Morrissey
World Peace Is None of Your Business

There it is, in a snapshot with a surely veiled but provocative meaning, in which he tries to offer a pen to a dog.

The peculiarity of the ex-Smith has always been—in my opinion—that he never took a step back from his ideals. Let me explain better. During the past decades, Steven Patrick has never ceased to be the Moz, just as Morrissey has never ceased to be Steven Patrick. Despite the relentless hourglass continuing its role, more and more admirers of the Mancunian songwriter are drawn to that personality as elusive as it is blunt and irreverent (I don't like this term, but I can't find a better one).

Morrissey also has the knack of nailing the titles (for more than thirty years) and a grin of approval appears on your face when you read that this old chap (so to speak) brings out "World Peace Is None of Your Business", or also "Kick the Bride Down the Aisle".

Because, clearly, those who listen to Morrissey know that words have a distinctly predominant role over the rest of the musical production for the album. So it starts with the accusation of futility towards taxes and voting, with disdain for marriage and materialistic women, and with an animal rights manifesto against the figure of the bullfighter.

The mood of the album is completely devoid of frantic guitar moments or any kind of rock revival gimmick, but rich in arrangements that range from orchestral to clean guitars. A lot of uniformity, in short. The most characteristic moments, I find, can be found in the catchy Art-Hounds (only in the deluxe version), in Kiss Me A Lot (the only one that truly hints at romance) and in I’m Not A Man with a text expressing the author's will to detach from human cruelty.

These are peculiar years for Steven Patrick Morrissey, a guy who has always had to fight with the British press. Despite his reserve, he hints at his health issues and his sexuality by abolishing taboos and quashing rumors. So much so that a biopic film about his adolescence will soon see assured success.

"Morrissey is like a reverse Dorian Gray; as he slowly ages, his audience remains young"

Johnny Rogan