Love Is Hell, Part 1 (2003)

Hell was intended to be the rabble-rousing singer's latest album, but his label rejected it (reportedly for being too depressing), instead releasing the fun-but-undercooked ''Rock N Roll.'' ''Hell,'' meanwhile, has been split into a pair of EPs. What were they thinking? Produced by John Porter (the Smiths), this eight-song first installment shares some influences -- the Replacements, '80s English alt-pop -- with ''Rock N Roll,'' but the writing is tighter, the production cleaner, and the performances more considered. In fact, the only real disappointments are a pointless cover of ''Wonderwall'' and the fact that we have to wait until Dec. 9 for the rest of it.