couldn't agree more. symphonies is up there with anything he has done in his entire carear. the man baffles me with his choices of album tracks and b-sides. nobody loves us and never played where ten times better than anything that mad those albums. anywya maybe its goo as it gives me constant reason to buy singles and get amazing litle surprises.

i just think uncut is staffed by a load of old hippies who like anything shoegazey and want to bring it back. They have Mojo Disease, otherwise known as dadrockitis.

Trousse says the album is "underwhelming" that Moz is "coasting" and that ROTT is "no better than Maladjusted".

He also makes the point that Boz and Alain's offerings are "one-track", which is exactly the same as I have been saying for ages. Jesse doesn't really bring anything new into the mix either.

Face it, this is another mediocre Morrissey album. From 1983 to 1994 this guy was unbeatable - sure, Kill Uncle was a blip and Viva Hate is inconsistent, but besides that his career between those years was pretty much immaculate.

I'm not going to regurgitate my reasons, but quite simply he either changes collaborators or he will never be great again. Visconti couldn't even make this record into a masterpiece. Indeed, if he's got any sense the only person from the current line up collaborating on his next album will BE Visconti. The band need changing - and I am absolutely serious about this. Yet Morrissey deludes himself that they are virtuosos, even coming up with the preposterous claim that the reason no-one ever mentions his band is that they are so inspired, so versatile, that people must assume the band changes for each record. Utter bunk. The reason no-one mentions them is that their music is average, pure and simple. Here is the 20th century's greatest lyricist squandering his chances with a band who - for all their affability - are simply mediocre. I said at the time of YATq's release that if the NEXT album wasn't amazing then I'd be finished. Well, here we are and the next album is here, average as the last (yes, I have now heard it, no I won't say how) - but of course I'll carry on listening and hoping. As Trousse says, maybe the next one? But there will never be another great Moz album while the Lads are present. He MUST get a new band or his talent will never shine as brightly again. He needs Marr, or Hawley, or Black writing his music. He needs Rick Rubin or John Cale or Visconti producing. If he saddles himself with this tired old band for another album, then he is on a hiding to nothing. And, though it doesn't sound like it, I'm saying all this because he is STILL my favourite artist. Morrissey also thinks that "time will tell everything" - i.e. his solo work will one day be understood and revered. Well, quite honestly, if he carries on like this, it won't. Sorry.

...MOJO, gave it 4, so it's all good.

My life is an endless succession of people saying goodbye.....to me, these were the highlight tracks from the YATQ sessions.

Yes it's true that many of the music journalists are old hippies or academic anoraks and have likes and dislikes like everyone else when it comes to music.
Also I can imagine some of them pissing themselves with excitement to be given the task to review a Visconti-produced Morrissey album - and to be given a chance to "prove" their journalism skills and make their mark.
Morrissey remains an outstanding and unique artist within todays pop/music climate. Even more so now because the music industry is so fast-paced and profit orientated.
Morrissey is not always an easy artist to understand -even for the fans let alone music journalists!

I personally take each Morrissey album as an individual peace of work. There is no point always comparing his new stuff to the old.

I've given up reading the reviews now or caring who or which magazine gave what points. I would be worried if Uncut or Mojo gave it 5 out of 5!

The Observer review was the best and most accurate. Makes me wonder if most people here are 18 year old Blink 152 and Coldplay fans?
i am beginning to think that yes most people are!
And how many people do even actually know who Tony Visconti was and what he has done?
I suggest you do some seaching on Google instead of posting this childish shit in here.

our lives.
He is now a very wealthy, reasonably happy, middle-aged gayman living in Rome and, not surprisingly, he can no longer articulate those universal emotions that we used to all relate to with such poignancy.

However good (or bad) the music is does anyone honestly think 'You have killed me' says anything at all to them about their lives?

His interviews are now just dull. His politics are muddled (his greatest political insight is that Bush and Blair are 'egotistical': cheers!) and his views on animal rights are massiveley overexposed (and I'm someone who gave up meat partly as a result of MIM).
Anyone read the Graham Coxon piece in NME last week? No wonder he is the readers favourite solo artist. His comments were witty, wise, and sharp; all the things Moz used to be.

