Immense talent

C

Cili Barnes

Guest
I'd just like to post about something which I feel is very relevant to at least five of the posts down below.

Due to my relatively recent discovery of this website, my (seemingly lost) love for our Mozzer has been rekindled and lately I've been completely immersed in Steven's deep and rich voice from morning 'til night almost everyday since I've been visiting this (very wonderful) website. My better half and I are both recovering Mozaholics and lurking around here lately... I've, er, fallen off the wagon so to speak.

Anyhow, I've reviewed many albums and artists over the past couple of years and doing what I do, I'm forced to listen to loads and loads of new music all the time to form and then share my opinions on it all. One thing that I've noticed is how @#!!!ing talented Steven is in comparison to others that do what he does. I find that Steven very truly does not have any peers. And I do speak in the present tense. His music still has a very individual sound which is very rare when you think about it. Steven's music has always been unique. I think it's just familiarity that obscures our ability to appreciate that sometimes. It's not just his voice that I'm typing about either.

I read that little thread a few posts below this one about Steven having lifted all his lines and now possibly revealing some well-masked handicap now that he's stopped doing that. My opinion is that he's just very comfortable (I'm avoiding using "complacent") now and he just isn't as earnest in his attempts to connect with his fans. I don't feel that Steven is very ambitious anymore as an artist but still enjoys writing and singing and performing. So what if his words have lost some of their poignancy? I see him as a man that is just doing what he's doing simply because he still likes doing it. If you've read any of his recent interviews or if you've been fortunate enough to speak to him directly, Steven has become a much more calm and content individual whereas the Morrissey of the Smiths had a much more desperate personality. I do agree that he's lost that desperate and ambitious quality to some degree but he's also accomplished a hell of a lot and he's succeeded in reaching his career goals so why the hell shouldn't he be cheerily content?

Although the impact of his lyrics has softened a bit, his melodies and songwriting still carry an unmistakable Moz quality about them. I don't feel that THOSE talents (yes, they ARE talents) have been lost at all. His songs still have every bit as much irony and humor to them. He is definitely in complete control of his skills.

I have so many things that I'd like to type but dizziness is preventing me from doing so. I would like to squeeze in a question though. Could it be that Steven's recent failures in connecting with his fans (to the same degree that he did as a Smith) through his lyrics be due to the fact that all of what he was as a Smith is now gone in his personality? I mean, he's still got his humor and wit but he's lost his melancholy. I happen to believe that to some small effect, Steven may be a little directionless without his depression. When you're always sad, there's no question as to what you'd like to express because one doesn't really have a choice. Depression has that extremely overpowering, saturating quality to it. I wonder if Steven doesn't struggle with finding themes to write about now that he's lost such an integral part of his art and character. He understood and defined himself through his sadness and maybe now he's just finding that there really wasn't much to say beyond all those gray skies.

I'd better stop now. The world is disappearing...
 
i couldn't have said it better myself.




Now, Today, Tomorrow and Always
mozstomach.gif
 
All of You--Read the FIRST post in this String.

It would do us all good to read Barnes' note...very interesting...what do you think?
 
