<I>lol, what operatic tradition is this?</I>
When I first heard The Smiths at the age of thirteen the first thought that came to mind was that "this guy sounds like an opera singer." I dunno, maybe it's something that's stuck with me since.
That said, when I heard the singer's name was Morrissey I first thought that it was Neil Morrissey of Bob The Builder and Men Behaving Badly fame.
― Slash N Burn, Monday, 18 March 2013 22:49 (eleven years ago) link
on the rehearsal tape he is less of an opera singer, less histrionic than on the albums i find but he uses his falsetto a lot.
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 18 March 2013 22:58 (eleven years ago) link
C'mon he's Rocky from Boon
― OutdoorFish, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 01:18 (eleven years ago) link
has morrissey ever talked about the singers who influenced him? i can't think of a single male vocalist who really sounds much like him.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 01:29 (eleven years ago) link
I always used to think there are male vocalists and there is Morrissey
― OutdoorFish, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 01:36 (eleven years ago) link
I get proto-Morrissey vibes from Billy Fury:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_ogriURVk
― Heyman (crüt), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 01:41 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah he loves Billy Fury
― OutdoorFish, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 01:44 (eleven years ago) link
starting in on Fletcher's "There is a Light That Never Goes Out"
― four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 1 April 2013 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
I see Morrissey is due to appear on a documentary about cups of tea, interviewed by Victoria Wood.
― djh, Sunday, 7 April 2013 18:07 (eleven years ago) link
from a great post by dr. c 12 years ago:
By all accounts Morrissey's words would often appear in different places in the arrangement to where Marr had expected (verses became middle 8's, or Moz would sing across a transition...etc). This may account for the way that many Smiths songs don't have a normal structure or easily identifiable chorus, especially the earlier material. This lack of concern for (or lack of knowledge of..) conventional forms (on the part of Morrissey) helped a great deal to set them apart from the rest.
if i'm not mistaken this is very similar to how things worked, and/or didn't work, between michael stipe and peter buck.
― fact checking cuz, Sunday, 7 April 2013 19:43 (eleven years ago) link
That'd explain how "Call me when you try to wake her up" fits into 4 beats..
― Mark G, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 09:38 (eleven years ago) link
I must confess I was disappointed by his Thatcher quote. He must have spent half a life time preparing for that moment and it just wasn't as powerful as it needed to be.
― djh, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 20:46 (eleven years ago) link
The widely reported quote was apparently cobbled together by the press from a recent interview. Here is his actual statement (djh's point still stands):
The difficulty with giving a comment on Margaret Thatcher's death to the British tabloids is that, no matter how calmly and measuredly you speak, the comment must be reported as an "outburst" or an "explosive attack" if your view is not pro-establishment. If you reference "the Malvinas", it will be switched to "the Falklands", and your "Thatcher" will be softened to a "Maggie." This is generally how things are structured in a non-democratic society. Thatcher's name must be protected not because of all the wrong that she had done, but because the people around her allowed her to do it, and therefore any criticism of Thatcher throws a dangerously absurd light on the entire machinery of British politics. Thatcher was not a strong or formidable leader. She simply did not give a shit about people, and this coarseness has been neatly transformed into bravery by the British press who are attempting to re-write history in order to protect patriotism. As a result, any opposing view is stifled or ridiculed, whereas we must all endure the obligatory praise for Thatcher from David Cameron without any suggestion from the BBC that his praise just might be an outburst of pro-Thatcher extremism from someone whose praise might possibly protect his own current interests. The fact that Thatcher ignited the British public into street-riots, violent demonstrations and a social disorder previously unseen in British history is completely ignored by David Cameron in 2013. In truth, of course, no British politician has ever been more despised by the British people than Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday will be heavily policed for fear that the British tax-payer will want to finally express their view of Thatcher. They are certain to be tear-gassed out of sight by the police.
United Kingdom? Syria? China? What's the difference?
Morrissey9 April 2013
― Eyeball Kicks, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:22 (eleven years ago) link
the new smiths book is fantastic, loving it so far
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:26 (eleven years ago) link
funny how the original 'outraged' interview quote is more OTM and less insane than his sober, considered quote!
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:28 (eleven years ago) link
tho tbh even most of that quote isn't really wrong, except for 'unseen in british history' and 'syria, china.'
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:29 (eleven years ago) link
yeah I'm digging it, it has made me notice all sorts of details in the songs that I had previously glossed over or never bothered to dissect (ie, anything referencing Manchester geography lol)
― four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:37 (eleven years ago) link
You guys are talking about A Light That Never Goes Out right? What about the book called Songs That Saved Your Life?
― What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:53 (eleven years ago) link
yes, the former. I dunno that latter.
― four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:57 (eleven years ago) link
Still gotta read my copy of that guy's All Hopped Up And Ready To Go.
― What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:59 (eleven years ago) link
yeah light that never goes out!
so many cool details in the early days, johnny marr liked tom petty and rory gallagher! the smiths 4th gig was opening for richard hell & the voidoids!
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
first gig was the same night as a WS Burroughs reading at the Hacienda etc
― four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 23:12 (eleven years ago) link
songs that saved your life is the one that's modeled on ian macdonald's beatles book, right? would love to read something like that about the smiths.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 23:21 (eleven years ago) link
OK, guess I gotta start reading before you guys post any more spoilers.
