TTY: Death is not the final word - Morrissey statement on TOMITA

Death is not the final word - true-to-you.net
20 December 2016

... for there are some people who are lucky enough to leave such a powerful mark on life that not even death can wipe them out. In this Year Of Death ... from Richard Davalos to Frank Finlay to Prince to my very dear friend Victoria Wood ... I struggled most of all with the death of TOMITA, whose Snowflakes are dancing (RCA) I have listened to constantly for 40 years, especially on hard days of self-judgment. It is a recording that you can listen to repeatedly until you hear nothing else. All you need to do is to keep quiet. In a few minutes all the right answers come through and you will find that there had never been any reason, after all, to feel angry.

If you do not know this recording, I envy your first listen. Track 5 especially will stay with you for always, as the best music does ... never outside time. It might take you back to the lost years of personal honesty in music, when artists gave everything that they had and everything that they were.

MORRISSEY
20 December 2016.

 

[Anonymous]

Never mind all this tomatoe bollocks and death shite ! It's Crimbo
From me to thee bots and munchkins, cheer up and enjoy yourselves, how dare Steven try and ruin Christmas just because he's been on a cheese and vodka binge which has left him with a huge black dog syndrome. ( Sort him out Diesel ffs ).



Benny-the-British-Butcher

Yawn...today's BaldButcher posts are even more tedious than usual...I haven't got the energy to insult him...I'll let somebody else do the honours.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's nothing unusual for Moz and has nothing to do with being contrarian. Look at this interview from 1989, where he gives his thoughts on the death of Bette Davis:

http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/quotes/qdec1989.htm

Q: Do you like artists because they're underrated ?
If I like them and they're slighted, the only instinct I have is to assemble a placard. Certainly, if people die and their deaths are overlooked, I feel I have to do something about it, I have to speak for them. Even with the recent death of Bette Davis, which I thought was typically slighted by the entire media, as if nobody cared. Here was this absolute, total legend, possibly the very last one, and I have the impression that if Joanna Lumley had died it would have gained more space, which foxes me. I'm generally attracted to people who are mildly despised and Bette Davis was. I bought all the newspapers the day after her death, expecting huge, blinding banner headlines. But it was simply The Bitch Is Dead, on page 15, which I found astonishing. I just assume it's a new generation of journalists who don't really know and don't really care. Perhaps it's too long ago. I think that people do forget. Bette Davis was a very formidable spirit who risked going against audience sympathy to get what she wanted, risked narrowing her audience to convey how she really felt. Which is quite largely how I feel about my career. I'd rather walk away than do anything unnatural. I appreciate that spirit because it's very, very rare - and extremely rare in dear old pop music, if it exists at all.

Prince wouldn't fit this example though. As for tomita I've never heard him but will check it out today

 

[Pokey]

Shock and horror that people have such a problem with this statement. So he didn't mention Bowie again. So what? Are people THAT sensitive over it? And if he had mentioned Bowie people would have been all "how dare he mention Bowie, he hated him in the end!" And "why did we not hear about this in May when it died??" just ... f***ing hell. Either he didn't want to post about it, or he only found out recently he died. Either way, it just doesn't matter. At this point Morrissey could post a video of himself eating M&M's and if he ate a green one first it would be "why is he ignoring the yellow ones?!?!"

This is such a weird "fan" base. You either have one one extreme who think he can do no wrong, or you have the other extreme who think he can do no right.

As for this Tomita guy .. eh, gave it a listen and did nothing for me. I don't think I've really liked any of his recommendations beyond Doll and the Kicks (Sparks doesn't count as I was at least into them well before I knew Moz was).

 

[Anonymous]

Kiss Me A Lot is a tribute/homage to the title track off of the Tomita album.

 

[moho]

He keeps writing about death but refuses to mention David Bowie - there is no doubt in my mind that this is intentional passive aggressive bullshit.
Also - this song that he loves is a bastardized cover of a beautiful song called Arabesque by Claude Debussy - please listen to that - they are incomparable

 

[Anonymous]

Shock and horror that people have such a problem with this statement. So he didn't mention Bowie again. So what? Are people THAT sensitive over it? And if he had mentioned Bowie people would have been all "how dare he mention Bowie, he hated him in the end!" And "why did we not hear about this in May when it died??" just ... f***ing hell. Either he didn't want to post about it, or he only found out recently he died. Either way, it just doesn't matter. At this point Morrissey could post a video of himself eating M&M's and if he ate a green one first it would be "why is he ignoring the yellow ones?!?!"

This is such a weird "fan" base. You either have one one extreme who think he can do no wrong, or you have the other extreme who think he can do no right.

As for this Tomita guy .. eh, gave it a listen and did nothing for me. I don't think I've really liked any of his recommendations beyond Doll and the Kicks (Sparks doesn't count as I was at least into them well before I knew Moz was).

I agree. Morrissey has some unusual taste for music. Never liked anything he recommended.

