Album of the Day

Since its original release 25 years ago, VAUXHALL AND I has often featured in “Best Album” lists the world over. Morrissey's fourth solo set signaled an acceptance of ageing amidst the tyranny of time, casting off the shackles of the past with a will to embrace the future. With noted producer Steve Lillywhite on board and new songwriting partners Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, Morrissey crafted an album of brilliant, melodic and languid songs, exquisite arrangements and mellifluous vocals. The Sire collection features a cast of vivid characters (“Spring-Heeled Jim,” “Billy Budd”) drawn in razor-sharp lyrics, and in the riff-driven “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get,” it spawned a U.K. Top 10 hit. The album itself topped the British chart and made the Top 20 in the U.S., making VAUXHALL AND I a commercial triumph as well as an artistic one.