The only way Moz can ever truly connect to his audience these days is when he sings the old Smiths songs and early solo stuff at concerts.
I really want him to remain an essential contemporary singer (and not just a nostalgia act) but it just seems like we're on a downward slide. Amazing when you consider how large his public profile is these days...

That magazine is probably the best music rag, and it doesn't even deal solely in music. I don't listen to reviewers for artists I like anyways, but it's always nice when the world concurs with what you've known all along.
ROTT can't be another Southpaw or Maladjusted because half the industry seem to think it's great and the other half seem to dislike it and be gritting their teeth in order to give it a 'mediocre' rating (probably because they feel bullied out of slating it completely). It can't really be helped if a reviewer stuck it on his stereo and thought, 'I never could stand this man's voice ... what's that he's singing about now? I don't like that imagery ... etc etc'.
To be fair, you see a lyrical change with all poets as they age; they become less angry, less bitter, and if they find some measure of happiness ... well, I've always maintained that truly happy people make crap music; every musician needs something to rail against in order to survive. In that respect I'm glad Moz holds onto his grudges and never quite allows himself to feel that happiness is a permanent state. He hasn't lost his lyrical touch at all, it's simply changed. Let's face it, any lyric in a song that can generate the volume of debate we've already seen has to have something more than the average pop moment.
 

i like to listen to an album before i pass comment on it. There are far too many miserable twats on here who are willing the album to be poor. Why do they constantly quote the 3-star reviews (by no means a bad score) and ignore the 4 and 5 star reviews? i've only heard the 3 leaked songs to date and although i think the opener is just ok, i think the single is really catchy and will be great live and the "dear god..." song is one of the most beautiful songs mozzer has ever done. i'm really looking forward to the album and the b-sides that will accompany the singles. Let's cut out the negativity at least until everyone's had a chance to hear the album. then i'm sure loads of you will return with your poison pens whether its fantastic or not.

I felt with YATQ that the album was rather dragged down by its narcissism. Of course he has always been a narcissist but there is a way of doing that wiith some wit and charm, and he seems heavy-handed nowadays. An example was "The world is full of crashing bores" starting with "You must be wondering how the boy next door turned out". Actually I haven't been wondering about that for quite a while as Morrissey takes that as his subject most of the time.

The stronger tracks on YATQ were when he talked about something a little more than just himself - First of the Gang and Irish Blood. I amnot really interested in hearing about Morrissey getting a hard time at customs (does he imagine he is the first or last person that has happened to) or with judges arguing over record royalties. It would be amazing and a pleasure if he could widen his horizons again to write insightfully and compassionately about someone else more often, to realise another character as an individual in his songs. He finds himself endlessly fascinating, which is fine, in many ways he is, but it means he is increasingly going thorugh the same set of poses, with little musical or lyrical inspiration. When he was writing at the standard of 'I know it's over', 'I've changed my plea to guilty', 'I know it's gonna happen...' or 'Trouble loves me', then it didn't matter that those songs are essentially re-runs often using the same chords, because they are simpy brilliant. Roy Orbison's career was doing mostly the same brilliant song over and over. But if one's subject range is narrow, standards of quality have to be maintained.

In any case I have my fingers crossed there will bea few gems, but I am slightly disappointed by the songs I have heard so far.

As far as the band is concerned, it does seem true that it takes a brilliant tune to get the best out of Morrissey, but equally there have been instances of very promisig tunes ruined by crass lyrics by Morrissey himself in recent years. "there are explosive kegs/ between my legs" has all the subtlety and charm of a bingo call and helps ruin a very nice tune well sung. It really needed someone to say, "Hang on that line is crap". That is why maybe Morrissey needs a collaborator on the same level as him.In other respects quite a bit of what Whyte and Boorer have done is dull, but they have also writtn some excellen material. I think Morrissey's lyrics are the problem, primarily, over the years since VAI.

Regards,
Robert

Remember how they removed that song off the UK version of Maladjusted (about the court case) coz it was libellous.

Let's get a petition together to get the 'explosive kegs between my legs' song taken off the album, or at the very least put on a b-side!

Never before, in pop history, will a single lyric have been responsible for haemorrhaging so many fans.

