| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bedbug |
Posted - 05/08/2019 : 09:57:19
Just seeing all these news reports about Morrissey playing live all these rare Smiths songs and solo songs that he hasn't touched in years; it obviously made me think about our man and wonder if we could see the same thing someday?
Is anybody catching Morrissey live these days? |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/14/2019 : 04:43:05
"Smiths: Untouchable"
Agree
"Hate/Drag, Stephen Street years: awesome"
Agree too...I'd put it as untouchable also...
"Kill Uncle: nooooo! Some good lost stuff from this period - Love Life, Loop etc."
YEP....The Kill Uncle TOUR is absolutely incredible...it may be the worst produced album of all time after hearing how great those songs can be live.
"Arsenal/Vauxhall/Boxers: peak solo mozz, great tours and albums."
Hmm I think I'd agree...Arsenal and Vauxhall are two flawless Morrissey albums if there ever were any.
"Southpaw/Maladjusted: oh :(
Some good songs but not many. Spectacularly falls out with Bowie. Nobody Love Us is another classic lost song."
I mostly agree here. Southpaw and Maladjusted are when he starts really leaving tons of great songs (like Nobody Loves Us) off of albums and I find it frustrating...
I do think Southpaw is pretty great though. I mean that album is 90% great. It's produced great, sounds rocking as hell, and the songs are fun and catchy and interesting. So I'd consider that an excellent album. And I DO kind of get why he left off some great b-sides, because they do sound VERY different than the Southpaw vibe, which he wanted to hone in on.
Maladjusted is weird one...a lot of the songs by themselves are totally fine, but ONE AFTER ANOTHER the album just drags in this mid-tempo badly produced (his voice...the drums...ugh) sludge...But it's not like the songwriting took some big step down, especially when you consider b-sides.
"Unsigned - Quarry: good stuff but Alain leaves the live band. Is replaced my cardboard cutouts and keyboards."
Quarry to me is half great songs and half really bad songs. I find the album frustrating because of that wide gulf.
Ringleader + Refusal: treading water."
100% absolutely disagree. These are both two of my all time favorite albums. Not just Morrissey albums. Albums. NO IDEA why you or fans feel this way. All I hear is great song after great song, and not just that, but these two albums are TOTALLY DIFFERENT...Morrissey and his band have so much creativity and different approaches to not just songs, but putting an album together. Artists get criticized all the time for repeating themselves, etc...Well what do people want? These two albums sound nothing like anything Morrissey has ever done, except maybe Refusal has kind of a Southpaw vibe and Ringleader has a few shades of Vauxhall, which is...really good?
Seriously, why don't fans like these albums? This is baffling to me. I can think of maybe 2 or 3 songs all together from them that I "get" why fans don't like. Everything else? Catchy funny smarmy terrifying sad Morrissey pop/rock at its finest.
And not just are these albums great, the songs left OFF the album are ALSO great (I Knew I Was Next is a top 10 Morrissey song for me), so you get the whole package...
"Unsigned: great live and good unreleased songs again
High School onwards: oh dear :("
I think his last two releases have great stuff on them, I especially think World Peace is a real damn great album, and please see my rant about the bonus disc a few songs back: if people don't like these songs, I basically give up. I have no idea what a Morrissey fan wants from him. And he does have tons of great unreleased songs. And they may be unreleased but we still HAVE them, so what's the diff, if you really think about it? I can play my long "Morrissey rare" ipod playlist all day and marvel at all the great songwriting.
"When did you first get into him?"
Around 2001 or so, I think...A friend lent me Strangeways and I have rarely gotten into a band that quick. Literally within 20 seconds I was completely in love. I couldn't stop playing the album all week.
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| stuczuba |
Posted - 05/13/2019 : 22:43:31
quote:
Originally posted by Troubles A Foot
I actually think Quarry is a pretty weak album and was pretty confused by the love for it, when his album after that is one of his best in his entire career and is totally ignored.
It didn't quite live up to the promise of those songs when they made their debut, those 2 Albert Hall shows in 2002 were great - Mexico is a lost classic that should have been on the album. Mozz's prime periods seem to come in waves, with some less stellar stuff in between -
Smiths: Untouchable
Hate/Drag, Stephen Street years: awesome
Kill Uncle: nooooo! Some good lost stuff from this period - Love Life, Loop etc.
Arsenal/Vauxhall/Boxers: peak solo mozz, great tours and albums.
Southpaw/Maladjusted: oh :(
Some good songs but not many. Spectacularly falls out with Bowie. Nobody Love Us is another classic lost song.
Unsigned - Quarry: good stuff but Alain leaves the live band. Is replaced my cardboard cutouts and keyboards.
