#385: Morrissey - Your Arsenal (1992)

Zack: I had, up to this point, been underwhelmed by the musical offerings of Morrissey that we had come across. Both Meat is Murder by The Smiths and Viva la Hate – Morrissey’s debut solo album – just felt sort of empty to me in a way that reminded me a lot of what I dislike about 80s post punk (perhaps not surprisingly, both of those albums came from the 1980s). But whatever happened once the decade turned is a godsend, because I was really drawn into Your Arsenal. It had a more definitive oomph to it that prevented it from just whisking by. Wikipedia tells me that this was Morrissey drawing more influence from glam rock, and that is a thing I really hope he kept doing on the other two solo albums that we have left. Because the change in his sound, and the excitement that gets imbued into the music from that change, make all the difference between a forgettable album and one that can contend for one of my top 5 favorites come album 400.
Favorite Tracks: Seasick, Yet Still Docked; We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful; You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side

Emily: I had come to expect a certain sound from Morrissey - indie pop, emotional, brooding, dark...I could go on, but you probably get the point. I liked that sound from Morrissey and the Smiths. And then he goes and puts out Your Arsenal. The underlying emotion is still there, but infused with rock, glam, and rockabilly. It sounds like he's having a lot more fun with the music, and I had more fun along with him. Now that I know that Morrissey's sound isn't just the somewhat singular (but compelling) note from his earlier work, I'm even more curious to delve deeper into his discography.
Favorite Tracks: You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side; I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday; Tomorrow

#291: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)

Emily: I'm kind of surprised it took us nearly 300 albums to get to Elvis, because when you think (okay, when I think) of rock and roll in the '50s, Elvis is who immediately comes to mind. Just think about it: in a soda shop, with girls in poodle skirts - Elvis has to be playing on the jukebox. His music really defined the era by taking rock and roll to the mainstream. From this self-titled debut album, it's easy to see why it caught on. The songs are breezy and catchy, with blues rhythms that take out the emotion and replace them with upbeat rockabilly. It's a simple formula to get heads turning and toes tapping. This formula didn't start with Elvis, but he definitely honed it in his early career. And in all walks of pop-music life, it's been imitated ever since.
Favorite Tracks: Blue Suede Shoes; Blue Moon; Tutti Frutti

Zack: I listened to this album while organizing my loose change into those little sleeve things since apparently my local bank exists in a parallel universe where there aren’t coin counting machines, perhaps one where this album was just released. The task was mindless in just the right way that I was able to still focus on the album completely, which is good since my first real exposure to Elvis was through his ongoing beef with Eminem. It was very brisk and had a certain classic feel to it. All of the songs were sort of…simple. All the songs are about either seducing a girl, being in love with a girl, or having your heart broken by a girl (which I’m now referring to as the songwriter life cycle). Obviously Elvis didn’t invent the music he’s so strongly associated with from scratch and it isn’t fair to just say that this is a starting point in popular rock and roll, but what’s notable about Elvis Presley the album and the artist more generally is how sturdy a foundation was left for everyone that followed. I liked Elvis’s debut as an album, but I really appreciated it more as a blueprint for everything else that came after.

Favorite Songs: Blue Suede Shoes; I Love You Because; Tutti Frutti