Far Out: "The National’s Matt Berninger explains why he no longer listens to Morrissey" (April 21, 2023)

The National’s Matt Berninger explains why he no longer listens to Morrissey

While promoting The National’s latest album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, frontman Matt Berninger revealed that he no longer listens to Morrissey because of his difficulties separating the art from the artist.

The National’s Matt Berninger explains his Morrissey boycott

"Ickiness."

faroutmagazine.co.uk

'Usual' Far Out article with Matt placing "all" fans in the same boat as himself.
FWD.

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Excerpt from the linked Guardian interview, The National’s Matt Berninger: ‘I have a healthy marriage because I write about looking into the abyss’ (April 21, 2023):

In the song Pink Rabbits you reference the album Bona Drag. Do you still listen to Morrissey? scuzzboy24

I haven’t listened to Morrissey in a long time. I go back to The Queen is Dead, but I haven’t in a while. It’s a little bit hard to separate the ickiness of things he’s said. I still believe he’s a brilliant, sensitive artist. Morrissey was one of the first where I was like, that guy gets me. I have genuine love for him. But I’m in the same boat as all Morrissey fans, just like: “Agh, please!”

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Related items:

• Morrissey-solo: "The Guardian: "Matt Berninger webchat: your questions answered on Morrissey, Taylor Swift and infinite creativity" - October 13, 2020
• Morrissey-solo: "Matt Berninger (The National) on The Queen is Dead - September 19, 2020

 

[marckarlock]

Caravaggio killed someone, I still like his paintings very much.

I'd still like The National music if they'd kept with the quality from Alligator to High Violet, despite them turning into US Democratic party cheerleaders. Sadly, it's not the case.

 

[gordyboy9]

usual bollocks from the usual space cadets,im sure M will sleep well in his 700 thread count sheets wherever he is tonight.
the days of balance are gone,there is no impartiality anymore,your either with us or against us.

a group with three members wearing glasses,not for me.

 

[Surface]

Brilliant band and a great frontman who is entitled to his opinion.

 

[Famous when dead]

He's absolutely entitled to his own opinion.
What he might like to do, however, is not extend said view to include and suggest the entire fanbase hold that very same opinion - as that's a tiny bit daft and reductive.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Thewlis]

“I still believe he’s a brilliant, sensitive artist. Morrissey was one of the first where I was like, ‘that guy gets me’. I have genuine love for him.”

Actually really positive. Of course The Guardian focuses only on the negative in the headline.

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

“I still believe he’s a brilliant, sensitive artist. Morrissey was one of the first where I was like, ‘that guy gets me’. I have genuine love for him.”

Actually really positive. Of course The Guardian focuses only on the negative in the headline.

I share this thought completely.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I was a huge National fan 2007-2017. They made a string of great albums during those years. Amazing lyrics. Judging by the songs released from their upcoming album, however, they’ve lost it. Or perhaps it’s me and the fact that I’m not really into “indie” anymore. Matt has also missed the fact that he’s not the spokesperson for the Moz fan community. He’s also missed the fact that Moz has condemned racism on numerous occasions. He should employ some critical thinking.

 

[A Man Escaped]

"I haven’t listened to Morrissey in a long time.."

I'd love to know how long.

When The National and Morrissey were on the Jools Holland show on the BBC, I think it was around the time of Low In High School, he dedicated the song they were about to play to him.

 

[BookishBoy]

He's changed his tune a little bit since October 2020, when he told the Guardian (in response to a reader's question) this:

Morrissey, the thing that's hardest to square now, is how a person with such empathy for himself and for the misfits and those around him, writing so beautifully about that, now seeming to have very little empathy for other perspectives. It's a hard thing. I listen to the Smiths a lot still, and I listen to Morrissey a lot, and then I do pay attention to the things that he says and it's heartbreaking. I feel like fear and the anxiety of the world has maybe kinda overtaken him a little bit, and I guess it makes me try to keep my mind open and keep listening to everyone. At some point, the older you get, you can close your brain off. I feel like Morrissey became very frustrated because he wanted the world to be a very specific way. [italics mine]

[He is, of course, perfectly entitled to keep changing his views on this. Perhaps he'll even drift back the other way at some point in the future...]

 

[Seymour Glass]

What "things he said" you twat?

 

[Moz Fan]

"I'm in the same boat as all Morrissey fans".

No, Matt, you are not.

Get real!

 

[21punksalute]

He wishes he was Morrissey

 

[Surface]

I was a huge National fan 2007-2017. They made a string of great albums during those years. Amazing lyrics. Judging by the songs released from their upcoming album, however, they’ve lost it. Or perhaps it’s me and the fact that I’m not really into “indie” anymore. Matt has also missed the fact that he’s not the spokesperson for the Moz fan community. He’s also missed the fact that Moz has condemned racism on numerous occasions. He should employ some critical thinking.

Similar, apart from Rylan I didn't enjoy I am easy to find to find at all, it was a real let down after the excellent Sleep Well Beast. Saying that they're brilliant live so I've got tickets for their Alexandra Palace gig.

 

[A Man Escaped]

He wishes he was Morrissey

In terms of legacy and fan adulation, possibly. In terms of career path, possibly not. His band do have a new album out. In the UK, its released by the indie label 4AD.

 

[Miss Ann Thorpe]

Brilliant band and a great frontman who is entitled to his opinion.

They are NOT a brilliant band - they have been as dull as dishwater for quite a while. He is NOT a great frontman - he may think he is...but he's not really. As for his opinion, yes he's entitled to it. I wonder if he DOESN'T listen to many other artists as well

 

[Surface]

They are NOT a brilliant band - they have been as dull as dishwater for quite a while. He is NOT a great frontman - he may think he is...but he's not really. As for his opinion, yes he's entitled to it. I wonder if he DOESN'T listen to many other artists as well

Thanks for your sharing your opinion, mine is that they are a brilliant band and Matt is a great frontman.

 

[Lionsy]

I will never understand people who can't separate the music from the person, people also seem to have double standards depending on if they agree or disagree with the person

For example, I don't know how much you guys know about him, but there's an Austrian-German painter and politician from the 40s I read about in a copy of GQ in the doctor's surgery.

Apparently he did a few distasteful things in his career but people still love his art work.

 

[Vesper Nocturne]

Well, I never liked them so I feel I’m completely objective in stating - he sounds retarded.

 

[A Man Escaped]

Well, I never liked them so I feel I’m completely objective in stating - he sounds retarded.

Now do you see what you've done there?