Sun. July 25, 2004
By Eric Roldan
This past spring, Morrissey released his first studio album in seven years. The first song on the album explicitly criticized America and its greed, however his only summer date in the U.S. was sponsored by American Express, and you could only buy tickets with an Amex card. Apparently, Morrissey was continuing his tradition of confusing his fan base, as contradiction and ambiguity has been a staple of his since day one.
Morrissey, You Are the Quarry is an album that has every element a Morrissey fan expects-biting sarcasm, self deprecating comments and evocative themes. Only on his recent albums have allusions to his homosexuality have come to the fore, and I believe he is letting his newer songs answer many questions that he has refused to explain in interviews.
After being outside of the industry for so long, his return to the stage found him in top form: it was a spectacle that only fans could appreciate. A talkative Mozzer engaged the audience in between songs, mentioning how his album hadn’t charted as well here as in the U.K., how he thought George Bush had brought more shame unto this country than any other president before, and also paid respect to his friend from the New York Dolls who just recently passed away. And the audience was hanging on his every word.
The Killers are a new band from Las Vegas, and their Bowie inspired opening set was a good match. It provided some tension when, during their third song, the singer’s vocal monitor caught on fire. It was a moment that had people recalling the E2 tragedy and we were horrified at the idea of the show being canceled just for a stupid fire. I mean this is Morrissey. How fitting was it that a room full of Moz fans was simultaneously overwhelmed by the possibility of disappointment, only to be comforted all night by the sweet sounds of their favorite crooner?
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