My goodness, what a bunch of fainting violets! Perhaps you should go listen to something more palatable and polite, as you do not have the stomach (much less the ears) for such a visceral musical experience. As has been pointed out by many people here, who love the song, there is a musical juxtaposition going on. A sacred, spiritually uplifting melody is being harshly contrasted with the urgent, not-so-lovely needs of the flesh.

I have personally wandered the streets of Rome in a similar state of euphoria. I can attest to the very strong pull that the city can have on a sensitive soul. Everywhere there is an ancient, pagan beauty that is layered with a later, more puritanical Christian influence. This song perfectly captures that Roman mix of flesh and spirit, brutality and refinement, struggle and release.

A lesser personality would have made a more subtle lyrical choice. No one but Morrissey would put things so bluntly in this context. He has not always been the refined poet, as has been pointed out in other posts - he has been just as blunt before when he felt the song called for it. Would you have him edit himself? That would be the beginning of the end, in my opinion.
     

The truth is, this is Morrissey's most "musical" album since your Arsenal. It's heavy on the up-tempo, rocking songs and the production is immaculate. Many people will find his lyrics a bit lazy while others will think they are ingenious - it's in the eye of the beholder (or ear of the listener I guess). The whole of ROTT is an amazing work which rivals the best of his solo albums. Why not reserve judgement until you hear it...

Bring back the godlike Johnny Marr.

It is necessary.

For better or worse this will be a full album of Morriseys music.

After Quarry many of us waited miracles for his next album, perhaps too much, given what he's been able to put out during his sole career as a whole.

He openly and even 'mechanically' gay lyrics in the new album may put some of us off, but so what, life goes on with or without him.
And I don't think he really cares, he's now more in peace with his life, which is a good thing. Let us others be too with ours.

I do not get people complaining about dear god...

I myself always feel like my genitals would explode when I see a hot man pass by.

Heteros feel the same I bet.

Everybody does, f* the labels.

The only thing these in-the-closet people fear is to have their passion for Morrissey's music more explicitely linked to being gay, which they either aren´t or pretend they are.

I am gay and love the fat Morrissey CONTINUES to sing about it.Come on, haven´t you guys ever heard of Handsome Devil or Alsatian Cousin? You make me puke.

It has always ever been there!!!

Relax, by ths time people ALREADY think you're gay. DEAR GOD is just another blunt-in-comparison-with-aforementioned songs piece of help.

I do actually. But you get my point.

Most "reviews" are written by two-bit failed English students, and are preditions of what others will say rather than an honest opinion.

I still say - "name me another album hailed as a masterpiece by a paper like the Observer that was also branded as mediocre by others." It's not easy. Music is an art and appreciation is therefore subjective. However, these journos are supposed to apply at least a DEGREE of objectivity when reviewing albums and I simply feel the widely divergent-to-the-point-of-absurdity reviews show someone, somewhere is not being objective.

Either Morley is so in love with Morrissey's stuff, he's been carried away on a wave of excitement, or certain other publications dislike Morrissey for whatever reason.

We will only know for sure when we hear it with our own ears. A little birdie tells me NME have given the album 8 or 9/10.

Dear God Please Help Me is sublime. The single is very good. The opener is a bit of a dirge. Pigsty is extraordinary. I think this album's going to be a corker.

broken

it through Amazon. Spread the word.

It made me smile, and contrasts with the crystalline beauty of the song.

It's like GF in a Coma in reverse.

Morrissey always finds new ways to introduce surreal humour and tension into his songs. This is just such a moment. Classic moment, and a stunning song overall.

Some of the people on this site would be moaning about "slap me on the patio" (has it really come to talking about kinky moments in the back yard?) and "there were times when I could strangled her" (why does he have to ruin such a serious theme with that ill-conceived joke?!) back in the 80s.

broken

For us Americans, will there be an American version of the 'You Have Killed Me' single or will we have to purchase the imported versions?

Also, I saw something about a "Deluxe Edition" of the new album which will contain a bonus DVD. It is supposedly coming out April 4th. Will the CD contain B-Side material?

Thanks for clearing it up.

...did you guys know that if you pre-order this album on Amaszon (the limited edition) that you can then download it to your digital locker, and listen to it right now.