Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors

Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors

Great title, but there always great titles aren't they? Problem is I think one of his previous titles would have been more apt, 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before', or 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore' as this album sounds like I have heard it before, it sounds like more of his old music, again. Artists sound the way they sound and this is why we like them. However whilst I wasn't expecting this to sound like new wave jazz or heavy metal, my problem lies in just that - expectations.

With Morrissey we always expect so much. While our expectations were being dulled by his solo outputs, his last album 'you are the quarry' raised them again, back to those we had of his former group. And this may be the crux of the problem.

Our expectations are such of him that we need to be challenged by what we hear and not to simply have the same formula repackaged again. Whilst we have believed his hype we desperately need him not too. Maybe to achieve this he needs someone with as much investment and input in the songs as he has. As such Morrissey sounds like he needs a stronger song writing partner, someone to bully him and to shape him and not to just write songs that sound like Morrissey songs.If rifts or riffs can not be patched up with Johnny Marr, then maybe its time for someone new, someone to push things further once more, to bring the best out of him. Something that Tony Visconti seems to have not quite managed.

As such I can only suggest our own Riccardo Terranova, with Morrissey's new adopted homeland of Italy, this would help with the kudos as well as the song writing.

For now Morrissey is treading water, when he should be walking on it. Pity.

PB