unbiased...... Come on - That being said - can't wait to get me hands on it

but, "like the leather on Hand in Glove's passenger seat"? Where'e the credibility!!?

Did we crash the server? Getting an error, even on the main manchesteronline.com website.

I would like to know from those who have had the opportunity to listen to the whole album several times and had time to really digest all the songs. What do you guys and gals think?

I personally like “Dear God and Born”; however I am having such a hard time with all the other songs. I know the argument is that this is a whole new sound, that’s the problem. I don’t want a whole new sound. I remember hearing International Playboys, Sing your Life, Tomorrow, The More you Ignore Me, Everyday, and so on. These were songs that as soon as I heard the opening notes I knew I was going to like the songs. I hear nothing like this on this new album. I am not trying to bash the album. I have always played Morrissey albums over and over when they first come out. However, with this album I played it over and over for a day and I’m sick of it. I feel that most of these songs belong as b-sides. Some of the music does sound experimental and different, but the lyrics don’t flow well and are not catchy.

I’m not trying to dwell on the past. I just feel that Morrissey shouldn’t drift from the sound that made him great. I think that this album is to far from what made a lot of us love him.

Obviously we all here have somewhat similar taste in music or we wouldn’t be here. So, from what I have read, I wonder how so many of us can have such a different in opinion when it comes to this album.

I think this is a good review- I agree with most of it.

And respect (aight!) to the guy for mentioning 'I see the world; it makes me puke'. I love the direction Morrissey is going; I love the Middle-Eastern vibe, I love the bawdy lyrics.

It's nice to have the old sound, but new is exciting! And his music is always familiar because of his distinctive voice.

'flapping around on the floor gasping for air.'

Too bloody right, I was!

ive heard a number of people say this, that the album sounds like a collection of b-sides. of course, they mean this as a negative criticism, but iactually see it another way.

we hav to remember that when we are talking about Morrissey b-sides we are talking about some of the best material in his catalogue. "Disappointed", "Sister, I'm A Poet", "Will Never Marry", "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty", "Let The Right One Slip In", "Jack The Ripper", "I'd Love To", "Whatever Happens, I Love You", "A Swallow On My Neck", "Black-Eyed Susan", "Nobody Loves Us", "Now I Am A Was", "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel", juste to name a few, are all amazing songs and are all Moz b-sides. the '...Quarry' b-sides were quite arguably his best batch yet and, when compiled, outrank the '...Quarry' album.

iagree that ROTT has a b-side feel, but that is a compliment and a strength. the album has a b-side feel, not becos the songs are weak, but becos they more experimental, more varied, stranger and bolder. they hav a rawness to them and an oddness. they dont feel at all to over thought or in any way contrived- they speak clearly and loudly and bluntly and they dont mince words (or sounds).

this album is the product of an extremely confident Morrissey simply letting go and letting loose and bringing his all with no second thoughts- the free-wheeling Moz.

it's a joy to listen to, but you hav to let yourself go as well. dont come to this album with all of your designed expectations becos it will surely shatter them all and leave you wondering what the hell happened. idid that at first and it happened to me and though istill felt iwould lov the album once iput my head back on ialso felt that it was definitely too strange to attract anything other than Moz obsessives. now, idont know- ithink maybe it will do well for those unaquainted with the World of Morrissey to hear this album for what it is with no preconcieved notions of what it "should" sound like- this album could be a revelation for some.

How do you think the album would have faired if Jeff Saltzman had produced it?

I don't know what happened or why he bailed, but I do feel better knowing that Visconti proudced it.

and his feelings about "The Youngest...."

