Northern Soul review of Dog on a Chain by Danny Moran (most detailed to date?)

A well-written, interesting and balanced review.
www.northernsoul.me.uk/album-review-i-am-not-a-dog-on-a-chain-morrissey/
  • 'his finest work in a long generation'
  • 'It’s no longer in the words these days, for instance, where the window on Morrissey’s soul can really be found, but in the voice.'
  • 'If there’s a catchier collection of tunes in the Morrissey catalogue then it’s long since been deleted from the popular playlist. Let’s not shrink from this – there’s scarcely a dud to be found among this eclectic 11-strong suit'
  • 'Back in the mists of time it was the rolling chords from Johnny Marr’s fiendishly detuned guitars which allowed the young singer to extemporise on a canvas unlike any in popular music. Now, in having him throw his arms around a synthesiser, producer Chiccarelli and writing partner Jessie Tobias suggest credible, belated reinvention and a potential lifeline in the waters presently engulfing the Morrissey shipwreck. The indifferent bleep and the Mozzer croon bowl along quite handsomely, funnily enough, and in tossing out so many of the old gestures – the ersatz machismo of his regular minstrel players – the new idea of a kind of enlightened Left Banke chanteur is given a leg up.'
  • 'If you sing your heart out on national television with the insignia of the far right pinned to your lapel then you broadcast a message which every sensible-thinking citizen will see as their duty to throw back in your face. If you lack the perspective to see that there is a war taking place across the globe between tolerance and hatred and that there is no room in that landscape for your faux patriotism and pick-and-mix prejudices then you deserve a picket line under your chin, a record-pyre at your local sports ground, and you can take your ten-dollar trumpet and stick it sideways where the sun once shone – irrespective of the nuances of your position.'
  • 'The singer refuses to leave the stage, unbent and unbowed he would have you believe, though with the pridefully wakened passions of a man singing for his life.'
 
....does that mean he likes it?

He's obviously conflicted. He is well-acquainted with Morrissey's back catalogue, he clearly likes the album and taken his time to listen to it and review it. But in the end he decides that Morrissey's views so seriously detract him from enjoying it, so he decides to "throw it back", figuratively speaking. Some things are more important to some people than pop music.
 
He's obviously conflicted. He is well-acquainted with Morrissey's back catalogue, he clearly likes the album and taken his time to listen to it and review it. But in the end he decides that Morrissey's views so seriously detract him from enjoying it, so he decides to "throw it back", figuratively speaking. Some things are more important to some people than pop music.

The people, papers and pop stars who are conflicted and dare show it - are the most interesting
 
He's obviously conflicted. He is well-acquainted with Morrissey's back catalogue, he clearly likes the album and taken his time to listen to it and review it. But in the end he decides that Morrissey's views so seriously detract him from enjoying it, so he decides to "throw it back", figuratively speaking. Some things are more important to some people than pop music.

It's also literally what bigotry is. He wore a badge & now everything he did is bad & anything he does is suspect.

Meanwhile the only party in the UK investigated for racism is The Labour Party. And it's activists have spread more neo-Nazi memes on social media than For Britain & FB has Gab accounts.
 
It's also literally what bigotry is. He wore a badge & now everything he did is bad & anything he does is suspect.

Meanwhile the only party in the UK investigated for racism is The Labour Party. And it's activists have spread more neo-Nazi memes on social media than For Britain & FB has Gab accounts.

He didn't just wear a badge did he? He endorsed them on his website:

 
He didn't just wear a badge did he? He endorsed them on his website:


The writer cited the badge.

Maybe you could take your attention to some of the celebrities who endorsed The Labour Party, which has just leaked a report agreeing that it's institutionally racist. Which is on neo-Nazi websites. And which will probably result in court cases, jail & bankruptcy.
 
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I wonder what they'd say if they weren't scared of Twitter & hacks piling on them.
it's very true
self censorship has become all too common. everywhere.

personally i try to stay true but i suppose i dont always manage

what was that moz line from the world is full of crashing bores:

no it's just more lock-jawed popstars
thicker than pig shit
nothing to convey
they are so scared to show intelligence
it might smear their lovely career
 
it's very true
self censorship has become all too common. everywhere.

personally i try to stay true but i suppose i dont always manage

what was that moz line from the world is full of crashing bores:

no it's just more lock-jawed popstars
thicker than pig shit
nothing to convey
they are so scared to show intelligence
it might smear their lovely career
And he has most certainly smeared his lovely career. And not shown much intelligence whilst doing so, either.
 
it's very true
self censorship has become all too common. everywhere.

personally i try to stay true but i suppose i dont always manage

what was that moz line from the world is full of crashing bores:

no it's just more lock-jawed popstars
thicker than pig shit
nothing to convey
they are so scared to show intelligence
it might smear their lovely career

It's not easy to swim against the tide - but politics is a mess. We really need some robust debates instead of these pseudo event culture wars.
 
