ive said it before- INYBA is the best thing Morrissey has done since VAI.

SISMS is brilliant as well and then it would be a toss up between MLSOTR, ITMAAP, AYMIM, WILSTC and YWGIYT.

IOBM is easily the worst song on the album and should hav juste been left off altogether.

Very inspired song! He changes his style of singing two or three times in this song! He could have made two songs instead of one if he wanted to...

great vocal & nasty lyrics (child molestation/rape again?). no one else does stuff like this.

One of the best songs Morrissey has ever produced... either in The Smiths or as a solo artist. Perfect. Congrats to Alain Whyte (who wrote "Birthday", too).

Am I alone in thinking "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" is one of the most overrated Morrissey songs ever?

It's a good song, but is it really worth all the hype?

I would like to register a complaint...
There are a lack of options in this pole...

Yes, I am blind, or rather, can't read the rules and regulations

That's How People Grow Up is so stunning in its newness. The Kristeen Young vocals are great. Maybe she and Moz will become friends and then she will insult him on stage and get kicked off a tour for insinuating that he is a sexual being....possibly with women...God forbid.

what's that with all you funny people...
birthday is a horror....

my God!! even Phil fucking Collins would have rejected that song to be put out on one of his records...

there's no creative melody in it at all...the drums are horrible.....and lyrically it is the same shit about 'the heart' and shit... i haven't got any clou what he is going on about at all....
and he ends with the most ugly 'oh-oh-oh / ah-ah-ah' i have ever heard of him..and completely out of tune as well...

anyway... the song is shite...
not as bad as How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel, or I'll Never Be Anybodys Hero Now...
but still...

It's not Tuesday yet. I don't even know how it is possible that all these people have heard it. It's not released until Tuesday. I have heard what is available through this website and youtube but nothing else. Where are you guys getting what hasn't been released? This poll is a bit premature!

When Last I Spoke To Carol is my favourite. It's quite reminiscent of 'Johnny, Remember me', which is one of Morrissey's favourite tunes. In fact, I think a lot of the album has a sixties feel to it. Yamaha

Compared to the survey on the forum (much smaller number of votes) 'Paris' has done really well as has Jesse's 'I'm OK'.
Originally looked like Alain was gonna claim the top 4 positions but it seems Boz and Jesse have now managed to sneak in there!

1. Alain (birthday)
2. Alain (squeezing)
3. Boz (paris)
4. Jesse (ok)
5. Alain (carol)
6. Alain (mama)
7. Boz (goodbye)
8. Boz (black)
9. Jesse (all you)
10. Alain (good)
11. Jesse (sorry)
12. Boz (that’s how)

of pants 'that's how people grow up' really is...

I think Jesse's songwriting has improved but people really like I'm OK better than Carol??

When Last I Spoke to Carol is a brilliant fusion of Morrissey's love for latin music and Morricone. The trumpets, whistling and closing swirls of wind had me punching the air! I really thought it'd come in second or at lowest third place.

just to soon but I like it

did ya al heard the bit mexican guitars, southern
USA influences in some tracks

the last 2 rock bigtime

I really must say after all the , its nothing special album, stop it Morrissey
Welll how wrong can they be, only shame is me name, are the 2 tracks, who were singles allready,
grow up and all you need is me

even skull which I didn't know what to find about it live, is very good solid track on the album

overall you can definately hear that the album
was recorded quick, well the demoos and the
work before had took its time, but it almost is like they played those whole album in 2 days and recorded it

oh I'm again wrong

Come on, folks.

"It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" isn't even in the same league as "Life Is A Pigsty." I can't believe some of you are actually trying to compare the two!

Yes, yes..."Birthday" is the best song on THIS album. It's got nothing on "Pigsty" which is both musically and lyrically better in every way.

How people cannot realise this is beyond me.

Let's leave it at that, shall we?

