barrage....but the song's a winner...brimming with a fabulous melody and a catchy chorus where (finally) Morrissey finally begins to sound a little bit like Morrissey. the remainder of the album rolls along at a pleasant, but not overly impressive rate. the final two songs stand out to me as being pretty great. "Best Friend On The Payroll" is an exhuberant affair that lends to mind "I Just Want To See The Boy happy" from Moz's recent Ringleader Of The Tormentors album. and Southpaw closes out the album with a nice dreamy melody that certainly could have been trimmed down for quality's sake, but it's drifting and dramatic flair make for a fine closer, nonetheless.

Morrissey sounds like he's trying to find something new and brash on this record. but instead of sounding strong and confident (as he did on Your Arsenal and Vauxhall And I) he sounds misguided and a bit lost at times. lyrically, it shows him running out of ideas and his wordplay has become more commonplace and a bit less refined. most notable on the dire "Do Your Best And Don't Worry." it's a shame that some of the b-sides for these recording sessions were not placed on the original full-length. a curse that has plagued at least 3 of Morrissey's solo records.

Southpaw Grammar is an album that has it's share of brilliant moments..but those moments are like bright flashes rather than immortal blasts. it could have been a much more solid album with some more care and concern. but it stumbles in it's own steps and seems weighted down in boldness. so, in my opinion, Southpaw Grammar is not a bad album, but one whose punches were pulled.