
Ringleader in Reflection: A Look Back at Morrissey’s 2006 Album, Ringleader of The Tormentors

Regards,
FWD.
Related item:
- Morrissey Central: "Ringleader In Reflection" - March 31, 2021
The B-side live version at the Palladium on "In the future when all is well" single is just out of this world!!!!The only song I’ve really loved from this album is “Hero Now”.
Vanilla elevator music with shite, trite lyrics.as i always say,its easy to criticise,lets face it people on here hate her for who she is and it doesnt matter what she writes it will always be criticised by skinflint and his cohorts.
i would like to see one other person give their own reflections on ringleader so we can see the utter genius that hangs around here.
"Whilst fans of the music legend have followed him through his journey from frontman of iconic band The Smiths, to the undeniable greatness of his later work, such as I Am Not A Dog On A Chain and Low In High School,"
That's as far as I got.
I can't hate her for who she is because I have no idea who she is. And hate would be more of a reaction than she deserves really.as i always say,its easy to criticise,lets face it people on here hate her for who she is and it doesnt matter what she writes it will always be criticised by skinflint and his cohorts.
i would like to see one other person give their own reflections on ringleader so we can see the utter genius that hangs around here.
I agree. He’s hit a real purple patch recently. World Peace, California Son and Dog are all five star efforts. And LIHS deserves recognition for its musical experiments.I love his later work!!!!
I agree. He’s hit a real purple patch recently. World Peace, California Son and Dog are all five star efforts. And LIHS deserves recognition for its musical experiments.
Ringleader, however, isn’t great.
I remember Oasis getting lukewarm reviews for their first two very good albums. They sold millions and critics looked foolish and out of touch, and so the third album was gifted incredibly high praise by journalists (some laughably described it as ‘an instant classic’). It turned out that Be Here Now was actually a poor album. I’m sharing this because I think it goes some way to explaining why Ringleader was well received: Quarry is a much better album, but it wasn’t exactly showered with praise when it came out. But the public had the last word—and the critics seemed obsolete and degraded.
The positivity around Ringleader was surely a rearguard reaction to try and recover some tarnished critical reputations: Paul Morley’s gushing review (in The Observer, I think) was even more fawning and self serving than Fiona’s rose-tinted account of this album.
In 2004, it seemed like Morrissey was on the threshold of becoming an A-list artist. When I first listened to Ringleader, in 2006, I heard the sound of the wheels falling off.
I know what you mean, but I'm fond of it & the wheels coming off probably is his brand.
I think he's an important artist rather than an A-list entertainer, which he doesn't have the constitution or the instantly crowd pleasing hits for.
Absolute cobblers. How many times have we seen him complain he's not top of the charts? In particular the leaked e-mail. He CRAVES mainstream recognition. Only thing is he's shot himself in the foot and no one else is to blameI don't think he ever wanted to be a mainstream entertainer. He hates the business and whenever he came close to it, the good old 'unlimited self-sabotage' made sure he wouldn't make it to the top.
It's at the very core of his being. And strangely, I love him for that.
Absolute cobblers. How many times have we seen him complain he's not top of the charts? In particular the leaked e-mail. He CRAVES mainstream recognition. Only thing is he's shot himself in the foot and no one else is to blame
The ‘self-sabotage’ does his working-class credentials no harm at all: he is profoundly Colin Smith. But by 2006 it was losing its romance for me: I wanted Morrissey to breakthrough like Richard Burton, rather than fall short like Tom Courtney.I know what you mean, but I'm fond of it & the wheels coming off probably is his brand.
I think he's an important artist rather than an A-list entertainer, which he doesn't have the constitution or the instantly crowd pleasing hits for.