"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes."
Frieda Norris

Mediocre set list?! 4 brand new songs, Every Day is Like Sunday, There is a Light That Never Goes Out, I Want The One I Can't Have... Hell, all of them!! How in the name of God does any of that contribute to a "mediocre" set list?

sounds like was meant to review the nuge and got his tickets mixed up? i've never heard anyone anymore clueless...

I know that this is a different critic, but it goes to show... you can't please all the people all of the time. Seattle Times article from 2000 [nwsource.com]

This guy complains (Feb 2000) that Morrissey ignores his biggest hits. Now he is playing Suedehead, Everyday is Like Sunday, and There Is A Light, and the critics still aren't happy.

thia ass has no idea what he is talking about. That setlist was great. I wish I was there. I am hoping that when he plays san diego he will play a full set like he has been. I just hope he brings back Please Let Me Get What I Want and At Amber.

The setlist does need alittle work. Songs such as November, Suedehead, and Speedway have been done to death. I liked that he was singing "Please, Please let me..." but he strange dropped that from the setlist. Girlfreind in a Coma would be great or Find Out for Youself. All-in-all a better setlist then previous years.

This reviewer obivuosly never really liked Morrissey as a solo identity. He was probably hoping for more Smiths material.

Let me first say that I am a huge Morrissey fan. I saw him in 1985 with the Smiths, I have seen him in Seattle several times and I have gone to 5 of the first 6 US tour dates (all but Yuma) so far this tour.

With all of that said . . . I find it hard to argue with this article. The Seattle venue was too large for the small amount of people that attended. In a hall that big it takes a certain amount of people to absorb the sound otherwise the quality is not good. In addition, Morrissey was quite reserved and not as animated as we can come to expect.

With all of that said . . . I must say that the next nights in Eugene and Portland were exponentially better shows than any of the other shows show far. Morrissey seemed to ‘come out of his shell’ especially in Eugene. Morrissey was talkative, acknowledged the crowd and his surroundings, and his mannerism seemed reminded us of the old days.

To all of us in Seattle, we were lucky to just be in the same room as the Man (as big as the room happened to be). To all of those who will be seeing him at future shows (I am done for now) I hope your show more resembles the Eugene show than Seattle but no matter what, count your blessings that he is gracing us with his presence at all.

David R.
Seattle Moz fan
Always on my way to somewhere more civilized

One might resonably take issue with this reviewers definitions of "mediocre". Come now, the setlist for the tour thus far is great. Shame it didn't include "How Soon is Now?" which presumably is the only Morrissey song this gent had heard of before. Also, it doesn't seem to make sense to blame Moz for the poor sound. Once he's up there, all he can do is sing and rely on the technology to help him out. And perhaps it is just my opinion, but the new songs seem to be classic Moz songs. Sharp and witty, accompanied by well-written music. I'm sure they will become even more polished as time goes on. Lastly, I also take issue with the jab this reviewer made at the band. I've seen few other bands that can NAIL a live performance like they can. What else is to be said...the world IS full of crashing bores.

There is something "hidden" in his review. He has some ax to grind. Now I have not attended any of this tour's concerts, but there are points brought up that are laced with cyanide. It may be true that the seattle show was a bit "off". It may be true that there were technical difficulties. But filling his review with other areas of morrissey's career that are clearly not associated with the concert reveals his objective. I know people like this. They continue to push bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Throwing Muses. Come to think of it, Bill White, you are a failed abortion attempt.

If Mr. White had a "miserable" evening, he needs to take a long look in the mirror. Granted it was my first Morrissey show, I LOVED the concert! Moz's voice sounded great, the band rocked, the sound was decent(I've heard far worse), and the crowd was appreciative if not overly exuberant. I danced the whole show as did the people around me and we all cheered 'til we were hoarse. My only complaint is that it was over way too soon. Also, to the people lighting up in a non-smoking venue: you suck.
              I paid $45 and it was worth every cent. Mr. White paid nothing, brought nothing, and got nothing. Oh well, his pointless life will end but the Moz's light will never go out!

Someone seems bitter about not getting an autograph.

Except perhaps to prevent people from seeing the second of a series of concerts in a given city, what's the use of doing reviews of concerts anyway? Even the reason I gave is not altogether reliable. Case in point: December 7th, 2001, Branford Marsalis performs the first of two jazz concerts in Toronto at a very nice concert hall. Alas, the first quarter of the first show was plagued by a really bad distortion emanating from one of the balcony-situated speakers. It was rather off-putting, and it spoiled an otherwise perfect show, but did that have any effect on the next night's performance? If it did, it was likely only a positive effect. A bad review would have only dissuaded people from seeing a flawless second show. I agree with the other person who believed that the Mr. White has an axe to grind with Morrissey.

I haven't seen the show yet, but I know that I'd most likely disagree with this review because its obvious that the reviewer doesn't even know much about Morrissey to begin with and even decided he hated his music before he went to the show. I believe that most Morrissey/Smiths fans would agree that although Vauxhall and I was a great album, it is not the "rose in an otherwise thorny career." I mean has he ever really listened to "Strangeways...", "Viva Hate," "The Queen is Dead," "Your Arsenal", I could go on. Vauxhall and I was the one album I remember that had a song make it onto pop radio stations. Obviously, our dear reviewer friend doesn't have truly discriminating tastes. It's probably the one Morrissey album he had heard of to begin with.

when our journalists speak their minds!

It's not a bad review, and there are important points that should be taken seriously.

It seems that Bill White came to the show with a definite set of expectations. Morrissey wasn't dressed correctly, Morrissey wasn't there under the auspices of pushing an album or making money for his label (he does have management, Bill), and Morrissey's dramatic entrance - which didn't take 10 minutes - was noisy and annoying.

Bill was looking for a fashionable, well-managed, tightly choreographed show. He should't worry too much, Britney Spears only has five months left in her self-imposed exile.

Mr. White got ONE thing right-Moz is 43.
Stodgy pompous bastard!

I think that the way we have started who needs any one else?

Unless they can get Duffer then leave it be - have you considered posting onto a site where more than one other person is interested in your views on this topic though? Like www.liverpoolfc.tv - message boards - they're very good - you'll catch me there often under the guise of "mjp".