Do the tracks and early reviews bode well for Morrissey's best album since Vauxhall?

Do the tracks and early reviews bode well for Morrissey's best album since Vauxhall?

  • Yes! World Peace will be the best album since Vauxhall!

    Votes: 4 14.3%
  • The chances are good, but of course I'll wait and see!

    Votes: 18 64.3%
  • Not sure, but it'll likely contain some of his best stuff in ages.

    Votes: 3 10.7%
  • Don't think so. What I've heard so far isn't that impressive, lyrically and/or musically.

    Votes: 3 10.7%
  • NO way! It'll be another middling release.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    28

King Leer

Leering since '97
Based on what you've heard and read so far, do you think World Peace Is None of Your Business will be a stronger album than all of Morrissey's releases post-Vauxhall (that means Southpaw Grammar, Maladjusted, You Are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors and Years of Refusal)?

Based on what I've heard so far, Istanbul being the strongest track, plus the reviews coming in, I think it has a good chance of taking the crown.
 
The reviews are encouraging - but at this stage it's difficult to tell how genuine they are, and how many of the magazines are simply kissing up in the hope of getting an exclusive Moz interview to boost their sales.
None of the digitally released tracks have blown me away. They haven't been awful, but they are at best middle-of-the-road, and there have been some very clumsy and ham-fisted lyrics.
The reviews point to the best material not having been released yet - 'Mountjoy', 'Smiler With Knife', 'Kiss Me a Lot' - so I am hopeful the album will have some great highlights.

Best since 'Vauxhall'? To be honest, I'm not expecting it to be better than 'Southpaw', but if there's a few good tunes on there it will be worth its while.
 
Posted this poll before the 8/10 Uncut review came in.
Sounds like a corker coming our way!
I'll even forgive the haters for coming round and bowing down.
 
From all these new reviews, it really does sound as though the very best tracks have been held back, and I for one am very excited.

If it had been better promoted with advanced physical single releases and even just a few television/radio appearances, he could have easily had a "comeback" to outshine Quarry's. But this is still ridiculously promising, considering how bleak things looked only a few short years ago.
 
I haven't been excited by the tracks I've heard. It seems to combine all the worst parts of his two weakest albums Kill Uncle and Years of Refusal.

Hopefully as mcrickson says, the best is yet to come.
 
Based on what you've heard and read so far, do you think World Peace Is None of Your Business will be a stronger album than all of Morrissey's releases post-Vauxhall (that means Southpaw Grammar, Maladjusted, You Are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors and Years of Refusal)?

Based on what I've heard so far, Istanbul being the strongest track, plus the reviews coming in, I think it has a good chance of taking the crown.

They sure do, King! It's the arrangements and musical side of things that excites me most. Someone described one of the new songs as the most breezy/jangly thing he's done since Interesting Drug. That's what I've missed so much about Mozpop. A lack of pleasing, sharp, tuneful music.
I think the lyrics will continue to be pretty patchy verging from dire to ok-ish.
Shame World Peace is the title track as it's so clumsy lyrically. If the album had been called Earth Is (etc) that would've been brilliant.
Still, let's not moan too much. Sounds like we've got some brilliant new songs on our hands. About flipping time!
 
I haven't voted, because there isn't an option for voting no without also saying I think the album will be shit. It won't, it just won't be the better than all the others he's done since the early 90s.
 
I'm excited about this album and hopeful that it is a triumph. Early buzz suggests that it is. I'm stunned by the overall quality of production on the few songs that have been released, and Morrissey's voice is simply stunning. Just beautiful. I don't know how a singer's voice can get better with age, but it has. "Istanbul" sounds like a poem. I had "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet Of All" on a constant loop for days. "World Peace Is None Of Your Business" sounds like a delightfully condescending lullaby for adults. These early reviews suggest that we haven't even heard the best yet. You gotta hand it to Moz. He sat on this material for years, and we were none the wiser. He was performing cringe-worthy stuff like "People Are The Same Everywhere" while the secret, good, stuff was on ice. He's so Morrissey, whatever that means.
 
I'm excited about this album and hopeful that it is a triumph. Early buzz suggests that it is. I'm stunned by the overall quality of production on the few songs that have been released, and Morrissey's voice is simply stunning. Just beautiful. I don't know how a singer's voice can get better with age, but it has. "Istanbul" sounds like a poem. I had "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet Of All" on a constant loop for days. "World Peace Is None Of Your Business" sounds like a delightfully condescending lullaby for adults. These early reviews suggest that we haven't even heard the best yet. You gotta hand it to Moz. He sat on this material for years, and we were none the wiser. He was performing cringe-worthy stuff like "People Are The Same Everywhere" while the secret, good, stuff was on ice. He's so Morrissey, whatever that means.

So many singers' voices get worse as they get older. Mick Jagger never had a beautiful voice, but by his 40s he was running around the stage yelling and hasn't looked back. I think because Moz was never a smoker or an addict and had a phenomenal voice to begin with are the reasons why his voice has gotten better. Some songs he does live don't really sound different from the original recordings.
 