It always thrills me when people put so much effort into a post ( especially on a Sunday! ).
One thing I have noticed about peoples reactions to Morrissey's more recent efforts is that they almost imagine that Morrissey should be their private entertainer or something. The comments usually take the form of "Maladjusted is rubbish" or some such - a reaction that is very revealing, mainly because it puts the emphasis on the album/record, rather than their relationship with it. Its quite resonable to dislike something, but a bit deeper analysis of why we dislike something is always necessary. I personally find "Southpaw Grammar" to be somewhat irritating and difficult to listen to - this doesnt make the record itself bad ( Morrissey has proven himself to be a real artist, and all his work has to be seen within that context - a fact which I trust implictly, if I dislike something then that's ME, not the music ).
My personal belief is that we all want to reexperience the impact of "The Queen Is Dead" again - but records like that only happen once - and once our universe is transformed like that there is no going back. Morrissey can never do that again ( anymore than Picasso could paint Demoiselles D'avignon, or Joyce write Ullysses ( Mike Joyce a writer?, I hear some of you cry )).
I too have only recently rediscoverd Smiths/Morrissey ( through this web site! ), and I am increasingly convinced that Morrissey is a truly great artist.
In this age, pop music is the most important art form and Morrissey is the most significant contributer to this art ( song writing is infinately more potent than poetry - I hope he continues to write songs for the rest of his life )¿ I'd just like to post about something which I feel is very¿ relevant to at least five of the posts down below.¿ Due to my relatively recent discovery of this website, my¿ (seemingly lost) love for our Mozzer has been rekindled and¿ lately I've been completely immersed in Steven's deep and rich¿ voice from morning 'til night almost everyday since I've been¿ visiting this (very wonderful) website. My better half and I are¿ both recovering Mozaholics and lurking around here lately...¿ I've, er, fallen off the wagon so to speak.¿ Anyhow, I've reviewed many albums and artists over the past¿ couple of years and doing what I do, I'm forced to listen to¿ loads and loads of new music all the time to form and then share¿ my opinions on it all. One thing that I've noticed is how @#!!!¿ ing talented Steven is in comparison to others that do what he¿ does. I find that Steven very truly does not have any peers. And¿ I do speak in the present tense. His music still has a very¿ individual sound which is very rare when you think about it.¿ Steven's music has always been unique. I think it's just¿ familiarity that obscures our ability to appreciate that¿ sometimes. It's not just his voice that I'm typing about either.¿ I read that little thread a few posts below this one about¿ Steven having lifted all his lines and now possibly revealing¿ some well-masked handicap now that he's stopped doing that. My¿ opinion is that he's just very comfortable (I'm avoiding using¿ "complacent") now and he just isn't as earnest in his¿ attempts to connect with his fans. I don't feel that Steven is¿ very ambitious anymore as an artist but still enjoys writing and¿ singing and performing. So what if his words have lost some of¿ their poignancy? I see him as a man that is just doing what he's¿ doing simply because he still likes doing it. If you've read any¿ of his recent interviews or if you've been fortunate enough to¿ speak to him directly, Steven has become a much more calm and¿ content individual whereas the Morrissey of the Smiths had a¿ much more desperate personality. I do agree that he's lost that¿ desperate and ambitious quality to some degree but he's also¿ accomplished a hell of a lot and he's succeeded in reaching his¿ career goals so why the hell shouldn't he be cheerily content?¿ Although the impact of his lyrics has softened a bit, his¿ melodies and songwriting still carry an unmistakable Moz quality¿ about them. I don't feel that THOSE talents (yes, they ARE¿ talents) have been lost at all. His songs still have every bit¿ as much irony and humor to them. He is definitely in complete¿ control of his skills.¿ I have so many things that I'd like to type but dizziness is¿ preventing me from doing so. I would like to squeeze in a¿ question though. Could it be that Steven's recent failures in¿ connecting with his fans (to the same degree that he did as a¿ Smith) through his lyrics be due to the fact that all of what he¿ was as a Smith is now gone in his personality? I mean, he's¿ still got his humor and wit but he's lost his melancholy. I¿ happen to believe that to some small effect, Steven may be a¿ little directionless without his depression. When you're always¿ sad, there's no question as to what you'd like to express¿ because one doesn't really have a choice. Depression has that¿ extremely overpowering, saturating quality to it. I wonder if¿ Steven doesn't struggle with finding themes to write about now¿ that he's lost such an integral part of his art and character.¿ He understood and defined himself through his sadness and maybe¿ now he's just finding that there really wasn't much to say¿ beyond all those gray skies.¿ I'd better stop now. The world is disappearing...




A song in which the ambitions of the young protagonist are thwarted by the jealous actions of his best friend ( 700Kb mp3 ) - ( unfortunately this link doesn't work because the address has passed through some sort of censorship filter - this filter will protect you and your family from most of the worlds evils and prevent you from turning into ravening monsters - we should thank all those people involved in censorship for keeping us happy and sane )
cleostill10.jpg
 
Re: Immense talent...INDEED!!

