I Am Not A Dog On A Chain: 2 years on

Once I Saw The River Clean is an absolute gem. Love Is On Its Way Out, Jim Jim Falls and Knockabout World are fresh pop songs. My Hurling Days Are Done is a great and heartbreaking closer. All this makes Dog a good album despite some flimsier tracks and a self-indulgent third act (bar Hurling).
 
I like it better than Low in High School.
Of course, I’m not entirely sure how much more I prefer it over Low in High School.
I actually like California Son, which is probably, an unpopular opinion.
 
Two years with the Dog. I haven't listened to this album for the last six months. But still Hulring Days and JIM JIM are in my Top 10 Morrissey songs ever ... Nothing has changed in my view about Bobby either. It's just a terrible track and I hate it (I guess it's the only Morrissey song I hate). Once I saw is really great. Love is on the way out and Knockabout World are very catchy and I won't say a bad word about them. Secret of Music is a very intriguing and surprising track . The rest of the album is ok for me. It's not a milestone in Moz discography, but it's a very decent thing. Hurling Days I can name a masterpiece ( same level with Speedway and Pigsty )
 
Easily the best album since Alain left. The real shame is that COVID has meant this really didn't get a chance to get a proper tour.
 
I rank it among the better half of his albums, and Once I saw thé river clean is one of his very best songs post 2000.
But it somehow feels that it didn’t have a proper single, with there being no airplay or promotion whatsoever.
 
A third really good, a third average, and a third unbearable. Pretty much par for the course post-ROTT Morrissey albums, imho.

Jim Jim, River, Hurling are superb. That song about music is bad. Life goes on.
 
I can’t get to grips with hurling at all. It seems to be a big fave on this thread.
Just listened to half of it, and I think it’s runt of Dog.
That said I love Bobby, and everyone seems to despise that one.
Overall dog is a catchy, singalong uplifting album except for the last three tracks.
 
It's an album that got me through the first stage of the pandemic. Can't say I've gone back to it much, however.

"Once I Saw The River Clean" is cleary the top dog (pun indended) on this record.
 
The Wild Turkey said:
Right now I'd say Dog is my 4th favorite Moz album, after Viva Hate,
Arsenal and Vauxhall.
Still listenin' to it.
Click to expand...
Probably for me too. Deluxe Malajusted is up there for me as well
 
Dog also suffers from having very little promotion, no proper single releases, no b-sides or extra tracks. So it feels like it's only half a story, despite being very good in parts.
 
Opinions are varied here, but I judge Dog to be the most appreciated album from the Chiccarelli period. Morrissey plays to his late career strengths on this one, and serves up the goods when it’s come to hooks and melodies. If you can forgive Morrissey for his spare lyrical content, you can definitely admire the wry, romantic turns of phrases that figure here. As usual, they become vibrant when empowered by his deft vocal performance. The title track remains an odd highlight which extracts an infectious tune from a potentially turgid lyric. Sure it’s politically minded, but it’s not needlessly provocative, and it clearly demonstrates Morrissey’s ability to swerve controversy, as much as he may seem magnetised by it.

Political themes are generally eschewed here, in favour of some classic Morrissey motifs and obsessions. It’s the ‘same old SOS’, but with brand new pop confections.
The production is clean, but manages to veer towards the eccentric; Jim Jim Falls is a ballsy, welcome opening salvo.

Dog was an auspicious release, and it clearly factors in to our anticipation of Bonfire. I think that says everything about its quality. Fundamentally, we’re left wanting another helping.
 
Eldritch said:
Dog also suffers from having very little promotion, no proper single releases, no b-sides or extra tracks. So it feels like it's only half a story, despite being very good in parts.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree.
Everyone has their own take, which is fine. For me it is standard M, post 90s. For the reasons you (and I have said before)

For me I love his voice, it gets better and better with age and as always carries what is basic tunes (to be kind)
To me it reminds me of Ringleaders, in terms of it has a drop dead classic song, which carries the whole LP, I am of course not talking about "what kind of people live in these houses" - which sounds like The Simpsons doing M
ON ROTT is was Pigstye on this LP its River Clean, which is willfully old school M, in terms of feel and Brit/ irishness.

The rest of the lp, is mostly good with a few bad songs
I actually do not prefer it to Low in High School., Level pegging
 
Mozzer1980 said:
Two years with the Dog. I haven't listened to this album for the last six months. But still Hulring Days and JIM JIM are in my Top 10 Morrissey songs ever ... Nothing has changed in my view about Bobby either. It's just a terrible track and I hate it (I guess it's the only Morrissey song I hate). Once I saw is really great. Love is on the way out and Knockabout World are very catchy and I won't say a bad word about them. Secret of Music is a very intriguing and surprising track . The rest of the album is ok for me. It's not a milestone in Moz discography, but it's a very decent thing. Hurling Days I can name a masterpiece ( same level with Speedway and Pigsty )
Click to expand...

Hurlin' Days is my favorite.
Yeah, it's a masterpiece.
 
what made me laugh was the people who thought the lp was Avant guard, I mean do they only listen to Morrissy and no other artists?
It was ok.
Like a few people have said , it was a return to Quarry/Ringleader "classic" lps but not 90s M
That said jim jim falls is great
 
Eldritch said:
Dog also suffers from having very little promotion, no proper single releases, no b-sides or extra tracks. So it feels like it's only half a story, despite being very good in parts.
Click to expand...
Agree.. and when Bonfire IS finally
Released I will expect even less promotion from Morrissey, even fewer sales than Dog, and virtually no TV appearances.
The only positives would only be a sold out UK tour.
Of course I just hope I’m completely wrong ... He just needs to promote
Like he did Quarry style.
 
Eldritch said:
Dog also suffers from having very little promotion, no proper single releases, no b-sides or extra tracks. So it feels like it's only half a story, despite being very good in parts.
Click to expand...
Yeah, seems like a combination of bad timing (at least as far as touring it) as it came out right at the start of the pandemic, and BMG had probably already made the decision to drop him. Kind of seemed like it was handled like a non-event.
 
Meant to post this yesterday, but I forgot. Here are the Spotify play numbers for IANADOAC 2 years on

Jim Jim Falls: 1,091,246
Love Is On It’s Way Out: 1,283,890
Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know?: 3,984,067
I Am Not A Dog on A Chain: 1,030,900
What Kind of People Live in These Houses?: 750,706
Knockabout World: 1,199,354
Darling, I Hug A Pillow: 782,477
Once I Saw The River Clean: 584,352
The Truth About Ruth: 381,181
The Secret of Music: 429,323
My Hurling Days Are Done: 466,787
 
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