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Vauxhall and I

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Vauxhall and I (stylised as “Vauxhall And I” in all caps) is the fourth studio album by English alternative rock musician Morrissey. It was released on 14 March 1994, by the record label Parlophone in the UK and Sire/Reprise in the US.

Vauxhall and I
Studio album by
Morrissey
Released14 March 1994
RecordedJune–August 1993
StudioHook End Manor, Oxfordshire, England
GenreAlternative rock[1]
Length39:53
Label
ProducerSteve Lillywhite
Morrissey chronology
Your Arsenal
(1992) 		Vauxhall and I
(1994) 		Southpaw Grammar
(1995)
Singles from Vauxhall and I
  1. "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
    Released: 28 February 1994
  2. "Hold On to Your Friends"
    Released: 30 May 1994
  3. "Now My Heart Is Full"
    Released: 23 August 1994

Background

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The album's title may be a reference to the 1987 film Withnail and I. Vauxhall is an area of London noted for its gay clubs, and there is also a British car manufacturer of the same name.

"Spring Heeled Jim" contains bits of dialogue from We Are the Lambeth Boys, a 1959 documentary that follows the lives of members of a south London youth club.[2] The line "Don't leave us in the dark" at the end of "Billy Budd" is sampled from the 1948 David Lean film adaptation of Dickens' Oliver Twist. This was said by one of Fagin's pickpockets to Fagin when the mob was closing in on their hiding place. The song itself shares the title with a novella by Herman Melville.

Release

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Vauxhall and I was a success in the United States, making the top 20. It was also Morrissey's second solo album to reach the top of the charts in Britain, the first being Viva Hate.

The lead single off the album, "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get", became the only song by Morrissey or the Smiths to achieve chart success in the United States, where it reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. In the United Kingdom, the song hit number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and was the only single by Morrissey to reach the top ten during the 1990s.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
Blender     [4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
Los Angeles Times    [6]
NME8/10[7]
Pitchfork7.8/10[8]
Q     [9]
Rolling Stone     [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [11]
Select5/5[12]

Q listed Vauxhall and I as one of the top ten albums of 1994.[13] In February 2006, the same magazine voted it at number 89 on its list of the best albums ever.[14]

In a three out of four star review, Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Morrissey’s poetic, frank lyrics and cultured, despairing croons seem less inhibited than in his previous solo works."[15]

In a retrospective review from 2014, Jason Heller of Pitchfork wrote that "besides being one of Morrissey’s most vital solo albums, Vauxhall and I is also his first truly mature one, and flaws and all, it’s as essential—and as perversely alive—as ever."[16]

In a list published in 2014, the NME named Vauxhall and I as Morrissey's best solo album.[17]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Morrissey

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Now My Heart Is Full"Boz Boorer4:57
2."Spring-Heeled Jim"Boorer3:47
3."Billy Budd"Alain Whyte2:08
4."Hold On to Your Friends"Whyte4:02
5."The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"Boorer3:44
6."Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself"Whyte3:20
7."I Am Hated for Loving"Whyte3:41
8."Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning"Boorer3:42
9."Used to Be a Sweet Boy"Whyte2:49
10."The Lazy Sunbathers"Whyte3:08
11."Speedway"Boorer4:30

Definitive Edition, 20th Anniversary Remaster

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The 2014 anniversary remaster includes the previously unavailable 1995 concert from Theatre Royal, London.

  1. "Billy Budd"
  2. "Have-a-Go Merchant"
  3. "Spring-Heeled Jim"
  4. "London"
  5. "You're the One for Me, Fatty"
  6. "Boxers"
  7. "Jack the Ripper"
  8. "We'll Let You Know"
  9. "Whatever Happens I Love You"
  10. "Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself"
  11. "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
  12. "National Front Disco"
  13. "Moon River"
  14. "Now My Heart Is Full"

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Morrissey – vocals & lyrics
  • Alain Whyte – guitars & backing vocals
  • Boz Boorer – guitars & keyboards
  • Jonny Bridgewood – bass
  • Woodie Taylor – drums

Technical

  • Greg Ross – art direction
  • Dean Freeman – photography
  • Chris Dickie – producer, engineer
  • Steve Lillywhite – producer
  • Danton Supple – assistant engineer

Charts

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1994 chart performance for Vauxhall and I
Chart (1994) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] 21
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[19] 22
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 73
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] 28
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 13
UK Albums (OCC)[23] 1
US Billboard 200[24] 18
2014 chart performance for Vauxhall and I
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 141
Irish Albums (IRMA)[26] 80

Certifications

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Certifications for Vauxhall and I
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Gallucci, Michael. "Morrissey's 'Vauxhall and I' – A Look Back at an Alt-Rock Classic". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  2. ^ "The Smiths / Morrissey FAQ: Lyrics". compsoc.man.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Vauxhall and I – Morrissey". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  4. ^ Power, Tony (15 September 2004). "Morrissey: Vauxhall and I". Blender. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  5. ^ Romero, Michele (25 March 1994). "Vauxhall and I". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  6. ^ Ali, Lorraine (27 March 1994). "Morrissey, 'Vauxhall and I'; Sire/Reprise". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  7. ^ Bailie, Stuart (12 March 1994). "His Astra's Voice". NME.
  8. ^ Heller, Jason (5 June 2014). "Morrissey: Vauxhall and I". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  9. ^ Collins, Andrew (April 1994). "Morrissey: Vauxhall and I". Q. No. 91.
  10. ^ Volk, Steven (7 April 1994). "Morrissey: Vauxhall and I". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 June 2001. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Morrissey". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 561–62. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. ^ Harrison, Andrew (April 1994). "Vauxhall Viva!". Select. No. 46.
  13. ^ "Rocklist.net ...Q magazine Recordings of the Year". Rocklist.net. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  14. ^ "100 Greatest Albums Ever".
  15. ^ Ali, Lorraine (27 March 1994). "Morrissey, 'Vauxhall and I'; Sire/Reprise". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  16. ^ Heller, Jason (5 June 2014). "Morrissey: Vauxhall and I". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Morrissey – What Is His Best Solo Album? We've Ranked Them". NME. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2448". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Charts.nz – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Morrissey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Morrissey". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  27. ^ "British album certifications – Morrissey – Vauxhall and I". British Phonographic Industry.
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