P.S. Chrisarclark may tend to disagree, but let's not forget when "Pigsty" received its praise, Chris was emotionally bitter over "Ringleader..." due to Morrissey's boycott of Canda.

some great tracks on there,but one day goodbye is miles above anything else.the lyrics are out-standing, and real,so that is mine followed by birthday and black cloud. vivamozz roll on may.

I'm surprised there aren't more votes for One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell. ...so grab me while we still have the time

On the first couple of playings I'd have to go for "When I Last Spoke To Carol".

Vocally, I think it's clearly the best on the album, and indeed his finest in a long while. The melody is so heart-tugging and all the little modulations and inflections remind me of why the candle still burns so brightly for him.
Lyrically, I think it's very 'Smiths-ish' and exactly the kind of thing that has kept his pantheon of work separate from the miserable copyists and shabby ne're-do-wells that have followed in his slipstream.
Musically, this is exactly how I imagined his music would sound when he emerged form his 7 year hiatus with stories of Mexico and his new Chicano following. It also proves that the quicker, speedier songs can be beautifully melodious.
Production wise, faultless; the instruments are given space to breathe, the sound effects of dogs and of the wind add a cinematic(Bunuelian?) backdrop to the song.
A triumph! He's not lost it!!!

The whole album is good. Really, REALLY good! Much better(in my opinion, of course) than both YATQ and ROTT, both of which now sound a little sludgey and slow compared to this. I hope this is evidence that Morrissey has realised that his songs don't have to mellow with age.
In this month's Mojo, Nick Cave explained that he felt he had to get away from the piano ballads that threatened to suffocate his career, and how he whip-cracked the Bad Seeds back into finding their visceral energy.
One can only but hope that Morrissey and his current players find, and continue to mine that same incandescent seam.

just got the big d so the last track 'I'm ok by myself' is good.

thetexasbloke

is a stunningly cold, brutal, sadistic song.

It is one of the greatest vocals he has ever recorded. I don't even want to know where he had to go inside to find that voice, but I am in awe.

SISMS - brilliant opener, the best rocker of the decade for Moz. the finish is tremendous. 9/10

MLSOTR - great track- when this was being played live earlier it sounded too heavy handed and serious, but the final studio version has a light-heartedness about it that kind of sums up the overall attitude of the album (not that the album is entirely light-hearted, but there is a balance drawn that wasnt done nearly well on the previous two albums)- the organs are the best "noise" ona Moz album since the SG-era. 8.5/10

Black Cloud - a little awkward for the chorus, but it works- it sounds a little cheesy, but he really owns it. 7.5/10

ITMAAP - ioriginally wrote this off as lazy and istill maintain that the lyric is something that Moz can (and likely did) write in the midst of a five minute nap, but the song is executed perfectly and it ends up coming off as quite lovely. 8/10

AYNIM - when released on the underwhelming Greatest Hits collection iwas not overly offended but again felt it was a lazy sort of effort- ive flip flopped on that and now think it a pretty damn good single- the tune is muscular, the lyrics are sort of obvious but still fairly witty especially in their delivery- only Moz can write this song. 8/10

WLISTC - some hav claimed this the worst thing theyve ever heard Morrissey do- these are the same people that simultaneously moan about how Moz is constantly retreading the same territory only to complain every time he tries something a little different (see Slum Mums)- this is a great track with a great lyric- one of the strongest moments on YOR. 8.5/10

THPGU - inever thought id say it, but this song has really grown on me- idespised it when it first was released as the first single off Greatest Hits, but now in the context of YOR what before seemed totally absurd now seems to make more sense (YOR is largely absurd, which is what makes it all hang together). 7.5/10

ODGWBF - isomehow think this couldve been a little better, but it's still fairly engaging- it loses me a little from "and the smiling children tell you that you smell" to "and when I die I want to go to hell"- not his best moment. 7/10

INYBA - speaking of best moment, this is the best song Morrissey has done since VAI- its absolutely staggering. his vocal soars and the lyric is breathtaking- icant say enough about how tremendous this song is and if it does not receive release as a single it will be a crime. 10/10

