It looks like a character from another time, it would be seen right next to the late nineteenth century poets and writers such as Charles Dickens or, especially, Oscar Wilde. But more than thirty years is one of the most influential rockers of our time. His birth certificate says Steven Patrick Morrissey, born in Manchester, England, May 22, 1959, but the public knows him simply as Morrissey and the fans and the innermost call him Moz (another reference to Dickens, whose nickname was Boz). In the eighties, he was known for being the voice of the Smiths, band mainstay of the British new wave scene, a beautiful story, however brief, which lasted for the space of a few years and four albums between 1984 and 1987, and the dissolution of the contemporary beginning of the solo career of the singer of Irish descent, the shy boy and weirdo who liked to appear on stage with gladioli in jeans. But Morrissey was and is also a character and an inconvenient artist, who has never sent to speak with his lyrics thick with melancholy, romance, even tragic, but also very ironic and pungent, with texts that they resented the policies of Western countries or touching themes dear to him as vegetarianism and veganism, or sexuality. Arguments in which he remained faithful even after leaving the group that has led to international fame and accolades from audiences and critics alike, and has continued to develop during these years in his solo work, since the last arrived, world peace Is None of Your Business (the peace of the world is not none of your business) came out for the Harvest, which takes aim at heavily once again, society and politics. So how has remained faithful even to his musical idea, continuing in a speech that unites, although not always with outstanding results, pop to rock, contaminating everything - and this is the last new work - with hints of Latin America, thanks the presence of Gustavo Manzur, who assists in the writing of three songs.
But the genesis of this new album, the tenth, was not at all simple, beginning with the difficulty that Morrissey has encountered in finding a record label that would accept its instances and uphold his artistic desires, and a bit 'as it was happened in the nineties, when he was forced to stay out of the loop for seven years, also had to wait a long time to be able to come back to sing at all, in his own way. And not only through the support phonograph, but also with a tour, party recently and over the next few days will touch some Italian cities, from Rome, where he will perform for two nights, Monday 13 (date already sold out) and Tuesday 14 Atlantic Live, followed by Milan where he is expected Thursday 16th at the Teatro Linear4Ciak, and then Bologna (17 to Paladozza), Pescara (19 at Pala John Paul II), and still Obihall of Florence (21) for close the minitournée Italic 22 at the Gran Teatro Geox in Padua.
On the eve of these appearances we heard on our stages. And just thinking about the long waiting period between his previous work, Years of Refusal, and World Peace is None of Your Business - five years have seen him often complain about the difficulty to bind to a label and find a new record deal - we tried to ask him what idea he had made about the role of the labels today. But what happened just a few days ago - an interview in which you said you had cancer in an advanced state - compels us to overturn the terms and questions, so starting from that which in reality was our last question, as Morrissey Morrisey imagine over the coming years: "I do not know! I've never been able to look too far ahead in time. I always thought that the end is near, so do not do programs, I can not even tell you if I'll be here next March ... ". An answer that in light of this horrible news to be read in a completely different way rather than as a simple, ironic joke to Morrissey. But to return to the beginning, from the Morrissey-thinking on the current state of the record labels, "I think if the music in pop right now is in a big mess, it is precisely because of the majors. Put under contract only artists banal, simple-minded that they have nothing to say. And so we find ourselves in ranking female only "female" and "soft" and boys who seem to all street artists. It is unfortunate for those who really love the music. We have only one chance: to kill us (laughs). For me I think the music I do, we do me and my band, has a socio-political basis that the majors do not like, and then ... ".
Death then, a topic often treated by the musician from Manchester, as well as in his lyrics are often echoed criticism, even heavy, to the social and political conditions in his country and, more generally, in the western world. And just days before the referendum which ratified the permanence of Scotland within the UK, we could not pass up the opportunity for us to know its position in this regard: "I would be very happy if Scotland had voted for its independence, I've always loved the people who rebelled and who were able to challenge the dictatorships. Like many others I think that England is experiencing a very difficult time. Politically we are ridiculous, and the dictatorship of the royal family is annoying. All day, every day, we have to undergo news about Kate Middleton on Prince Harry, Prince William on, and it's crazy, I would say tragic, because the majority of the British people do not want the monarchy. The monarchy was autoeletta, and so the British have no choice, and if you do not have a choice means that you are not a democratic country, that England is not. With regard to the western world however, it seems to me that people, everywhere, is trying to change things, and I like that. We are really tired of fascism, dictators, despots, Presidents who love war, corruption and poverty. The Queen of England owns thirteen islands! And it certainly did not need it! If the sell could easily fight poverty. But she is greedy, and still receives every year 200 million pounds from British workers. Everything is grotesque, besides being simply disgraceful. "
We try to bring the discussion about music, but about the past is a wall, and bulldozing gallantly on a couple of questions about the Smiths and Johnny Marr - it is clear that the wound has not yet healed completely - and then back to the present, and latin influences present in the new album and collaboration with Gustavo Manzur: "Gustavo has had and has a strong influence on me, and we wrote a lot of songs together, even for the next album (album that was supposed to publish in the same Harvest but that is perhaps having already broken the existing contract for differences on the promotion of World Peace ..., ed.) But in general I am very happy with the relationship with the rest of the band, which is the same that has supported me for the previous work. More than a band, rather than musicians who play with me, they are dear friends. "
Are part of the training, in addition to Manzur, even guitarists Boz Boorer and Jesse Tobias, bassist Solomon Walker and drummer Matthew Walker, but in his solo career, Morrissey has had close even people like Stephen Street or Alain Whyte, but what are those with which it has established the best value? "I do not know why people always appoint Stephen Street although we did together one drive and we've never played live, and we talk about 26 years ago! I must say that I really loved working with Alain Whyte, Boz but that kept us together, and it is sadly underrated. It annoys me when someone makes a comparison of the actual musicians with the Smiths. Jesse, Solomon and Matthew are definitely good, but do not receive the proper appreciation. Johnny Marr, for example, was a great guitarist, but he had a big flaw, the stage was too shy and nervous. "
There is much talk about a supposed collection compiled by Morrissey on the Ramones, and the surprising thing is not just because our memories take us back to an article of almost forty years ago in the New Musical Express, a review, apparently for nothing benevolent, a Sex Pistols concert in the Manchester, and we remembered it somewhat critical of the punk in general ...
"No, you're wrong! I loved very much punk in its early years. I did not like the Sex Pistols' album, the cover and the title were absolutely terrible! I saw their first three concerts in Manchester, and I liked a lot. I loved it though especially the Generation X and X-Ray Specks, and I think that the first four discs of the Ramones were incredible. But it is only now that these groups have become part of the general taste, as has happened to bands like Velvet Underground, New York Dolls or Jobriath. When they got their first jobs who liked certain artists was considered a mental illness, but fortunately today things have changed and teenagers listen to and love an artist like Nico. And I think we should be happy for that. "
Now is the time of the leave, remained that last curiosity which, today, and tomorrow, we would like to give a very different meaning.
