"Low In High School" reviews (Pitchfork, God Is In The TV, Daily Californian, Bob Stei)

"Low In High School" review by Sam Sodomsky (5.7 / 10) - Pitchfork. Link posted by BrummieBoy (original post).

"Low In High School" review by Tim Russell - God Is In The TV. Link posted by Billbones80 (original post).

Morrissey capitalizes on political controversy distastefully in new album ‘Low in High School’ by Maisy Menzies (Grade: N/A) - The Daily Californian. Link posted by BrummieBoy (original post).
Editor’s Note: The Daily Californian recognizes that a numerical grading system cannot always account for the problematic history of the artists whose work we are grading. Given the harm caused by this artist, this critic has decided not to give this album a grade.

"Low In High School" review by radio personality Bob Stei. Link from an anonymous person.


Related item:
 
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Morrissey capitalizes on political controversy distastefully in new album ‘Low in High School’ by Maisy Menzies (Grade: N/A) - The Daily Californian. Link posted by BrummieBoy (original post).
Editor’s Note: The Daily Californian recognizes that a numerical grading system cannot always account for the problematic history of the artists whose work we are grading. Given the harm caused by this artist, this critic has decided not to give this album a grade.

This is about clickbait and not principle. They decided not to grade the album, and posted a sanctimonious statement condemning the artist, but yet they ran the review for the obvious purpose of generating website traffic. So give me a break and stop pretending that running a negative review is somehow taking a principled stand. They saw a controversy and capitalized on it. If Morrissey has really caused so much "harm," then the appropriate response would be to not run the review at all to avoid triggering and further harming their readers. I am curious who precisely he has harmed and in what way, and I'm also curious how refusing to grade an album, or giving it a negative review, somehow mitigates or combats that harm.
 
Reviews aren't so useful. One person has an opinion, another another. But that's by the by.
I'd just like to say how funny it is to see a 5.7/10 score.

5.7? That's just daft.
 
In the past, I’ve covered Morrissey’s interviews with an eyeroll and a chuckle because A) dude thinks he’s smart but he’s really an unhinged nutjob and B) few people give a sh-t about Morrissey these days unless he’s saying something crazy. But if Donald Trump has taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop rolling our eyes at dangerously stupid people.

http://www.celebitchy.com/557637/mo...kevin_spacey_has_been_attacked_unnecessarily/

In our post-Trump era, where opinion is king, facts have alternatives, and even the nightly news is fake, fake, "FAKE!", a little clarity of purpose goes a long way. Sadly, there's nothing on Low In High School that will clear the murky waters of public opinion that surround Ol' Mozza's apparent political persuasions. More damningly, there's also little of the passion, wit, and romantic truth that, in the past, came so easily to the self-proclaimed Mayor of Manchester. 6/10

http://www.hotpress.com/Morrissey/m...-Morrissey-iLow-in-High-Schooli/21313282.html
 
I think the new album is his best since Ringleader. I know I said that before but I love the variety on it. There were two songs (I Bury The Living and Who Will Protect Us from the Police) that I didn't like, but now I'm ok with 'I Bury The Living'. Incidentally, there is a film with the same title, and I only know that from reading a Stephen King preface on one of his books.
The film was released in 1958 so I suppose there is a chance Moz saw it on re-run and liked the title? Actually if you look at the poster below I'd say there are some people who think that tag-line also applies to the new album (but I'm not one of them).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051755/

IBuryTheLiving.jpg
 
On your last 2 paragraphs:

1) That MUST be it. Do you see Morrissey and his people rushing to put out quotes saying they're off to the lawyers for misrepresentation? Don't be daft. The truth is what you read, and you don't like it - I get that.

2) Are the Chinese not a race?

On your overall post - I'm glad you like the album. Metacritic shows its as his worst ever...

http://www.metacritic.com/music/low-in-high-school/morrissey
Ok I get that some people hate the new album. But surely there are some songs people like? How about 'Home Is A Question Mark'? That reminds me of great songs like 'Nobody Loves Us' and 'Now My Heart Is Full'. I guess I can't understand how people who liked previous Moz albums don't seem to like any of the new songs. People seem to be very binary about the album: hate or love. Surely there is an in-between days that people live in?
 
Ok I get that some people hate the new album. But surely there are some songs people like? How about 'Home Is A Question Mark'? That reminds me of great songs like 'Nobody Loves Us' and 'Now My Heart Is Full'. I guess I can't understand how people who liked previous Moz albums don't seem to like any of the new songs. People seem to be very binary about the album: hate or love. Surely there is an in-between days that people live in?


