The former charismatic leader of the The Smiths, Morrissey (born in 1959), is coming back. These days, after seven years, he will release an unreleased album entitled "You Are The Quarry". The project is produced by Jerry Finn and was recorded between the UK capital London and sunny Los Angeles. Stephen Patrick Morrissey's (the artist's given name) musical career began at a young age, when he saw the singer unsuccessfully rehearse for Slaughter & the Dogs, then sing for the Nosebleeds. The highlight came in 1982, when he met guitarist Johnny Marr and began writing songs together, until the following year they decided to form a band and call it The Smiths. The rest is marked in the rock register. The Smiths became the leading band of the British 80s scene, with a musical proposition of intelligent pop, ironic, provocative lyrics and a slightly dark mood. Morrissey and his The Smiths represented the cultured antithesis to the prevailing videopop (the era of Duran Duran, Wham! and Spandau Ballet...), a magnetic and extraordinary performer with a melancholic feeling. "The Smiths", "Meat Is Murder" and "The Queen Is Dead" are the three records that mark an era and forcefully insert the Smiths' poetry into rock history. In 1987, after the release of 'Strangeways, Here We Come', Morrissey quit the band due to friction with Marr.
With the end of the Smiths, Morrissey's solo dimension began. Even on his own he is able to amaze: in '92 he released 'Your Arsenal', produced by Mick Ronson (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and many others) and was such a success that critics reconsidered and he filled the stadiums on tour (including the US). The success in the USA convinced him to move his base to Los Angeles; in '94 he released "Vauxhall and I (the single 'The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get', propelled by the video, entered the top 50). In 1995, after changing labels (from Sire to RCA), Morrissey treated himself to a compilation ('The World of Morrissey'), followed by the prog-rock of 'Southpaw Grammar'. The following year, he changed labels again (Island) and released 'Maladjusted', but the idyll was short-lived, as sales of the album did not go beyond Morrissey's circle of fans.
The devotion of his fans does not fade, but Morrissey now seems like an old glory: "My Early Burglary Years". is a 1998 collection, while in 2004 came the moment of redemption: Morrissey signed a new contract with Sanctuary Records and prepared to release 'You Are The Quarry', anticipated by the single 'Irish Blood, English Heart'. The British artist will also be the curator of the 2004 edition of the Meltdown festival (in the past it was entrusted to the likes of David Bowie and John Peel), which this year will feature Libertines, Ordinary Boys and US punk legends The New York Dolls. Of the new work, the Manchester singer said 'There's no connection to the past. Its sound is much brighter than previous work. It's a dynamic record and I'm very happy with it'. "I wanted a more charged sound for this CD. A mutual friend introduced me to Finn (producer of the record); immediately we hit it off. He knew exactly what I wanted to achieve...' 'This is the album I wanted to make for a long time. I reached a deal with a very good label (Sanctuary) and made a record that I really love. It changed my life and pushed me forward," said the former Smiths "I didn't want to do the same thing again..." With 'You Are The Quarry' Morrissey wants to expand his fan base. Finn was also very pleased with the result, saying 'It is one of the best records I have produced in my long career . It's purely organic and its sounds are incredible'.
Morrissey will be in Italy for a single date on 13 June. He will be among the protagonists of the second Flippaut Rock Festival which will take place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 June at Made in Bo in Bologna (Arena Parco Nord).
