Marr "I have a problem with a 50 year old singing adolescent pop music"

[dom]

I have a real problem with the way Marr reacts to Smiths questions, as if he's surprised that the interviewer will ask him about them. Update: nobody would be interviewing you if you hadn't been in the Smiths. Not that there's anything wrong with that. He's just so contemptuous of questions related to a reunion. And I wouldn't have a problem with it if he weren't so obviously indiscriminate in the interviews he grants. He does a lot of them, especially recently, and with a lot of no-name publications. And surely he knows all of them will ask about the Smiths. Yet he always finds it within himself to hope they won't. Hilarious. Also he should join a good band some time soon. Just a thought.

Modest Mouse are awesome

 

[dom]

. There's an aggressive defiance about the flamenco-ish intro to When I Last Spoke to Carol, which sounds exactly like the intro to Bigmouth Strikes Again played by Manuel from Fawlty Towers.

There is SO much of this i don't agree with .. but that bit above just takes the chocolate biccy .. it sounds hardly anything LIKE bigmout intro .. certainly not EXACTLY like it .. its a totally different rythm for a start! and has a completely differnt context and feel as an intro..

nit picking .. yes .. but its driven me to it x

 

[Anaesthesine]

Are you really going to fault me for pining for lyrics which are relatable? He can sing his life, but it does get to be a bit much with the lawsuits, baliffs, and woe is me superstar act. This "act" of the post-Rott is growing thin on me.

Yes, I've noticed.

I've always felt The Guardian's review of YOR and Morrissey's current musical state most captures how I feel (as always feel free to pillory me):

Personally, I've never pilloried you, but you clearly enjoy it, or you wouldn't invite it so often. I can understand an old fan's disappointment with Morrissey's latest material, but I cannot understand wallowing in it as often as you do.

One of my all-time favorite bands just released a totally s**t single, and I'm not at the site complaining. If the album is crap (and I fear it may well be), I'm going to shrug my shoulders, hope that they tour here this time, and move on.

But events settled into a well-worn groove following Ringleader of the Tormentors' release: another pointless compilation album, another round of controversy about his views on immigration, another visit to the law courts. And now, there's Years of Refusal, on which normal service is resumed. Love never comes or doesn't exist; depression and suicide get a song each; the legal profession cops it in the neck yet again. Among the album's cast of villains - all of whom, it goes without saying, are ranged in a terrible and sadistic conspiracy against Morrissey - there lurks "a QC full of fake humility".

The deftness and subtlety of its predecessor's sound has been stamped out. Morrissey's backing band, hardly renowned for their lightness of touch at the best of times, seem more stodgy and leaden than ever: the bass is distorted, the drums thud grimly along at mid-tempo, and Ringleader of the Tormentors' beautiful orchestrations have been elbowed out. As with a lot of Morrissey's latter-day solo material, its target market appears to be people who heard the Smiths and thought: if only this stuff was less beautifully nuanced and original, a bit more ungainly and predictable, then we'd really be getting somewhere.

Many people think that YOR is an improvement soundwise over ROTT. I'm one of them - you and the reviewer are not.

Occasionally, you get the impression they are doing it deliberately. There's an aggressive defiance about the flamenco-ish intro to When I Last Spoke to Carol, which sounds exactly like the intro to Bigmouth Strikes Again played by Manuel from Fawlty Towers. And you surely don't arrive at something as ugly as Sorry Doesn't Help - its lumbering gait embellished with a needling, staccato electric piano line - by mistake.

When Last I Spoke to Carol is fantastic, Sorry Doesn't Help is unlistenable, and the reviewer should leave Manuel out of it.

At least the sound fits the lyrics, which are so horribly sour you could make cottage cheese by leaving a pint of milk next to the speakers while it's playing. Morrissey has been petulant and nasty before, but there was usually a mitigating hint of arched eyebrow, or a flash of wit. Here, there's nothing but vituperative clumsiness: "You lied about the lies you told, which is the full extent of what being you is all about."

I'm forced to agree with this; Morrissey's wit is at a low ebb. I'm not happy about it, but I'm dealing with it.

