California Son is the twelfth solo studio album by English singer Morrissey. Released on 24 May 2019 on the singer's label étienne and licensed on BMG, the album is a collection of cover versions. The single "Wedding Bell Blues", initially written and sung by Laura Nyro in 1966, featured Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day on backing vocals.
Recorded in 2018, the album was produced by Joe Chiccarelli, a frequent collaborator of Morrissey.
Background
In September 2018, photographs of Morrissey and American singer-songwriter LP were uploaded to the former's website Morrissey Central with a caption mentioning a "new album" and crediting LP as a collaborator on two tracks.[2] On 5 December 2018, the album title, California Son, its track list, and its producer, Joe Chiccarelli, were officially announced.[3] Chiccarelli had produced Morrissey's two previous studio albums World Peace Is None of Your Business and Low in High School. The release date of 24 May 2019 and the artwork were revealed in February 2019.[4]
Promotion
Singles
"It's Over" featuring LP was released as a promotional single on 26 February 2019.[5] A promotional CD was released exclusively in France.[6]
"Wedding Bell Blues" featuring Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day was released as a single on 8 April 2019.[7] It was later made available as a yellow 7" vinyl on 10 May 2019, with an artwork designed by Morrissey using a still from the film Ride the Wild Surf (1964) showing Fabian.[8]
Live performances
From 2 May to 11 May 2019, Morrissey performed a seven-day Broadway residency at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. The setlist included material from California Son.[9]
On 13 May 2019, Morrissey performed "Morning Starship" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[10] His appearance sparked controversy due to a pin he was wearing that depicted the logo of British far-right party For Britain.[11]
Critical reception
The album was lauded by both critics and the artist's staunch fanbase. Upon release it reached number 4 in the UK charts.
In an outstanding review for The Telegraph, writer Neil McCormack rated California Son 4/5 stars and described it as "sumptuous", adding that "if a great cover version should reveal new dimensions in both song and singer, then this album is filled with them"[12]
Mojo said of the release, “You're reminded what a unique instrument his voice is.”
For Variety, A.D Amorosi wrote, “Morrissey hasn't sounded this passionately committed to song — any song — since 2004's You Are the Quarry" and praised his "impactful, clarion-clear renditions". [13]
The AV Club, extolling the virtues of Morrissey's cover album, said the artist had “breathed new life into mostly forgotten songs” and praised his “fantastically bombastic” version of the track, It's Over. [14]
Applauding the release, Uncut - who awarded the album a solid 7/10 - said, “in many respects this is an artfully framed album of cosmic protest songs....” Writing of Morning Starship, the opening track, Uncut continues, “Here he transcends Jobriath’s original, with Joe Chiccarelli’s sumptuous, sci-fi baroque production framing an ardent, imperious vocal.”[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Morning Starship" | Jobriath | Jobriath | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" | Joni Mitchell | Joni Mitchell | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Only a Pawn in Their Game" | Bob Dylan | Bob Dylan | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Suffer the Little Children" | Buffy Sainte-Marie | Buffy Sainte-Marie | 3:30 |
| 5. | "Days of Decision" | Phil Ochs | Phil Ochs | 2:56 |
| 6. | "It's Over" |
| Roy Orbison | 2:52 |
| 7. | "Wedding Bell Blues" | Laura Nyro | Laura Nyro | 2:56 |
| 8. | "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets" | Dionne Warwick | 2:10 | |
| 9. | "Lady Willpower" | Jerry Fuller | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap | 3:06 |
| 10. | "When You Close Your Eyes" |
| Carly Simon | 3:30 |
| 11. | "Lenny's Tune" | Tim Hardin | Tim Hardin | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Some Say I Got Devil" | Melanie Safka | Melanie | 4:09 |
| Total length: | 39:57 | |||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes.[1]
- Morrissey – lead vocals
- Steve Aho – orchestration, music copying, musician contractor (all for tracks 8 and 9)
- Chris Allgood – mastering
- Billie Joe Armstrong – backing vocals (track 7)
- Boz Boorer – acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 8), electric rhythm guitar (track 3), electric guitar (track 10), mandolin (track 11)
- Brigette Bryant – group vocals (track 7)
- Joe Chiccarelli – production, recording, mixing, stylophone (track 1), drum programming (track 5)
- Ed Droste[a] – backing vocals (track 3)