> I'd just like to post about something which I feel is very¿ relevant to at least five of the posts down below.¿ Due to my relatively recent discovery of this website, my¿ (seemingly lost) love for our Mozzer has been rekindled and¿ lately I've been completely immersed in Steven's deep and rich¿ voice from morning 'til night almost everyday since I've been¿ visiting this (very wonderful) website. My better half and I are¿ both recovering Mozaholics and lurking around here lately...¿ I've, er, fallen off the wagon so to speak.
Bravo! You have expressed the myriad of feelings we have had for years now. Morrissey has matured so his outlook of life is not stuck in the 60s, 70s, 80s, but he is firmly planted in the late 90s. His lyricism has matured too. We should be grateful he is not singing "Hey baby, baby!" I, for one am looking forward to another dose of his wit and innuendos presented with class.¿ Anyhow, I've reviewed many albums and artists over the past¿ couple of years and doing what I do, I'm forced to listen to¿ loads and loads of new music all the time to form and then share¿ my opinions on it all. One thing that I've noticed is how @#!!!¿ ing talented Steven is in comparison to others that do what he¿ does. I find that Steven very truly does not have any peers. And¿ I do speak in the present tense. His music still has a very¿ individual sound which is very rare when you think about it.¿ Steven's music has always been unique. I think it's just¿ familiarity that obscures our ability to appreciate that¿ sometimes. It's not just his voice that I'm typing about either.¿ I read that little thread a few posts below this one about¿ Steven having lifted all his lines and now possibly revealing¿ some well-masked handicap now that he's stopped doing that. My¿ opinion is that he's just very comfortable (I'm avoiding using¿ "complacent") now and he just isn't as earnest in his¿ attempts to connect with his fans. I don't feel that Steven is¿ very ambitious anymore as an artist but still enjoys writing and¿ singing and performing. So what if his words have lost some of¿ their poignancy? I see him as a man that is just doing what he's¿ doing simply because he still likes doing it. If you've read any¿ of his recent interviews or if you've been fortunate enough to¿ speak to him directly, Steven has become a much more calm and¿ content individual whereas the Morrissey of the Smiths had a¿ much more desperate personality. I do agree that he's lost that¿ desperate and ambitious quality to some degree but he's also¿ accomplished a hell of a lot and he's succeeded in reaching his¿ career goals so why the hell shouldn't he be cheerily content?¿ Although the impact of his lyrics has softened a bit, his¿ melodies and songwriting still carry an unmistakable Moz quality¿ about them. I don't feel that THOSE talents (yes, they ARE¿ talents) have been lost at all. His songs still have every bit¿ as much irony and humor to them. He is definitely in complete¿ control of his skills.¿ I have so many things that I'd like to type but dizziness is¿ preventing me from doing so. I would like to squeeze in a¿ question though. Could it be that Steven's recent failures in¿ connecting with his fans (to the same degree that he did as a¿ Smith) through his lyrics be due to the fact that all of what he¿ was as a Smith is now gone in his personality? I mean, he's¿ still got his humor and wit but he's lost his melancholy. I¿ happen to believe that to some small effect, Steven may be a¿ little directionless without his depression. When you're always¿ sad, there's no question as to what you'd like to express¿ because one doesn't really have a choice. Depression has that¿ extremely overpowering, saturating quality to it. I wonder if¿ Steven doesn't struggle with finding themes to write about now¿ that he's lost such an integral part of his art and character.¿ He understood and defined himself through his sadness and maybe¿ now he's just finding that there really wasn't much to say¿ beyond all those gray skies.¿ I'd better stop now. The world is disappearing...
 
Too much of his talent!

Actually, having thought about this some more, I think that Morrissey, rather than being less talented, is making the mistake of putting out too many songs.

What almost always happens to artists is that they become inspired less often as they get older. Eventually it takes them many years to get a new album together (think of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed etc). Presumably this is because they're no longer capable of writing 10 great songs every couple of years.

Morrissey has released 5 proper albums in the 1990s. That's just stupid! At that rate, he clearly doesn't get inspired enough to make every track great. Some still are great, but because the bad ones outnumber them we get the impression that he's lost it.

When Maladjusted came out it was a disappointment, because of weak songs like "He Cried".

Imagine if, instead of an album, Morrissey had released just the best four songs on a single (I'd say those would be Maladjusted, Ambitious Outsiders, Trouble Loves Me and Roy's Keen, but you can choose your own). Wouldn't that be exciting? Instead of feeling disappointment I'd be crying out "He's back!".

Someone might be thinking, "Well why don't you programme your CD player to play just those four songs and ignore the bad ones?" That doesn't work! I'd have to listen to the bad ones at least once and that spoils everything. I want to trust the artist, believe in his genius, and half-hearted nonsense ruins the illusion.

Personally, I think it would be good to wait 5 years for a Morrissey album, because I'd be confident that it would be worth that wait. Wouldn't it be good (albeit frustrating) if we'd never heard Southpaw Grammar or Maladjusted and his next album was to have all the best songs that went on those two PLUS all the best songs that will be on his next one? Does anyone agree?
 
Re: Too much of his talent!

