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ROTT preview/impressions at CMJ Relay
posted by davidt on Tuesday January 10 2006, @10:00AM

 Link posted by Benton on the general board, via comment on the main page.

Is Morrissey Ready To Die? - CMJ Relay
January 5th, 2006. Posted by Kory Grow

Upon listening to Morrissey’s eighth solo album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors (out April 4 on Attack-Sanctuary), it seems he’s a little too preoccupied with killing others, as well as his own impending doom. From the lead single, “You Have Killed Me,” to a story about wanting to live long enough to see his son grow up (“I Just Want To See The Boy Happy”), the ex-Smith rivals only Eminem in “killing” himself and bystanders on a single record. Not that eminent death is anything new to the Morrissey repertoire—after all, this is the guy who wears black on the outside because black is how he feels on the inside—but this is slightly unprecedented.

On the album’s first song, “I Will See You In Far-Off Places,” he sings to a lover amidst Middle Eastern instrumentation, “If your God bestows protection upon you, if the USA doesn’t bomb you, I’ll see you somewhere safe…” He has a song about killing his stepfather (“The Father Who Must Be Killed”), and in possibly the most shocking move, he shucks his own human life to be born again at the end of the album. That’s right, after yet another album of feeling unworthy of love, “At Last I Am Born” finds Moz singing, “I thought I had numerous reasons to cry, but I don’t anymore… I am finally born.” Well, that was a long, strange trip, Stephen Patrick. It’s nice he had a change of heart, because if he keeps on making records like this, we may want him to stick around.

Musically, Moz even sounds a little like some other famous (and dead) singers in certain spots: he channels Elvis on the Ennio Morricone-arranged “Dear God Please Help Me,” and he even gets in some ‘40s-styled vocal flourishes à la Frank Sinatra on “I’ll Never Be Anybody’s Hero Now.” His vocal performances are so impressive, that some of the musical breakdowns just seem like filler until the next time he opens his mouth. And for an album that is possibly his most poppy musically—meaning, he uses verse-chorus form throughout most of it—it’s possibly his most emotionally complex and conflicted. Perhaps all Morrissey ever needed was a emotional yo-yoing that was drastically more morose.

 
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ROTT preview/impressions at CMJ Relay | Log in/Create an Account | Top | 52 comments | Search Discussion
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Great review (Score:1)
well written and interesting comparissons. We really get to see a some of the lyrics and you get a feel for how this thing may flow. Will one of you please get a copy of this and put it out there so we can hear it, we are going to buy it anyway....
moho -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @10:06AM (#191445)
(User #10663 Info)
[ Reply to this comment ]
    jewish hair metal (Score:1)
    not to be the grammar police, but i swear to god i had to re-read some of those sentences about 3 times because of poor writing. maybe they were on drugs and imagining that calling for Vauxhall in a roomful of critics and music snobs would make them ultra cool.

    suzanne <{suzsch} {at} {sbcglobal.net}> -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @10:07AM (#191446)
    (User #36 Info | http://www.myspace.com/snootywriter )
     I scare dead people.
    [ Reply to this comment ]
    Watersports (Score:0)
    Suzys ROTT Watersports event in association with pee4free
    Anonymous -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @10:51AM (#191456)
    [ Reply to this comment ]
      kill (Score:2, Funny)
      ...then, I hope for lyrics with explicit physical violence... don't you?
      fernando -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @10:52AM (#191457)
      (User #398 Info | http://www.angelfire.com/music/moz )
       daradá
      [ Reply to this comment ]
      • Re:kill by Anonymous (Score:0) Tuesday January 10 2006, @01:58PM
        • Re:kill by Anonymous (Score:0) Tuesday January 10 2006, @02:03PM
          • Re:kill by glamorous shoplifter (Score:1) Wednesday January 11 2006, @05:41AM
            • Re:kill by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday January 19 2006, @02:49PM
          Mr Writer (Score:1)
          "a story about wanting to live long enough to see his son grow up (“I Just Want To See The Boy Happy”)"

          Are you sure? Or could it just be another third person reference to his childhood?

          I guess we'll never know if he's sired any whipper snappers, but it's nice to think some of the man's good looks and intelligence might survive after he's gone.

          Oh hell, I'll just come out and say it; Morrissey, I want your children.
          Mozzersgirl -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @11:37AM (#191467)
          (User #14229 Info)
           But we can't give you love and rhetoric without the blood. Blood is compulsory.
          [ Reply to this comment ]
          • Re:Mr Writer by Anonymous (Score:0) Tuesday January 10 2006, @11:48AM
            Most poppy but (Score:1)
            "Perhaps all Morrissey ever needed was a emotional yo-yoing that was drastically more morose."

