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Ringleader Of The Tormentors – Morrissey


Year Released: 2006

Label: Sanctuary

Year Bought: 2006

Released in 2006, 'Ringleader of the Tormentors' in many ways represents the apex of the Morrissey resurgence that began two years earlier with 'You Are The Quarry'. 

Whereas that album peaked at number 2 in the album chart (although it did spawn 4 top ten singles), its successor gave Morrissey his first number 1 album since 1994's 'Vauxhall and I'.

'Ringleaders...' raised some eyebrows at the time as Morrissey sang explicitly about something he had previously made a virtue of not discussing. His sex life. "There are exploding kegs between my legs," he sings on 'Dear God Please Help Me' – a tune that swells and grows to a climax with strings written by Ennio Morricone. "Now I'm spreading your legs with mine in between," he later adds. 

Perhaps this new found desire of the flesh was due to this album being recorded in Italy, and references to the country season the album, from the sound of an ambulance siren at the beginning of 'The Youngest Was The Most Loved' to the name-checking of a slew of Italian figures in 'You Have Killed Me'.

Produced by Tony Visconti, the album has a more muscular quality than 'You Are The Quarry', and in some ways feels more urgent and focused. 

Opening track 'I Will See You In Far-Off Places' slips and slides all over the place with an almost Eastern feel to its brass line. 

'I Just Want To See The Boy Happy' is a sub 3-minute punch of an indie tune and album closer 'At Last I Am Born' contains an absolutely quintessential Morrissey lyric: "I once thought that I had numerous reasons to cry, and I did but I don't anymore."

I haven't listened to this album for years, and I remember it being more patchy than it actually is. The 7min+ album centrepiece 'Life Is A Pigsty' sucks a lot of the energy out of the record, and 'To Me You Are A Work Of Art' – while still having some good bits – feels like filler.

But the standard of the rest is really pretty good, and shows that when Morrissey wanted to, he really could make records as good as he thought he could. 

8/10


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