W
Wonder Girl
Guest
I'm sure this is old news, but in case it isn't, Morrissey has finally been lauded in print, post Smiths. The November issue of UNCUT features a large and warmly writen article on Morrissey, which is accompanied by an album track ("Glamorous Glue") on the free cd. The article--which appropriates the panorama of your vision with a full page article on the left page, and a giant black and white photo (mid-performance at Finsbury Park) on the right--focuses on the great album, Your Arsenal, but it also breaks free of its focus on the LP and spreads itself affectionately all over our favourite crooning rockstar.
"...and was to nosedive even further due to the controversy that surrounded his appearance, draped in a Union Jack, in Finsbury Park. All of which meant that what was truly great about Your Arsenal was overlooked at the time, making it emminently worthy of rediscovery."
Your Arsenal is deemed a "Classic Album," and Morrissey is repeatedly referred to with sudued deference, which is nice to see for a change. I felt it'd been a while. The article is titled, "To Kill a Mockingbird," and is written by Simon Goddard.
I'd always told friends that, although Morrissey is quite out of fashion nowadays, talent always establishes itself in the end. An artist can be pounded on and pounded on by the press, but by virtue of hanging around long enough, consistently releasing and selling good music, a large, quality back catalogue always proves to be the ultimate vindicator; just like in this UNCUT article which "rediscovers" Your Arsenal. Sooner or later, I know, Morrissey's tide will change and he'll be accepted for his eminent place in popular music. Personally, I feel that he should be receiving Bowie-like reverence, but strangely this level of respect has alluded him thus far. I'm sure he could care less about most of this, but I'm also pretty confident that he's tired of always being brutally misunderstood and falsely caricatured in the papers.
Anyway, if you haven't read the article, you should. But if you can't, here are some interesting excerpts for your viewing pleasure:
"The press reaction was to berate his use of 'fascist imagery', [sic] interpreting the national flag in the context of the skinhead backdrop as a dangerous flirtation with far-right extremist parties (even though it had been a hardcore skinhead minority, hurling bottles and abuse, that had forced him to abandon his set). The NME's subsequent 'This Alarming Man' feature pronounced him guilty as charged. Young Asian bands--Cornershop included--burned his records outside the offices of Morrissey's label, EMI."
"After Finsbury Park, when Britpop reclaimed the Union Jack and effectively legitimized fervent nationalism, Morrissey never received his due pardon. With the whole country rediscovering their appetite for jingoism during the Euro '96 soccer tournament, to be Noel with the flag on your guitar or to be Ginger Spice (a self-confessed Thatcherite) in that dress, was to be a patron saint of 'Cool Britannia'. It was a tragic irony."
"He needed a dramatic comeback and, although it would ultimately lead him to his fate at Finsbury Park, Your Arsenal was it."
"It was as if Morrissey wiped the slate clean, baptising himself anew as a bona fide rock star. Hell, a glam rock star."
"More problematic still is 'The National Front Disco'... While dangerously empathetic... the 'dream' of white rule the song's protagonist clings to is a hopeless one..."
"Morrissey is in his prime when overstepping the mark, pissing on taboos, unafraid of the consequences. As an audacious two-finger salute to his native country, Your Arsenal is up there with the best of The Smiths."
"His failure to react to the racism charges by way of an official pubic apology was taken by many as a confirmation of guilt. Rallying to his defence however, Tony Parsons later commented, 'Morrissey could invade Poland and I still wouldn't believe he is a Nazi.'"
"Morrissey himself would reflect: 'I think that if the National Front were to hate anyone, it would be me.' Like the man said, if we don't believe him now, will we ever believe him..."
Not a bad article, eh? Sorry if this is old news, which it may very well be to those in the UK, but Americans (who don't shop at Virgin Megastore) receive UNCUT a month or so late; they get the November issue actually in November.
Gros bisous.
"...and was to nosedive even further due to the controversy that surrounded his appearance, draped in a Union Jack, in Finsbury Park. All of which meant that what was truly great about Your Arsenal was overlooked at the time, making it emminently worthy of rediscovery."
Your Arsenal is deemed a "Classic Album," and Morrissey is repeatedly referred to with sudued deference, which is nice to see for a change. I felt it'd been a while. The article is titled, "To Kill a Mockingbird," and is written by Simon Goddard.
I'd always told friends that, although Morrissey is quite out of fashion nowadays, talent always establishes itself in the end. An artist can be pounded on and pounded on by the press, but by virtue of hanging around long enough, consistently releasing and selling good music, a large, quality back catalogue always proves to be the ultimate vindicator; just like in this UNCUT article which "rediscovers" Your Arsenal. Sooner or later, I know, Morrissey's tide will change and he'll be accepted for his eminent place in popular music. Personally, I feel that he should be receiving Bowie-like reverence, but strangely this level of respect has alluded him thus far. I'm sure he could care less about most of this, but I'm also pretty confident that he's tired of always being brutally misunderstood and falsely caricatured in the papers.
Anyway, if you haven't read the article, you should. But if you can't, here are some interesting excerpts for your viewing pleasure:
"The press reaction was to berate his use of 'fascist imagery', [sic] interpreting the national flag in the context of the skinhead backdrop as a dangerous flirtation with far-right extremist parties (even though it had been a hardcore skinhead minority, hurling bottles and abuse, that had forced him to abandon his set). The NME's subsequent 'This Alarming Man' feature pronounced him guilty as charged. Young Asian bands--Cornershop included--burned his records outside the offices of Morrissey's label, EMI."
"After Finsbury Park, when Britpop reclaimed the Union Jack and effectively legitimized fervent nationalism, Morrissey never received his due pardon. With the whole country rediscovering their appetite for jingoism during the Euro '96 soccer tournament, to be Noel with the flag on your guitar or to be Ginger Spice (a self-confessed Thatcherite) in that dress, was to be a patron saint of 'Cool Britannia'. It was a tragic irony."
"He needed a dramatic comeback and, although it would ultimately lead him to his fate at Finsbury Park, Your Arsenal was it."
"It was as if Morrissey wiped the slate clean, baptising himself anew as a bona fide rock star. Hell, a glam rock star."
"More problematic still is 'The National Front Disco'... While dangerously empathetic... the 'dream' of white rule the song's protagonist clings to is a hopeless one..."
"Morrissey is in his prime when overstepping the mark, pissing on taboos, unafraid of the consequences. As an audacious two-finger salute to his native country, Your Arsenal is up there with the best of The Smiths."
"His failure to react to the racism charges by way of an official pubic apology was taken by many as a confirmation of guilt. Rallying to his defence however, Tony Parsons later commented, 'Morrissey could invade Poland and I still wouldn't believe he is a Nazi.'"
"Morrissey himself would reflect: 'I think that if the National Front were to hate anyone, it would be me.' Like the man said, if we don't believe him now, will we ever believe him..."
Not a bad article, eh? Sorry if this is old news, which it may very well be to those in the UK, but Americans (who don't shop at Virgin Megastore) receive UNCUT a month or so late; they get the November issue actually in November.
Gros bisous.
