An anonymous person writes:

Jake Kennedy has penned a negative review of the MEN DVD in this month's 'Record Collector'. Criticisms are levelled against Morrissey's band for being dull and uninspiring, and against Morrissey himself for coasting.

Transcript as follows:

First things first - it was the Mondays who truly put the 'M' in Manchester, and if memory serves correctly, they also did a pretty good job of putting the 'E' in as well. And secondly, if Manchester is so bloody marvellous, why is Morrissey living in LA? There's no 'M' in that......

Filmed in May 2004, on the occasion of his 45th birthday, this 'homecoming' gig catches Mozzer at the peak of his commercial powers, unbelievably. And it is hard to believe, because many of the songs wheeled out are simply dull. It is a victory of marketing over material that even lifeless numbers like I Have Forgiven Jesus and Let Me Kiss You are enough to raise a shriek from the (admittedly) massive crowd in the MEN arena. At one point, and I swear this is true, a fan waves some hospital crutches aloft, as if healed by rubbish album off-cuts ('Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice') and obligatory 'run-through' Smiths covers (A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours, Shoplifters....)

There's something incredibly annoying about the backing band to boot. Rarely more than irritatingly self-confident, they manage to suck any life from bona fide masterful solo works like Jack The Ripper and Hairdresser On Fire. With their teddy boy affectations, mohawks and quiffs, the only real thrill they provide comes when they leave the stage, one by one, causing punch ups among a crowd eager to catch signed drumskins or sheet music.

There are some genuinely exciting moments, though. A grim, northern female voice lists things that clearly infuriate Morrissey before he takes the stage. As Moz bounds on, 'First Of The Gang To Die' sounds truly rejuvenated in the live arena, and, slightly later, The Headmaster Ritual gets a rightful place at the captain's table. The concert came just before the summer festival appearances of 2004, so we aren't treated to How Soon Is Now, which debuted there, and struck many dumb with its brilliance later that year (the very essence of the lyric not losing one ounce of its poignancy in such mammoth venues), but hey, it must have been work in progress.

Bonus features include five tracks from the Move Festival of the same year, and they generally work better. Something about the open air and the catch-all nature of the crowd makes for a more light-hearted set and sound, and the version of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out from here is superior.

It comes down to this. Morrissey remains a gifted wordsmith, and something of a reluctant raconteur to boot. But for too long now he has been riding the crest of a wave of past glories. I love him dearly, but sometimes he makes it very hard.

How true - new collaborators required!

Frances sends the review:

by Johnny Ray Huston, The San Francisco Bay Guardian

See Hear
Morrissey
 Live at Earls Court CD (Attack/Sanctuary) Who Put the 'M' in Manchester? DVD (BMG Distribution)
Close to 20 years ago, I was a Smiths-loving pen friend of Julia Riley, who has gone on to forge a reputation as the ultimate Morrissey aficionado – that flaring rarity, the fan who became the star's friend. My passion over the years hasn't been as consistent as that of Riley, who has followed Morrissey on entire tours. On the new concert DVD, Who Put the 'M' in Manchester?, he repays her devotion with several between-song comments aimed directly at her, as if there was no one else in the packed stadium.

In song, Morrissey has famously bemoaned reissues and repackaging, the CDs, the T-shirts, the promos, and god knows what other record industry cash-cow staples. But it's safe to say that perhaps only Björk and annoying beekeeper Tori Amos have so thoroughly exploited the record-buying public's capacity to buy the same songs over and over in different formats. Devotion can be lucrative, a fact he's illustrating once again by unleashing two 2004 concerts in different formats, one capturing a somewhat subdued early-tour performance on DVD, the other a ferocious tour closer on compact disc.

Who Put the 'M' in Manchester? affords close-ups of Morrissey's Vegas-ready stage backdrop as well as numerous views of a sweat stain that spreads alarmingly fast on the back of his shirt. But musically speaking, Live at Earls Court is the real prize, a stronger concert document than 1993's Beethoven Was Deaf (EMI) or even the Smiths' posthumously issued Rank (Sire, 1998). "November Spawned a Monster" and tracks drawn from last year's You Are the Quarry (Attack/Sanctuary) are far superior live, minus their somewhat dated and tacky studio accoutrements. Morrissey's vocals on "I Have Forgiven Jesus" are especially rich and impressive. In fact, he's in fine form throughout, that odd singer whose tonality has improved over the years. Those improvements yield great results during a cover of Patti Smith's "Redondo Beach": the death-by-drowning subject matter – a possible influence on one of the songs off Vauxhall and I (Sire, 1994)? – suits him as well as any of his tailored blazers, and his interpretation clarifies the coroner's details (the victim had "apple-blond hair") while bringing a slight mocking quality to the scenario.

Morrissey's propensity for slight lyrical alterations yields amusing results here and there – Joan of Arc's Walkman in "Bigmouth Strikes Again" has been updated to an iPod. His final words to the crowd – "Don't forget me" – make it tempting to think of Live at Earls Court as his version of Judy Garland's Live at Carnegie Hall. Like that recording, it's a triumphant career summary from a performer who inspires audience mayhem upon taking the stage, which could be called his first, not second, home. (Johnny Ray Huston)

Tony R writes:

I heard on local radio station KROQ, that the live performance of "How Soon Is Now?" is being shown at blueroom.sbc.com.

someraincoatedlovers writes:

The OVATION Network will be airing the Later with Jools Holland episode featuring Morrissey on April 24 at 6pm Eastern 3pm Pacific time. (schedule).

from Rock on TV (vh1)

Later With Jools Holland: Morrissey, The Ordinary Boys and others
Performances by Morrissey, The Ordinary Boys, Junior Murvin, The Beta Band, Glenn Tilbrook, Johnny Clarke, Pietra Montecorvino, and Linval Thompson