 

[AztecCamera]

Anonymous Coward

Crykey! and I reckon I have been listening to "Hot, Hot, Hot" 12 centimeters album version with extended congo solo by Buster Poindexter, who I thought was Uncle Steve's real idol. I reckon I can not tell you how many times I have made the drive up to Picadillyshirewarts in me Opel listening to "Hot, Hot, Hot" while fantasizing I was living in LA eating dinner at Amalfi next to the table that Uncle Steve and lil' Sammy are having a gigantic bowl of pasta with marinara sauce and a Corona.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Death is not the final word - true-to-you.net
20 December 2016

... for there are some people who are lucky enough to leave such a powerful mark on life that not even death can wipe them out. In this Year Of Death ... from Richard Davalos to Frank Finlay to Prince to my very dear friend Victoria Wood ... I struggled most of all with the death of TOMITA, whose Snowflakes are dancing (RCA) I have listened to constantly for 40 years, especially on hard days of self-judgment. It is a recording that you can listen to repeatedly until you hear nothing else. All you need to do is to keep quiet. In a few minutes all the right answers come through and you will find that there had never been any reason, after all, to feel angry.

If you do not know this recording, I envy your first listen. Track 5 especially will stay with you for always, as the best music does ... never outside time. It might take you back to the lost years of personal honesty in music, when artists gave everything that they had and everything that they were.

MORRISSEY
20 December 2016.

Oh Moz, thanks so much for your Christmas message!
Was hoping to see a tty statement, my prayers are answered.
Slightly different content as could be expected of you!

I know mortality has allways been an issue not neglected by you throughout your career. And I really love your never failing insights about them.

I am slightly worried though but at the same time, as you are fighting and defeating death as you describe it so gently, it gives me
a strange, mysterious feeling you will be okay.
That's like you have found a way out to escape the fear of the unknown.

Just cheched Tomito and I do think it is wonderful, strange, mysterious music and despite all mortality you mention, a very light at heart music transporting the soul to unknown but not unpleasant places. There seems to be so much light and color at these places.
You'll be okay!

 

[darby1974]

I bought this record in 2012 and have been listening to it ever since. I just bought it because the cover and title were interesting and have loved it ever since..

 

[Pokey]

One of the first things I did notice about this though was listening to the track "the snow is dancing" by this guy and the opening seconds of it bear a resemblance to Kiss Me A Lot

 

[countthree]

Thank you for this gift

 

[Anonymous]

Morrissey likes to zone out.

 

[Anonymous]

Yawn...today's BaldButcher posts are even more tedious than usual...I haven't got the energy to insult him...I'll let somebody else do the honours.

All you need is me my little mouse friend
You just can't help it can you ?
Every time you bite the cheese on the trap
Until next time jackass

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[Anonymous]

It reminds me of Bladerunner, best movie ever

 

[ShyShy_Flower]

This reminds one of the pre show video of what looks to be the ISS or a space age Ferris wheel going a round and a round.
Was it the same person who composed that?
Track 5 sounds like Cole Porter on synthesizer although I know it's Debussy, but I can just hear the da da da dee's
very delightful very imaginative
Thank you Moz

 

[Anonymous]

He keeps writing about death but refuses to mention David Bowie - there is no doubt in my mind that this is intentional passive aggressive bullshit.
Also - this song that he loves is a bastardized cover of a beautiful song called Arabesque by Claude Debussy - please listen to that - they are incomparable

Have to say I agree with everything you say moho. He just couldn't resist one last stir of the shit pot before the year ended. A perfect opportunity to have one last swipe just for good measure.
What a horrible, nasty bastard he's turned out in his twilight years, absolutely vile. Nobody to blame but himself for the position he finds himself in. When he dies I'm gonna throw a huge party to celebrate and dance my legs down to the hips.

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[Anonymous]

It's the Christmas Favourites for the radicals.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh Moz, thanks so much for your Christmas message!
Was hoping to see a tty statement, my prayers are answered.
Slightly different content as could be expected of you!

I know mortality has allways been an issue not neglected by you throughout your career. And I really love your never failing insights about them.

I am slightly worried though but at the same time, as you are fighting and defeating death as you describe it so gently, it gives me
a strange, mysterious feeling you will be okay.
That's like you have found a way out to escape the fear of the unknown.

Just cheched Tomito and I do think it is wonderful, strange, mysterious music and despite all mortality you mention, a very light at heart music transporting the soul to unknown but not unpleasant places. There seems to be so much light and color at these places.
You'll be okay!

Are you writing to Morrissey? He's left the building.

 

[Anonymous]

This is a very beautiful TTY, he is sharing his love of something with us, to share with us what he feels about a piece of music. Lovely. I wish more men talked like this.

Merry Christmas Morrissey!

 

[Anonymous]

It reminds me of Bladerunner, best movie ever

First thing it reminded me of was that granddaddy album with all the retro synth sounds or sparkle horse