YWGIYT - a lovely, 007 theme-esque creepy crooner- the dead space at the end is wonderful. 8/10

SDH - ican see some wrting this one off, but iquite like it- another tune that though it has a sharp under-belly is quite a bit of fun too- the tune has almost a KU-era bounce to it. 7.5/10

IOBM - this is easily the worst song on the album and shouldve likely been left off altogether- the racing intro is promising, but then it settles down into by far the worst most ham-handed lyric on the album - very teenage girl - it does carry on the absurdish theme of the album, but it sort of goes over the cliff on this one - the manic outro im even alright with, but icant get over the cringeworthy middle- maybe itll grow. 6.5/10

Although I can't see YOR becoming my favourite album, this may possibly become my favourite opener. The hilarious lyrics and pounding, relentless guitar and the yelping of 'don't gimme anymore' that goes on just long enough, well it's just sublime.

It's great to hear Moz getting his rocks off... but Squeezing my Skull needs 1 more chorus run through to be complete (one of my fave tracks on the new offering). Also the lead guitar at the very start of Black Cloud needs to be repeated throughout the whole song!!!

These bits of genious leave you wanting more, you feel like rewinding the songs halfway through.

Whatta ya reckon???

I really think the melodies on Years of Refusal are just not as interesting as previous Moz albums. As for Morrissey's "comeback" albums go, I'd put YOR last among You Are The Quarry and Ringleader of the Tormentors. I'm gonna chalk this fact up to the departures of Alain Whyte and Gary Day. The new guitarist, Jesse whatever his name is, relies on power chords way too much for my liking. The odd key changes just don't suit Morrissey's lyrics and melodies.

To say YOR is the best Moz album since Vauxhall & I is simply ludicrous.

And I've been a Smiths/Morrisey fan since 1983 so I know what I'm talking about.

Is anyone else picking up on the horrible whiff of Snow Patrol about It's Not Your Birthday Anymore? I think it's the over-heated wall of guitar behind the 'epic' vocal on the chorus. Anyway: yuck.

I thought All You Need Is Me was a decent effort when it came out last year. Now I think it's one of his all-time greatest singles. What really did it for me was hearing the snippet of it on the One Show on BBC the other day, in the context of other career highlights. It really sits comfortably in the top layer of the canon, I think. The last lines ("You don't like me but you love, either way...") make for one of Moz's best-ever vocal melodies. So joyous and euphoric, up there with Panic, the end of I Like You, and the 'Na na-na na-na na-na' bit of This Charming Man. I just wish he could have sung the lines ad finitum, to a fade out, and that he could have gone up an octave after two bars. I've even worked out a way of changing the vocal melody a bit, so that he could have done this, if he'd like to consult me.

I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris is growing on me too. Similar complaints to AYNIM, though - I wish he'd extended the verses a bit, given them another bar. Moz has had a career-long tendency to rush through songs. Why? It's not as if they'd ever bore us.

i had to special order the deluxe edition. it hasn't arrived yet. the wait is killing me. at least the 'paris' singles arrived yesterday. "shame is the name" is a great song. really looking forward to the milwaukee show in april.

What should have happened with this album;
'That's how people grow up' destroyed from the album; in it's place should have been 'I'm OK by Myself', then 'Sorry Doesn't Help' should be similarly destroyed and the album should close with the magnificent 'you were good in your time'.

First of just let me say that I love Morrissey and wouldn't come on this page everyday if i didn't, although i admit there are alot of haters on this page or it might just people that once experienced how Great Morrissey was and what he has become.

I tried not to hear any of the songs on the new album until it was realeased which is nearly impossible if you have been to a show in the last year or two or bought the greatest misses etc etc..but l did hear the 3 "singles" beforehand so it is very hard to put them in context of this album as a whole. Btw guy that didn't understand why people had it on Mon. THEY ARE FROM FUCKIN ENGLAND MATE! HAHA, got it a day ahead

I did read every review of the album though by fans and critics alike before it came out, and i guess i shoulda known by the cover alone or the font that once again i would be let down.