Ringleader + Refusal: treading water.
Unsigned: great live and good unreleased songs again
High School onwards: oh dear :(
When did you first get into him?
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| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/13/2019 : 10:50:22
Indeed he did, though in 2015 he sang a verse a capella. Very exciting. Felt kind of emotional watching the video. |
| Bedbug |
Posted - 05/13/2019 : 03:20:20
I read he played “I Won’t Share You” for the first time ever on the last night on Broadway |
| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/11/2019 : 05:15:36
quote:
Originally posted by Stevio10
I like Morrissey, admittedly I haven't listened to a lot of his recent albums but that is more out of laziness on my part. The last album I really took the time to get into was You are the Quarry back in 04 so I have a lot of catching up to do which is great!
I actually think Quarry is a pretty weak album and was pretty confused by the love for it, when his album after that is one of his best in his entire career and is totally ignored.
The b-sides for Quarry have some fantastic songs and you can kind of make a perfect playlist from the best b-sides and the best album tracks, which is what I've had to do for most of the last 5 or 6 Morrissey albums. Which is fine, a great song is a great song, even if I have to put it into the album myself.
Great Quarry b-sides:
Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice
The Never-Played Symphonies
Munich Air Disaster (he's been doing these 2 songs live a lot, makes me feel he regrets leaving them off the album?)
It's Hard To Walk Tall When You're Small
and several others
As for the "controversies", I guess "no comment," as I get sick of all the talk about it when I like discussing the songs. In general I'd say they are overblown and people just like making fun of Morrissey. In my view he hasn't said anything that has "broken" me as a fan. I don't care which political party in England he supports, it makes no difference to me, and he has a right to have his own opinions on this stuff.
When it comes to "separating art from the artist", I care more about if people actually DO anything harmful or hurt people rather than something they say in an interview, which is full of all sorts of qualifiers (i.e., it's very easy to say something dumb in an interview, or lose all context, or etc.) I just don't really care if somebody SAYS something I either disagree with or see lots of people disagreeing with. I care if they DO something. And all he does is write songs and put on concerts. And sit around at home watching TV.
I'd also say he has a bad habit of talking politics when I wish the interviewer would ask him about songwriting instead. The very very very few interviews about how he puts an album together are utterly fascinating, but this rarely happens.
ANYWAY....Man Munich Air Disaster is a classic Moz song, no clue why it was a b-side. |
| danjersey |
Posted - 05/11/2019 : 03:46:34
good gracious
Asleep
with company like this
I am grateful |
| Stevio10 |
Posted - 05/11/2019 : 00:06:39
I like Morrissey, admittedly I haven't listened to a lot of his recent albums but that is more out of laziness on my part. The last album I really took the time to get into was You are the Quarry back in 04 so I have a lot of catching up to do which is great!
I remember at the time this was very well received as a great album by a fascinating artist.
Maybe now people do not view Morrissey in the same light they used to and cannot separate his art from his views and as a result they view his art in a negative form.
Personally I think the art should be judged on its own separate to the artist but I know a lot of people who disagree and do not listen to his music anymore, or at least his music from this decade.
Some articles online about this;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/blogs-trending-43809312
https://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/records/2018/11/21/can-you-separate-the-art-from-the-artist-the-contradictions-of-being-a-morrissey-fan/
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| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/10/2019 : 16:02:38
Hmm, they are flawed albums, but here's my fav songs on them:
from World Peace:
Staircase At The University
The Bullfighter Dies
Smiler With Knife
Mountjoy
Oboe Concerto (these last 2 are beautiful haunting Morrissey ballads, no clue why fans don't seem to like them)
Bonus disc songs are better than the entire album and the best stuff he's made in a decade:
One Of Your Own
Drag The River
Forgive Someone
Julie In The Weeds
Art Hounds (this is hilarious)
I SINCERELY have no clue what a Morrissey fan wants if they don't like these songs. I just have no possible idea. I'm not trying to be snide or sarcastic. I really don't get it. I think these have beautiful melodies, lyrics, and they're produced wonderfully. I truly think these are some of the best songs of his entire career, including The Smiths. They bring a tear to my eye. I have no idea why I seem to be the only one who feels this way. As you can see, I actually dislike MOST of the World Peace album. But these songs left off of it are incredible.
