by
Morrissey
- Record Label: Sanctuary / Attack
- Release Date: Apr 4, 2006
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Ringleader Of The Tormentors is the sound a man with a new sense of purpose, and in this extraordinary record he's produced a masterpiece.
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Some of his most impressive songs in years.
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"Ringleader" proves Morrissey does not need to be miserable to make memorable music.
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What's so remarkable about Morrissey's writing on 'Ringleader...' is a seeming greater comfort with the more upbeat subject matter than with his usual morose metier, and what remains of that is executed with an exceedingly hammy fist.
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Filter[Many] of the songs submerge the rock and roll swagger of Your Arsenal in dramatic atmospherics, making ofr an astonishingly immediate visceral experience. [#20, p.91]
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Morrissey doesn’t have that much to say now, but it’s never really been just about the words. And when everything fits into place on Ringleader of the Tormenters, he can deliver those sweet-nothings with such panache that it doesn’t really matter anyway.
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These tunes find him not only reconnecting with his sense of melodic urgency but with his loins, as well.
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Track for track, Ringleader is unquestionably Morrissey's best in ages.
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'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' sees Morrissey not only in wonderful voice, but more flamboyant and alive than at any time in his solo career.
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Quite honestly, he's never sounded so alive and free - or, more importantly, human.
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Ringleader of the Tormentors is, rather than the now-anticipated letdown, another fitting heir to [his] legacy.
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MojoAs with everything Morrissey does, ROTT's resonance will elude those not hitherto fascinated by its master's voice. A shame, for in terms of pure musicality, ROTT is possibly his most ecumenical solo album, his most welcoming and loveable. [Apr 2006, p.89]
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BlenderLongtime devotees may miss Morrissey's Smiths-era vocal histrionics, but his supple croon has matured into a thing of beauty. [May 2006, p.103]
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Alternative PressA romantic, self-referential collection of songs that, even though we've heard this inimitable voice singing the same old tune for years, manages to avoid staleness. [May 2006, p.174]
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Under The RadarOne of his finest solo outings to date. [#13, p.87]
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UrbRingleader is Moz at his tormented best. [Apr 2006, p.88]
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Ringleader of the Tormentors feels rushed and underdone in both the songwriting and arrangements.
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MagnetMorrissey regains his knack for conversational hooks and his wry, literate sense of humor. [#71, p.105]
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Morrissey has managed to assemble a record that feels like a genuine Morrissey record while not being insufferably self-important and brooding.
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Entertainment WeeklyNot the invigorating wake-up that was 2004's You Are The Quarry, his new album... feels more like an elegiac memoir. [7 Apr 2006, p.60]
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[A] potentially polarizing mash note.
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Rolling StoneYou Are The Quarry... was Morrissey's strongest album in years, but Ringleader reframes it as mere foreplay. [6 Apr 2006, p.62]
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While it may be the most proficient musical record that Morrissey has put out in aeons... it doesn’t quite measure up to the high standards set by You Are The Quarry or the superlative debut that was Viva Hate.
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The production on each song is a little too repetitive.
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A simmering, sultry affair.
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It's hard not to shake the suspicion that this album is the closest he's ever been to forgettable.
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Q MagazineWhat we are left with is a sense of something not quite finished... It makes Ringleader Of The Tormentors feel like a transitional album. [Apr 2006, p.108]
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UncutFunnily enough, it's the lyrics that let Ringleader down the most. [Apr 2006, p.94]
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Paste MagazineStrangely underwhelming. [Apr/May 2006, p.100]
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[His] vocals don't have the same strength or range they did just two years ago on You Are the Quarry.
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Whereas You Are The Quarry was a welcome return to form, Ringleader Of The Tormentors makes you wonder if seven-year gaps between albums are necessary.
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Mostly, though, it's the usual whining about his tortured life as as a once-celebrated pop star and being unloved in a harsh world, but with fewer droll song titles and clever couplets.
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The New York TimesWhile the lyrics are uniformly excellent... the songs mainly range from not good to pretty good. [3 Apr 2006]
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His newest album is at best a parody of old Morrissey. He has become boring. He has become stagnant. He has become irrelevant.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 84 out of 105
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Mixed: 12 out of 105
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Negative: 9 out of 105
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Feb 6, 2023More mixed than his previous album but still his fantastic vocals remain. You Have Killed Me and Life Is A Pigsty are the standouts to me.
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Aug 1, 2014
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[Anonymous]Dec 21, 2006