Please don't 'fake quote' each other.
Anons that do it don't get their posts approved and it applies equally to members.
Thank you.
FWD.
 
i've got no problem with people feeling uncomfortable with moz's endorsement of this party that he supported. i wasnt crazy about it myself.

for me any endorsement of a political party by a popstar is cringey. remember the gallagher brothers public snogging with blair... now that was truly embarrasing

but im a sucker for truth and there - moz wins. he reminds me of lou reed. this what i wrote elsewhere on the forum yesterday

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection.
Have recently been listening to both Lou Reeds's New York and Moz's latest album and I find that they suit each other.

On Morrissey’s preshow-film on the last tour he had some Lou Reed footage. It looked great and suited Morrissey and his show perfectly.



As an artist and maybe as a person, Moz is not completely unlike the late Reed. Their refusal of apologising, of trying to be nice was mutual, as was their no-bullshit relation they had to their art. Compromise and sell outs were unknown.



On his 1988 album New York, Reeds goes political and makes clear he has his doubts about PLO and Jesse Jackson (PLO – Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Jesse Jackson – black Democratic politician and twice runner for president)



That made the music publication The Rolling Stone annoyed at the time who called it the album’s “one significant flaw.” Somehow Reed’s deeply personal outlook on things and unapologetic attitude together with the telling off by the press made me think of Moz.
 
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i've got no problem with people feeling uncomfortable with moz's endorsement of this party that he supported. i wasnt crazy about it myself.

for me any endorsement of a political party by a popstar is cringey. remember the gallagher brothers public snogging with blair... now that was truly embarrasing

but im a sucker for truth and there - moz wins. he reminds me of lou reed. this what i wrote elsewhere on the forum yesterday

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reflection.
Have recently been listening to both Lou Reeds's New York and Moz's latest album and I find that they suit each other.

On Morrissey’s preshow-film on the last tour he had some Lou Reed footage. It looked great and suited Morrissey and his show perfectly.



As an artist and maybe as a person, Moz is not completely unlike the late Reed. Their refusal of apologising, of trying to be nice was mutual, as was their no-bullshit relation they had to their art. Compromise and sell outs were unknown.



On his 1988 album New York, Reeds goes political and makes clear he has his doubts about PLO and Jesse Jackson (PLO – Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Jesse Jackson – black Democratic politician and twice runner for president)



That made the music publication The Rolling Stone annoyed at the time who called it the album’s “one significant flaw.” Somehow Reed’s deeply personal outlook on things and unapologetic attitude together with the telling off by the press made me think of Moz.

Moz is deeply 70s glam-punk post-modern, out to disrupt any consensus.

Just read the review. Lord, never tell a progressive hack that they're going in the wrong direction. Clearly not a thing they believe is possible, so you have to be a right-wing misanthropic nihilist to mention it.
 
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Moz is deeply 70s glam-punk post-modern, out to disrupt any consensus.

Just read the review. Lord, never tell a progressive hack that they're going in the wrong direction. Clearly not a thing they believe is possible, so you have to be a right-wing misanthropic nihilist to mention it.

yes
disrupt consensus
or like his constant back drop guy has it
an artist's responsibility is to disturb the peace
dont remember the exact wording
 
The writer cited the badge.

The writer is obviously aware of all things Moz has said and done but doesn't feel the need to repeat them all once again. They are covered in the words "faux patriotism and pick-and-mix prejudices".

For someone who claims to work in public relations (although spends all of her time here defending a pop star), it must really gnaw you that for some people some things just can't be spun. Morrissey has lost this fan and others like him, deny it as much as you can. You may call him bigoted, some may call him principled. And some may call me a hypocrite, still being here and buying Morrissey's record, despite pretty much agreeing with the writer of this review.
 
The writer is obviously aware of all things Moz has said and done but doesn't feel the need to repeat them all once again. They are covered in the words "faux patriotism and pick-and-mix prejudices".

For someone who claims to work in public relations (although spends all of her time here defending a pop star), it must really gnaw you that for some people some things just can't be spun. Morrissey has lost this fan and others like him, deny it as much as you can. You may call him bigoted, some may call him principled. And some may call me a hypocrite, still being here and buying Morrissey's record, despite pretty much agreeing with the writer of this review.

They are spinning it.

It's spin.

And no, hacks being hacks doesn't bother me beyond the usual. It tends to work out in the end.

If you think Morrissey is a racist fascist & that decent people shouldn't buy him, it is peculiar that you do buy him.

Also would love to know why you think it takes all of my time to have a look at this website on my phone & post something. You should see how many WhatsApp messages I've sent.

Also also - absolutely batshit that anyone thinks PR involves agreeing with a negative interpretation that's flying about the media & social media esp about someone who has no personal PR & who barely socializes. What use would any of us be if you hired us & we're like, 'naw mate, you're f***ed, you've had bad publicity & some of your fans hate you'.
 
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