LP
Attack Records (2009) US
Years of Refusal is Morrissey's first studio album since 2006's U.K. #1 Ringleader of the Tormentors. The late Jerry Finn, who previously worked on 2004's critical and commercial smash You Are the Quarry, produced Years of Refusal which is the last album he worked on. Long time band members Boz Boorer, Jesse Tobias, Matt Walker, and Solomon Walker play on the album, which also features a contribution from Jeff Beck on the track "Black Cloud."
Morrissey is often recognized as the most important British musician of his generation. The New York Times recently stated, "Morrissey isn't just any singer: he has become one of the defining rock stars of the past few decades by virtue of his grand voice, his grander songs, and his charming habit of playing with melodrama." His influence is felt worldwide through the countless artists that cite him as their primary inspiration. Years of Refusal is a masterful work that finds Morrissey and the band at their best with a muscular sound and the inimitable voice and lyrics of a legend.