Dave Chamberlain

A distinctive line can be drawn between two sects of Morrissey fans. There are those who love the British vocalist because of The Smiths, and who remain ardently dedicated to the songs created by Morrissey's collaboration with Johnny Marr, and all the subsequent genius that their partnership inspired. The majority of that sect, however, cannot stand Morrissey the solo artist; whereas his self-obsessed lyrics and arrogant-doofus persona went so far in The Smiths, it has come off as aggravating ever since Morrissey's old band recorded "Strangeways Here We Come" and split in 1988. Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, one thing has become chillingly clear: Morrissey the solo artist will never match the emotional and musical heights that he did with Marr in tow. His latest and first in six years, "You Are the Quarry," starts out promising enough with an unusually direct political rant, "America Is Not the World," in which he denounces our country's hypocrisy through his unstrained and lilting tenor. From there, the record goes straight downhill. From the faux-rock of "Irish Blood, English Heart" to the over-orchestration of "Come Back to Camden" to a spew of tracks that (although lyrically clever at times) sound hollow, the duration of the record screams for yang to Morrissey's yin (say, Marr?). That said, tonight's performance is his only planned U.S. performance now that Lollapalooza has been cancelled, and the entire minute it took to sell out reveals that Morrissey still has a strong fan base out there, willing to look past his flaws and wait for the songs. And, in the end, isn't that all he ever asked? No, sir, we will not forget you, even if you forget us once in a while.

Morrissey plays July 17 at the House of Blues, 329 North Dearborn, (312)923-2000.

(2004-07-13)

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