oh this does not sound promising!!!!!!!

yeah right!!!!!

woohooo

while I only heard 2 songs, surely it is premature for one to judge this album as his best solo work yet. Personally, I believe that such a judgement must be rendered only after years of listening, after achieving another perspective.

Nevertheless, such a review does bode well, does arouse expectation.

In short, I can't wait.

It's a good review and I'm pleased to see that the songs Morley recommends are the single (which I love) and two of the tracks we haven't yet heard; this bodes very well.
However, my only quibble is that The Observer Music Monthly has a following seven reviews with 4 stars and two with 3 stars.
Now, I'm not saying it's wrong to rate an album highly if you love it, but surely such enthusiastic ratings devalue the prestige of 4 and 5 stars? I recently read an article that said how we must be living in an age of unprecedented cultural brilliance, judging by the 5 star syndrome of some reviewers. Don't get me wrong, I trust Paul Morley, I just get a bit edgy when it's a fan doing the reviewing. Couldn't he have reviewed all the albums? At least then we'd have a bit of comparison, however subjective it may be.
Nevertheless, I'm glad the review is so positive and accompanied by such a gorgeous picture of The Man.

I expected Morley's review to contain a greater degree of specifics about the tracks. This read more like a press release and less a critique. Given the lack of a fully leaked album and the quashing of the few leaks we've seen by Sanctuary / Morrissey / legal, I wonder if they have mandated that early previews be steeped in generality?

Still, a rave "best album ever" / "masterpiece" kind of review needs to provide the specifics to truly be valid. Are we expected to compare Vauxhall and I or The Queen is Dead to ROTT by mere dint of a handful of song titles?

It's obviously a positive write-up and Morley historically knows his onions, but is anyone else a little reticent when they see a five star review with so little to go on?

Cheers,

Jamie

God, the excitement of it all!!

This whole album,single,video thing.

I want all of the above and I want them NOW.

Apparently good things come to thoes who wait but this is just not funny anymore.

Looking drowsy, seeming to wish he'd been caught not quite by a haunting camera, and not excactly followed, on his way to a café, to shake away those sleepy, redish, right-out-of-bed eyes. The scenary is wonderful, so, "dear photograher" in order to allow him to complement it, why not have let him finish his walk and his coffe before zooming into his face from the back? I, the fond viewer, would feel slightly less uneasy about looking at a shot of Moz being bothered.

Morley writes with passion and clealy loves the album: well he would; he's a big Morrissey fan and says this is his best ever solo album.

It's great that the album is so fantastic and got a 5 star review, which is extremely rare for an established artists. Most music publications give newer acts 9s/10 for "promising debuts" but typically it has to be a truly outstanding album to get a 9 or a 10 if it's by an established artist.

I can think oif very few awarded recently (either 9 or 10/10 or 5 stars) to major established artists. Perhaps 4 or 5 are awarded each year by each publication. So it really is a big deal. Morley is an image-obsessed, credibility-seeking newsnight review panellist and as such he would only give out such a high mark if he thought other journalists would tend to agree with him. People like Morley and John harris are notoriously worried about their image. They will typically knock a mark off the review if they're unsure how others will react just so they look slightly sceptical and "right on."

The review itself is lacking detail, verbose and poorly constructed, and seems more about massaging his own ego as a journalist than informing the reader. However, it's one of the most overwhelmingly positive reviews I've ever read - he says just about ZILCH against the album.

So it's all looking good.

broken

Morley is still one who "talks like he could, but can't". Are we going to heed a word he says?

quite like one of my old Irish uncles in that photo. Very brave to have your photo taken the morning after a skinful of the guinness.

Anyone know what he gave Quarry or older albums?
It's great to have 5/5 (Observer MM was pretty much first to review YRTQ and gave it 3/5_. But still a strangely unsatisfying review. Not enough about the actual songs, the lyrics, the music, the arrangements etc.
I really need an excellent ROTT review by someone who admits that Quarry was mediocre before I'm convinced that Morrissey really has upped his game.
J

This is good news and a good start. I remember the first reviews for 'Maladjusted' were bad reviews and the bad press showballed from there. Only good press can come from this review of ROTT, or so we hope.......
thetexasbloke
 

Since 1/2 of all music happens inside the listener's head, then this review will indeed be accurate for some of us. It all depends on what you yourself bring to the music. If a young Smiths Morrissey is all you want, then I bet this album will disappoint. If, like me, you love the world-weary traveller than I bet this album is going to be a revelation. I personally love this phase, it resonates with me more than anything since that ridiculous lad with the hearing aid first appeared on the scene.

