Swords (album)

Swords is a compilation album by Morrissey, released in the UK on 26 October 2009 and in the US on 3 November on Polydor.[3] The album features 18 single B-sides collected from the preceding three Morrissey albums – You Are the Quarry (2004), Ringleader of the Tormentors (2006), and Years of Refusal (2009).[4][5] Morrissey issued a total of 24 studio B-sides during 2004–2009, as well as numerous live B-side tracks, making Swords an incomplete collection of his non-album work of the era. However, in his review of the album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of allmusic.com notes that "Not all the flipsides are here, but all the noteworthy ones are."[6]

Swords
Compilation album by Morrissey
Released	26 October 2009
Recorded	2003–2009
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	67:47
Label	Polydor
Producer	Tony Visconti, Gustavo Santaolalla, Jerry Finn
Morrissey compilation chronology
The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88–'95 (2009) Swords (2009) Very Best of Morrissey (2011)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
BBC	Mixed link
Billboard	Positive[2]
Drowned in Sound	7/10 link
MusicOMH	link
Pitchfork Media	5.0/10 link
PopMatters	[3]
Slant	link
Uncut	link

Initial copies of the CD include a bonus disc of eight songs recorded live in Warsaw during Morrissey's 2009 tour.[7] The compilation was supported by the Swords Tour,[8] featuring dates in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland,[9] and the United States.[10][11]

In a statement, Morrissey revealed that he had intended Swords to be a budget album, and was disappointed to see it be retailed for such a high price.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Good Looking Man About Town"	Morrissey/Alain Whyte	2:53
2.	"Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice"	Morrissey/Whyte	2:53
3.	"If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look at Me"	Morrissey/Jesse Tobias	3:40
4.	"Ganglord"	Morrissey/Whyte	5:18
5.	"My Dearest Love"	Morrissey/Whyte	4:00
6.	"The Never-Played Symphonies"	Morrissey/Whyte	3:03
7.	"Sweetie-Pie"	Morrissey/Michael Farrell	4:23
8.	"Christian Dior"	Morrissey/Boz Boorer	3:59
9.	"Shame Is the Name"	Morrissey/Whyte	3:49
10.	"Munich Air Disaster 1958"	Morrissey/Whyte	2:30
11.	"I Knew I Was Next"	Morrissey/Tobias	3:46
12.	"It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small"	Morrissey/Whyte	3:32
13.	"Teenage Dad on His Estate"	Morrissey/Whyte	4:08
14.	"Children in Pieces"	Morrissey/Tobias	4:01
15.	"Friday Mourning"	Morrissey/Whyte	4:08
16.	"My Life is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye"	Morrissey/Whyte	2:53
17.	"Drive-In Saturday" (live at the Orpheum Theater, Nebraska in 2007)	David Bowie	5:05
18.	"Because of My Poor Education"	Morrissey/Whyte	2:56
Total length:			66:50

Live in Warsaw bonus disc

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Black Cloud"	Morrissey/Boorer	3:08
2.	"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"	Morrissey/Boorer	2:36
3.	"I Just Want to See the Boy Happy"	Morrissey/Tobias	2:50
4.	"Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself"	Morrissey/Whyte	3:37
5.	"One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell"	Morrissey/Boorer	3:04
6.	"You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby"	Morrissey/Johnny Marr	3:13
7.	"Life is a Pigsty"	Morrissey/Whyte	8:56
8.	"I'm OK by Myself"	Morrissey/Tobias	6:03
Total length:			33:27

Personnel

The band

• Morrissey – vocalist
• Alain Whyte – guitarist (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16)
• Boz Boorer – guitarist
• Jesse Tobias – guitarist (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 14, 17 and 18)
• Gary Day – bassist (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16)
• Solomon Walker – bassist (tracks 5, 9, 14, 17 and 18)
• Matt Walker – drummer (tracks 5, 9, 14, 17 and 18)
• Dean Butterworth – drummer (tracks 2, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 16)
• Matt Chamberlain – drummer (tracks 1 and 11)
• Michael Farrell – keyboards (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14 and 17)
• Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – keyboards (tracks 2, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 18)

Additional credits

• Kristeen Young – additional vocals (track 7)
• Chrissie Hynde – backing vocals (track 9)
• Jerry Finn – producer (tracks 2, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12–18)
• Tony Visconti – producer (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 11)
• Gustavo Santaolalla – producer (tracks 5 and 14)

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Swords". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
2. Nagy, Evie (6 November 2009). "Morrissey, 'Swords'". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
3. Carson, Craig (3 November 2009). "Morrissey: Swords". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
4. "Statement from Morrissey". True-to-you.net. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
5. "Morrissey: Swords (new album)". Prefixmag.com. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Swords". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
7. "Swords album release information". True-to-you.net. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
8. "Tour update: Germany (Nov. 16 – 20)". Morrissey-solo.com. 2009-09-10. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
9. "Morrissey tour dates in Europe; Swords: Album release information". True-to-you.net. 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
10. "Morrissey Reveals B-Sides Compilation". Pitchfork Media. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
11. "Morrissey tour dates in the US and support information". True-to-you.net. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.