Phantom song plummets!

They spent loads promoting ROTT. Billboards all over London, radio adverts, TV adverts and it's sunk with a fraction of the sales of Quarry.

If you can't get radio airplay, you're buggered. I think 'In the Future' would get more air-play but perhaps not enough to rescue the album. The main hope is if it gets nominated for a Mercury or a Brit or does well in the end of year polls but that doesn't look too likely.

Morrissey needs three or four amazingly good songs on an album which sound fantastic on the radio. ROTT, whilst a quite good album simply doesn't have those songs.
J

Is anyone really that shocked? I know I'm not. All the initial bluster and smoke and mirrors trickery just wasn't going to disguise a disappointingly overall dull record. Pigsty and You Have Killed Me....thats it. Could maybe have stretched it to a good enough EP, but thats about it. Must try harder.

when did record sales and top singles matter to a true morrissey fan???
shame on you....the youth has tripped over their own feet once again.

This is not one of his better albums.
Above Kill Uncle and Southpaw Grammer... but not by much.

I'm just "DOLLAR SHORT" to buy record nowadays,
I also wanted to buy the new pearl jam cd but like I said I'm broke.
LOL

well I don't think If I buy the single it would make a difference, but if he comes to LA sooner I'm pretty sure the record sales would climb.

the sales are nice, but enjoy the songs you like, been some great b sides from this album, the tour was class, mozz isnt some elvis/madonna charachter, that has great chart success throughout his career, the smiths had very few top 10 singles, yet it seems very cool to be a smithsfan, it wasnt in the eighties (i was there), paul weller has a similar path to mozz, average success now, but here and there his talent shines, mozz wont be around releasing songs for that much longer, enjoy the moments,

People on this site were wetting their pants at how great this album was. "His best yet...", etc. What a load of poo.

At last we have the definitive proof that this is not one of his best. It's boring and dull, with only a small handful of good tracks on it.

Not a patch on Quarry - a GREAT album, his BEST album. The best sales? Probably.

The album is dreadfully boring.
The tour is lackluster. He absolutely refuses to give his fans what they want. Tony Visconti is a horrible producer who has been washed up since 1976. The singles are simply not up to his previous standard. Quite simply, Morrissey has lost all momentum generated from his triumphant return in 2004 and has managed to bore his loyal fans to tears.

It doesn't matter. Morrissey sells enough to keep record companies interested in selling his records, that's all that matters. The fact that he can carry on making music.

So what if he doesn't sell as much as Keane or Franz Ferdinand. They'll be forgotten as the flash in the pans they are just like most of the artists who sold many more records than Morrissey in the 80s and 90s.

ROTT is up there with Vauxhall and Arsenal in terms of quality and everyone saying different will be eating their words in a few years.

There are people here that probably didn't live long enough to realize that a high number of albums sold does not translate into high quality. Some other people like numbers and charts to use as corroboration of Moz's failure. And some other people don't accept that his style has changed, and express their unacceptance with saying Moz is boring. Well, he is not boring to everyone!! I heard many extatic remarks about songs like Ganglord, Life is A Pigsty, etc, and I felt that the version the Moz band played at the Pink Pop festival was worthy of saving as a favorite. Can an artist that sold out "like hotcakes" in these shows in 2006 be called a failure?

I will buy all the singles in ALL formats cos I love him. If there was no Morrissey the music-scene would be SO Boring. Who else is there? There is no-one. Morrissey has saved my life. Morrissey makes life worth living (OK, I will get a lot of stick for this, come on!).
My life these days really is about Morrissey, sleep, work, food and a bit of Alan Bennett.
LOVE MORRISSSEY FOREVER XXX

Fuck me, the record has only sold a few dozen thousand then has it? Who gives a shit!? Imagine there being moans about this "disappointment" in 2003?! Gosh, so the second single from an album which has already been released "only" got to number 14 did it? Back in the glory days of the early 90s he rarely got into the top 20 with brand new releases!

The fact is Mozza is a big commercial success once more, and if this album doesn't sell as hugely as the last one, only bollock-brained statistic obsessed fickle wankers will care.

All that matters is if you think the album is good or not. I think its great. If you don't then fine, but don't try and back your argument up with out of context record sales statistics.
Go and buy Nelly Furtado, back the "winning team", and leave us people who appreciate good records alone. Pricks.

I liked Morrissey a lot more in the pre-Quarry days. He seemed to just enjoy doing his music and indulging his own interests.

Quarry became a little popular, and now he's mouthin' off about politics, seal hunting, etc...He's always said some controversial things and it's always fit into his character, but now he seems to disdain anybody who doesn't agree with him.

