Ringleader of the Tormentors

1	I Will See You in Far-Off Places 4:13
2	Dear God Please Help Me 5:51
3	You Have Killed Me 3:08
4	The Youngest Was the Most Loved 2:59
5	In the Future When All's Well 3:54
6	The Father Who Must Be Killed 3:53
7	Life Is a Pigsty 7:22
8	I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now 4:14
9	On the Streets I Ran 3:51
10	To Me You Are a Work of Art 4:01
11	I Just Want to See the Boy Happy 2:59
12	At Last I Am Born 3:34

Barnes & Noble

Is the world ready for a kinder, gentler Morrissey? That's the question diehards might be asking after an initial spin of this disc -- which really ought to swap its forbidding title for something along the lines of Morrissey Finds Love. It soon becomes clear that the answer is a resounding yes. The monarch of mope waxes enthusiastic about matters of the heart -- or at least matters of the bedroom -- on fully half of the cuts here. From the lusty "Dear God, Please Help Me" (on which he employs Ennio Morricone to outfit declarations of having "exploding kegs between my legs" in layers of bells, timpani, and organ) to the swoony "At Last I Am Born," his utter openness reveals a love that, for a change, seems requited. Moz being Moz, however, the disc couldn't be all sweetness and light -- as evidenced by the sepulchral "The Father Who Must Be Killed," which, true to its title, tells the tale of a patriarch who meets his demise at the hands of the daughter he abused for ages. Sonically, Ringleader -- which was produced by Tony Visconti, the man who put his stamp on David Bowie classics like Diamond Dogs and Heroes -- is as diverse as anything Morrissey has done as a solo artist, thanks to elements like the wailing, Middle Eastern-tinged guitars that buoy "I Will See You in Far Off Places" and the cinematic sound effects that give "Life Is a Pigsty" its sense of drama. He's not so miserable anymore, but heaven knows, Morrissey still has plenty left to say. David Sprague

Billboard

Brimming with confidence and wit ("On the Streets I Ran" makes reference to his talent for "turning sickness into popular song," while "In the Future When All's Well" preens like vintage T. Rex), Ringleader proves Morrissey does not need to be miserable to make memorable music. Jonathan Cohen