            What could that mean? Is that deep and meaningful, or using recondite, if not opaque, phrases to seem so?
            goinghome -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @12:20PM (#191481)
            (User #12673 Info)
            [ Reply to this comment ]
              I don't understand this part: (Score:1)
              "His vocal performances are so impressive, that some of the musical breakdowns just seem like filler until the next time he opens his mouth."

              Is his voice good or not? When it says "the musical breakdowns seem like filler" to me it means that his voice is so good he doesn't need the music. But then he says "until the next time he opens his mouth", which to me means he doesn't like his voice; that the music is better.

              Or am i reading it incorrectly?

              someraincoatedlovers * -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @01:29PM (#191490)
              (User #10290 Info)
               We've been too long American Dreaming, And I think we all lost the way.
              [ Reply to this comment ]
              thanks again mozzy (Score:1)
              “If your God bestows protection upon you, if the USA doesn’t bomb you, I’ll see you somewhere safe…”

              Looks like for the 2nd album in the row I'll be skipping the opening song because of this nonsense... hopefully it's just a single line and not another song devoted to America bashing.
              WOX von Wubbins -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @02:13PM (#191501)
              (User #14866 Info)
              [ Reply to this comment ]
              Morrissey is officially a blowhard. (Score:0)
              “If your God bestows protection upon you, if the USA doesn’t bomb you, I’ll see you somewhere safe…”

              Oh God...

              Morrissey sounds so incredibly repetitive, and cliched. He really needs to pick up a book. the whole "I don't watch the news" approach doesn't seem to be working.

              The worst part is: “If your God bestows protection upon you..."

              Isn't this the problem that we currently have? Does Morrissey have any idea what's going on in the Middle East? Does he understand that it's the very belief that God is bestowing some kind of protection on a group of people, and playing favorites that is one of the driving forces behind extremism? Does he care? Is he once again, using a serious flaw in the human race to justify violence?

              I mean, if he's not calling for a nuclear bomb to be dropped on China, then it's this tripe.

              After being a Morrissey and Smiths fan for almost 16 years, I am slowly losing my patience. With Morrissey's most recent material, you realize that, as an adult, Morrissey's persona is not so inventive.

              He really is reaching a level of social retardation that is usually reserved for teenagers.

              What's even more terrifying is how many of his "followers" actually buy into this bullshit. Whatever Morrissey hates, they hate. Whatever Morrissey validates, they validate.

              Anonymous -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @04:30PM (#191553)
              [ Reply to this comment ]
              Name misspelled! (Score:0)
              Why do people insist on spelling Morrissey's first name incorrectly? To REAL fans, the name should be S-T-E-V-E-N (Ouija Board).
              Anonymous -- Tuesday January 10 2006, @05:04PM (#191563)
              [ Reply to this comment ]
              filler (Score:1)
              "His vocal performances are so impressive, that some of the musical breakdowns just seem like filler until the next time he opens his mouth."

              That's the problem with most of his solo-albums.
              Eric Hartman -- Wednesday January 11 2006, @12:29AM (#191596)
              (User #5103 Info | http://www.godhatesfags.com/ )
               Homosexuality is God's way of insuring that the truly gifted aren't burdened with children.
              [ Reply to this comment ]
              • Re:filler by Hello Indie (Score:1) Wednesday January 11 2006, @02:27AM
                • Re:filler by Eric Hartman (Score:1) Wednesday January 11 2006, @02:51AM
                Best Review... (Score:1)
                This is the best review I've read in the last couple of years...the writer made comments on exactly what I'm interested in learning about the new album...

                If this is Morrissey's "most poppy"...the sky remains the limit for Morrissey...
                dewdrop -- Wednesday January 11 2006, @04:44AM (#191627)
                (User #2326 Info)
                [ Reply to this comment ]
                  The Reviewer Who Must Be Killed (w/His Editor) (Score:1)
                  ...would be a lovely title for a song, don't you think?

                  HOW HARD IS IT to get the spelling of your subject's name right, Mr. Curry Grows? What must one do these days to ensure that reviewers such as yourself do their homework and check their data for facts before having it published? Hmmmm, Corey Growls? What was that you said?

                  Oh goodness, surely you don't think we are suggesting that as a writer (term used loosely - Ed.) we believe you should be held responsible for erroneous or false information that you present? Good heavens, no. We here know that you greatly value and cherish your post-college position you have taken regurgitating other people's opinions and thoughts in the guise of a record review.

                  It does, however, seem worth mentioning that if you are going to trot out a person's first and middle name for whatever purpose you have in mind, Kerry, that you first make sure you're aware of the spelling. You wouldn't want everybody to think you're a second-rate hack badly in need of any job you can get (we can only dream - Ed.), would you, Carly?

                  Wait - I see you work for CMJ. All is now understood.
                  Persephone -- Wednesday January 11 2006, @07:27AM (#191652)
                  (User #15140 Info)
                  [ Reply to this comment ]

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