Indeed, great lines are surprisingly thin on the ground. It's not so much that you've heard what he has to say on Black Cloud or That's How People Grow Up before; it's more that you've heard him say it better. There's a compelling argument that Morrissey keeps attracting new, young fans because his apparently immutable worldview, in which it's always someone else's fault and everything is so unfair, chimes with their own adolescent experience. But it's difficult to hear him singing, "There's so much destruction all over the world and all you can do is complain about me," without thinking: is this any way for a man who's nearly 50 to be carrying on? Clearly, this thought has crossed Morrissey's mind as well. "I know by now you think I should have straightened myself out," he sings elsewhere. "Thank you. Drop dead."

The latter line comes from Something Is Squeezing My Skull, which is among a handful of moments that makes Years of Refusal more disappointment than disaster. The melody of I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris soars despite the ungainly backing. You Were Good in Your Time is evidence of how tremendous Morrissey can still be: a farewell from fan to dying star that suddenly snaps to a halt, leaving two minutes of chillingly abstract noise in its wake, it's heartbreakingly tender and unpredictable. That you can't apply those adjectives to much else here is Years of Refusal's biggest downfall.

OK, it's time for a cuppa tea before turning in.

Goodnight.

 

[Dave]

It's his weekly Morrissey quote, or not.

 

[Theo]

http://www.nme.com/news/the-smiths/48128

"I saw Television and they were really good, their music stood up to maturity and they didn't change." He said. "They had real command of their instruments and look at it, a lot of the music kind of had some kind of gravity when it started. It wasn't some adolescent pop stuff. I don't have a problem with adolescent pop music, but I do if it's a 50-year-old singing it." He explained.

Johnny Marr has said that the constant talk about The Smiths reforming is "Boring".

Currently a member of The Cribs, the band have recently finished a UK tour in support of their latest album 'Ignore The Ignorant'.

"I'm asked about it a lot, for obvious reasons." Johnny Marr told Spinner. "I don't really have any stock feelings about it either way, to be honest with you, it's kind of boring, really." He added.

I could be wrong, but after reading just this post and nothing more, I don't think Marr was referring to Morrissey. So, calm down, folks. I think it's just a coincidence on the 50 year thing. I don't see how anyone could consider Morrissey's music adolescent pop music.

 

[Deleted member 6305]

I think he was referring to Madonna.

 

[death below the stairs]

I found a modest mouse and I can't help the way I feel.

For Johnny and the Manchester gossips that feeling is one of bitterness.
Johnny sings and no one cares, they want to know about Morrissey

Johnny joins Indie supergroups and no one cares. they want to know about Morrissey.

Johnny is a gifted musical person BUT music is part of the story it's about the message and the personality and at 50 Moz still has it- although slightly less than he used to).

People don't change that much from their 20's to 50's- people still feel lonely and fall and fall in love

 

[lainey]

I found a modest mouse and I can't help the way I feel.

For johnny and the Manchester gossips it's bitter.
Johnny sings and no one cares. They want to know about Morrissey

Johnny joins Indie supergroups and no one cares They want to know about Morrissey.

Johnny is a gifted musical person BUT music is part of the story it's about the message and the personality and at 50 still has it- although slightly less than he used to).

People don't change that much from their 20's to 50's- people still feel lonely and fall etc

nice post, your quite a poet

 

[oscillate wildly]

me-yow.

 

[votebnp]

modest mouse are the biggest load of shit.Marr is nothing now morrissey is still going strong

 

[troubleluvsme]

modest mouse are the biggest load of shit.Marr is nothing now morrissey is still going strong

I agree, but I love singing "Float On" when I play RockBand.

 

[Cassius]

Doesn't he still wear eyeliner?

 

[marred]

I have a problem with a hero of mine playing in a band as lame as the crabs who isn't that far off 50.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

Mcrickson, you're really making me wish I'd been caught in traffic this morning! Okay, I give. What do you think "Heir Apparent" is about?

Where do you get "Heir apparent" is about pop music?

I do believe it's about someone who left your city and after times this one is returned - but before the departing he was loved by yours and when he came he sees that everbody doesn't aprpeciate anymore -, nevetheless, I'm against your theory - ok, muy opinion won't change anything, but I don't want to.