I was personally horrified by the ROTT cover. Morrissey in a tuxedo playing the violin is just ridiculous. With YATQ, the cover, as silly as it was, at least had some connection with his interest in gangsters. When has Morrissey ever talked about tuxedos, high society, or orchestras?

In any case, I, like many people, was disappointed by this album. Morrissey has always been a bit self-absorbed and pompous. Weak sales of this album, will hopefully make him realize he's not king of the world and he'll be less of a jerk by the next album.

Also, his band just isn't as good looking as the Your Arsenal days...

I thought it would have done better but it didn't get much airplay, I only heard it a handful of times, the single didn't get merchandised well in the shops, whenever I saw it, it was tucked away on the bottom shelf.

Anyway Moz is no longer flavour of the monthe. Normal service resumes.

i've been two three tower record stores in southern cali and none of them even have the single for "the youngest was the most loved."

i guess i'll have to order it online, but i thought i'd mention it. i dont know what the reason for not having ordered it or...what. they all had plenty of copies of "you have killed me." perhaps they are waiting to sell those copies of that song before they order more.

i dunno. it's annoying though. i have very little intrest in any new music artist. i mean ca mon..theres like a new "the artist of the millienia" every week. i left the store with nothing all three times. crap, crap, crap. crap is all they sell.

life is very dull now. i only buy morrissey music. i have all of his songs and the smiths and a somewhat detailed rarities collection AND I don't collect madonna stuff anymore. i no longer wish to help fund her antichrist endeavors. shock value is one thing, but all out war against a right handed opinion is another. republicans are entitled to their beliefs as well. the two party system is one major factor that makes america great. the left and right hands that balance eachother out...to some extent. She does things to that anger people and says they dont understand because they're ignorant and - "aphobic" if you will. she exploits 3rd world countries and starving children in order to find a cure for aids. yet she says nothing about abstenance and insists there is no choice when it comes to sex...you either have it or you have it with a condomn with no mention of the safest sex.

there is another choice and morrissey, i believe is a good example. sure he has sex now, but he did resist it for a long time - it was possible.

anyway, i'm really upset about the single lol...bye.

saenz
www.myspace.com/saenz01
www.myspace.com/saenz02
www.myspace.com/saenz03
www.myspace.com/saenz04

Those who think ROTT is dull, poor and what have you, that's just fine you are entitled to your opinion. I myself think ROTT ranks fairly high in the Moz cannon and still play it often. However to say poor sales mark definative eveidence of it's quality is just silly. I sold records for almost 10 years and some of the biggest sellers were the debut from Vanilla Ice, Aqua, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'em and various albums from Garth Brooks, Michael Bolton and Celine. So are they great? The Velvets sold shit all, nor did the Pixies, The Fall and so on. If you don't like ROTT fine, but don't slate it based on sales.

Morrissey has had an awful year. First the 30 date instant sell-out tour. Then his record goes to #1 in the UK charts. He joins Elvis and co. as one of the few performers to go top ten in THREE different decades. Despite his obscenely advanced age, he manages to look great, sing better than ever and put out a pretty good record with some fantastic, career-high tunes.

Sure, sales are a bit disappointing, and not every show is a crazed love-fest. Yes, he did go a bit mad with the animal-rights tirades. I finally understood the album title when I saw him curled up on that stage, fighting time and personal demons to deliver a heartbreaking performance that few other artists can match.

When I want a popular performer to make me feel fuzzy-good, I'll look elsewhere. When I want to be amused or entertained, there are plenty who can fill the bill. When I want to look the awful truth in the face and laugh, Moz is there.

Geez, given his proclivities, it's a miracle he manages to sell any records at all.

   

I did something with this album that I've never done with any other Moz album.

As I listened to it for the first time, I took it out of the cd player, threw it on the back seat of the car, turned to my girlfriend and said "This album sucks."

I've got close to 200 Smiths/Moz titles (bootlegs, singles, etc.) ROTT is the worst of them all.

Sorry but it is. Too much flabby filler and too few rousing tunes. The more unusual songs are very good - tracks 1,2,12 and 7 and 3 are good too. The rest are maladjusted-style fillers, especially the dire 'On The Streets I Ran' and 'The Youngest Was The Most Loved.'

'Youngest' is a tuneless racket and it was embarrassing to see him perform it on Jonathan Ross. One of his weakest singles ever, even worse than Pregnant for the Last Time.

Morrissey is virtually AOR now. Oh dear, what a sad loser he's become.

YATQ had seven years worth of songs which had been building up while he didn't have a deal - the ones for ROTT must have been rushed in the space of 18 months - hence three or four gems and a load of cobblers-type filler like the current, really poor, single.

Even so, with YATQ he still managed to put shite like All the Lazy Dykes on and leave Friday Mourning off!!

Fuck you all. The album is Morrissey, the music is still Morrissey, the fellinmg is still alive. Albums sales dosent mean that album is not good.

