You Are the Quarry (2004)

You Are the Quarry is the seventh solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Morrissey. It was released on 17 May 2004 by record label Attack, and was his first album in seven years following 1997's Maladjusted. The album was a huge comeback for Morrissey; all four of its singles reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, and the album itself reached number 2. The album also reached number 11 on the Billboard 200, making it Morrissey's highest-charting album in the United States.

Reception

According to critic review aggregator Metacritic, the album received an average review score of 72/100, based on 31 critical reviews, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".

Release

The first single released to promote the album was "Irish Blood, English Heart", released on 10 May 2004. You Are the Quarry was released on 17 May 2004 by record label Attack. The album charted at number 2 in the UK.

Some versions of the packaging do not show the full frame on the cover, but only a crop of Morrissey's face, cropping out the machine gun.

Nancy Sinatra recorded a version of "Let Me Kiss You", which was released as a single which performed well on the UK Singles Chart, prior to Morrissey's own single release of the song.

In October 2004, Attack repackaged and reissued You Are the Quarry as a two-disc deluxe edition. The second disc collected the nine B-sides from the album's first three singles, as well as music videos and live TV performances from the record, including Morrissey's live performances on American TV show The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The original album is available with the bonus DVD, featuring the "Irish Blood, English Heart" video, song lyrics and a photo gallery.

20th anniversary concerts

Morrissey was set to perform the album in its entirety at two concerts in Southern California to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The concerts were scheduled for 26 January 2024 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, and 27 January 2024 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The shows were ultimately cancelled when Morrissey was ordered to remain in Zurich, Switzerland while suffering from physical exhaustion.

Personnel

• Morrissey – vocals
• Alain Whyte – guitar, backing vocals
• Boz Boorer – guitar
• Gary Day – bass guitar
• Dean Butterworth – drums
• Spike T. Smith – drums
• Roger Manning – keyboards
• Rhys Williams - flute
• Jerry Finn – production