If Morrissey would have stayed away after Maladjusted there is no doubt in my mind he would have cemented his legend at least in my mind and woulda have remained what he always had up until now, a mystery, but as we have it...

He made a "comeback". Right from the go i was weary of the You are the Quarry Album, again based on the cover alone i thought he might have lost it. And when i heard the album it was confirmed. To keep this review short as possible, First of Gang and Crashing Bores are ok

So next album, Ringleader of the tormentors?? Think the title says it all. It is bad. Again awful album artwork. Dear God, Life is a Pigsty yes...

So i don't know why but i got my hopes up again for Years of Refusal. Everybody said how it was a rocker and just like Southpaw which is one of my faves and how great blah blah yknow

so lets look at this album of basically B-sides. First off The Birthday song everybody RAVED about, i really wish i wouldn't have got my hopes up so much for such a letdown of a song, think the guy who compared it to Phil Collins not taking that shit song got it right haha

Something is Squeezing my Skull, easily the best Smoking Popes song on the album. As for the others I don't know Mama and Paris are OK, Grow up alright, I'm ok by myself is ok without the Morrissey parody lyrics by Morrissey that are...terrible but if you own Arsenal, Vauxhall, SouthPaw, World of Morrissey, Burglary years these just simply don't stand up. I am not one of these people that can't handle when a musician makes a change or doesn't make Vauxhall 2 but i am one of these people who can't handle when someone as great as Morrissey doesn't realise what he always said he would.

It seems to me as if Morrissey is forcing things instead of naturally writing or singing them. It doesn't seem like he is i don't know i can't write anymore i don't like this fucking album but i like it better than the previous two. And no matter what shit Morrissey releases i will always love him, even if he is headed in the direction of the Rolling Stones and other people who should have got off the stage, he still wrote Now my heart is Full what the fuck have i done haha Cheers

Well he was right... roll your eyes and complain but still you remain! All you need is Moz!

So i have been off this website for ages but time to return....Loved the album...very strong overall...INYBA is just one of the best things he has written...classic stuff...
Roll on the Albert Hall gig

I really don't understand the love people are finding for Not Your Birthday. But then I never understood the love that people threw at Life is a Pigsty. I kept going back to Pigsty because I decided I was missing something but I never found it. I love YOR, and there is some truth to the complaint that all the songs sound the same. NYB is the exception, but being different, in this case, is not a compliment.

Oh yeah.....this has to be the best song on the album!
When I first received my copy through the post I couldn't wait to hear all the tracks. When any track causes me to rewind over and over again like this one did, then I know this is the best. I have heard the album about 6 times now since owning it, and it just gets better and better each time.
Tonight, my neighbours (if they had of looked out of their window) would have glimpsed me dancing with my daughter in the kitchen to "When last I spoke to Carol" at full volume!!!!
Definately my favourite track on this album.

Crikey I love that song. Especially the chorus part that sounds like Sparks!

just finishing up my first listen... i'm gonna go w/ "since i last spoke to carol." i'm enjoying YoR - much more than RoTT. i remember saying 'ringleader...' was excellent when it first came out. i think that was just the excitement of a new morrissey album talking. i have definitely changed my mind since. i really don't enjoy that album except for a few songs and a few of the b-sides. YoR is more like it to these ears. i'm looking forward to listening to it over. and over. and over.

Is a very good song. One of my favorites since Vauxhall. I'm not crazy about the current band. I do like Boz. Would be interesting to see Moz work again with Stephen Street...maybe I'm living in the past.

I have to agree with the majority here. It's Not Your Birthday Anymore is clearly the best song Morrissey has recorded since Bona Drag. An amazing song that reminds me how I felt the first time I heard I'm Not Sorry from YATQ. Different in a way but familiar in a good way to the greatness that came from Viva Hate and Bona Drag.