Ok so this will be everyones fave, the best since Vauxhall when it's released and in a couple of months everyone will be saying it's overrated and not in fact as good as refusal....yawn
 
Considering Vauxhall isn't even necessarily my favorite album of all the albums that followed it, I had to go with the third option.
 
Genuinely honest here, I think Morrisseys voice suits the less chuggy stuff. By which I mean I'm pleased that Tobias isn't forefront in writing on this album, and what I've heard, the voice is on top form. I still won't be buying the album, shall listen on Spotify.

P.
 
Genuinely honest here, I think Morrisseys voice suits the less chuggy stuff. By which I mean I'm pleased that Tobias isn't forefront in writing on this album, and what I've heard, the voice is on top form. I still won't be buying the album, shall listen on Spotify.
P.

But Tobias is at the forefront of the writing on this album - he's just massively upped his game.
He wrote the music to Bullfighter - one of the most melodic and Marresque jangle-pop songs Morrissey's sung in years. Hard to believe but it's miles better than 90% of the stuff on Marr's solo album. Who saw that coming?
He's also written Smiler with Knife - 'one of the indubitably great Morrissey songs' according to Uncut.
Tobias songs have been pretty mediocre but let's now have a bit of credit where it's due.
 
But Tobias is at the forefront of the writing on this album - he's just massively upped his game.
He wrote the music to Bullfighter - one of the most melodic and Marresque jangle-pop songs Morrissey's sung in years. Hard to believe but it's miles better than 90% of the stuff on Marr's solo album. Who saw that coming?
He's also written Smiler with Knife - 'one of the indubitably great Morrissey songs' according to Uncut.
Tobias songs have been pretty mediocre but let's now have a bit of credit where it's due.

Or a bit of "you're a professional musician and have been here ten years so it's about time you pulled your weight."

Just because he may have contributed three great songs to this album doesn't eliminate his tepid - at best - scorecard for songwriting the last decade.
 
But Tobias is at the forefront of the writing on this album - he's just massively upped his game.
He wrote the music to Bullfighter - one of the most melodic and Marresque jangle-pop songs Morrissey's sung in years. Hard to believe but it's miles better than 90% of the stuff on Marr's solo album. Who saw that coming?
He's also written Smiler with Knife - 'one of the indubitably great Morrissey songs' according to Uncut.
Tobias songs have been pretty mediocre but let's now have a bit of credit where it's due.

Boz Boorer is the main composer on the album.

Boz wrote 9 tracks

Gustavo wrote 3 tracks

The rest are uncredited so far other than 'The Bullfighter Dies' but assuming Jesse wrote the rest of them he's written 6 all up. But Jesse definitely deserves huge props though... unless you're names are dumb and dumber who follow each other here around like a bad smell.

http://intlplayboy.tumblr.com/post/85535497640/writer-credits-partial-for-world-peace-peace-is-none
 
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I voted “Yes” just because I do think it will be a great record, but I don’t necessarily think it will be the best since Vauxhall, which isn’t a bad thing. I just must like the stuff after Vauxhall more than most people. I think especially Southpaw and Maladjusted are really underrated.
 
Also, I wanted to add.....does anyone know if more songs are going to be released prior to the street date? It’s always a nice surprise getting that email from iTunes and the Morrissey store that a new song is available for download.
 
Based on what you've heard and read so far, do you think World Peace Is None of Your Business will be a stronger album than all of Morrissey's releases post-Vauxhall (that means Southpaw Grammar, Maladjusted, You Are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors and Years of Refusal)?

Based on what I've heard so far, Istanbul being the strongest track, plus the reviews coming in, I think it has a good chance of taking the crown.


Not sure, but it'll likely contain some of his best stuff in ages.

Great poll. And a loaded question.

While Vauxhall is not a divisive album (i.e. it is generally regarded as a masterpiece...probably because it is so Smith-ish), there are other albums that really divide the fan (yes, I used the word) base. But in a poll "Quarry" will always top a "Quarry" vs. "Ringleader" vs. "Refusal" poll. Yes, that was redundant. Score - 1 But don't take my word for it or bother to search the archives, just post the poll (no not you, Leer) and the outcome is certain. If Ringleader was better than Refusal, (and it was) and Quarry beat Ringleader in a poll (and it did)...

Not-so-die-hard fans clearly also loved Quarry, because, um, it crossed-over and went platinum in the UK. Every time the album started to sink in the chart, one if its 4 singles - all top 10 UK hits - would buoy the album back up. It was a true comeback, artistically, commercially, and in every which way. A true return to form...dial a cliche. If you think Quarry is "shit" or "fair to middling" (no not you, Leer), it is much better than the studio album that came before it, the incredibly divisive "Maladjusted" which Morrissey himself said to paraphrase 'was not a show stopper.' Quarry's four singles are fantastic. The charts may be shit but they don't just give top spots away. Morrissey earned those. It was 8 parts quality and 2 parts publicity. Well deserved. "First of the Gang to Die" will be remembered like "Everyday is Like Sunday" as among the man's very best. You want a Cork-er? "Irish Blood, English Heart." The lyrics are very good throughout Quarry and sometimes they rise to magnificent. The production quality...whatever Finn (R.I.P.) did was brilliant...the music not low in the mix, the album reportedly recorded while Morrissey was actually in the room with the musicians, and not just doing 2 takes in a box to music just waiting for a vocal lay-down, for starters. The album from beginning to end is incredibly satisfying (understatement). "Come Back To Camden" is to die/cry for. The closer "You Know I Couldn't Last" - please explain to me how "Speedway" is a better closer? Or just save your breathe. The Quarry b-sides were just good enough. The right songs were chosen for A-sides, and the right songs were chosen for b-sides (yes, he was right to put "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?" on the album because it fits the album and "Daddy's Voice" doesn't). I could go on.