Low In High School favs:
My Love I'd Do Anything For You (awesome crazy album opener)
I Wish You Lonely (this is a brutal, incredible song)
Home Is A Question Mark
All The Young People Must Fall In Love (love the loose, fun feel of this)
When You Open Your Legs (mostly like the chorus, verses a bit undercooked)
Bonus songs left off album that are fantastic and better than the album:
I Thought You Were Dead
Lover To Be
Never Again Will I Be A Twin
This Song Doesn't End When It's Over
Brow Of My Beloved (this was released TODAY)
Blue Dreamer's Eyes
By The Time I Get To Wherever I'm Going
So as you can see, for some reason Morrissey leaves all the best songs off the albums. I kind of get it, Low in High School is a very thematic and tight album and you could see what he's going for...but those just ain't the best songs there. Though the ones I listed I think are brilliant.
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| stuczuba |
Posted - 05/10/2019 : 13:13:13
quote:
Originally posted by Troubles A Foot
I watched some of that video, thanks! They definitely do a good job. My one nerdy nitpick is I would appreciate more deep cuts rather than the most popular Morrissey/Smiths songs...
I have covered these Morrissey songs in live shows: Sister I'm A Poet, I Don't Mind If You Forget Me, and King Leer
And yeah his voice is incredible these days. He must work really hard on keeping his vocals strong. And he even had some sort of throat cancer or something (as discussed in his Larry King interview) where they scraped stuff off of his esophagus!
Last time I saw him was at the Palladium in 2011ish - he played I Know Its Over and his voice & delivery were perfect. I can't get onboard with World Peace and everything after though and I did give them a go :/ |
| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/10/2019 : 09:35:51
I watched some of that video, thanks! They definitely do a good job. My one nerdy nitpick is I would appreciate more deep cuts rather than the most popular Morrissey/Smiths songs...
I have covered these Morrissey songs in live shows: Sister I'm A Poet, I Don't Mind If You Forget Me, and King Leer
And yeah his voice is incredible these days. He must work really hard on keeping his vocals strong. And he even had some sort of throat cancer or something (as discussed in his Larry King interview) where they scraped stuff off of his esophagus! |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 05/10/2019 : 05:52:56
Thanks, folks.
Glad you liked them.
Yeah, I only approached Ordinary Boys about representation because I thought they were pretty damn phenomenal at what they do.
The drummer used to tour with (the real) Tears for Fears and occasionally hits the road with the Australian Pink Floyd Show.
Jeepster, they will likely be back at Revolution Live sometime in December. Hope you can make the show. If you do, tell 'em I sent ya!
--
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| rivum |
Posted - 05/09/2019 : 10:49:34
quote:
Originally posted by peter radiator
Troubles, I thought you (and perhaps others here) might get a kick out of this video.
Generally speaking, I have no use for professional Tribute Bands. However, I saw one by chance in a tiny club that blew me away, because they did not wear costumes or impersonate the artists they were celebrating.
They just played the material extremely well and respectfully, while still putting their own little spin on it, and the Cuban-American frontman's natural singing voice happens to sound eerily like Morrissey's.
I am now their exclusive U.S. booking agent and am attempting to grow them from being a regional sensation to being a nationally touring act.
They have the charisma and polish of a young, hungry original band that just happens to only play songs written and recorded by the Smiths and Morrissey. I think they should be filling large clubs and small theaters across the country, as a true Smiths reunion seems like it will never happen.
Hope you enjoy this live-in-the-studio concert they did awhile back. It is tracked completely live, with no overdubs or fixes of any kind. This is exactly how they sound on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipGqRzmTUKY
--
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder
they sound really good! I would go see them if they had a gig in the Toronto area.
I saw Morrissey last week and it was truly great. He's sounding better than he has in years. |
| Jeepster |
Posted - 05/09/2019 : 10:04:57
Hey Peter, Ordinary Boys played the Revolution Live in Florida about a week after Pixies did last summer. There were ads for them up all over the bar. I was out of town by then and couldn't make it but what the hell, I'll catch them if they come by again.
-----------------------
Q: Where do Pixies keep their instruments when they're not playing?
A: Debasement. |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 05/09/2019 : 07:35:34
Troubles, I thought you (and perhaps others here) might get a kick out of this video.
Generally speaking, I have no use for professional Tribute Bands. However, I saw one by chance in a tiny club that blew me away, because they did not wear costumes or impersonate the artists they were celebrating.
They just played the material extremely well and respectfully, while still putting their own little spin on it, and the Cuban-American frontman's natural singing voice happens to sound eerily like Morrissey's.
I am now their exclusive U.S. booking agent and am attempting to grow them from being a regional sensation to being a nationally touring act.
They have the charisma and polish of a young, hungry original band that just happens to only play songs written and recorded by the Smiths and Morrissey. I think they should be filling large clubs and small theaters across the country, as a true Smiths reunion seems like it will never happen.