I totally agree, I really think this album is a mix of some of his most glorious songs to date - Question Mark for course and I still adore My Love, that is the kind of bombastic opener I could imagine appearing as the opening track on a Best Of in the future.

But yes some of his political statements are awful, oil is a reason these wars occur (shock, horror).... Jesus. So yes the album does tail off badly sadly. Some songs like In You Lap have failed to have an impression on me yet, maybe more listens will help though.

The real winner here is the producer, the music for most part sounds bloody good! Would you agree ACTON?
 
Morrissey's new record is simply an amazing piece of art. I say this not only as a long time Mozzer fan, but as a working musician. I can't remember the last time I have felt so passionately about a record. I'm a huge Johnny Marr and Alain Whyte fan, but his current band, along with the stunning production by Joe Chiccarelli, have delivered something truly adventurous and epic. I have only ever commented on here once before, but I've read so many things lately that seem to get this record so wrong that I feel the need to again. I'm not even sure where to begin.

To make a record that sounds like this isn't easy. In fact, it's rarely done in modern times. This record has the decadent swagger of something out of the 70's, while also being modern enough that it feels fresh and alive and of the now. The dark brass of Lou Reed's Berlin, the synth squelches of Nico's The End, and the dramatic glam rock of Bowie all swirl together. But drums never sounded that big and powerful back then. There are also sounds from various global destinations and modern editing and manipulation at play. The mix is clear and yet warm. Everything sounds gigantic while still having space. Whoever mixed and mastered this record knows what the f*** they are doing. It sounds incredible on headphones. It's f***ing cinematic as hell!

The lyrics are somewhere between the poeticism of Ringleader and the blunt clarity of Quarry. When is the last time that anyone wrote lyrics that seemed to make so many people uncomfortable? That in itself is an achievement. This truly does feel like the work of someone that came up during the punk era, but never felt the need to abandon its confrontational outlook. That being said there is a lot more complexity and humanity than most people are giving him credit for.

The song that seems to give most people pause is Israel. I am against the occupation. However, anyone that thinks Morrissey is giving a blank check to the state of Israel simply hasn't read the lyrics to that song, nor viewed them through the context of the record as a whole. More than any other album Morrissey takes on military, security, and police forces. I'm an American that was against Bush's Iraq invasion. How dearly I wished at the time that others would see that it was our government and those that supported it, and not our people as a whole that created that situation. I voted against Bush twice, but that didn't stop the Iraq War from happening. Morrissey's outlook is actually extremely intelligent. He is not judging the people of an entire country by what their government is doing. That being said, I don't think the song Israel is that simple. The name Israel means roughly, "He who struggles with God." If it weren't for other songs dealing with Tel Aviv, I probably wouldn't think the lyrics of Israel had very little to do with the state of Israel at all. Even now, however, I think that they are more inspired by visiting their and the feelings he had while being there, than actually the state itself. The lyrics have more to do with the repression that comes from religion than any kind of expressly current political situation. Three of the worlds major religions come from that place, and they have helped pave the way to an earth that is an asylum for those that are outsiders in society. Israel and Jerusalem have also been used by poets throughout the ages to tackle big topics. I can't help but feel that Morrissey is using his experience there to talk about the topics that have always been near to his heart.

Also with I Bury the Living, Morrissey seems to be updating Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier. You may not agree with the viewpoint of either, but it's a debate worth having. Are those that carry out violent orders culpable or not?

........................

There is so much more to say about this magnificent record, but I'll leave it there. Forget about the headlines, the reviews, and actually listen and think about this record. It's an amazing piece of art that I think will speak to us in the years ahead, every bit as much as it does now. Most people just can't seem to see it outside the narrow political climate of today.

..................

There are two other things I want to add to the discussions that have been going on in general:

1. As someone that has given interviews, I can say beyond a doubt that reporters almost never quote exactly what you have said. You combine that with a german translation and google translate and one can imagine how different what he actually said might be from what people are reading. Even if he did say exactly what he said in the German interview, I think we should at least view those comments in the context of his art and life as a whole. Morrissey's political views aren't always crystal clear, but I think it is pretty clear that he is disgusted by violence upon the innocent.

