I had 4 listens today, 3 on headphones and once there now on speakers. It sounds absolutely awful on headphones, a lot better on speakers. The production is horrible, that nasty reverb all over everything. It's like being stuck in a stuffy sick granny's bedroom all afternoon on a summer day in 1986. Claustrophobic, and not in a good way. That's a lot less pronounced on speakers though.
Frankly, Mr Shankly is an abomination. Cemetery Gates and Vicar In A Tutu are not far behind so they're getting no marks. I Know It's Over, Never Had No One Ever, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side and There Is A Light are all decent tunes so 10 for each of them. Big Mouth Isn't bad - 5 marks there and 4 each for TQID and Some Girls.
That's 53% on the basis of song quality. Other considerations are:
Bass playing : don't like it at all (-10 marks)
Drumming: totally forgettable. He should have been down the pub playing Sultans of Swing with his dad. (-10 marks)
The production: naff (-10 marks)
Morrissey: good singer, good delivery, mostly decent lyrics (+10 marks)
Marr: I don't really see what all the fuss is about here. Decent playing, nice lightness of touch, nothing too remarkable but gets the job done so, why not, full marks (+10).
I might take another 10% for Shankly just because, I'm not sure yet.
So I think that puts it on 43% or two stars. It seems a little harsh, I'll hold off til friday on the vote, I might give it three. I thought it was complete shite on first listen but it grew on me a bit over the course of the day.
Frankly, Mr Shankly is an abomination. Cemetery Gates and Vicar In A Tutu are not far behind so they're getting no marks. I Know It's Over, Never Had No One Ever, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side and There Is A Light are all decent tunes so 10 for each of them. Big Mouth Isn't bad - 5 marks there and 4 each for TQID and Some Girls.
That's 53% on the basis of song quality. Other considerations are:
Bass playing : don't like it at all (-10 marks)
Drumming: totally forgettable. He should have been down the pub playing Sultans of Swing with his dad. (-10 marks)
The production: naff (-10 marks)
Morrissey: good singer, good delivery, mostly decent lyrics (+10 marks)
Marr: I don't really see what all the fuss is about here. Decent playing, nice lightness of touch, nothing too remarkable but gets the job done so, why not, full marks (+10).
I might take another 10% for Shankly just because, I'm not sure yet.
So I think that puts it on 43% or two stars. It seems a little harsh, I'll hold off til friday on the vote, I might give it three. I thought it was complete shite on first listen but it grew on me a bit over the course of the day.