Ringleader Of The Tormentors (Deluxe Edition) [Limited]

Performer: Morrissey
Engineer: Marco Antoni Martin Origel
Producer: Tony Visconti
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Morrissey (vocals); Alain Whyte (guitar, background vocals); Jesse Tobias, Boz Boorer (guitar); Michael Farrell (trumpet, trombone, piano, organ, keyboards, percussion); Gary Day (bass guitar); Matt Chamberlain (drums). Despite his status as one of the most iconic and enduring figures in alternative rock, Morrissey's solo output has been somewhat uneven, artistically speaking. But from its faux-classical album cover to its churning musical surfaces to its array of both bleak and celebratory themes, the artist's 2006 release, RINGLEADER OF THE TORMENTORS, shows that the subversive spirit driving Morrissey's unique perspective, arch posturing, and witty, literate lyrics is still alive and kicking. To boot, the album is produced by Tony Visconti, the masterful hand behind some of T. Rex and David Bowie's best efforts. Visconti's touch is evident on "I Will See You in Far Off Places," a heavy, rocking opener that moves with a sense of menace. This is contrasted by the beautiful "Dear God Please Help Me," a chamber-pop ballad orchestrated by legendary film composer Ennio Morricone. That song and the album's first single, "You Have Killed Me," are surprisingly joyful and life-affirming, at least for Morrissey, that is. (Fans needn't worry, however, the old morose Moz is still here on tunes like "Life is a Pigsty"). All told, RINGLEADER is one of Morrissey's most vital statements in some time. Few comebacks are ever as expertly executed as Morrissey's 2004 return to the stage, You Are the Quarry. It may have not sold gangbusters but it was certainly a hit, proving that he still had legions of devoted fans who would follow through hell and high water (or at the very least, seven years between albums), and earned his best reviews in years, elevating him to the status of well-respected elder statesman. It also gave him the opportunity to return to regular record-making, an opportunity that he seizes with Quarry's quickly delivered sequel, 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors. Despite its near-genius title, perfect artwork, and pedigree -- instead of working with modern punk producer Jerry Finn as he did last time around, Moz has hired the legendary Tony Visconti, best known for his work with T. Rex and David Bowie, and even has the iconic Ennio Morricone provide orchestration for the epic "Dear God Please Help Me" -- Ringleader of the Tormentors is about as close to standard-issue Morrissey as it gets. There's always been a certain similarity to his work, particularly on his solo recordings, but each of his records either had a distinct sonic or aesthetic point of view or, at the very least, was graced by a handful of songs distinguished by a particularly sharp turn of phrase, whether it was lyrical or musical. It would seem that Ringleader has all the elements of being a cut above an average Morrissey LP, since not only are his collaborators storied themselves, but it's supported by a press campaign where the once celibate, often miserable singer has declared that he's abandoned L.A. for Rome, where he is living happily and living in love. All of these elements seem to be the core ingredients for a classic Morrissey record, but there is little about Ringleader that's distinctive: whether it's the standard-issue single "You Have Killed Me" or the grinding seven-minute art rock centerpiece "Life Is a Pigsty," each tune has an all-too-clear antecedent elsewhere in Moz's catalog. Again, since Morrissey often works within a strict formula, this familiarity isn't necessarily bad, but the songs lack memorable moments. Not to say that there aren't highlights -- the dirgeful opener, "I Will See You in Far Off Places," is dreamily evocative, "In the Future When All Is Well" and "On the Streets I Ran" are nicely propulsive -- but there is nothing noteworthy or fresh here besides Morrissey's new tendency toward blunt words. He writes candidly about his personal life on this record in a way that he never has before -- he implicitly outs himself on "Dear God Please Help Me" -- and while this outburst of frank emotion may add some resonance to his declarations of love and rebirth, his words are clunky, lacking his trademark elegant wit ("I see the world, it makes me puke" and "there are explosive kegs between my legs" are a long way from "Why pamper life's complexity/When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?"). That is also true of the very sound of Ringleader of the Tormentors, which is just a shade too slick and sequenced, veering too close to comfort to the overly glossy '80s productions Morrissey routinely denounced during his days with the Smiths. These are subtle flaws, something that only the Morrissey diehard can dig out, but that's pretty much the only kind of fan Morrissey has in 2006. And since these flaws are not enough to derail the record, just enough to annoy, it's easy to enjoy Ringleader of the Tormentors as merely an everyday Morrissey record, but it's hard not to shake the suspicion that this album is the closest he's ever been to forgettable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (p.62) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[V]eteran glam-rock producer Tony Visconti helps Morrissey achieve the delicious sensuality of early T. Rex and David Bowie..." Entertainment Weekly (p.60) - "[The album] feels more like an elegiac memoir. Harrowingly beautiful violins abound..." -- Grade: B Q (p.121) - Ranked #47 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006" -- "Unusually for the notoriously distant observer of modern life, getting physical was the main preoccupation." Uncut (p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Morrissey is quite consistent..." Magnet (p.105) - "Morrissey regains his knack for conversational hooks and his wry, literate sense of humor....The songs are brisk and effortless, wedding glam theatricality to the lad-mag Vespa aesthetic of Morrissey's strongest work." Mojo (Publisher) (p.p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "ROTT is possibly his most ecumenical solo album, his most welcoming and loveable."

The 1987 breakup of the Smiths saddened legions of fans, but it led to a fruitful solo career for lead singer and lyricist Morrissey. The Smiths were very much a singles band, and VIVA HATE, Morrissey's first record, continued in the Smiths vein with the gloriously sad singles "Suedehead" and "Every Day Is Like Sunday." As Morrissey soldiered on, he began to develop more of an individual style, although he never lost the elements of high drama and challenging pop that came together in the Smiths.

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