Surely 10 weeks for a Moz album isn't too bad? Don't know how long Maladjusted, Southpaw or Kill Uncle hung around for, but ROTT wasn't as strong as YATQ - But then he'd had years and years without a new album to record, so if that wasn't brilliant nothing was going to be...

I very much doubt that his animal rights opinions have damaged the sales - I think it's been fairly widely known that he was a vegetarian verging on the militant since The Smiths... What damaged teh sales was that this was a record that was only going to be bought be the faithful, and wasn't going to attract newcomers... I don't see why he can't come up with something better in the future - that said as long as you are prepared to give it some time ROTT can grow on you... That is if you have the time! I do cos I get the train to work, but if I didn't I think it would have been long relegated to the pile that includes Pulp 'We Love Life' and 'A Heavy Night With Relaxed Muscle'... Oh, and Maladjusted!

Oh dear - a whole new generation seems to be around who thinks that sales in some way equates with success, that an album can't be good if it doesn't get nominated for some meaningless award. It never was so, it never will be so. If that were the case, 95% of Morrissey's career must be judged as a failure. The album got to no. 1. It's a great record. I think many of the "disappointed" fans are dullards who jumped on the Moz bandwagon due to all the hype surrounding "You Are The Quarry". But fair-weather fans we can do without. Now let's all watch them all jump off the bandwagon again... goodbye, you will not be missed.

To come onto this website to bitch and cry, claiming that ROTT is a poor album is just stupid. Any genuine Morrissey fan would love this album for loads of reasons. He's happier, more open, still lyrically intriguing and using a new, higher vocal style. Clearly, you Moz haters who have nothing better to do are just here to amuse yourself and annoy true fans! Sorry, not working on me, but i do find it kind of funny! Moz is Moz, and nobody else ever could be. And that, my friends, is that!

PS. At last i am born and Far off places are two of his best songs for years!!!

The fall in chart position is not something that is new to either The Smiths or Morrissey , but I have to say , the new album is shocking , there is no other word for it. Half the album is ok , the best songs were actually written by Alain ( no surprise there ) and he took some stick recently about how he should be replaced...never agreed with that , he is so under rated by the fans and music industry.

Jesse...dear Jesse , I am sure he is a nice enough bloke but , dear god , the songs he has written are absolutley shocking , what does M see in this bloke , he is no improvment on alain or boz, no way.

the whole set up is missing something , its to dis jointed and I think it shows in the music. There are more people in the band than all of the London orchestra put together. 4 was always a good number for a band , symetrical on stage etc.

The album is poor and people who have listened to the music over the last 20 years know this , i know we all move on but I am sorry to say this album hasnt , it is poor.....

Last one out turn the lights off..........

What is astonishing is that Morrissey reached number 1 in 2006.

When he left RCA in 1996 after Southpaw, which is a splendid album, he said that he was "commercial poison".

I don't care what other members of the record-buying public think - they glorify Robbie Williams.

Twats.

Because, as all we entertainment retail lackey's know, it's been a nasty old year for sales of anything; shops of most trades are barely making budget because supermarkets are hoovering up the profits, by selling books, cd's and dvd's at a loss. I don't think supermarkets really consider Moz to have enough 'popular appeal' to be their cd of the week, or even to remain in their own chart for longer than a month. In addition, the amount of coverage needed for other artists means that once records are released, HMV (the only high street music chain to have a significant impact) take down their 'coming soon' posters and play the record for a few days at most. All this combines to take Moz out of the visible loop, and seeing as he's not the sort of artist to appear on daytime TV panels or perform on GMTV or Saturday morning kids shows, it's inevitable only the current fans will buy the record.
None of his albums have spent more than 20 weeks in the charts, as someone has pointed out, but it'd be interesting to know comparative sales figures. He might be on the way to selling as many as Quarry, but the nature of music sales has changed, with people downloading what the radio and Tesco shove in their faces, rather than what they might browse for in a record store. Thus, the British top 10 has 'popular' appeal only.
And for the record (no pun intended) I liked ROTT; personally I don't think it's as good as 'Your Arsenal', 'Viva Hate' or 'Kill Uncle', but this is Morrissey in 2006. Like it or lump it, because he changes for no man (or woman).

Whoever is supposed to be looking after Morrissey's best interests should really get their finger out. They should look into why he's not getting radio play and try and do something about it. The single should not have been released in the middle of all those world cup records and some better TV advertising wouldn't go amiss. The children's choir on the record is quite simply spine chilling and this could have been used to great effect in his TV appearances. If Morrissey could have bought a group of kids on with him for Jonathan Ross and Jools Holland and had them all singing the chorus loud and live it would have made a huge impact and stuck in people's minds a lot more which would have had a knock on effect with radio play etc.