But on my 3rd listen of "The Youngest..." I still don't understand what everyone here likes so much about it! Maybe I haven't listened to it enough...

in the future when all's well sounds like 'blockbuster' by some old glam band i can't remember. it's really boring, and it's funny to imagine this as the third single...i'd imagine there wont be a third single once the second one doesn't sell that well.

this album has two good tracks, the single (which is only just good) and life is a pigsty, which is actually decent but gets a bit lost and loses momentum towards the end. a lot of the songs do that cos morrissey's vocal lines get boring and repeat too much.

ratings:

i will see you in far off places - 4 - oasis by numbers. pointless eastern theme which never returns on the album. and a boring vocal melody line. this song sounds like half a song, or rather half an idea.

dear god please help me - 5 - certainly better than oasis by numbers. the moriccone strings feel a bit wasted on this, and that organ throughout the song is a bit annoying after a while. i wonder if it's a soft synth? lol. this song sounds very much like you are the quarry b-side territory and lyrically it's a bit tedious.

you have killed me - 6 - a boring rock plodder that doesn't sound very radio friendly but somehow manages to be the second best song on here. the music is dull and is produced in a dull way.

the youngest was the most loved - 6 - makes sense as the second single because at least it's uptempo. this one i could also have imagined being a b-side on a quarry single. musically boring again. i don't really understand the benefit of having the kid's choir but it's a gimmick i suppose. this is the point in the album i started getting nervous that it was going to be crap.

in the future when all's well - 4 - i don't like this. it's too retro without adding anything new. the vocal line sounds very familiar in places. this song i really don't like because it's simply dull. nothing is worse than dull. this is really a half-song or a b-side at best. i doubt you can seriously disagree with that point.

the father who must be killed - 5 - there's a running problem in this album of the vocal melody lines simply not being good enough. lots of times the vocal melody doesn't seem to sit right like it used to for morrissey, and i feel that happens a lot on this song. this song is HUGELY forgettable. again, musically this song is nothing special at all.

life is a pigsty - 8 - EASILY the best song on the album by some distance. it starts off nicely with an interesting ambience to it and flows well with the bouncing bassline. lyrically not amazing but the vocal melody is very good on this one and seems to fit the song very well. see, i can be praising too!

i'll never be anybody's hero - 5 - back to the forgettable plodding middle of the road dadrock sound again now, on this one. it sounds like production on this album consisted of getting the guitarists to just play the chords with some distortion on. wow. the chorus doesn't really sound very good.

on the streets i ran - 5 - starts like it could be some new cool band the nme like. this isn't a good thing. then turns into another b-side from you are the quarry. the melody line is not enticing and neither are the lyrics.

to me you are a work of art - 5 - starts like we could be listening to the new chris rea record. lyrically this one is crap and annoying. maybe it's slightly better than some of the other songs i have rated 5. so it's maybe 5.5.

i just want to see the boy happy - 5 - enormously basic musically and underwhelming. it's just the chords with distortion for f--ks sake, i think that's far from great production, personally. the vocals dont sit very well on the rest of the song, sound too up front and on top i think. this song is CRAP and features some awful cliched guitar lines occasionally in the background.

at last i am born - 5 - so it starts with the same strings of maladjusted era i thought! lol. but i'm sure these strings cost more than a keyboard. this is another song which turns into moz repeating a line infinitely towards the end. i dont think that's

Read the rest of this comment...

are entitled to your opinions, of course, but Jeez do you have to dissect it?
It's like any other Moz album= I love some songs, others aren't that great and some I can take or leave. End of!

I really love this album!!! Thank God he is still making great music. The Rott bashing is lost on me.
I think Moz should never change his band, they are powerfull and should not be under estimated.

I love Moz all the same and can relate to his lyrics maybe becuase were roughly the same age.

lonedom

vauxhall and I was as divine a work as anyone will ever hear. Your Arsenal was such a huge departure from Kill Uncle that it deserved all plaudits. Quarry pissed all over the contractually obliged sounding Maladjusted. Ringleader is not as good prehaps as Paul Morley has suggested but I believe to to be there with Vauxhall and Arsenal but does not match either record. Vauxhall was the record that should have seen Morrissey receive the world wide respect and adoration he deserves. He/record company failed but no true morrissey fan can be disappointed with that. World wide success somehow would have detracted from Morrisseys appeal. This album will not ripple too far beyond the normal six or seven front rows....Thank God