Influences
In July 1992, Morrissey released the album "Your Arsenal", which peaked at number 2 in the album chart. It was the final release from producer Mick Ronson; Morrissey related that working with Ronson had been "the greatest privilege of my life". "Your Arsenal" reflected Morrissey's lament for what he regarded as the decline of British culture in the face of increasing Americanisation. He told one interviewer that "everything is informed by American culture—everyone under fifty speaks American—and that's sad. We once had a strong identity and now that's gone completely". A number of the tracks on the album, most notably "Certain People I Know" and "The National Front Disco", dealt with the lives and experiences of tough, working-class youths. "Your Arsenal" was critically well received, and often described as his best album since "Viva Hate". The first single, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", had been released in April 1992 and peaked at number 17; this was followed by "You're the One for Me, Fatty", which reached number 19 and "Certain People I Know", which reached number 34. From September to December, Morrissey embarked on a 53-date "Your Arsenal" tour in which he varyingly decorated the stage with backdrops of skinhead girls, Diana Dors, Elvis Presley, and Charlie Richardson. One of the performances was recorded and released as "Beethoven Was Deaf".