― What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 00:28 (eleven years ago) link
tho tbh even most of that quote isn't really wrong, except for 'unseen in british history' and 'syria, china.'― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:29 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 22:29 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yes,
also:
Thatcher's name must be protected not because of all the wrong that she had done, but because the people around her allowed her to do it, and therefore any criticism of Thatcher throws a dangerously absurd light on the entire machinery of British politics.
is very otm indeed. And, of course, will remain unremarked upon. (in favour of the syria/etc quote, and somthing added on about animal welfare or some such)
― Mark G, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 09:33 (eleven years ago) link
complete 1985 Madrid show taped for spanish TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQXJ8isLCx4
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 12 April 2013 14:58 (eleven years ago) link
rockpalast show in germany, a bit more low end on the sound here vox a little low but not bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iuNMObFnwk
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 12 April 2013 15:04 (eleven years ago) link
Morrissey's Wolverhampton 88 show has leaked in glorious soundboard quality. Check it out on Morrissey-Solo.
― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 12 April 2013 16:50 (eleven years ago) link
thanks for the heads up re the 88 gig; very interesting recording! band sound way tighter than i'd have thought for their first gig. well ONLY gig i suppose with that line up.
― piscesx, Saturday, 13 April 2013 04:12 (eleven years ago) link
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/why-i-still-hate-the-smiths-and-myself/ This is one of the worst pieces of music writing I have come across.
― "bath salts" should have been my username (Pat Finn), Saturday, 13 April 2013 05:44 (eleven years ago) link
got the light that never goes out book at the library -- really a great rock bio so far. i'm not even a smiths die-hard (i think they're awesome, don't get me wrong), but it's just packed with good stuff.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:36 (ten years ago) link
kind of astonishing how fast everything went for them once marr and morrissey partnered up.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:37 (ten years ago) link
yeah the speed of it is crazy
also realizing that the legendary "manchester scene" was soooo small really
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:51 (ten years ago) link
The writer comes across as a misogynist cretin.
― The last of the famous international Greyjoys (Nicole), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 16:01 (ten years ago) link
Anyway, like any good adolescent boy, I wanted in her skinny jeans so damn bad.
'any'
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 21:44 (ten years ago) link
pretty much every sentence of that article is horribly worded, it reads like a fake piece by that onion guy.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 21:48 (ten years ago) link
i have read much worse reviews, the guy dos not follow the cult of the smiths and tries to explain why. his arguments are not very convincing but still.
― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 21:50 (ten years ago) link
How the Guardian covered the Smiths in the early 80s
With a terrible review (in both senses) from Mary Harron and an interview that misspells Morrissey's name …
― Alba, Friday, 17 May 2013 13:40 (ten years ago) link
The interview is terrific. Morrisey a prick in a good way. I tried to read it imagining I had never heard The Smiths. What would the music this man makes be like? Something like Savages.
― Eyeball Kicks, Friday, 17 May 2013 14:24 (ten years ago) link
Just realised that the Mary Harron who wrote the "nurd" review is the director of American Psycho (and ex-girlfriend of Tony Blair)
― Alba, Saturday, 18 May 2013 10:56 (ten years ago) link
and ex-girlfriend of Tony Blair
Uhhhhhhhh, what?!?!?!?
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 May 2013 10:58 (ten years ago) link
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/when-tony-met-mary-met-chris-467061.html
― Alba, Saturday, 18 May 2013 11:01 (ten years ago) link
wow, small world.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 May 2013 12:17 (ten years ago) link
she also went out with Chris Huhne, an Oxford contemporary of Blair, who last week was tipped in the polls as the most likely contender to take over from Charles Kennedy as Liberal Democrat leader.
LOLz
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 May 2013 12:24 (ten years ago) link
just plowed through the fletcher bio in a couple of days - a really great read as stated above by others. i'm a little surprised at absolutely no mention of the byrds among marr's influences/interests.
― sleepingsignal, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 07:00 (ten years ago) link
I read the book last week and it has quite re-invigorated my love for the music, and watching YouTube videos of their early gigs at the Hacienda really helps underscore the notion that they seemed to emerge fully formed. Lyrically and musically, some of their earliest songs are still amongst their strongest and most affecting, imo. But reading of how they pretty much hit the ground running made me wonder if they don't dispel Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000-hour rule (ie the amount of time required practicing something before you can master it). I mean, yeah, Marr played in other bands before the Smiths, and there's Morrissey's fevered letter-writing activities, but it doesn't seem to be the equivalent of, say, the Beatles slog through the Hamburg and Cavern years. I dunno.
― hewing to the status quo with great zealotry (DavidM), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15:43 (ten years ago) link
If I've read The Severed Alliance, should I pick up this Fletcher Bio?
― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15:50 (ten years ago) link
xp yeah The Smiths are the all time great example of where the Outliers theory doesn't work. Marr says they never even rehearsed.
― piscesx, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 16:14 (ten years ago) link
according to the book they rehearsed plenty. also they specifically played small out-of-the-spotlight venues to hone the songs.
― sleepingsignal, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 17:02 (ten years ago) link
yeah, and there's that tape of them rehearsing! http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/03/19/smiths-rehearsal-tape-may-1983/[maybe he meant they didn't rehearse much]
― tylerw, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 18:03 (ten years ago) link