1. Alain (birthday)
2. Alain (squeezing)
3. Alain (carol)
4. Boz (paris)
5. Alain (mama)
6. Jesse (ok)
7. Boz (goodbye)
8. Jesse (all you)
9. Boz (black)
10. Alain (good)
11. Boz (that’s how)
12. Jesse (sorry)

I remember upon my first listen to Quarry I was not overly impressed, same feeling when throwing on YOR. Howver, after about 5 plays, it is starting to definetly grow on me.

I am pleased with the fact that MOZ is still putting out records. The catchy melodies on some songs may not flow as well as, say vauxhall, but he still does have it, may a catchy tune and classic MOZ. I amazed how he can consistently throw out a "pop single" like AYNIM or ITMAAP, just think FOTGTD or YHKM.

Keep going MOZ, your still making it happen. Slag off the naysyers, or as you say from one my favorite Moz b-sides "if you don't like me, don't look at me."

BeeWee~

As I have said before, I have no complaints about the music, it is quite interesting, the production, superb. The weakness is in the lyrics and his lazy delivery of them. The ideas are great but leave an impression that he's releasing an album of rough drafts. That said, I really like "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell", it's lyrics are amusing and it has an certain energy.

Does anyone know who does the awful backing vocals on "Mama"?

It's a travesty that the best song recorded during these sessions, My Dearest Love, wasn't included on the album.

I know it´s a b-side & not on the actual album (from the album I´d probably choose Black Cloud), but I´ve been listening to "Shame Is The Name" dozens of times by now & what I at first thought to be an alright sing-along-song has by now become one that really touches my heart.

I keep thinking of how much this song would have meant to me if it had existed in my late teenage years, early twenties...it would have been my theme...I used to drink all day, be sick all night & vice versa, or both at the same time & I felt like nothing but a shame - & I didn´t care because I thought living is for the ignorant.

I would probably have played this song non-stop & it would have comforted me & helped me to smirk at the world.

Listening to it now, some years after leaving the path of self-destruction, makes me feel for the lost soul that I was. -

Thank you Morrissey.

I voted for Sorry Doesn't Help, and I'm not alone, it seems. And now about seventy two people will tell me that I have an IQ of 18, and that scientists in a laboratory in Amersterdam have clinically proven that Sorry Doesn't Help is the worst song ever written, and that those who like it are also liable to have unhealthy relationships with llamas.

A wonderful, windswept song.
Fantastic arrangement, lovely melodic piano part, great guitar sound, a sharp empathic lyric, perfectly pitched harmonies and a gorgeous harmonica line (when you least expext it).
shows how brilliant a modern-day moz song can be. would have massively out-performed Paris.
Absolute Virgins would've A-listed it.
so much better than the usual dreary, uninspired indie plod that we've become accustomed to...
M

First Moz album perhaps ever that I'm not digging AT ALL, maybe it will grow in time.

is the best song on the record. His vocal on it is just magnificent, the lyrics are poignant and the music is restrained, touching and atmospheric.

Merely confirms for me that this sort of music - strings, acoustic instruments, atmospheric effects - is what he should be doing now.

There are other songs on the album I like - Skull, Mama, Carol and also Farewell - but overall there is too much tuneless guitar attack.

Black Cloud and Im Ok By Myself are real dirges.

I'd like him to make an album where the majority of the material is like You Were Good In Your Time or Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself, with an obvious single like Gang or a more upbeat number like Skull to balance it off.

Morrissey and strings/acoustic instruments would be a masterpiece. This list alone proves it:

I've Changed My Plea to Guilty
Trouble Loves Me
You Were Good in Your Time
I Know Very Well How I Got My Name
Seasick
Why Don't You Find Out For yourself

it's got that perfect balance of personal and universal..

and the music is just... right...

Oxymoronic I know, but his voice sounds different on many of the tracks compared to Quarry and ROTT.
However, if most of these tracks were recorded live, that's a brave move, very in keeping with the punk spirit brought to it by Jerry Finn. Nontheless, I much prefer an album to have a studio feel and hear the live vocals when I see an artist at a gig; there are a few tracks here where his voice hits the wrong key and the yodels (god bless him) sound out of tune. That sort of thing is forgivable at a gig, as it's a transient thing and lends a different sound at every performance to each song, but on an album ...

