Think back over the past year... You Are The Quarry, Morrissey's first album release since 1997 on his new label Sanctuary (official site). Four singles from the album were released, all reaching the top 10 in the UK. Morrissey also created his own label, the resurrected Attack Records imprint, to release his own material. Other Attack releases: Nancy Sinatra, the New York Dolls, Jobriath, James Maker and Remma.

There was a tour that started in April in Las Vegas and ended in December in Dublin (coverage) including many large festivals including his own, the Meltdown festival in London (June).

Recall along the way, all the press, TV and radio. Morrissey made a lot of headlines with the comment 'Bush should have died, not Reagan' at a concert in Dublin back in June. This was also the last concert that Alain Whyte played, who left the tour due to an undisclosed illness. Jesse Tobias has since assumed lead guitaring duties after a short stint by Lil' Barrie.

2004 was Morrissey's busiest year since his first major solo tour in 1991, and also the busiest for this site. Check the news archive for full coverage. Thank you to everyone who helped contribute to it. Apart from more rumored touring and a couple live releases, I have no idea what is in store for 2005.

2004 releases:
- You Are The Quarry (deluxe edition)
- "Irish Blood, English Heart"
- "First Of The Gang To Die"
- "Let Me Kiss You"
- "I Have Forgiven Jesus"

• 2004 news item image gallery - images used in news items on Morrissey-solo in 2004.

Lucky1919 send the link:

Concertlivewire's Top Ten Concerts of 2004

1) Morrissey
(Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI - Oct. 16)

However, in an evening of highlights, the centerpiece may have been the audience singalong on "Everyday is Like Sunday." Listening as the crowd sang the bleak words they knew so well along with their hero, I flashed back to when I was a rebellious youth, skipping Sunday school and using my collection money to buy candy, and a wave of deep emotions passed over me. I realized then that the primary appeal of Morrissey is not only his expressive melodies, intelligent and searching lyrics (so rare in these days of brainless, prefabricated and meaningless music), or his original singing style, but that in taking his brave posture as the shy, sensitive, yet rebellious outsider who dares to speak out against oppression and injustice, he has touched a nerve in many of us shy, sensitive, yet rebellious outsiders who linger in the shadows outside the mainstream even as we have grown older. The plaintive voice we hear running through his songs rings true - we recognize the painful feelings of isolation, loneliness, anger and rejection and know that there is an essential honesty about what he is communicating that can't be faked. And we are drawn to it. A whole crowd of us, sensing a momentary feeling of shared communication and community before we return to a world that marginalizes and seeks to destroy those who differ from the enforced societal beliefs and norms.

dallow_bg writes:

All the Tower stores sent their best picks of the year for a special sale at Tower.

Morrissey made the list which is pretty good considering it wasn't as huge a seller as some of the other titles that both made it, and didn't make it.

I'm glad they took content into consideration.
If you haven't picked it up by now, well, it's now on sale at all Tower stores!

Here's the list:

Top 10 CDs of 2004
1. Modest Mouse: Good News for People...
2. The Killers: Hot Fuss
3. Morrissey: You are the Quarry
4. Green Day: American Idiot
5. Elliott Smith: From a Basement on a Hill
6. Scissor Sisters: Scissor Sisters
7. Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose
8. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
9. Norah Jones: Feels Like Home
10. Original Soundtrack: Garden State

Belligerent Ghoul sends the links:

Rapper West 'overall poll winner' - BBC News

Kanye West debut album named best of 2004 in British 'poll of polls' - Yahoo! AFP news

The supposedly definitive list by music retailer HMV took an aggregate of every best of 2004 album list published around Britain.

The complete top 20 was:

1 Kanye West - The College Dropout
2 Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
3 Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
4 The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
5 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus
6 Dizzee Rascal - Showtime
7 Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
8 Brian Wilson - Smile
9 Killers - Hot Fuss
10 Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
11 The Libertines - The Libertines
12 Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
13 Tom Waits - Real Gone
14 U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
15 Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum
16 Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing In The Hands
17 The Futureheads - The Futureheads
18 Elliott Smith - From A Basement On The Hill
19 Morrissey - You Are The Quarry
20 Wilco - A Ghost Is Born

mozsing writes:

I was just surfing the 'Net on New Years eve and decided to see what Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler (i.e. The Tears) were up to. Go to www.thetears.co.uk, click on the "Cultural Habits" section, and look for Bernard Butler's entry. It seems that he's still quite the ardent Smiths fan. He mentions "pleasepleaseplease let me get what i want" and confesses to "collecting the smiths". Can't wait for their album in 2005!

An anonymous person writes:

J.Marr is trying to prevent the M.E.N arena DVD from being released. Does anyone know if it is legally possible for him to do this? Why would he does this?
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Another anonymous person writes:

I work for a small publishing firm and went to a xmas bash recently where we met up with other publishers,there was much discussion about a proposed new Morrissey biography by Albert Goldman (whose previous defamatory biogs include John Lennon and Elvis Presley,he is apparently concentrating on Morrisseys solo career from 1988 to present and includes contributions from various lovers,friends and hangers on,most of which have never spoken before.Being a long time Morrissey fan i hope and pray that it doesn't see the light of day but in this twisted world this kind of rubbish is sure to be a bestseller.

Update: 01/01 09:41 GMT: As noted in the comments, Albert Goldman died in 1994.

Belligerent Ghoul sends the link:

Eyes wide open

by Dawn Pomento, San Antonio Current

Girls in a Coma, who have spent the last four years honing their chops on the local club scene, are getting their first big career break: On January 14, the threesome leaves for England to record at the home studio of Morrissey's guitarist Boz Boorer. To put in perspective the significance of this opportunity, keep in mind that the girls cite the Smiths, and especially Morrissey, as their major influence: Girls in a Coma is a play on words on the Smiths' song "Girlfriend in a Coma."
---

• Related item: Boz Boorer to record/produce upcoming Girls In A Coma E.P. - Dec. 6, 2004

Quarry writes:

There is going to be a Morrissey/Smiths Night in London on Saturday January 22nd.

It will be at the Extra Time Bar very close to the Barbican Tube.

It will be on from 9pm until 2am.

Advance Tickets are selling already and when capacity is reached no admission will be possible.

Advance Tickets are available from the web site at a cost of £5.00.
Entry, if not sold out, on the night will be £6.00

The venue have asked for an age limit of over 21s but if you really want to go and you are under 21 but over 18 then you will need to contact Quarry via the email address below or via the web site and then it may be possible that arrangements can be made to allow you entry provided we have your full details and advance ticket purchase. Under 21s arriving on the night without prior arrangement are likely to be turned away by the venue security.

Currently there will be two floors and this may well be extended to three floors dependant on ticket sales.

www.quarrynight.com

lars22 writes:

I am organising a Smiths and Morrissey night in the French town of Rouen (the place where Joan of Arc felt her walkman started to melt) in the bar LVN CAFE the 21st january 2005 At 21h...

Soirée Smiths/Morrissey à Rouen le 21 janvier 2005 à partir de 21h au LVN Café rue des Fossés Louis VIII. Pour plus d'info contacter Pascal à la FNAC de Rouen au rayon disques.