 

[Vauxhall95]

There is SO much of this i don't agree with .. but that bit above just takes the chocolate biccy .. it sounds hardly anything LIKE bigmout intro .. certainly not EXACTLY like it .. its a totally different rythm for a start! and has a completely differnt context and feel as an intro..

nit picking .. yes .. but its driven me to it x

True. I didn't bold that section of the review, and I do not share that view.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Where do you get "Heir apparent" is about pop music?

I do believe it's about someone who left your city and after times this one is returned - but before the departing he was loved by yours and when he came he sees that everbody doesn't aprpeciate anymore -, nevetheless, I'm against your theory - ok, muy opinion won't change anything, but I don't want to.

I listened to "Heir Apparent" for years before I embarrassingly enough finally figured out the song. I thought I was the last one that did. It's entitled "Heir Apparent!" It was released around the same time "Now I Am a Was." Before you think I'm way off base, I'd kindly ask you to listen again within the context of the mid-90's when Brit Pop was in full swarm and Morrissey was being ignored or pushed aside.

 

[Vauxhall95]

Personally, I've never pilloried you, but you clearly enjoy it, or you wouldn't invite it so often. I can understand an old fan's disappointment with Morrissey's latest material, but I cannot understand wallowing in it as often as you do.

Many people think that YOR is an improvement soundwise over ROTT. I'm one of them - you and the reviewer are not.

When Last I Spoke to Carol is fantastic, Sorry Doesn't Help is unlistenable, and the reviewer should leave Manuel out of it.

I'm forced to agree with this; Morrissey's wit is at a low ebb. I'm not happy about it, but I'm dealing with it.

Seems to me we agree on a good deal:
1) Soundwise YOR is a far superior album than ROTT. Morrissey recording with the band rather than separately (as has been his traditional) brought more energy to the recording. The music sounds great. It's the woeful lyrics which disenchant me so.
2) Again, the reviewers criticism of Carol was lame. I didn't highlight it, and I don't agree with it.
3) Yes, I moan way too much. At first, I invited someone, anyone to explain to me what I was missing on YOR. I've never been disappointed with a Morrissey or The Smiths record before so this was a first. Was I missing something? I flailed around trying for someone to show me the light. There is no light. IMO, okay everyone, opinion, it's a good pop record but that isn't why I listen to or purchase Morrissey albums. Loads of artists can do generic pop music better.
4) Why I go on so? I've left it alone for months, then Swords was released and is a disappointment to me. I cannot help think what could have been. I've invested the better part of two decades in the man. I will not walk away, but there are some really disturbing trends which in my view started with "That's How People Grow Up" and continue to this day. Lyrically, questionable management, questionable marketing, and an utter miss reading or cavalier attitude towards his fan base.

I appreciate the fact we have always maintained a civil discourse. I'm disappointed in myself for writing rude, thoughtless, and insensitive comments when I get frustrated, and I have very frequently apologized or tried in my own strange way to make amends.

I hope you enjoyed your tea. I've got to get the kids ready for trick or treating.

Best wishes.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

I listened to "Heir Apparent" for years before I embarrassingly enough finally figured out the song. I thought I was the last one that did. It's entitled "Heir Apparent!" It was released around the same time "Now I Am a Was." Before you think I'm way off base, I'd kindly ask you to listen again within the context of the mid-90's when Brit Pop was in full swarm and Morrissey was being ignored or pushed aside.

I remember that Morrissey was ignored at mid-90's and a lot of times he as attacked by Oasism foe example. I'll be honest, when I did my analysis I didn't consider this fact.
Maybe, like I can have both", "Heir appparent" is so ambiguous. Why wouldn't Moz make a song with several meaning?

I hope I was not rude with you.
What I have said it's just my opinion.

Best wishes.

 

[Reelaround]

I have heard (irony) that bargain priced tubs of cotton buds can be bought at a very cheap price, then one can clean one's ears out, align the left and right sides of the brain, and then just listen without one side of the brain suddenly disengaging from the other side and starting up arguments either for or against, which obviously take up an inordinate length of time for both sides of the brain to realign into something intellectually coherent to the ears, the brain decides to duck out of the entire argument and just let's the ears make up their mind

Ahh, that's better

 

[dothewatusi]

I have a problem with a hero of mine playing in a band as lame as the crabs who isn't that far off 50.

If not 'the crabs', then who?