Anyway, I do like the album (being a fan I knew I would) but I don't think it comes close to an 'album', in the way YATQ or ROTT did. Maybe it will grow on me (god knows ROTT took time, but it was worth the effort). However, I can't escape the feeling that on YOR I'm listening to a collection of songs rather than a fully gelled album; a collection of songs, may I add, where Alain Whyte has once again triumphed by pushing Morrissey musically. Black Cloud and Paris are good tunes, but I think Boz has hit a trough in his songwriting; where are the inspired compositions of Vauxhall, the dark energy of Jack The Ripper, or the sheer beauty of Come Back to Camden?
Where Jesse is concerned, he's a great guy, but he needs to push himself to come up with somthing different than the sawing guitar sound he throws over so many Moz vocals.
It pains me to say it, because I dislike Coldplay, but from their second album onwards (I'm forced to listen to them at work) they've made some fantastic music ... note I said music. The problem with that band is that they're a collection of choclolate fireguards fronted by a pretentious whinging wet blanket. Were they to find personalities (as opposed to the one's they've purchased from Ikea) then British music would have to up it's ante. My point being that Morrissey could easily write an amazing vocal to go over something like Violet Hill, something better than "It was a long and dark december, on the rooftops I remember there was snow, white snow". Yeah, thanks for that Chris, I'd forgotten what colour snow was, and that it gets dark in december; perhaps you thought you could distract me with your toddler-esque rhyming skills. Snide remarks aside, I don't want Moz to front Coldplay (god forbid) but I do think, with the quality of musicianship out there these days, a man like Morrissey needs challenging to put his brilliant lyricism (and there are still some sublime lyrics on this album) to some truly goosebump-inducing composition. That's what he did in places on YATQ and ROTT and why I feel let down that he hasn't acheived the same on YOR.

Overall, these are just my opinions, I couldn't come up with anything aproaching Boz or Jesse's compositions were I asked to write a song for Moz. However, I think Morrissey and his Men also feel that YOR isn't their best work; there are two old singles on there for a start. This is why there's suddenly all this talk in the press of 'Morrissey to retire in 5 years' and the usual end of the line stuff; he's feeling stuck in a rut and this passes through to his band. Still, anyone would think, from reading this, that that I dislike the album; not at all, I just don't love it. It does, however, have better artwork than any other album he's released.
Favourite track? When Last I spoke to Carol is great.

I vote for "you were good" as my personal favourite right now.

Well after about twelve listenings I have to say I'm really enjoying it. I hated Ringleader and had got to the stage where this would've been the last one I had to purchase as soon as it came out.
But as i said after so many listenings I can't stop playing it.
Well done Mozzer a return to form.
I knew you still had it in you!

P.s. You made me laugh outloud on the one show, and i about wet myself when i read the bbc forum slagging you off.
Still got it sir.

After many hours listening to this album, and having so many favourites, I can now understand why "It's not your birthday anymore" is such a firm favourite. What an absolutely beautiful song. I have just finished a sack load of ironing listening to the whole album again, for I think, the 20th time and have come to the conclusion this song has to be the best.
Even my kids agree with me!

... sounds like "Roy´s Keen" in some parts.

