According to mediatraffic.de, which cumulates all the national charts, the new Morrissey album enters World album chart at # 6 in its first week, with 99.000 albums sold worldwide.

YOR number 4 in Danish chart
Years Of Refusal entered the Danish chart at number 4.
Not bad at all considering what is usually on the Danish chart. Bruce Springsteen occupies the number 1 spot....

http://www.hitlisten.nu/

I have the new book by Simon Reynolds (published by Faber and Faber Ltd) - 'Totally Wired' (the title taken from a Fall song).

If anyone here read one of his previous books - the excellent 'Rip It Up And Start Again' then this is the follow up / natural companion to it.

It is mainly interviews with individuals who were at the forefront of post punk.... people like Tony Wilson, Paul Morley, Bill Drummond, Martin Rushant, John Peel, Jah Wobble etc etc etc.... and Linder Sterling.

Quite a good interview offering an insight into her role / relationship with Buzzcocks / Magazine and of course Ludas. There are also two questions asked relating to Morrissey:

Have you seen 24 Hour Party People?
I didn't go and see it. I saw an early shooting script and Morrissey and I were in it and our lines were just so abysmal, I just got hold of a legal friend to write a really scary letter and saying ''I have to be removed from this film''. So I was removed from the film. And I still haven't seen it. Maybe one day.

Finally, is it true that you are the subject of 'Wonderful Woman', that great, lost early Smiths B-side?
There's various rumours. So who knows? I dont. I do know 'What do I get?' (Buzzcocks single) was written about me. Because Peter Shelley told me so.

I've just been catching up on twitter and ended up looking through Wossy's (aka Jonathan Ross) pics. I thought these two were worth sharing with all you fine people!

http://twitpic.com/1gc7d
http://twitpic.com/1fnx7

Warm thanks for bothering to read my MusicOMH article. Perhaps you're all right in different ways about me and my writings. Yes, they are merely "glorified opinions" and, if I really am being artfully "non-exhibitionist", it's simply because I don't have the body for it. Also, being painfully rational, I probably do go overboard like Jonah with my Wilde connections in Meetings With Semisorry. But please please please remember...the best people are not right in the head. Len

Morrissey's YOR release on brazilian's most important and popular weekly magazine
Just a few records are reviewed on this magazine and YOR is one of them in this week's issue. The review is very positive by telling that YOR is as good as You Are the Quarry and that Somebody is Squeezing My Skull is about Jerry Finn and that "You Were Good In Your Time" is a message for a fan.

San Antonio-Express News Gives new Moz Album Good Review
Some may find this to be no big deal but I have lived in San Antonio for almost 15 years and this is the first time the SA Express News has reviewed a Morrissey album.... and it's a good review!

A.D. Amorosi writes, "Bitterness adds a bite to Morrissey's grander-than-ever "Years of Refusal". He goes on to say that Morrissey is getting older but is also getting better. He adds that "Morrissey no longer sounds weobegone or precious" but "manages to be emotional yet muscular". The writer then reviews a few of the tracks that he calls "burly tunes onto which Moz pastes his flamboyant brand of self-undermining assertiveness. No one but he could get away with floridly singing."

Over all this was a very positive, good review of the new album and I'm happy the San Antonio Express news has finally gotten with the program after all these "years of refusal".

Years of Refusal review - Courier Mail -Brisbane
Years of Refusal album review in Courier Mail (Brisbane, Australia). Paper version gave him 3.5 stars out of 5 (rating not shown in online version).

Evangeline Lilly (Kate from Lost) lists "America is Not the World" on her iTunes celebrity playlist.

This Friday just past, 27th February at The Academy in Dublin, a show entitled 'Inspirations' featured a host of top acts performing songs by their musical heroes. In aid of Barretstown founded by the late actor Paul Newman as part of his Hole in the Wall Gang Camps for sick children, acts included Sinead O'Connor, Republic of Loose, Fun Lovin Criminals, Shane MacGowan, The Walls, The Blizzards, Engine Alley, Ham Sandwich, The Kinetiks and Dublin Gospel Choir, all MC'd by Ray D'Arcy. Acts played songs by a range of artists who influenced them including David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and U2, as well as one or two of their own pieces.

It was a quite a joy to hear highly-tipped Dublin band 'Ham Sandwich' launch into a fine version of The Smiths' There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, in homage to what they claimed was one of their main sources of inspiration.

Some of their own songs are here: http://www.myspace.com/eathamsandwich

New complilation is out now, featuring 12 Psychobilly bands: each performing one original track and one cover from the 80's.

American Psychobilly Archive

The 7 Shot Screamers cover Rusholme Ruffians by The Smiths

The Quakes cover The Killing Moon by Echo & The Bunnymen

For more info: http://analogarkives.com/
Listen to tracks on Myspace page at: myspace.com/analogarkives