Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Still Matters, Top 10

NME doing a piece on Viva Hate turning 25

Posted by modrevolve in the forums (original post):

per Stephen Street on twitter (1, 2)

"Interviewed on 'phone this morning by NME as they're doing a piece on Viva Hate being 25 yrs old! Some of the questions should be directed at Morrissey but I doubt he will agree to be interviewed about his debut solo LP."

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Why Morrissey Still Matters

Jon sends the link:

Why Morrissey Still Matters by Jon Paul Fiorentino - The Huffington Post

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Blog - Top Ten Most Underrated Morrissey Songs

Dickie sends the link:

The top ten most underrated Morrissey songs - Dickie Felton blog

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Jeremy Petersen interview

Louder Than Moz by Matthew Singer - Willamette Week
A conversation with Morrissey...or close enough.

Excerpt:

Rather than go through a whole process to inevitably get turned down, we decided to do the next best thing: Interview Jeremy Petersen, host of OPB’s In House music program and frontman for Smiths tribute act This Charming Man, and ask him the same questions we’d pose of the actual Morrissey.

See also from Willamette Week (link posted by MORRIZSEY in the forums):

From The Vault: 21 Years of Morrissey in Willamette Week
"There is a definite appeal to his campy, smart-aleck personality."

 

[Librarian On Fire]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

Dickie's little article was enjoyable reading, but I think most of us know and agree that "Lost" was possibly the very best Morrissey song never released as a single. That would be one song that unites nearly all Morrissey fans. I can never ever tire of promoting "Will Never Marry" 12" as the lovelist Morrissey song. Ever. But only the 12" version. Those strings that should go on and on until the ending time itself.

The very fact that the songs that Dickie writes about were never released as singles only adds to the perfect flaws of Morrissey. If they were number one singles would we celebrate them as we do now?

 

[oliver]

I enjoyed the Dickie Felton piece but was expecting Ganglord to be in there

 

[Tracey]

Moz has treated us to so many great hidden gems and b-sides over the years. I really enjoyed Dickie's article and, of course, started making my own list. A few tracks that would make my list (that didn't make Dickie's) are I Don't Mind if You Forget Me, Lucky Lisp, Jack the Ripper (not sure how hidden this one really is) and It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small.

 

[Qvist]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

Dickie's little article was enjoyable reading, but I think most of us know and agree that "Lost" was possibly the very best Morrissey song never released as a single. That would be one song that unites nearly all Morrissey fans. I can never ever tire of promoting "Will Never Marry" 12" as the lovelist Morrissey song. Ever. But only the 12" version. Those strings that should go on and on until the ending time itself.

The very fact that the songs that Dickie writes about were never released as singles only adds to the perfect flaws of Morrissey. If they were number one singles would we celebrate them as we do now?

I think that is overly optimistic. I could name 30 songs not released as a single that I prefer to Lost, and it is my clear impression there are very few things on which there is a near consensus among fans. This isn't one of them.

 

[Justin Playfair]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

I always found "Lost" and "My Love Life" to be boring songs. They're decent songs but neither one of them really ever grabbed a hold of me. My ten selections for Morrissey's most underrated songs are "Break Up The Family", "Oh Well, I'll Never Learn", "Hold On To Your Friends", "I Am Hated For Loving", "Sunny" (which was on Dickie's list), "A Swallow On My Neck" ( fantastic song..."older, wiser, never applies to me."), "Have-A-Go Merchant" (one of his true best!), "Ammunition", "I Can Have Both" (a Boz & Moz classic!), and "Munich Air Disaster 1958". "Ammunition" may be the single most underrated song in Morrissey's career. I ignored it for years but never again.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

NME honoring Morrissey is like a hunter honoring a bear by making a f***ing rug out of it. They are jack asses, that's one peace offering I'll never buy.

 

[Justin Playfair]

Oh yeah and I forgot "Striptease With A Difference" as one of Morrissey's most underrated songs. I actually really like this song! And I agree NME flat out sucks. Mojo is light years better than NME.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

Oh yeah and I forgot "Striptease With A Difference" as one of Morrissey's most underrated songs. I actually really like this song! And I agree NME flat out sucks. Mojo is light years better than NME.