- Chris Dugan – additional engineering
- Ariel Engle – backing vocals (track 2)
- Lars Fox – digital editing
- Ryan Freeland – mixing
- Sameer Gadhia – backing vocals (track 5)
- Petra Haden – backing vocals (track 10)
- Sean Hurley – bass (tracks 6, 8)
- Little Willie Iniesta – dog barking/vocals (track 10)
- Tim Kvasnosky – additional engineering
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Dave Levita – acoustic guitar
- Liam Lynch – art and design
- LP – additional vocals (track 6)
- Roger Manning – synthesisers, keyboards, string arrangement (track 8), horn arrangement (tracks 8, 9), backing vocals (track 9), electric piano
- Gustavo Manzur – synthesisers (tracks 1, 9), accordion (track 3)
- Arnold McCuller – group vocals (track 7)
- Bill Mims – recording
- Michael Muller – photography (front cover)
- Lydia Night – backing vocals (track 7)
- Marcus Paquin – additional engineering
- Valerie Pinkston – group vocals (track 7)
- Zac Rae – organ, upright piano, keyboards (track 5, 12)
- Ken Sluiter – mixing
- Jesse Tobias – electric guitar, 12-string electric guitar, slide guitar, electric rhythm guitar, fuzz guitar, electric baritone guitar, backbeat guitar, acoustic guitar (track 6), ebow guitar
- Matthew Ira Walker – drums, drum programming (track 3, 10)
Notes
- ^a On the limited edition vinyl release, Ed Droste is incorrectly credited as Ed Drooste.
Charts
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16] | 32 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 18 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] | 47 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[19] | 99 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] | 97 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[21] | 66 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] | 13 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[23] | 27 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[24] | 58 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] | 2 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[26] | 29 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 32 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[28] | 4 |
| US Billboard 200[29] | 95 |
References
- ^ a b c California Son (liner notes). Morrissey. Etienne and BMG. 2019.
- ^ "Messages from Morrissey: LP and Morrissey". Morrissey Central. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ Moore, Sam (6 December 2018). "Morrissey announces new covers album 'California Son'". NME. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ Schatz, Lake (26 February 2019). "Morrissey details new covers album featuring members of Green Day, Broken Social Scene, and Grizzly Bear". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (26 February 2019). "Morrissey Releases Cover of Roy Orbison's "It's Over"". Spin. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "It's Over" at Discogs
- ^ Reed, Ryan (14 May 2019). "Hear Morrissey's New Song With Billie Joe Armstrong, 'Wedding Bell Blues'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Wedding Bell Blues" at Discogs
- ^ Pareles, Jon (3 May 2019). "Morrissey Brings His Misery, and Melisma, to Broadway". New York Times. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (14 May 2019). "Watch Morrissey Perform 'Morning Starship' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ Moran, Lee (15 May 2019). "Jimmy Fallon Faces Backlash Over Morrissey's Far-Right Pin". Huffington Post. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/morrissey-california-son-review-has-proud-mancunian-swappedallegiances/
- ^ https://variety.com/2019/music/news/morrissey-california-son-album-review-1203225095/
- ^ https://music.avclub.com/relationship-status-with-morrissey-s-new-covers-album-1834938209
- ^ https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/morrissey-california-son-110767/
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Morrissey – California Son" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Morrissey – California Son" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Morrissey – California Son" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201922 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Morrissey – California Son" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 22, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Morrissey – California Son" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 31 May 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 22 (dal 24.05.2019 al 30.05.2019)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums: Semana 22". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Morrissey – California Son". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Morrissey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2019.