http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/13/morrissey-years-of-refusal
"Indeed, great lines are surprisingly thin on the ground. It's not so much that you've heard what he has to say on Black Cloud or That's How People Grow Up before; it's more that you've heard him say it better."
See also his Robbie Williams - Reality Killed The Video Star 4/5 review.
And his Morrissey - You Are The Quarry 2/5 review.
Not the best source to quote!The man clearly has no genuine feel or understanding for Morrissey's material...
Also, regardless of whether you like the song, That's How People Grow Up does actually articulate something Morrissey has never said in song before. So he's wrong about that too!
Still, we both gave Black Cloud 8/10 so we must agree on something!
The song is much better live, but that's still not saying much. 'Plodding' is the most polite way I can describe it, I think.
6
The intro is fine, but that's about it. Nothing special.
a recurring critique of the YOR songs was that he was covering old ground, lyrically, but less skilfully than before.
whilst undoubtedly true with some songs (e.g. One Day Goodbye), I reckon Black Cloud could be Morrissey's finest unrequited love song to date.
"I can woo ya, I can amuse ya" - brilliant!
the descending "oh black cloud" vocal melody is wonderful too, and the strummy guitar bit mid-way through is fantastically pleasing!
whilst it's clearly not up there with his very best stuff - I'm giving it an 8 - it's certainly an above-average modern day Morrissey song, head and shoulders above most of the generic, substandard filler on ROTT and Who Ate Me Curry.