submitted by Mundeep
from The Toronto Star

Morrissey
Maladjusted (Mercury)

Maladjusted? How about "devious, truculent and unreliable."

Those were the words a British high court judge used last December to lacerate Morrissey while ordering the former Smiths' frontman to repay band member Mike Joyce 1 million pounds in back royalties. Morrissey has framed his response in "Sorrow Will Come In The End," an oddity more than a song left off the U.K. Maladjusted release to avoid further legal troubles.

Morrissey, who denies the song was inspired by the court case, has sniped at adversaries in his music before, including a tongue-lashing delivered to one Mr. Shankly, but there's nothing approaching the vitriol served up here, words with an overtly threatening tone Morrissey chose to speak rather than sing.

"Legalized theft/ leaves me bereft," Morrissey begins over sombre strings and eerie carnival sounds.

"I praise the day that brings you pain/ So don't close your eyes/ Don't close your eyes/ A man who slits throats/ Has time on his fans/ And I'm gonna get you."

Yikes.

Morrissey puts the dagger away for the rest of the album, his ninth since the Smiths ran around a decade ago, and reverts to lyrical themes that won't surprise longtime fans: alienation, loneliness and his signature wallow in self-pity and misanthropy.
"I don't get along with myself/ And I'm not too keen on anyone else," he croons on "Trouble Loves Me," one the album's better tracks.

The title song is another high point, bursting out of discordant guitar noise.

Unfortunately, there are too few memorable moments here and nothing matching the intensity and lyrical brilliance of Moz's days with Johnny Marr or even some of his better solo moments.

Morrissey may blame "a JP senile and vile" and others for cleaning out his pocketbook, but who carries the burden for an artist of his stature becoming bereft of fresh musical ideas?