Article: Morrissey on Janice Long (June 15, 2011) - reminder / reports

[Anonymous]

I remember hearing interesting drug for the first time, dancing around my bedroom, almost in tears at Morrisseys fantastic lyrics, the great guitar riffs, the passion. Morrisseys band make me mad..half hearted, old and boring. Move over and let Moz have a go with some fresh and eager blood.I want to feel inspired by my hero again, and you are holding him back!

He needs to bring back Craig Gannon and Stephen Street. Together, they could make fantastic songs (again).

The people he's had backing him for the last few years are shockingly bad. It's not just a matter of not liking their "style"; they're just not very good musicians and seem to have no ability in the songwriting department. The songs here (and on the last album and on, at least, half of Ringleader of the Tormentors) have NO TUNES.

Let's face it, though, Morrissey is the one to blame. He's the one who chooses to either accept or reject what's presented to him by these ham-fisted fuckwits.

Listening to these made me long for the days when he could come up with songs of the calibre of Journalists Who Lie.

Don't get me started on how bad the lyrics are.

[Anonymous]

Will he ever find a new label with music like this?

As things stand, his work doesn't merit a record deal.

[Anonymous]

Elements of Action Is My Middle Name and People Are The Same Everywhere have some merit but are largely forgettable. The Kid is a Looker is awful and no amount of polish is going to shine that particular turd.
Ditch the rhythm section. Ditch Jesse Tobias. Ditch Boz even. Get some people in who can write decent tunes. It's a shame you couldn't actually get the real Walker Brothers in - those 2 guys sounds like they are laying fucking pipe using heavy cutlery whilst blindfolded. It might inspire you to write some half decent lyrics if you said thanks guys but enough is too much and got someone else in.
When I think of the adrenalin rush when I first heard Bigmouth or Irish Blood for example, these new songs wouldn't even make decent C sides ! I smiled a little at the undertaker line but on this evidence, not sure I'd want to hear what other 8 or 9 songs would make up the album. I hope you prove me wrong.
I'm still looking forward to Bradford though - interesting set list but 3 newies back to back is ill advised. and personally I don't care if you indulge in between song banter or not as long as you sing well !

[Anonymous]

I think Morrissey's lyrics can only be as good as his backing music. The exception to this is Southpaw Grammar. Absolutely first rate music, rich production; crappy lyrics. I think the band from then on decided to phone it in, just write simplistic power chords; no riffs, no melody, no jumpy bass lines, no jangling guitars, no experimenting with song structure; just make some easy cash for songwriting credits and live performances.

Morrissey's vocal melodies have been boring for a little over 18 years now, he could as easily come up with as engaging melodies if someone was tuning through the static on AM radio behind him; and if you don't have the melodies, the lyrics carry no weight, there is no beautiful skeleton to hang them from; they become lackluster and trite even when they aren't.

Morrissey is a genius, and old gentlemen can still make amazing music (look at Scott Walker for instance), but he doesn't care about the art or thrill of it anymore. He only cares about making his fans happy, and that is sad.

[No. 27]

He only cares about making his fans happy, and that is sad.

He can't even do that right anymore.

If only "goodbye" really could be "farewell" I, for one, would be throughly delighted. With his inane press statements, his unwarranted sense of entitlement and his appallingly poor songs, he's just an embarrassment these days.

The time to get off the stage, Steven, has long since been and gone.

No. 27

[jonnersb]

Hey - let's get some balance here. 'Action ...' and 'People are the same...' seem pretty good but it's hard to tell from a radio session. The band sound a bit lumpen but then so did 'Throwing My Arms Around Paris' when it was initially toured but the single was a little gem. I think it's quite remarkable that an artist of Morrissey's age is producing interesting songs against a musical culture which is utterly tedious and devoid of any intelligence. If I heard any up and coming lyricist or singer come up with a vocal or lyric of the quality of 'People are the same ...' I would be genuinely excited. I know Moz isn't really breaking new ground and, musically and we are just getting more of Mozza's misanthropic world view but hey the guy's 52 years old and isn't going to fundamentally change his outlook. I do regret there's not been more musical risk taking down the years and by and large his band are a bunch of pub rock bashers but I'm confident there's more than a little craft and finesse in two of these tracks, albeit a radio session doesn't capture the shades of grey musically. Have to say i don't like the 'Kid's A Looker' which seems lyrically superficial and pretty dischordant melodically - hope it doesn't make the cut for a future album.

[Anonymous]

IDIOTS

I have read some rubbish on here. It is almost like the same message is being prepared by the same idiot. I've never read so much rubbish in all my life. The band have produced some very intertesting rhythms and arrangements. Its a sign of a great band that can try something different, to try something quicker and slightly unusual, for those that like scales and chords.

