Years Of Refusal Review: The Scotsman

[anon x]

A brief review of YOR in The Scotsman,20/12/08:


[Ben Budd]

The Smiths is dead, boys.

[mcrickson]

This review only makes me more excited for YoR..

[justme]

Originally Posted by Ben Budd

The Smiths is dead, boys.

EXACTLY - because the journalist wants a reunion and found YoR to be a half good album ...here we go again - leave the smiths alone! They're not for sale!

As for Moz's greatest songs having been written with the smiths...I'm not even going to comment on that

Some people are stuck in the past and refuse to leave - seems like this journalist in one of them.

[Ben Budd]

Now My Heart is Full is, in my opinion, a better song than anything The Smiths did. But There Is A Light is a very close second.

[Wozzer]

Originally Posted by mcrickson

This review only makes me more excited for YoR..

Me too. I'm really aching to hear When I Last Spoke To Carol.

[mcrickson]

Originally Posted by Wozzer

Me too. I'm really aching to hear When I Last Spoke To Carol.

EXACTLY! I have a feeling it is epic. As with the ballad-esque songs. Has not someone who heard the album already said that Its Not Your Birthday Anymore is the most beautiful song Moz has ever written? >anxiety<

[justme]

Originally Posted by Ben Budd

Now My Heart is Full is, in my opinion, a better song than anything The Smiths did. But There Is A Light is a very close second.

I adore both and for Instance the album Vauxhall & I is outstanding. I find myself listening more to V&I than any Smiths album. In his latest work IBEH for instance is amazing, etc - It's silly to dismiss all he has done in tha last 20 years, because the journalist only finds one outstanding song in YoR.

Also the Smiths were fantastic but lasted 5 years (we can not predict what would have happened if they lasted 25).

It's lazy journalism. His oppinion is of course valid, as anyone's - but all the nonsense to explain why Moz is so popular now and to bring the Smiths reunion again is just silly. I, for one, think it's great that Moz has changed from the smiths and is still trying new things and sounds - they may not work every time or to everyone, but at least is not stuck in the past.

[Wozzer]

Originally Posted by mcrickson

EXACTLY! I have a feeling it is epic. As with the ballad-esque songs. Has not someone who heard the album already said that Its Not Your Birthday Anymore is the most beautiful song Moz has ever written? >anxiety<

The statement that people will either love it or loathe it gives the impression that it really must be something special. I'm beginning to hope that the album would leak to the internet soon.

[Danny_]

It reads like he'd made up his mind before he heard the album. Probably writes exactly the same review every time Morrissey releases an album.

He reminds me of those fans who go to see Morrissey and then whine that he doesn't play enough "Smiffs songs".

[justme]

Originally Posted by Wozzer

The statement that people will either love it or loathe it gives the impression that it really must be something special. I'm beginning to hope that the album would leak to the internet soon.

True although I'll wait until February to hear the songs - I love the process of getting the album, looking at the sleeve, credits etc and THEN listen to it

As for YoR, I'm dying to hear:

1- It's not your birthday anymore - because I really like the lyrics and everyone seems to agree it's a fantastic song

2- You were good in your time -I love the lyrics and it's seems to be the second part of Rubber Ring -then he was predicting people would go off him, but asked not to be forgotten. Now this song is about people writing him to say how good he was and that he was not forgotten. I find it so beautiful

3- When I last spoke to Carol -intriguing lyrics and a very special/ different song?

[Wozzer]

Originally Posted by Danny_

It reads like he'd made up his mind before he heard the album. Probably writes exactly the same review every time Morrissey releases an album.

He reminds me of those fans who go to see Morrissey and then whine that he doesn't play enough "Smiffs songs".

It is quite irritating how people tend to cling to The Smiths. The Smiths was a product (what an awful word) of it's time. Re-heating of that spirit wouldn't necessarily work that well.

[anon x]

Originally Posted by justme

It's lazy journalist. He's oppinion is of course valid, as anyone's - but all the nonsense to explain why Moz is so popular now and to bring the Smiths reunion again is just silly. I, for one, think it's great that Moz has changed from the smiths and is still trying new things and sounds - they may not work every time or to everyone, but at least is not stuck in the past.

He seems to be bemoaning the fact that the tunes aren't too hot.
Johnny's tunes WERE much better than the current crop

[justme]

Originally Posted by Danny_

It reads like he'd made up his mind before he heard the album. Probably writes exactly the same review every time Morrissey releases an album.

He reminds me of those fans who go to see Morrissey and then whine that he doesn't play enough "Smiffs songs".

Indeed!

Originally Posted by Wozzer

It is quite irritating how people tend to cling to The Smiths. The Smiths was a product (what an awful word) of it's time. Re-heating of that spirit wouldn't necessarily work that well.

It wouldn't work at all! it's been 25 years people!

I really hope they don't do it! - then, in the future, when describing the strange revivalism of the end of the 00's people will say, but not everyone was susceptible to trendy reunions or unbeliavable sums of money thrown at them - The Smiths never reunited and this way kept true to their art: their legacy intact

[mcrickson]

Originally Posted by justme

I really hope they don't do it! - then, in the future, when describing the strange revivalism of the end of the 00's people will say, but not everyone was susceptible to trendy reunions or unbeliavable sums of money thrown at them - The Smiths never reunited and this way kept true to their art: their legacy intact

What are you talking about -- the Smiths HAVE reunited!
epic fail on andy's part

[justme]

Originally Posted by anon x

He seems to be bemoaning the fact that the tunes aren't too hot.
Johnny's tunes WERE much better than the current crop

Well, I could argue that Johnny's tunes were much better than most songs you hear at present, including the ones Johnny wrote recently

You see, this kind of comments are quite unfair both to Moz and Johnny - and also to Alain Whyte and BOZ.

Moz & Marr had a magical chemistry THEN. There's no point pretending they'd replicate this now - it would not be the same (how could it be?)

They're both doing a good job with their carreers. Just let them be.

[kissmyshadestoo]

And another thing.......that picture in the article is so not from 1987....more like 1984

[justme]

Originally Posted by mcrickson

What are you talking about -- the Smiths HAVE reunited!
epic fail on andy's part

LOL!
see what I mean ??

[jesuisbryony]

Originally Posted by mcrickson

What are you talking about -- the Smiths HAVE reunited!

He sounds like Pete Burns!

epic fail on andy's part

As always.

[moztour]

This review first appeared a couple of weeks ago in the London Evening Standard.

It has not improved with age. Unlike it's subject.