Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview at superdeluxeedition.com

Very good interview, Street is pretty forthright in his comments:

Stephen Street talks "Viva Hate" and trying to keep Morrissey happy - superdeluxeedition

March 29, 2012 by Paul Sinclair

Morrissey’s debut solo album Viva Hate is reissued next week. Producer and co-writer Stephen Street talks to us about the record and gives his verdict on the reissue.

 

[joe frady]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

I just had a quick listen to the new version of 'Late Night, Maudlin Street' and "butchered" is a bit much for Street to claim. The opening has 6 seconds of drums lopped off. The ending is an abrupt fade after the line "Truly I do love you...wherever you are". The "wherever you are" line fades in to silence, so he's dropped the "I hope you're singing now" refrain. Which does change the final intent of the original lyric quite a bit. But replaces it with a fresh persprective. It's hardly a massacre though. Maybe he didn't like how he says "sing-ing", who knows? I have both. I can play both at the touch of a screen.

And as Street says "It's not my album - it's his".

 

[Amy]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Possibly the most ridiculous post ever written on here (and that's saying something). When would an artist ever conduct negotiations like that? And why would an artist EVER give artistic control to anyone else? Substitute "Bowie" for "Morrissey" and perhaps you'll realise just what a twat you sound. But hey, so long as it fits this site's Moz-bashing agenda, reason, logic and common sense have no place.

Because he didn't have a decent manager to pass the issue onto, and because failing to sort out payment arrangements got him sued, twice, and he's never stopped banging on about it ever since?

The site hardly has a concerted "Moz-bashing agenda". If you bothered to actually register and pay attention to the forums once in a while, you might notice that - but it's too easy just to visit the main page every other week and make Solo the enemy, isn't it? By "artistic control" I was referring to Street's position as producer, and the fact that Moz can't play an instrument and so has to cede a certain amount of direction to his musicians automatically.

 

[Amy]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Fascinating how an interview with Stephen Street devolves into a psychiatric session wherein Morrissey is diagnosed as severely depressed, socially inept, self-destructive and hopelessly disengaged from his own emotions and the real world.

I think that's been Morrissey's self-diagnosis all along!

 

[Worm]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Fascinating how an interview with Stephen Street devolves into a psychiatric session wherein Morrissey is diagnosed as severely depressed, socially inept, self-destructive and hopelessly disengaged from his own emotions and the real world. And that's from his admirers!

Fans have always had to conduct psychological investigations of Morrissey because it seems his tendency to damage and destroy relationships has a direct impact on his music. The strange result is that many fans (such as myself, often enough) tend to sound like hypercritical ingrates. It comes down to what I said in the thread above. No matter how great Morrissey's solo career has been, and it has been great, there seems to be a feeling among plenty of fans that for every one of his astonishing triumphs there was a missed opportunity for another. Nobody would care if Morrissey had underpaid Stephen Street, kicked him to the curb, and called him funny names. The reason some of us care is that his mistreatment of Street-- if Street's account is accurate, which we don't know-- probably robbed the world of more great music.

The nice thing is, the Street interview allows us to continue this sad conversation without any mention of Johnny Marr. Even if Johnny Marr and The Smiths had never happened, many would still feel like Morrissey's solo career is peppered with far too many "What if..."s.

I don't think Street is attacking Morrissey here, as a matter of fact I think he's being rather diplomatic.

Agreed.

Morrissey says and does inexplicable things fairly regularly, and that's just the nature of the beast. I would say that if Morrissey has a fatal flaw it's that he lacks a certain generosity of spirit; he is (by his own description) a closed system. This is both a strength and a weakness: he's got an incredibly vivid personality that expresses itself without compromise, but he cannot be corrected when he goes off course. One of Morrissey's saving graces is that he is also critically self-aware, which lends a certain pathos to the proceedings. Such are the pitfalls of fame and genius.

Well said.

 

[Anaesthesine]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

I think that's been Morrissey's self-diagnosis all along!