2. The Morrissey is a racist thing is so f***ing tired. His album is dedicated to Dick Gregory. His band is half Mexican. The kid on his cover is Mexican. Morrissey paid tribute to Istanbul, albeit in his usual backwards way. (I always took his line about Pittsburg from Ringleaders to be a wink towards his fans there with his usual dark humor.) Morrissey clearly, from his autobiography, loves his fans from all over the world. He has, however, criticized different cultural and religious beliefs. This is not the same thing as race. Race is something you are born with, that you have no decision in. Religion and culture are things one can leave behind, in the same way that Morrissey is a lapsed Catholic. It's fine to disagree with him on this, but don't confuse one with the other.
Nice review, I got my copy on Saturday, so I had read all the terrible reviews on here and in the press, which sort of put me off even listening to it, but I have and its so incredible if listened to, this is not dancing music, this is not the Smiths, this is something far more deeper. This LP is not meant to be commercially successful, its a real deep from the heart collection of songs. Theirs no way you can play this LP once and fully understand it, its complex, vocally and musically. Morrissey has given us something quite different as he always has done, also the band must be given credit for creating such music.
 
Morrissey's new record is simply an amazing piece of art. I say this not only as a long time Mozzer fan, but as a working musician. I can't remember the last time I have felt so passionately about a record. I'm a huge Johnny Marr and Alain Whyte fan, but his current band, along with the stunning production by Joe Chiccarelli, have delivered something truly adventurous and epic. I have only ever commented on here once before, but I've read so many things lately that seem to get this record so wrong that I feel the need to again. I'm not even sure where to begin.

To make a record that sounds like this isn't easy. In fact, it's rarely done in modern times. This record has the decadent swagger of something out of the 70's, while also being modern enough that it feels fresh and alive and of the now. The dark brass of Lou Reed's Berlin, the synth squelches of Nico's The End, and the dramatic glam rock of Bowie all swirl together. But drums never sounded that big and powerful back then. There are also sounds from various global destinations and modern editing and manipulation at play. The mix is clear and yet warm. Everything sounds gigantic while still having space. Whoever mixed and mastered this record knows what the f*** they are doing. It sounds incredible on headphones. It's f***ing cinematic as hell!

The lyrics are somewhere between the poeticism of Ringleader and the blunt clarity of Quarry. When is the last time that anyone wrote lyrics that seemed to make so many people uncomfortable? That in itself is an achievement. This truly does feel like the work of someone that came up during the punk era, but never felt the need to abandon its confrontational outlook. That being said there is a lot more complexity and humanity than most people are giving him credit for.

The song that seems to give most people pause is Israel. I am against the occupation. However, anyone that thinks Morrissey is giving a blank check to the state of Israel simply hasn't read the lyrics to that song, nor viewed them through the context of the record as a whole. More than any other album Morrissey takes on military, security, and police forces. I'm an American that was against Bush's Iraq invasion. How dearly I wished at the time that others would see that it was our government and those that supported it, and not our people as a whole that created that situation. I voted against Bush twice, but that didn't stop the Iraq War from happening. Morrissey's outlook is actually extremely intelligent. He is not judging the people of an entire country by what their government is doing. That being said, I don't think the song Israel is that simple. The name Israel means roughly, "He who struggles with God." If it weren't for other songs dealing with Tel Aviv, I probably wouldn't think the lyrics of Israel had very little to do with the state of Israel at all. Even now, however, I think that they are more inspired by visiting their and the feelings he had while being there, than actually the state itself. The lyrics have more to do with the repression that comes from religion than any kind of expressly current political situation. Three of the worlds major religions come from that place, and they have helped pave the way to an earth that is an asylum for those that are outsiders in society. Israel and Jerusalem have also been used by poets throughout the ages to tackle big topics. I can't help but feel that Morrissey is using his experience there to talk about the topics that have always been near to his heart.

Also with I Bury the Living, Morrissey seems to be updating Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier. You may not agree with the viewpoint of either, but it's a debate worth having. Are those that carry out violent orders culpable or not?

........................

There is so much more to say about this magnificent record, but I'll leave it there. Forget about the headlines, the reviews, and actually listen and think about this record. It's an amazing piece of art that I think will speak to us in the years ahead, every bit as much as it does now. Most people just can't seem to see it outside the narrow political climate of today.

..................

There are two other things I want to add to the discussions that have been going on in general:

1. As someone that has given interviews, I can say beyond a doubt that reporters almost never quote exactly what you have said. You combine that with a german translation and google translate and one can imagine how different what he actually said might be from what people are reading. Even if he did say exactly what he said in the German interview, I think we should at least view those comments in the context of his art and life as a whole. Morrissey's political views aren't always crystal clear, but I think it is pretty clear that he is disgusted by violence upon the innocent.