Now, having said that, Leer, I think you can appreciate what follows, because you have never been one to shy away from gut instinct as this very forward-thinking poll shows. I do feel in my bones, or perhaps Michael feels it in his, that this album will be better than Ringleader or Refusal. As for what has been released, I have heard the studio versions of nothing. I have only heard the songs performed live, twice, save Istanbul (which I have not heard). In those songs which I did experience live, I felt there was something a little spacey going on (and I was sober)...a little bit of experimenting...think "I'm Not Sorry" which made use of keyboard, flute, and some kind of sinking below water sound effect, etc.

The Spanish-Gypsy influence on "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet" is anything but subtle. We first saw this type of influence, as I recall, on Quarry (Alain White spends a lot of time in Los Angeles...go figure). A track-by-track review of 3 new songs from two live shows is not possible...though the sounds do linger in the 7th window of my mind. I believe we are witnessing something close to a "World Music" style album. And I have always believed that such an album would suit an artist who can headline festivals from Coachella to Manchester to Istanbul - an artist who can and does play the continents of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia when he is not ill or faking ill. This is an artist whose albums even chart in Israel and Estonia!

I have felt that Boz's writing could only naturally, over time, be influenced by Portugal where he spends so much of his time and where they have a great tradition of music including Fado, Folk, and Portuguese rock, the latter two being almost criminally ignored by anyone outside of Portugal. Add to this that Tobias (whether he is writing music or not) is of Hispanic, specifically Mexican descent, is a friend and influence on Morrissey AND that Gustavo Manzur, while born in the States, is well-versed in music from South America, Columbia and Columbian Folk in particular.

So, now we have the Iberian Peninsula crashing with South America mixing with Tex-Mex whispering to a rockabilly bloke from London (who is probably telling him to "F-off!")...and in the middle or the front is this Man from Manchester you may have heard of. Take away the lawnmower parts (the Walkers - just kidding - okay so I'm not) and it all begins to swirl and whirl. Morrissey has lived, on the record, in England, Ireland, the United States and Italy, and on-off the record in Spain (not just recently but in the late 1990s as well). And all these influences and the sound that flows as a result, I feel, will be reflected on "World Peace..." Having said that, while Morrissey will allow these influences to seep and creep into his world (as he allowed new influences to make way onto Quarry) as I was nearly dancing to "Earth Is the Loneliest Planet" it was still, somehow, quintessentially, Morrissey. Setting out to make a "World Music" album, or something like it, would have been a mistake; it happening on its own, naturally, organically because of those that you gravitate to and who gravitate to you...well that's just evolution or fate.

Morrissey once said something along the lines of his words being like 'fragile eggs' and how he could not trust his words to just anyone - which is a load of crap. If anyone could trust their words to Tobias' music, that statement is rubbish. So, while I don't believe Moz is writing with great composers, because his eggs can be hatched under seemingly anyone's axe, and while I would love to see what Alain could have brought to this fondue pot, I do think, in the end, for the reasons set forth above, "World Peace..." will bring you a lot of satisfaction (understatement).

Another Vauxhall? No. That could only happen if Morrissey phoned up Stephen Street and said "Lillyblack is a tosser...you know I'm sorry, I paid you those 'Interesting Drug' monies, I even let you re-master a couple albums for me with cash on the nail...listen I have one more album left on my deal with Harvest / Capitol and I'd like to do a proper follow up to 'Viva Hate' wherein we use a lot of acoustic guitars, find me someone who plucks with a Spanish-y flair, and sometimes it should be as if I am singing almost a capella. Do you think you can send me some songs on a cassette via mail? My address in Barcelona is _____" Keep with those Latin-rooted words "Viva" and "Bona" and call it something cool that could have a double-meaning (such as 'I like to shag transvestites'), and you shall have your Vauxhall Re-Visited, and we could all live/die happily ever after.

- Ghoul
 
He wrote the music to Bullfighter - one of the most melodic and Marresque jangle-pop songs Morrissey's sung in years. Hard to believe but it's miles better than 90% of the stuff on Marr's solo album. Who saw that coming?

Ha Ha f*** off! The music and production on Marr's solo album is better than any track released here thus far. Marr's lyrics are bland and forgettable and sometimes even embarrassing, true, but his vocal melodies are on par with Moz's recent output, and as far as musical hooks go, Jesse and the rest of the current Moz line-up will never even reach the level of the WORST of Marr's output.
 
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