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Mar 20, 2020Set aside this inclination toward sneering solipsism, which not only characterizes but enlivens nearly every song, and I Am Not a Dog on a Chain is one of the better latter-day Morrissey records: the sense of musical daring reveals how placid and complacent he's been for the better part of a decade.
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Classic Rock MagazineApr 8, 2020One of the most musically interesting things he's done in years. ... However, a bitter aftertaste lingers long after the final notes. [May 2020, p.79]
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MojoMar 16, 2020Removed from the living artist, it may one day be hailed as a great album. [Apr 2020, p.88]
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Mar 16, 2020Few giant leaps nail the perfect landing, and Morrissey’s two-footer into full-blown electronica stumbles occasionally. But there’s also plenty of reason to hold your political nose and cross the Twittermob line.
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Mar 25, 2020As with all documents by obsessives fixated on their targets, the album can be frequently ridiculous, mildly captivating, and occasionally repetitive, pocked by moments of goofiness that come from the runoff of a man eager to chase old miseries and find new ones to berate.
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Q MagazineMar 16, 2020It finds Morrissey wandering down some interesting musical avenues. [May 2020, p.109]
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Rolling StoneApr 8, 2020This charming man's bowshots at English society can get repetitive. [Apr 2020, p.87]
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Mar 20, 2020If you can get past the pall cast by that song’s sentiment, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain features some of Morrissey’s best songs in years, and a couple of his worst. It leans—in weird but not unwelcome ways—on electronics more than any record he’s ever done.
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Mar 20, 2020Oleaginous and rasping, Morrissey is often lost among the strident music as he hectors people afraid to be themselves.
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Mar 20, 2020I Am Not a Dog has its moments, but they are brief and virtually lost amid the more experimental forays.
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Mar 16, 2020It is an album bursting with epigrammatic phrases, ridiculous rhymes, huge melodies and provocative opinions. The sound is brash and arresting.
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UncutMar 26, 2020Moments of sweetness. ... But there are other, less successful experiments. [May 2020, p.31]
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Apr 7, 2020A decision has been made that it is time to introduce new flavors into the Morrissey sound palette, with the well-established Boz Boorer-led guitar sound taking a step back in favor of a measure of electronic tampering, instrumental variety, and sonic effects. If change was needed, this wasn’t it. ... Morrissey’s vocals remain strong, those wrought girders that with age have reinforced what was once a floral and decorative voice standing firm. He continues to have a knack for finding an elegant vocal melody too.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 28 out of 33
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Mixed: 2 out of 33
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Negative: 3 out of 33
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Mar 20, 2020
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Mar 24, 2020
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Mar 22, 2020