2. The Morrissey is a racist thing is so f***ing tired. His album is dedicated to Dick Gregory. His band is half Mexican. The kid on his cover is Mexican. Morrissey paid tribute to Istanbul, albeit in his usual backwards way. (I always took his line about Pittsburg from Ringleaders to be a wink towards his fans there with his usual dark humor.) Morrissey clearly, from his autobiography, loves his fans from all over the world. He has, however, criticized different cultural and religious beliefs. This is not the same thing as race. Race is something you are born with, that you have no decision in. Religion and culture are things one can leave behind, in the same way that Morrissey is a lapsed Catholic. It's fine to disagree with him on this, but don't confuse one with the other.
Soooooooo spot on....thanks for writing that....I share exactly the same. And yes, this is a fantastic long player. Cant tire of it.
 
I totally agree, I really think this album is a mix of some of his most glorious songs to date - Question Mark for course and I still adore My Love, that is the kind of bombastic opener I could imagine appearing as the opening track on a Best Of in the future.

But yes some of his political statements are awful, oil is a reason these wars occur (shock, horror).... Jesus. So yes the album does tail off badly sadly. Some songs like In You Lap have failed to have an impression on me yet, maybe more listens will help though.

The real winner here is the producer, the music for most part sounds bloody good! Would you agree ACTON?
I would but that's from listening to it on spotify. I'm keen to hear it in a CD in a car on my own before I can judge it fully. But yah, the production sounds good to me, just like the production on World Peace which I loved.
 
Nice review, I got my copy on Saturday, so I had read all the terrible reviews on here and in the press, which sort of put me off even listening to it, but I have and its so incredible if listened to, this is not dancing music, this is not the Smiths, this is something far more deeper. This LP is not meant to be commercially successful, its a real deep from the heart collection of songs. Theirs no way you can play this LP once and fully understand it, its complex, vocally and musically. Morrissey has given us something quite different as he always has done, also the band must be given credit for creating such music.
Exactly!!!
 
In the past, I’ve covered Morrissey’s interviews with an eyeroll and a chuckle because A) dude thinks he’s smart but he’s really an unhinged nutjob and B) few people give a sh-t about Morrissey these days unless he’s saying something crazy. But if Donald Trump has taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop rolling our eyes at dangerously stupid people.

http://www.celebitchy.com/557637/mo...kevin_spacey_has_been_attacked_unnecessarily/

In our post-Trump era, where opinion is king, facts have alternatives, and even the nightly news is fake, fake, "FAKE!", a little clarity of purpose goes a long way. Sadly, there's nothing on Low In High School that will clear the murky waters of public opinion that surround Ol' Mozza's apparent political persuasions. More damningly, there's also little of the passion, wit, and romantic truth that, in the past, came so easily to the self-proclaimed Mayor of Manchester. 6/10

http://www.hotpress.com/Morrissey/m...-Morrissey-iLow-in-High-Schooli/21313282.html
You're forgetting that Moz never set out to be a platinum selling artist and world dominatrix. He has always expressed surprise at his success. So the idea of 'most people don't give a sh-t about Morrissey' means absolutely nothing. He's not Adele. It surprises me how 'fans' like yourself constantly complain about Moz and at the same time express disgust that he is not a world renowned household name. Why do you care enough to post anything here? Just to annoy people? I don't think you succeed at that anymore because we don't care.
 
Pretty much every scientist in the world agrees that there is no such thing as 'race'. Do your homework.

The Chinese are a nation.

If every public comment is going to be judged against every 'ist' and 'phobic' going (and the list expands every day) then no one will be able to say anything about anything.

Metacritic shows it's his worst ever - so it must be...I would rather have a mind of my own.

Of course you can think how you like. But the accumulated opinion of many more people than you shows otherwise.
 
You're forgetting that Moz never set out to be a platinum selling artist and world dominatrix. He has always expressed surprise at his success. So the idea of 'most people don't give a sh-t about Morrissey' means absolutely nothing. He's not Adele. It surprises me how 'fans' like yourself constantly complain about Moz and at the same time express disgust that he is not a world renowned household name. Why do you care enough to post anything here? Just to annoy people? I don't think you succeed at that anymore because we don't care.