Sorry's poor (out of you)
All why-died swimming pool smiles
certain to see you boththrough
like a QC obsessed with sleaze
you say:
"Oh, please forklift..."
you say:
"Oh, live and let die (DOO DOO)..."
but Barry doesn't help us
and Larry misbehaves thus
and Garry will not bring my teen years back to me (not that i ever left them)
Forced back, it springs right out
underpants, you love No Doubt
you laid about the laying of the carpet you sold
which is the fool (existential rhythm of Russ
Abbott)
you say:
"Oh, please forklift..."
you say:
"Oh, live and let die (DOO DOO)..."
but Barry doesn't help us
Garry misbehaves thus
Larry will not insert new age energies into my lucky charms (rabbit's foot and all...)
Barry doesn't help us
Garry misbehaves thus
Larry is just a word you find so sleazy (oh yay... so you say "oh yay")
Benny doesn't help us
Kenny won't protect us
Lenny won't undo all the wood glue fun

My favorite Morrissey song EVER on the album has got ta be Sorry Doesn’t Help. And why? You may ask, seeing as there are so many fascinating jewels in his repetwa repetore repettwar back pocket.
Well even though the lyrics are very dark and literal, the music helps you bounce along to it, in a jolly manner. It is fascinating how he manages to do this after so many years.
I like it.

Shame is the Name
duh...

It all flows togther and he sounds so vibrant. I think the only people who dont like it are the fans that like Morrissey to sound lush and sing mid tempo songs.

By the way I got the vinyl version and the cd as well. I was disapointed that the vinyl had no booklet or anything whatsoever other than the sleeve for the record.

I loved 'When last i spoke to Carol' when I heard the pre-released bootleg version. I thought the music was fantastic; fun and very different and the story in the song was great as well. Now that I have it, I love it even more!

The other songs that we had heard live and on previous releases are excellent; good quality musically and the lyrics are interesting and quite direct.
I like 'Paris','Mama', 'Skull' and 'You were good'in particular. The rest are good toe-tapping singalong songs, although I am struggling a bit with 'Black cloud', I don't think it would be a success as the next single but then Good Ol' Mozzer has not always released the best songs as singles!

Overall, it's a really good album and I like the musical and lyrical aggression, it works well and will be terrific live. I'm looking forward to seeing him a few times in May. He starts in a few days and I will be very keen to see what the set list will be. I hope he keeps 'Seasick' on - an amazing song and the version on Radio 2 was terrific. I hope 'Carol' will find her way on to the list!
Good times for Mozzer fans.

But quite close comes You were good at your time. Alain Whyte songs are the top ones. This might prove him to be the best collaborator Morrissey has worked with. After you know whom.

You can tell even before listening to the album that "Sorry Doesn't Help" and "I' m OK By Myself would be horrible songs. The main point about the album is just the sheer improvement in terms of the music, the drums on most of the album, the farting synths on "Mama" add a such an uplifting element, the beginning of "Black Cloud" made me think Morrissey was about to give us an early 90s acid house track (he should of carried throughout), the mexican/spanish influence on "Carol". "That's How People Grow Up" is the worst song Morrissey has ever recorded. One Word. Horrific. "Skull", "Mama" and "Birthday" will be on a 'new' Morrissey compliation in the not too distant future and will be hopefully will be singles too. It finally looks the comeback hype has worn off and he has placed himself back upon the higher aristocracy of British Pop with this much better-than-average album. 8/10

I like the album, but obviously not that much because today Id had enough of the Power Chords and Hard rock feel so I put Quarry on, and it made me a little sad that the new songs just arent as good, not as melodic and not as memorable. You think back to M in Manchester now, Id love to hear that set again..

On the whole I think there is a lot to like about this album with Morrissey sounding better than ever vocally. But I think there are a few too many up tempo drum heavy tracks and not enough strangley beautiful tracks like 'You Were Good In Your Time' which is my particular favourite. If you take 'One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell' for example, I think there is a great tune in there but the arrangement could have been better. I don't think that barrage of 100 mile an hour drumming really suited the actual theme of the song. Then there is the last two tracks, they really are a couple of duffers and should have been left off the album in favour of 'My Dearest Love' and 'Children in Pieces' But I still think it is a good album and an improvement on ROTT.

I agree that Birthday is one of the best on the album. I'm kind of surprised that it was rated so high. The album version of Skull is much better than the live version (IMO), but I would rate Mama, Caral, You Were Good, and a few others over Skull.

The best song: "Because of my poor education"...