Has coasted since 'Vauxhall'. This debate would be academic if his subsequent albums had been up to Vauxhall standards.

They have not.

Bring back Marr.

its all because they started cheating and using keyboards. Once they drop those machines all will be well again

Good music....communicates something from the musician/writer to the listener which is moving and relevent to their lives.

People change, circumstances change. Music changes along with the person who writes it.

Listen to "Rubber Ring" again.. I understand it as saying "remember how important I was at one time in your life. Remember with fondness, because I am part of your history, even though you may not need me now."

Whatever I am listening to now is what resonates most significantly with my life at the moment, be it old or new Morrissey, or any other artist. For each of us our life experience defines our choices, as a result we get so many passionately held opinions.

Why do any of us write here?
Why does Morrissey write?

To communicate and to be remembered...?

Sinistra 21

Poor choice of single and incredibly poor release scheduling did for TYWTML, and in turn this has probably killed the sales of ROTT.

It's not quite over though, and you'd think there's still one more single to come from the LP.

Where to turn though? Personally, I'd ditch the mid-pace rockers, which clearly haven't caught the public's imagination, and turn to Dear God Please Help Me.

Then, I'd actually show a bit of imagination. How about coloured vinyl for the 7" release? The number of fairweather singles buyers that'll snap up a 99p 7" because it looks cool isn't to be sniffed at. And how about pushing it as a double A-side with a live recording of Panic from the tour? For that matter, why not have live recordings of Smiths tracks from the tour as all the B-sides (different on all formats)?

Example:

7" - Dear God... + Panic
CD1 - Dear God... + How Soon Is Now
CD2 - Dear God... + Girlfriend In A Coma + Still Ill

The release online of several live versions of TYWTML was a good move, but why the f**k didn't Sanctuary push this in the press? Were it not for this site, I wouldn't have known about it, and that's appalling when you think about the thousands they've through into publicising the LP. Get ads in the press pushing the presence of Smiths tracks as the flipsides, and punters will flood in.

If Morrissey & Sanctuary really want to better their sales, they should take some risks. Stop bringing out the singles that Moz fans (and his detractors too) would expect him to bring out.
The next single should be I Just Want To See The Boy Happy. It's not popular on here so that's exactly why he should. MTV2 would play it, Xfm too, hell even Radio 1 would be tempted. And Radio 2 probably wouldn't go near it. Which is fine, Radio 2 listeners have probably heard enough to know if they like Moz or not.
Irish Blood was a much better lead off single than First Of The Gang would've bee because it wasn't what people expected, it grabbed their attention instead of being passed off as 'that miserable git has a new song out.'

still, all are singles for the fans... not for new people. The question is. What matter -at the end -about relase singles?, and, should we care about that final issue??

  barabin barabum

In The Future When All's Well should have been the second single - it's by far the catchiest song on the album, and moreover would be an excellent tune to play over the end credits when England inevitably get knocked out of the world cup.

But that doesn't really mask the fact that ROTT is a weak album. I know it's sacrilege, but I don't even think Life Is A Pigsty is all that good, suffering from the weak lyrics that are prevalent throughout. Compare Pigsty to Moz's finest 'long song', Late Night, Maudlin Street - the lyrics are just Moz by numbers.

There are some good songs on ROTT, but they are all in the first half; personally, once I get to the end of In The Future When All's Well, I start wondering what album to put on next.

If he was prancing around singing about 'how to get his love back' blah blah blah and had a backing group of clean cut good looking teenage boys and scantily clad girls it would probably sell more as most of the British record buying public don't know shit from clay.
The fools.

The digi-pac version of ROTT has now been reduced to £7.99 in both Virgin Megastores and HMV. Are Sanctuary trying to offload a glut of unsold copies or does this class as "promotion" for the single?

and charmless and heavy hearted for any radio station to want to play it much, if at all.

Morrissey needs to write something poetic, witty and well observed like he did in his younger years. His obsession with killers (fathers who must be killed, the youngest became a killer, he has been killed, life is killing me) is getting embarassing especially when you think about his dazzling lyrical skills from the early years where he sung about pretty much every subject under the sun with eloquence, passion and style.
J

and if so what would it be?

I wish people would stop bloody moaning and being so vinegary and two-faced. Back in March everyone loved Ringleader and couldn't heap enough praise upon it. Why the long faces now? It's a fucking brilliant album. If you don't like it, go and listen to Diana Ross instead.

10 weeks is pretty good for an album that sounds as if it was made in 10 days

It's no news, He's out of mainstream.
He was there some years long time ago.

I'm amazed how people do care about these chart positions.

What if he'd sell 1000million copies of this album and it would stay on top of every chart in the planet for 10 years.
- it would not make ROTT any better of worse.