Is Morrissey's new live album really that good? (AMG gave it five stars)

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Or is the guy that reviewed it for allmusic just a moz-head? I haven't heard it. What does everyone else think? It's pretty rare that they just slap the classic status on any new release... The Pitchfork review was pretty complimentary, too. Maybe I should check out his solo work after all. Hm.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Monday, 4 April 2005 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

AGAIN: AMG REVIEWS DON'T WORK LIKE THAT OKAY???

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 4 April 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

i picked it up Friday night and gave it a few spins while trolling around Chicago looking for a new apartment. it's very, very solid and he sounds fantastic. the latest album is my first exposure to the solo Moz and this live one covers that pretty well, but it also delves quite a bit into Smiths material and b-sides. much better than i expected it to be, almost makes up for missing that tour.

― jonviachicago, Monday, 4 April 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it actually out? I miss these things sometimes. Will have to pick it up here. God, what else was I wanting to get? Hmm, brain hurts.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 4 April 2005 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

AGAIN: AMG REVIEWS DON'T WORK LIKE THAT OKAY???

like what?

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Monday, 4 April 2005 02:48 (twenty-one years ago)

there is an amazing foto of him dressed as a priest in rolling stone this week,

― anthony, Monday, 4 April 2005 02:52 (twenty-one years ago)

How do AMG reviews (well, the star ratings anyway) work? I've been wondering that for a while. Often they seem to be assigned on a totally random basis, even when it goes completely against the actual review...

― Telephonething, Monday, 4 April 2005 03:06 (twenty-one years ago)

How does your ratings system work?
Our experts use a 1 to 5 star system (5 is the highest rating). It is important to note that we rate albums only within the scope of an artist’s own work -- we only compare a release to other releases by the same artist. We won't compare a Britney Spears album to the latest release by Incubus. When looking at an artist's discography, you may see a check mark next to the star rating of a release. That represents the AMG Pick for the release most representative of that artist's entire body of work. On specific release pages you may also see smaller checks next to two or three tracks on a recording. Those are AMG Song Picks. These are the songs on a recording that our experts feel are most representative of the entire release.

This kind of clarifies things, blount, but I still think it's acceptable to say that a Five-Star rating is labeling an album classic. I mean, if the ratings are just meant to contrast each individual artists work, then why isn't every artist's best album a Five-Star album?

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Monday, 4 April 2005 03:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Forget it.

I kind of hoped this would be a thread about the new album and not AMGs review specifically. My bad for making it seem that way.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Monday, 4 April 2005 03:46 (twenty-one years ago)

well, I saw him in october and he had aged like a fine vintage. it was a great show.

― scout (scout), Monday, 4 April 2005 06:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I listened to clips from every track on the album and I must say I was totally impressed by the band and his singing on each one. He really is a great singer and a master vocal stylist, not to mention one of the most talented lyricists of our time. Every time you want to bash or mock Morrissey, he just comes back stronger. I'm by no means a Moz-head, but kudos to the man, he's immense, and this record confirms it.

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 4 April 2005 06:57 (twenty-one years ago)

He was great at Reading Festival last year.

So, it could be.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 April 2005 07:09 (twenty-one years ago)

we only compare a release to other releases by the same artist. We won't compare a Britney Spears album to the latest release by Incubus.

That's a difficult claim to back up - how can anyone say a reviwer doesn't take other music into consideration when reviewing the albums of a given artist? It's all relative.

As for the Moz live album I didn't know it existed until now. Wouldn't surprise me if it were marvelous, though.

― The Silent Disco (Bimble...), Monday, 4 April 2005 09:25 (twenty-one years ago)

side question : is the dvd in manchester good too ?

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 4 April 2005 10:24 (twenty-one years ago)

They had it in Sainsbury's this morning, but I wanted Prince Hits and B Sides, if anything. Seems to be sold out everywhere cheap.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 4 April 2005 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

about Prince, does a compilation of the songs he wrote, produced, gave to others (mainly in the 80's) exist ?
there's a thread about that and i've started to dl many of the tracks mentionned but for many of them, it's very difficult to find...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 4 April 2005 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

This dvd looks very tempting...