Absolute nonsense. It's really quite sad and silly when people pose as devoted Morrissey 'fans' on this site but simply have no idea what they are writing about. I am not a 'fan' of Morrissey. I detest the f***er. I have been a member of his audience now and then but he represents everything that is putrid about popular music hence the need to remorselessly debunk him so young impressionable folk aren't lured into the Cult Of Morrissey. It's a public service. That's why I care enough. It's also great fun. When you say 'we don't care' you are talking about idiots like you who know nothing about what he has actually said about key topics such as his quest for fame. You are lost. You are beyond help. My debunking isn't meant to rescue hopeless cases like you but those who can still be steered away from descending into your cult oblivion. I don't express disgust that he's not world renowned household name. But he does! That's what's so funny. For someone so obsessed with fame he's failed to become genuinely famous. He has spent decades complaining about the failure of record companies to make his genuinely famous and you haven't even noticed? Some fan you are....you're hilarious, a perfect textbook example of The Stupid Morrissey Fan.

I was obsessed with fame, and I couldn't see anyone in the past in film or music who resembled me.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...ved=0ahUKEwiq16fCztLXAhXJI8AKHdewBD8Q6AEIYjAI


as he admitted in a later interview: 'I always had a religious obsession with fame'.


https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...ved=0ahUKEwiq16fCztLXAhXJI8AKHdewBD8Q6AEISzAF

 
Reviews aren't so useful. One person has an opinion, another another. But that's by the by.
I'd just like to say how funny it is to see a 5.7/10 score.

5.7? That's just daft.
Totally daft. I was talking to a friend about what he thought of the new album and I said I gave it a 10 out of 12. Which made no sense until he realised there were 12 songs on the album, so basically I really liked 10 of them. But I can't work out what 5.7 means. By the way he loved the album too and was surprised at the negative reaction to it.
 
Absolute nonsense. It's really quite sad and silly when people pose as devoted Morrissey 'fans' on this site but simply have no idea what they are writing about. I am not a 'fan' of Morrissey. I detest the f***er. I have been a member of his audience now and then but he represents everything that is putrid about popular music hence the need to remorselessly debunk him so young impressionable folk aren't lured into the Cult Of Morrissey. It's a public service. That's why I care enough. It's also great fun. When you say 'we don't care' you are talking about idiots like you who know nothing about what he has actually said about key topics such as his quest for fame. You are lost. You are beyond help. My debunking isn't meant to rescue hopeless cases like you but those who can still be steered away from descending into your cult oblivion. I don't express disgust that he's not world renowned household name. But he does! That's what's so funny. For someone so obsessed with fame he's failed to become genuinely famous. He has spent decades complaining about the failure of record companies to make his genuinely famous and you haven't even noticed? Some fan you are....you're hilarious, a perfect textbook example of The Stupid Morrissey Fan.

I was obsessed with fame, and I couldn't see anyone in the past in film or music who resembled me.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...ved=0ahUKEwiq16fCztLXAhXJI8AKHdewBD8Q6AEIYjAI


as he admitted in a later interview: 'I always had a religious obsession with fame'.


https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...ved=0ahUKEwiq16fCztLXAhXJI8AKHdewBD8Q6AEISzAF
Every word after 'I detest the f.....' is irrelevant, based on your hatred. Constantly insulting people who disagree with your rotted brainfarts is kind of sad.
 
Every word after 'I detest the f.....' is irrelevant, based on your hatred. Constantly insulting people who disagree with your rotted brainfarts is kind of sad.

Your 'high moral ground' about insults collapses with your use of 'rotted brainfarts'. Kind of sad. I've read your comments. You insult people liberally.
 
Your 'high moral ground' about insults collapses with your use of 'rotted brainfarts'. Kind of sad. I've read your comments. You insult people liberally.
I usually tend to avoid insulting people until I am attacked, in which case I will react. But saying you 'detest' Moz and then visiting the site every day makes no sense to me. Maybe it makes sense to others. Fair enough if it does. I'm not a Moz apostle. He makes mistakes, he says daft and hurtful things sometimes. But to me his music is still great and that is what I care about the most. If I 'detested' Moz I wouldn't be here day in day out like you are. I'd be on another fansite agreeing/disagreeing with people. But you only seem to agree with people who hate Moz too. Same for a few others on this site who seem to make it their life's purpose to annoy everyone. Maybe that is your life's purpose. Doesn't matter. It won't take away from the quality of the new album or stop my being thrilled to stand near the front row at Moz next year.
p.s. I'm not out to insult you. Please accept my apologies. We're all different and that's a good thing.
 
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