The photo is a perfect illustration of how far we have all come, and how hearbreaking a journey it has been, reflected in one man's face.

Viva Moz

             

Somehow it doesn't quite look like Morrissey...as if it's a very good look-a-like.

Was the paper properly flattened on the scanner glass? Try it once more.

Great setting, though.

Come on Guys, every time something good is said about moz, it has to be dissected, and and put under the microscope, just let Morley say what ever he thinks about the albulm, and relax for the time being, Once the albulm is released then you can say what you want. If Paul Morley Thinks this is Morrissey's best work to date let him think that. Dont under estimate moz. - Chris

moz is graying badly and his wrinkles are starting to show. i think they could have thrown a slap of make-up on him. 5/5 seems a bit overwhelming to me after hearing the first three tracks of the record which weren't that impressive.

This review reads more like something from an undergraduate's creative writing portfolio!

I reckon the more interesting (UK) reviews will be from the music papers like Mojo and Uncut - they will probably focus more on the songs and use less ink gibbering on about "gravely arranged copulation" and "the lost continent of Presley". This is one mightily over-egged pudding...

what's wrong with his eyes? i really think it was 8 o'clock when this picture was taken.

This guy seems to love himself more than he likes this album. "Hey look at all the big words that I know!"

He says very little about the songs and yet calls it a Masterpiece.

I really hate this kind of "review" because it really does nothing to inform me about whether this album is one I would want to buy (of course I will since it's Moz). I found the song-by-song reviews from people who only heard the album once, more informative.

One hears such lyrics and what could one say but "Morrissey". His work is in genius.

with a review like that you'd think morley was on the moz payroll. but as moz is notorious for not paying up, i wouldn't hold your breath for the cheque paul!

Thats a very positive review for morrissey! there is alot of talk around that this is indeed a very good album from start to finish, and lets hope so! Mozzas first reviews are normally not so good, so maybe we do have a classic!

What have they been spraying on those photos over the last two years.

I didn't notice until last night, but the last page of the OMM promises 'more Morrissey' in next month's edition. Let's hope it's an interview...

this review reads like might as well hav not as yet heard the album. imean, it might be perfectly genuine and informed, but anyone of us here who hav read the snippets of info coming out of Moz's camp and listening parties and such and who hav heard the first three leaked tracks could hav written this (if we had the nerve to go on at such nausea with the garrish metaphors and hyperbole). the only real specifics that Morely cites are a quoted lyric from "Dear God Please Help Me" (which everyone has heard), the contributions from Morricone and a children's choir (which everyone knows about) and a few track titles (which everyone knows). the review is almost entirely vacuous in its lofty claims that this is the greatest Morrissey album yet.

now, its nice to see a positive review and he may be right (or close to being right) and ido hope that this is one of the best albums of Morrissey's career, but icertainly hope, for Morely's sake, that this isnt the best review of his career.

Yes, the review is ever so slightly OTT and lacking in detail but at the end of the day he loved it. Do you not find with Morrissey songs that the ones that mean the most defy all explanation? He's not one of those artists you can discuss in a technical way. I think that this review's strength is that it conveys PM's sheer joy at what he's hearing, and that bodes well. Would including more details about specific songs make it better? I reckon it's more effective this way, giving us the overall sense of it.
Can't wait for April 3rd now!

I actually purchased the Observer on Sunday and although I only looked at it briefly, I believe the Morrissey album "review" was in the "first listen" section.

Does this possibly mean that next week, or at some point in the future, there will be a more in-depth review?

broken

I heard the album and I'm a old fan and it's your best, true and beautiful album. we just want to see the moz happy? or not?

Broken we are so bored with you now. Give david a break and set up your own site if you dislike this one that much?

A Nation yawns in unison.

freeyourself

He looks beautiful in the real picture, though! I don't think the picture has scanned very well, that's all... I'll admit that on here he does look pretty dodgy.

Now they've trolled my reply to the post!

What's so problematiuc about people looking at the facts.

Morrissey interview online and ignored and david - who merrily posts illegal download links and liberllous allegations about morrissey's business dealings - hasn't got the guts to post it.

WHY? Well his previous actions show it's not out of concern for Morrissey! David is worried it's a real interview and realises if it is, he will look like a first rate IDIOT!!!

the facts are: morrissey interview still up 96 hours after it was posted on a blog that could be shut down in 5 mins with one letter to the company www.blogger.com if it were not genuine. The quality of writing and style of morrissey's repsonses - combined with the fact the site has been widely posted and remains UP - show it's unlikely to be a fraud.

David is a coward - and he knows it!

so does moz!

so does the world!!