Loathe as I am to psychoanalyze "celebrities," I think that Morrissey would cop to being severely depressed (at times), socially awkward and somewhat self-destructive. Still, he's recently made much of the fact that he functions in the same world as the rest of us and is reasonably self-aware.

There was a time when this may not have been the case, but he's now a mature, sophisticated individual who has lived an unimaginable life. I don't think that having a borderline personality disorder is the explanation for all of his less-than-savory acts. The man is a victim of his own weaknesses to the same extent as the rest of us.

His words "it's either this or prison" do, however, come to mind...

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

And there I go again, wasting precious minutes of my life wrestling with the impossible

I really do appreciate your candor, Amy. But sometimes you can be simply a bitch.

 

[King Leer]

Enjoyed this interview and glad Streety spoke his mind about the strange decisions made on the reissue.
I wondered what the actual conversation (or emails) went like, though.
"I want to shorten Late Night"
"WTF"
"[no reply]"

 

[Amy]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

I really do appreciate your candor, Amy. But sometimes you can be simply a bitch.

That was kinder than what I originally typed out and thought better of. I'm sorry CG but that issue is like a red rag to a bull in my mind. Frustrating, pointless, aggravating, circular etc etc. I wish I was able to have some restraint and just ignore it or joke about it, but it inexplicably winds me up. It makes me want to shake your shoulders screaming "wake up! WAKE UP!" - but of course I can't, and you won't. Ugh. What a miserable afternoon.

 

[the_kaz]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

I just had a quick listen to the new version of 'Late Night, Maudlin Street' and "butchered" is a bit much for Street to claim. The opening has 6 seconds of drums lopped off. The ending is an abrupt fade after the line "Truly I do love you...wherever you are". The "wherever you are" line fades in to silence, so he's dropped the "I hope you're singing now" refrain. Which does change the final intent of the original lyric quite a bit. But replaces it with a fresh persprective. It's hardly a massacre though. Maybe he didn't like how he says "sing-ing", who knows? I have both. I can play both at the touch of a screen.

Thanks for posting this! I've been waiting to hear the verdict from somebody who's actually listened to it. I was worried that the "butchered" re-master would be akin to the live version which was released as a b-side to I Just Want to See the Boy Happy. The way you describe it actually sounds acceptable. I refuse to buy this release out of principal, mainly because "voting with your wallet" is the best way to do your bit to try to prevent Morrissey from pulling stunts like this again, but I'd love to hear what the re-mastered tracks sound like.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

That was kinder than what I originally typed out and thought better of. I'm sorry CG but that issue is like a red rag to a bull in my mind. Frustrating, pointless, aggravating, circular etc etc. I wish I was able to have some restraint and just ignore it or joke about it, but it inexplicably winds me up. It makes me want to shake your shoulders screaming "wake up! WAKE UP!" - but of course I can't, and you won't. Ugh. What a miserable afternoon.

Well thank you for your kindness, Amy. I offer opinions. You on the other hand seem to have it all figured out. You've been on a Moz Hating diatribe for months now and I just sit back and read it, all the talk of how he is failing to live up to your personal expectations as an artist and human being. You go on being bitter and disillusioned, it suits you.

 

[Worm]

Re: Article: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview at superdel

Enjoyed this interview and glad Streety spoke his mind about the strange decisions made on the reissue.
I wondered what the actual conversation (or emails) went like, though.
"I want to shorten Late Night"
"WTF"
"[no reply]"

Doubt there was a conversation at all, even of that length.

 

[Amy]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Well thank you for your kindness, Amy. I offer opinions. You on the other hand seem to have it all figured out. You've been on a Moz Hating diatribe for months now and I just sit back and read it, all the talk of how he is failing to live up to your personal expectations as an artist and human being. You go on being bitter and disillusioned, it suits you.

Huh? I wasn't talking about Moz.