― Baaderonixxxorzh (Fabfunk), Monday, 4 April 2005 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know, Alex. I suppose it would be difficult to put together for licensing reasons.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 4 April 2005 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

It wouldn't really be that hard to license them - most are on Warner or Warner owned labels.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Monday, 4 April 2005 12:23 (twenty-one years ago)

huh, fabfonk ! so the moz-fever strikes again ?
PJ, yeah I guessed so... it'd have been so much easier to buy instead of downloading for once !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 4 April 2005 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

For those who don't know, here's the tracklisting for both the DVD and the CD. There's only 8 overlapping songs on both, which makes getting both that much more tempting.

Track listing for Who Put the "M" in Manchester? DVD:
First of the Gang To Die
Hairdresser on Fire
Irish Blood, English Heart
The Headmaster Ritual
Everyday Is Like Sunday
I Have Forgiven Jesus
I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Rubber Ring
Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference
Don’t Make Fun of Daddy’s Voice
The World Is Full of Crashing Bores
Let Me Kiss You
No One Can Hold a Candle To You
Jack the Ripper
A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours
I’m Not Sorry
Shoplifters of the World Unite
There is a Light That Never Goes Out

Track listing for Live at Earls Court CD:
How Soon Is Now?
First of the Gang To Die
November Spawned a Monster
Don't Make Fun of Daddy’s Voice
Big Mouth Strikes Again
I Like You
Redondo Beach
Let Me Kiss You
Munich Air Disaster 1958
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
The More You Ignore Me
Friday Mourning
I Have Forgiven Jesus
The World is Full of Crashing Bores
Shoplifters of the World Unite
Irish Blood, English Heart
You Know I Couldn't Last
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Monday, 4 April 2005 12:55 (twenty-one years ago)

handsome marketing evil !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 4 April 2005 13:06 (twenty-one years ago)

It's too bad "You Know I Couldn't Last" isn't on the DVD. When I saw him in Toronto on this tour, that was definitely one of the highlights of the show.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Monday, 4 April 2005 13:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I was looking forward to his cover of "Redondo Beach," but I have to say I am sorely disappointed. He isn't in good voice during the song and the piano/keyboard sound is terrible. That said, the band does "Bigmouth" very well.

― Kent Burt (lingereffect), Monday, 4 April 2005 16:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Just picked it up (literally...I didn't buy it, I just picked it up....then put it back down again) at Future Legend. Great track list, i'll say that. But, y'know, I already have Rank so I'm good on live Smiths' tracks (how is the rendition of "How Soon is Now" though?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 April 2005 17:03 (twenty-one years ago)

The rendition is OK. Johnny Marr plays the key guitar bit better on live bootlegs I've heard. And the versions of something like "There is a light..." are clearly lacking (showing how much that song needs the soaring keyboard for emotional impact). It's an OK live show, but not even as good as "Beethoven was Deaf." You just get the feeling of Morrissey singing his songs with a backing band. They're not a group, in other words.

― paulhw (paulhw), Monday, 4 April 2005 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

If you love Morrissey and saw him on the last tour, I recommend the DVD. I bought it for my boyfriend's b'day this past week and we both enjoyed it a lot. It's funny what a crooner he is now!

― Sara Sherr, Monday, 4 April 2005 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

Did "November Spawned A Monster" always have that little "Spanish" bit at the end, and I just never noticed it?

― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, most b-sides to You Are the Quarry make me suspect that Morrissey originally had some sort of concept LA-Latino album in mind. Apart from "First of the Gang to Die," there's "Teenage Dad On His Estate," a Spanish bit on "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice" (no te divertes con papi!), etc etc. There's definitely more.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 25 April 2005 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"some sort of concept LA-Latino album"

that'd be great ! enough of british maudlin' : let the vida loca in !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 25 April 2005 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry to change the subject, but if this amg rates albums according to the following criteria:
Our experts use a 1 to 5 star system (5 is the highest rating). It is important to note that we rate albums only within the scope of an artist’s own work -- we only compare a release to other releases by the same artist.

shouldn't all debut albums get five stars until the artist has released more?

― john'n'chicago, Monday, 25 April 2005 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes they should unless they are taking into account an artists potential, which would be wierd.

― dan. (dan.), Monday, 25 April 2005 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

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