Striptease, Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness, Get Off The Stage, Oh Phoney. These are ultra underrated, and never should've been shelved or put out as b-sides; because they are A sides! They are the only out and out humorous songs he has made that I think actually work. I think Frankly Mr. Shankly, Hairdresser, Vicar In A Tutu, Roy Is Keen, Oujia Board, Dagenham Dave are far weaker. I actually smile or laugh out loud during lines in the former. The latter work too hard to get their laughs.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

NME honoring Morrissey is like a hunter honoring a bear by making a f***ing rug out of it

...except for the fact that the NME made his career for him.

 

[realitybites]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

I think that is overly optimistic. I could name 30 songs not released as a single that I prefer to Lost, and it is my clear impression there are very few things on which there is a near consensus among fans. This isn't one of them.

I have to agree with you there. Well, maybe not with the 30 part. But it is not one of my fave tracks either.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

according to last fm "Lost" is only my 40th favorite Morrissey song at only 33 plays in the last 5 and a half years
who knew? I thought I played it more than that

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

...except for the fact that the NME made his career for him.

Not really. When you go to a Morrissey show and he steps on stage and starts singing, are you attributing the song in the room to the NME? That's a myth.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

...except for the fact that the NME made his career for him.

I totally missed that, but I did hear about the part where they tried to destroy his career. I also saw a YouTube clip (don't know if it's still online) of former NME editor Connor McNicholas saying that they had decided that it was time for Morrissey to come back because he had been away for 7 years (Quarry era). The arrogance of absurdity of such a statement! Just curious, do/did you work for the NME -- do you think you have that kind of power to have shaped his career? I've been a Morrissey fan since 1990 and I never once picked up a copy of the NME.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

I totally missed that, but I did hear about the part where they tried to destroy his career. I also saw a YouTube clip (don't know if it's still online) of former NME editor Connor McNicholas saying that they had decided that it was time for Morrissey to come back because he had been away for 7 years (Quarry era). The arrogance of absurdity of such a statement! Just curious, do/did you work for the NME -- do you think you have that kind of power to have shaped his career? I've been a Morrissey fan since 1990 and I never once picked up a copy of the NME.

Me neither. ANd I worked in a bookstore for 11 years and never looked at it.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

Not really. When you go to a Morrissey show and he steps on stage and starts singing, are you attributing the song in the room to the NME? That's a myth.

Yes, of course, I was forgetting: Morrissey is famous solely because of his talent for writing song lyrics etc. He owes nothing to anybody. Neither NME, nor John Peel & BBC Radio 1, nor Rough Trade, nor Johnny Marr, nor Stephen Street, nor Alain Whyte, nor anybody else. His career in entertainment, his (albeit minor) public profile, his wealth and his extravagant lifestyle are all just natural phenomena.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

I totally missed that, but I did hear about the part where they tried to destroy his career.

Awwwwww... poor, downtrodden multi-millionaire gets criticised for his ridiculous opinions. My heart bleeds.

 

[Amy]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

NME honoring Morrissey is like a hunter honoring a bear by making a f***ing rug out of it. They are jack asses, that's one peace offering I'll never buy.

The NME supported Morrissey enormously during the Smiths period. They adored him - "New Morrissey Express" etc etc. Then The Smiths ended, his 'golden boy' days were over so they stabbed him in the back big-time and started canonising Johnny Marr as the true hero of the Smiths instead. Each man kills the thing he loves, right?

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

The NME supported Morrissey enormously during the Smiths period. They adored him - "New Morrissey Express" etc etc. Then The Smiths ended, his 'golden boy' days were over so they stabbed him in the back big-time and started canonising Johnny Marr as the true hero of the Smiths instead. Each man kills the thing he loves, right?

Not quite right, Amy. They were keener than ever, if anything, in his early post-Smiths career, right up to International Playboys.
The first time they turned on him properly was for Ouija Board, and in the early 90s they got pretty bitchy towards him with journalists like Andrew Collins leading the attack. They gave Kill Uncle a good review, though, (8/10, I think) and in 91 there were a fair few front covers with rave reviews for the tour.
Mr E

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Morrissey in the media (NME on "Viva Hate" turning 25, Why Morrissey Sti

The primary element of Morrissey's continued success is his intensely devoted fan base, and this devotion is inspired by his ability to write heart-wrenching, brutally honest lyrics that connect with the audience in a way that no other songwriter could possibly achieve. Many people have discovered M through friends or acquaintances, not because of an article written in NME. Then, once the man has entered your soul, it is a relentless, life-long committment.