But you're right, I have been hugely disappointed in his musical output, and his increasingly crass and petulant public hate campaigns against just about everybody and everything. Maybe I'm just following suit, huh?

A hateful, bitter human being breeding hateful, bitter fans and the odd nutcase. Sounds about right.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Huh? I wasn't talking about Moz.

But you're right, I have been hugely disappointed in his musical output, and his increasingly crass and petulant public hate campaigns against just about everybody and everything. Maybe I'm just following suit, huh?

A hateful, bitter human being breeding hateful, bitter fans and the odd nutcase. Sounds about right.

Well then we're all doing our jobs then. So stop complaining.

 

[Amy]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Well then we're all doing our jobs then. So stop complaining.

If I stopped complaining, I think I'd have to give up on the old man altogether. Not ready yet, sorry.

 

[dallow]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Fans have always had to conduct psychological investigations of Morrissey because it seems his tendency to damage and destroy relationships has a direct impact on his music. The strange result is that many fans (such as myself, often enough) tend to sound like hypercritical ingrates. It comes down to what I said in the thread above. No matter how great Morrissey's solo career has been, and it has been great, there seems to be a feeling among plenty of fans that for every one of his astonishing triumphs there was a missed opportunity for another. Nobody would care if Morrissey had underpaid Stephen Street, kicked him to the curb, and called him funny names. The reason some of us care is that his mistreatment of Street-- if Street's account is accurate, which we don't know-- probably robbed the world of more great music.

The nice thing is, the Street interview allows us to continue this sad conversation without any mention of Johnny Marr. Even if Johnny Marr and The Smiths had never happened, many would still feel like Morrissey's solo career is peppered with far too many "What if..."s.

Excellent - I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

Nobody would care if Morrissey had underpaid Stephen Street, kicked him to the curb, and called him funny names. The reason some of us care is that his mistreatment of Street-- if Street's account is accurate, which we don't know-- probably robbed the world of more great music.

You do not go to any of Morrissey's concerts. Which were the last two or three albums that you bought?

 

[Worm]

Re: Stephen Street discusses Morrissey/Viva Hate - new interview

You do not go to any of Morrissey's concerts. Which were the last two or three albums that you bought?

I don't understand how your questions are relevant to what I wrote about Stephen Street. If I am writing about the past, it's probably because we are discussing a re-issue of "Viva Hate". Could you clarify what you're asking, exactly?

 

[DAVIE]

Is Street still saying he wrote the songs?? just wait till I see Vini

 

[shayde]

i just want to say i think stephen street is awesome! he was the best producer, or co-producer of the smiths songs and went on to produce some great albums from a diverse range of bands. he created some very memorable songs as morrissey's best solo co-writer. i actually remember thinking at the time that some of the song's actually eclipsed the smiths (as singles, the smiths often struggled to craft the perfect chart top 10 pop single), and stephen street did it seemingly effortlessly as least twice with everyday is like sunday and suedehead. wonderful songs. he may not have been the greatest composer ever, but a combination of his writing skills, his talent for producing a big lush sound, and involving great musicians countered any weakness. he always always sounds like a reasonable, professional, honest and nice guy too. he is also always very diplomatic and almost reverential when he speaks about morrissey - and obviously likes him and enjoyed their time working together.

i think it was a loss for everyone fans and morrissey that he didnt hold onto street - he would have made back any $ that he had invested in streets continued involvement. though i guess no one can work with morrissey too long because of the reasons people discuss. (except boz the trooper!)

i don't think it's an exaggeration to suggest morrissey's career has suffered because rather than working with the best most talented musicians and composers, he comes down to working with whoever can put up with his behavior longest. which has been a problem when he can't write his own music.

i dont think a smiths reunion would or should happen, but i'd love to see street compose some new songs for morrissey and rekindle that fertile collaboration.

 

[9 x Fined]

I'm not sure what all the crying is about regarding the missing tracks etc. It's not like anyone is going to buy this thing.