Hope you enjoy this live-in-the-studio concert they did awhile back. It is tracked completely live, with no overdubs or fixes of any kind. This is exactly how they sound on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipGqRzmTUKY
--
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/09/2019 : 04:11:42
This is a particularly bizarre sentiment on a Frank Black solo forum of all places.
I get the same thing for both artists - "solo stuff isn't good! You don't need to hear 9 out of 10 of their solo albums! That one solo album is kind of good...! He's NOTHING without __fill in blank: Marr/Kim Deal/Etc etc."
When in reality there's tons of incredibly great songs from the beginning of their solo career all the way up to the very latest thing they've put out.
And your cut-off is before Vauxhall and I, which is genuinely shocking to me. Most acknowledge this is a brilliant album, easily rivaling or topping The Smiths. It's a work of art. Albums after that are a bit more spotty, but that one is basically perfect and unique and just...damn beautiful.
Albums from him I absolutely love that even some fans of his underrate or seem to dislike include Ringleader of the Tormentors, Years of Refusal, and Southpaw. I particularly think Ringleader is genius, this amazing sort of concept album that has such a unique feel and has the strongest collection of songs in years.
Morrissey's music has been self-referential, self-deprecating and smugly self satisfied all at the same time since the very first Smiths songs, so not sure I understand the criticism there. I mean that's part of the fun of Morrissey. I'm saying the songs are good. The melodies, the chords, the lyrics, etc. Great stuff. Here's a few of my favorite solo Morrissey songs, many of these are all time favorite songs of mine:
I Knew I Was Next
Sister I'm a Poet
Julie In The Weeds
Drag the River
Let The Right One Slip In
Forgive Someone
Staircase at the University
Trouble Loves Me
On The Streets I Ran
I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now
Lifeguard On Duty
Happy Lovers United
Mountjoy
Oboe Concerto
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Our Frank (live version)
Driving Your Girlfriend Home
All The Young People Must Fall In Love
Ganglord
My Dearest Love
Munich Air Disaster
Never-Played Symphonies
Heir Apparent
Nobody Loves Us
Southpaw
I Can Have Both
Now I Am A Was
Sunny
In The Future When All Is Well
At Last I Am Born
Now My Heart Is Full
Hold On To Your Friends
I Am Hated For Loving
Used To Be A Sweet Boy
Break Up The Family
I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
The Loop
Born To Hang
You Must Please Remember
The Edges Are No Longer Parallel
Action Is My Middle Name
One Of Our Own
Will Never Marry
A Swallow On My Neck
I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
Life Is A Pigsty
Safe Warm Lancashire Home
I Thought You Was Dead
I could go on and on....
|
| pot |
Posted - 05/08/2019 : 22:58:11
quote:
Originally posted by Troubles A Foot
quote:
Originally posted by pot
Johhny Marr's bringing out some decent stuff these days. Morrissey hasn't done a decent song since last century...
This is unbelievably not true...
But anyway, Morrissey has been doing Smiths songs and rare songs for most of his solo career, shuffling different ones every tour, etc, so not sure why any are making headlines now. I mean, I'm excited about it, but it's not exactly some crazy new development. Seeing him in a few months!
I'm afraid everything he's released since Last of The International Playboys has left be underwhelmed. At a push I have forced myself to like one or two, begrudgindgly. I want to like his new music, but it's just so self-referentially lame.
quote:
I would kill to see a Frank solo show. I've seen them before, but the one I saw was a bit disappointing and I'd love a real good one.
Pray for a 20th Anniversary Bluefinger Screamy Tour in 2027. (if he can manage to pull that off at the age of 62 then he is a demi-god. |
| stuczuba |
Posted - 05/08/2019 : 22:01:10
Morrissey's been doing the same schtick since the mid 90s, the difference is the quality of Morrissey's songwriters and band have pretty much flatlined. I've seen Johnny 4 or 5 times over the last few years, he's effortlessly more engaging and also playing Smiths oldies. |
| Troubles A Foot |
Posted - 05/08/2019 : 15:07:55
quote:
Originally posted by pot
Johhny Marr's bringing out some decent stuff these days. Morrissey hasn't done a decent song since last century...
This is unbelievably not true...
But anyway, Morrissey has been doing Smiths songs and rare songs for most of his solo career, shuffling different ones every tour, etc, so not sure why any are making headlines now. I mean, I'm excited about it, but it's not exactly some crazy new development. Seeing him in a few months!
I would kill to see a Frank solo show. I've seen them before, but the one I saw was a bit disappointing and I'd love a real good one. |
| pot |
Posted - 05/08/2019 : 10:36:09
Johhny Marr's bringing out some decent stuff these days. Morrissey hasn't done a decent song since last century... |
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