I think many people are excited by these releases and can understand that songs are here to entertain, to enhance and to thrill. I can tell you now that Morrissey and his band (yes, this band now, but also the band with MikeF on keyboards, the band with Alain and the band with Gary) are extremely talented. I think they all know this already - and are quite modest really in real life - but it helps to say these things from time to time, just for the benefit of people who are unable to play a musical instrument at all.

Some of these destructive comments make me wonder what the hell the world and website viewers here are LISTENING to. These musical arrangements are very clever. These songs are the best thing to happen all year too. They may not be as immediately popular as the amazing Boxers, ITFWAW, IJWTMTBH (and Mexico) but listen and learn fools. Listen again and again.
Being destructive and writing things and posting in such a childish manner and style is the work of an idiot. And there are enough idiots in the world today running the country.

Yours,

STRAWBERRY
England.

[Anonymous]

For anyone that thinks these are great songs you are lying to yourself. Remove yourself from your fandom(fandumb). Pretend you are the 15 year old version of you, no prior knowledge of anything the Mozzer has done. Now imagine someone has given you just the B-sides from BONA DRAG, or 3 of the BBC session songs from Hatfull Of Hollow, or these 3 new songs. Every song is rough around the edges in production, maybe incomplete, etc... Now tell me which of these groups of songs would make you want to know more about Morrissey?

If you said these new ones, you are a damned liar. Stop making excuses, everything he makes now is a retread, which isn't bad in itself, until you throw in lyrics which are clones of better ones and the most watered down adult alt rock. Nothing here is prime material, and nothing here would would be considered as B-sides for the young Morrissey/Smiths.

[Anonymous]

Action is my middle name was decent, didn't care for the other two. There isn't anything interesting going on here, other than the piano intro.

[Anonymous]

He needs to bring back Craig Gannon and Stephen Street. Together, they could make fantastic songs (again).

The people he's had backing him for the last few years are shockingly bad. It's not just a matter of not liking their "style"; they're just not very good musicians and seem to have no ability in the songwriting department. The songs here (and on the last album and on, at least, half of Ringleader of the Tormentors) have NO TUNES.

Let's face it, though, Morrissey is the one to blame. He's the one who chooses to either accept or reject what's presented to him by these ham-fisted fuckwits.

Listening to these made me long for the days when he could come up with songs of the calibre of Journalists Who Lie.

Don't get me started on how bad the lyrics are.

Craig Gannon?! Since when has Gannon ever crafted a 'great tune?'

Look, I love Morrissey, and always will. I don't think any pop star will ever achieve a fraction of what he has achieved in my eyes, lyrically AND musically. But I've been saying since 2005 he ought to get a new band. Quarry was a great record and Years Of Refusal too had some sublime moments; but he can't just do Adult-Oriented Rock forever. People - including his own fans - are already bored.

If you want to do glam rock then great but get some guitarists able to play glam rock music. Jesse is a session musician of such little talent he would struggle to fill a pub, and Boz - talented though he is - is no Jimmy Page.

Secondly, find some new songwriters with new ideas. By all means continue working with Alain who is frankly a brilliant songwriter, but don't waste time on Boz and Jesse's recent dross.

I haven't listened to these songs, but if they really are awful, I would suspect the pen of Jesse Tobias is responsible.

Morrissey ought to get a completely new band, track down Bernard Butler and find a dazzling, inventive producer. There's life in the old dog yet - he continues producing moments of absolute genius (Good in your time, Lay Softly on the River) - but he needs something new musically in order to fulfil his potential.

[Anonymous]

Christ almighty.....I resisted the urge but couldn't any longer.

Have just heard these three new tracks on YouTube.

Bloody hell they are awful , awful records.

This is getting beyond a joke.

Please M , will you listen

Alain on guitars
Gannon on second guitar
Rourke on bass
Joyce on drums.

Street or lily-white producing.

Get rid of that an excuse of a band or it's to late.

[Interesting Druggist]

Disclaimer: I have and will continue to purchase all Morrissey/Smiths releases.

That being said, how can anyone that uses one name have a middle name?

[AnonymousArnold]

Christ almighty.....I resisted the urge but couldn't any longer.

Have just heard these three new tracks on YouTube.

Bloody hell they are awful , awful records.

This is getting beyond a joke.

Please M , will you listen

Alain on guitars
Gannon on second guitar
Rourke on bass
Joyce on drums.

Street or lily-white producing.

Get rid of that an excuse of a band or it's to late.