> Personally, I think it would be good to wait 5 years for a¿ Morrissey album, because I'd be confident that it would be worth¿ that wait. Wouldn't it be good (albeit frustrating) if we'd¿ never heard Southpaw Grammar or Maladjusted and his next album¿ was to have all the best songs that went on those two PLUS all¿ the best songs that will be on his next one? Does anyone agree?

i think we all hold different opinions on every album.. some people loves southpaw and others despise it.. i personally like papa jack and trouble loves on malajusted.. i dont think that was included on your list.. so in way.. maybe his current material isn't comparable to his earlier works.. but i would rather listen to any of his albums than what is being played on the radio today.. i think we have build high expectations over him throughout his career because he's such reliable musician and it disappoints us slighty that he's not giving out the same kind of music that he use to.. it all depends on the individual taste..

hers's my secret .. try not to think much about the morrissey of the past. and try not to subconciously compare his current work with his past when you listen to albums such as malajusted or southpaw grammar. you will then find it very enjoyable. trust me .. it will work! remember kill uncle? dont you think it was a big contrast to viva hate and bona drag? well.. i didn't give it much attention as the other albums but just recently found it absolutely beautifull.. and especially when performed in concert.. maybe you will eventually grow in southpaw or malajusted.. jsut give it a little chance..
 
Everything you said is very true

M.M.¿ I'd just like to post about something which I feel is very¿ relevant to at least five of the posts down below.¿ Due to my relatively recent discovery of this website, my¿ (seemingly lost) love for our Mozzer has been rekindled and¿ lately I've been completely immersed in Steven's deep and rich¿ voice from morning 'til night almost everyday since I've been¿ visiting this (very wonderful) website. My better half and I are¿ both recovering Mozaholics and lurking around here lately...¿ I've, er, fallen off the wagon so to speak.¿ Anyhow, I've reviewed many albums and artists over the past¿ couple of years and doing what I do, I'm forced to listen to¿ loads and loads of new music all the time to form and then share¿ my opinions on it all. One thing that I've noticed is how @#!!!¿ ing talented Steven is in comparison to others that do what he¿ does. I find that Steven very truly does not have any peers. And¿ I do speak in the present tense. His music still has a very¿ individual sound which is very rare when you think about it.¿ Steven's music has always been unique. I think it's just¿ familiarity that obscures our ability to appreciate that¿ sometimes. It's not just his voice that I'm typing about either.¿ I read that little thread a few posts below this one about¿ Steven having lifted all his lines and now possibly revealing¿ some well-masked handicap now that he's stopped doing that. My¿ opinion is that he's just very comfortable (I'm avoiding using¿ "complacent") now and he just isn't as earnest in his¿ attempts to connect with his fans. I don't feel that Steven is¿ very ambitious anymore as an artist but still enjoys writing and¿ singing and performing. So what if his words have lost some of¿ their poignancy? I see him as a man that is just doing what he's¿ doing simply because he still likes doing it. If you've read any¿ of his recent interviews or if you've been fortunate enough to¿ speak to him directly, Steven has become a much more calm and¿ content individual whereas the Morrissey of the Smiths had a¿ much more desperate personality. I do agree that he's lost that¿ desperate and ambitious quality to some degree but he's also¿ accomplished a hell of a lot and he's succeeded in reaching his¿ career goals so why the hell shouldn't he be cheerily content?¿ Although the impact of his lyrics has softened a bit, his¿ melodies and songwriting still carry an unmistakable Moz quality¿ about them. I don't feel that THOSE talents (yes, they ARE¿ talents) have been lost at all. His songs still have every bit¿ as much irony and humor to them. He is definitely in complete¿ control of his skills.¿ I have so many things that I'd like to type but dizziness is¿ preventing me from doing so. I would like to squeeze in a¿ question though. Could it be that Steven's recent failures in¿ connecting with his fans (to the same degree that he did as a¿ Smith) through his lyrics be due to the fact that all of what he¿ was as a Smith is now gone in his personality? I mean, he's¿ still got his humor and wit but he's lost his melancholy. I¿ happen to believe that to some small effect, Steven may be a¿ little directionless without his depression. When you're always¿ sad, there's no question as to what you'd like to express¿ because one doesn't really have a choice. Depression has that¿ extremely overpowering, saturating quality to it. I wonder if¿ Steven doesn't struggle with finding themes to write about now¿ that he's lost such an integral part of his art and character.¿ He understood and defined himself through his sadness and maybe¿ now he's just finding that there really wasn't much to say¿ beyond all those gray skies.¿ I'd better stop now. The world is disappearing...
 

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