Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
70
Anjulie
85
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
59
Amanda Blank
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
64
Desolation Wilderness
88
Destroyer
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
74
The Duke & The King
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
77
Fruit Bats
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
59
Gloriana
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
83
Japandroids
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
76
Lightning Dust
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
73
Modest Mouse
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
68
Nurses
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
63
Julian Plenti
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
75
Sian Alice Group
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
83
Solillaquists Of Sound
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
67
Third Eye Blind
68
Throw Me The Statue
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx
70
YACHT
75
Yim Yames
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
You Are The Quarry
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 66 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Attack/Sanctuary
Release Date: 18 May 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock
Summary
Morrissey's first studio release since 1997 (and seventh overall) was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Jerry Finn (Blink-182, Green Day) and longtime collaborators Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer.
Also By This Artist: Live At Earls Court Ringleader Of The Tormentors Years Of Refusal
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
A set of irresistible tracks both danceable and desolate. [28 May 2004, p.124]
Filter
Might well be his most brilliant yet. [#10, p.86]
Pitchfork
The most entertaining and lushly melodic work of Morrissey's solo career.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
But, and here's the catch, at times the arrangements just don't cut it.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
While 'You Are The Quarry' is a very good album it's not the earth shattering masterpiece many had hoped for, nay, expected.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
The Moz croon is more succulent than ever, and the music productively splits the difference between Your Arsenal's thrusting butchness and Vauxhall & I's voluptuous enervation.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
It's not so much a return to form as it is a simple return, Morrissey picking up where he left off with Maladjusted, improving on that likeable album with a stronger set of songs and more muscular music.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
‘You Are The Quarry’ sees Morrissey back in the ring, lean, limber and fighting fit.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Those who have grown up with him will find much to love here. [May 2004, p.90]
Splendid
Despite his gray hairs, Moz's approach to You Are the Quarry is youthful and energetic -- perhaps even punk.
Read Full Review >Blender
His best album since Vauxhall & I. [#27, p.140]
Los Angeles Times
A little heavy on the lugubrious ballads, but it's all Morrissey all the time. [16 May 2004, p.E40]
E! Online
The music doesn't impress much, serving as more a backdrop for Morrissey's lovely chops.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
Despite the intervening years, Quarry sounds cut from exactly the same cloth as the last couple of Morrissey albums, which is to say that at best, it represents a bit of a holding pattern and at worst, it continues the slow artistic decline begun with 1995's lackluster Southpaw Grammar.
Read Full Review >Under The Radar
If you wade through some horrid lyrics and mediocre songcraft, you will find You Are The Quarry stands solidly as a long overdue return to a formative sound. [#7]
Rolling Stone
He submits a dozen songs to crystalline modern engineering and arrangements that place selective bits of mandolin, flute, harp and synthesizer in guitar-and-rhythm grooves, moving forward without losing his identity.
Read Full Review >Billboard
At times, the misery borders on cliché, but luckily, "Quarry" sports some of Morrissey's most direct vignettes in years.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
And flaws there are, with many of the tracks sinking into a midtempo morass with decidedly underdeveloped melodies and daft instrumentation.
Read Full Review >Uncut
Flares dazzlingly on initial contact, but dims a little. [Jun 2004, p.92]
Dot Music
For a handful of decent Morrissey songs – and, it must be said, some of his best ever vocal performances – we should be grateful. Ultimately though, for all these tantalising reminders of greatness, "You Are The Quarry" still feels like a man unnecessarily trapped by the limitations of his band and the extent of his loathing.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Only when Morrissey's wickedly funny side emerges does Quarry find moments worthy of sharing shelf space with his finest.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
At this level of lyric artistry, these warmed-over arena rock backdrops are a waste.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Of course, anyone expecting a new Smiths album from this was always going to be disappointed. However, anyone expecting a good album from it is going to be disappointed as well.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
But just when he seems more relevant than ever, Morrissey has somehow contrived to make an album that sounds incredibly dated.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Those looking for the kind of soaring poetry that defined The Smiths will surely be depressed by lyrics that are often boringly solipsistic and prosaically worded. [Jun 2004, p.106]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 66 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Juan A. gave it a9:
Morrissey: We are the quarry !!!!
Enda M gave it a10:
Absolutely excellent. I often return to this record and have SUCH a soft spot for it even now.
jyo_tirmaya d gave it a7:
The only song I really like on this CD which is memorable is "Hector was the Last of the Gang to Die." Everything else seems to be so forgettable. It's a good CD, but I dont' listen to it very much.
lazy dyke gave it a10:
A wonderful album...
Matt J gave it a10:
I have just recently come back to this album like with most great albums it feels like i never left, as always lyrics from the heart and soul, touching yet humorous, my personal not-so-prominent favourite is "i like you" great album
Paul gave it a9:
Morrissey creates an album with an awesome song lineup. Irish blood English heart ultimate classic and i have forgiven jesus one to listen to. Every song i cant flater! Just amazing best 10 quid ever spent thx very much Morrissey
S.L. O'Robot gave it an8:
I came to the party a little late with Morrissey, not really giving him much credence until I heard the collection, "Bona Drag," which I still cherish. I am, however, one of the few who grew up in the 80's who can't be bothered with The Smiths, whom I believe to be staggeringly overrated. That said, I picked up "Quarry" after ignoring most of his solo output, and I found it to be damned near brilliant. Excellent to the point of almost being essential.