While I agree he needs a new band, leave Rourke and Joyce out of it. As for Gannon... why even mention him?

[Anonymous]

Gannon.....ok , take a listen via his myspace page and listen to some instrumental tracks he has composed , then come back to me and let me know what you think.

Tobias and boorer are not even in the same league as Craig gannon.

And did gannon not compose the main track for inside the smiths?

[celibate]

this really has become solo soloW

52 years old, 25 years ago the band which HE , as now solo, totally lived for, was 25 years ago released

people are putting a legend down for 3 songs, forgot the best he saves for the album, perhaps, and they these are OK

ofcourse most putting down from anonymous people, but the site owner want free speech...50% is just crap
maybe 10% is on-topic , speaking of anonymous comments

people wonder why Morrissey turned his back to this site, and keeps on doing that is the
childish comments, and make a Legend look like those tv shows, looking for talent

in pain and ashame

[Anonymous]

For anyone that thinks these are great songs you are lying to yourself. Remove yourself from your fandom(fandumb). Pretend you are the 15 year old version of you, no prior knowledge of anything the Mozzer has done. Now imagine someone has given you just the B-sides from BONA DRAG, or 3 of the BBC session songs from Hatfull Of Hollow, or these 3 new songs. Every song is rough around the edges in production, maybe incomplete, etc... Now tell me which of these groups of songs would make you want to know more about Morrissey?

If you said these new ones, you are a damned liar. Stop making excuses, everything he makes now is a retread, which isn't bad in itself, until you throw in lyrics which are clones of better ones and the most watered down adult alt rock. Nothing here is prime material, and nothing here would would be considered as B-sides for the young Morrissey/Smiths.

Troublemaker, i think you're more of a fan of shelagh delaney. when i was handed a cassette tape of 'the queen is dead', i thought it was SHIT. i didn't like morrissey or "the smiths". it wasn't until 'viva hate' and 'bona drag' that i became interested in morrissey. 'vauxhall' sealed the deal, but not because of the album, but because of the 'the more you ignore me, the closer i get single' and the excellent b-sides. THAT did it. 'hateful of hollow' is great, but i don't listen to it that often, i prefer the remastered versions of those songs. it's a matter of taste. you're obviously trolling with propaganda and it's pathetic. admit the truth, you do not like morrissey anymore. that's fine, no one has a gun to your head. LEAVE. go away. no one cares what you think, can't you see this? go listen to bona drag until you're sick of it, then go listen to lady gaga. it's ok. you can give it up. you're wasting your time here trying to convince others morrissey sucks. he doesn't, he won't EVER suck and if you really really think the new songs suck, i would hope that you'd post YOUR songs, so we can review them for you, ok? THEN we will really see who sucks, ok?

[Anonymous]

actually, gannon was defeated by zelda

[goinghome]

IDIOTS

I have read some rubbish on here. It is almost like the same message is being prepared by the same idiot. I've never read so much rubbish in all my life. The band have produced some very intertesting rhythms and arrangements. Its a sign of a great band that can try something different, to try something quicker and slightly unusual, for those that like scales and chords.

I think many people are excited by these releases and can understand that songs are here to entertain, to enhance and to thrill. I can tell you now that Morrissey and his band (yes, this band now, but also the band with MikeF on keyboards, the band with Alain and the band with Gary) are extremely talented. I think they all know this already - and are quite modest really in real life - but it helps to say these things from time to time, just for the benefit of people who are unable to play a musical instrument at all.

Some of these destructive comments make me wonder what the hell the world and website viewers here are LISTENING to. These musical arrangements are very clever. These songs are the best thing to happen all year too. They may not be as immediately popular as the amazing Boxers, ITFWAW, IJWTMTBH (and Mexico) but listen and learn fools. Listen again and again.
Being destructive and writing things and posting in such a childish manner and style is the work of an idiot. And there are enough idiots in the world today running the country.

Yours,

STRAWBERRY
England.

Dear strawberry,
'and a small voice said, "what can we do?"

[goinghome]

...in pain and ashame

Even with the English of an Oxford don, you could hardly have put it better.

[jmark188]

First take at Action Is My Middle Name lyrics... help me out, I missed most of the second verse....


Biting my initials into your neck
you are my possession
you don't realize yet

Am I moving too fast for you?
am I beginning to confuse you?

Action is My Middle Name
i can't waste time anymore
everybody has a date with an undertaker
a date that they cannot break

….
Tongue against tongue
and we've only just begun
Could I interest you in hours of fun?
Repeat chorus

am i moving too fast?
am I moving too fast?

repeat chorus 2x

da da da da da

hope this helps?