Morrissey- a spent force chart-wise?

[spinelessswine]

Lilly Allen and Lady Gogo may shift singles (and as mentioned, doesn't take too many to chart high if you 'select' your week) - and a great number of those will be downloads rather than hard sales - but they don't shift that many albums.

Robbie Williams anyone?

Jukebox Jury

Lily Allen's new album came out Feb 9th and is currently #5 in UK album charts
Lady Gaga's new album came out Jan 9th and is currently #1 in UK album charts.

I'm no expert but I'd wager that each of those have sold an awful lot more than Years of Refusal which is currently outside the Top 100 UK Albums less than 12 weeks after its release.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that chart positions can be guaranteed with some clever timing on the labels part but after a week or two that becomes redundant and it comes down to what the public want to buy. It's not a quality issue as thats all subjective - I too much prefer Morrissey's work to either of those artists - but the excuse that they may get high chart positions but don't sell many actual records is not a valid one.

 

[spinelessswine]

A very well-written post, spinelessswine.

Thank you

 

[Pokey]

It really is a shame because I think Skull is the best single released since IBEH and First of the Gang, and as a song itself I prefer it to both of them ... but it had everything working against it ... not being the lead single for the album, barely any promotion, poor choice in B-sides ... he probably has finished his "come back" run and this single is probably a good indication of how almost all future releases will place with him

 

[Kewpie]

It really is a shame because I think Skull is the best single released since IBEH and First of the Gang, and as a song itself I prefer it to both of them ... but it had everything working against it ... not being the lead single for the album, barely any promotion, poor choice in B-sides ... he probably has finished his "come back" run and this single is probably a good indication of how almost all future releases will place with him

No need for being pessimistic about future.

After tireless promotion campaigns and very positive feedbacks from critics, Jarvis Cocker's first solo album entered No.38.
However, the album got nominated Best British Male in Brit Awards which helped sales later.

Marc Almond, Lloyd Cole, Roddy Frame, Edwyn Collins, Echo and The Bunnymen etc are in the same boat.
However, I don't hear any moaning from their fans.

 

[AHappyRocket]

spinelessswine nailed it at #38...well said.

...and Kewpie's right, why should we bother really....we like him and that's all there is to it.....

There's a lot on here who seem to demand that loads of people buy his records and take him to #1, but at the same time don't want him to become "mainstream".......I don't think we've any worries on that score, he always has and always will need a collaborator or muse but it's all a bit rudderless at the moment.

All you need is to see one of the greatest showmen of this generation having to shout to be heard above a pub-standard band...and you think "Moz - what are you doing,man" and you want to give him a shake!

 

[Maurice E]

Yes but so are 95% of recording artists.
Other than U2, Coldplay, Madonna and the other 'stadium bands / artists' - everyone else is in the same boat.
Lilly Allen and Lady Gogo may shift singles (and as mentioned, doesn't take too many to chart high if you 'select' your week) - and a great number of those will be downloads rather than hard sales - but they don't shift that many albums.
Robbie Williams anyone?
Jukebox Jury

what you're saying is partly true but Morrissey's international decline has been absolutely disastrous. 1.2 million for Quarry, 0.6 million for ROTT and probably around 0.3 million for YOR.
if YOR sales remain in the doldrums, it's inevitable he'll get dropped and will only be able to continue if he signs to a tiny independent record label, something his pride won't let him do.
remember that horrible email he sent when The Youngest missed the top 10?

 

[Maurice E]

No need for being pessimistic about future.

After tireless promotion campaigns and very positive feedbacks from critics, Jarvis Cocker's first solo album entered No.38.
However, the album got nominated Best British Male in Brit Awards which helped sales later.

Marc Almond, Lloyd Cole, Roddy Frame, Edwyn Collins, Echo and The Bunnymen etc are in the same boat.However, I don't hear any moaning from their fans.

It's a good point. Cocker's album was an unmitigated commercial disaster. Even the reviews weren't that good so amazing that he got a nomination.

The difference, however, is that Cocker, Cole, Frame (plus bands like The Wedding Present) etc are all pragmatists without massive egos. Moz is the opposite.
They're all happy to go the tiny label/DIY route and accept their place in the musical spectrum. I expect Morrissey would rather retire...

 

[Pokey]

No need for being pessimistic about future.

After tireless promotion campaigns and very positive feedbacks from critics, Jarvis Cocker's first solo album entered No.38.
However, the album got nominated Best British Male in Brit Awards which helped sales later.

Marc Almond, Lloyd Cole, Roddy Frame, Edwyn Collins, Echo and The Bunnymen etc are in the same boat.
However, I don't hear any moaning from their fans.

I'm not pessimistic about Moz's future as far as material go, I absolutely love YOR and I believe regardless of Moz's selling/charting that he will continue to make music and tour just like he did in the last 97-03 years ... but I just don't really see how he could have another revival as far as charting/mass sales go.
I don't think Morrissey needs it to survive though, whether he wants it or not is a different thing.

 

[Earl Purple]

Morrissey is going to be viewed in the same light by most as Paul Weller. Once in a great band (Paul Weller in two).

A longer solo career and some great material in his solo career too but not with the same consistency, and that right now it is only the die-hard fans who are sticking by them.

I don't think the fact Morrissey is about to turn 50 is anything to do with it, I don't think people care how old he is, but everything he is bringing out now is a formula we've all heard before a few times.

 

[Maurice E]

Morrissey is going to be viewed in the same light by most as Paul Weller. Once in a great band (Paul Weller in two).
A longer solo career and some great material in his solo career too but not with the same consistency, and that right now it is only the die-hard fans who are sticking by them.
I don't think the fact Morrissey is about to turn 50 is anything to do with it, I don't think people care how old he is, but everything he is bringing out now is a formula we've all heard before a few times.

Weller's generally had a much more successful solo career than Moz. Several of his albums have sold over a million in the UK alone.
His last one, out last year, got some of the best reviews of his career, and many, if not most, of them tend to get to number 1 in the UK album charts.
Weller seems to have a much more stable fanbase than Moz and doesn't seem to need to rely on high-charting singles to shift albums.
Probably partly due to the fact that Jam were a much more successful band than the Smiths with number one singles, tons of airplay and very successful albums (in the UK at least).

 

[someofusisturningnasty]

The charts are no indication of quality.

Getting a number one hit single or album is not the same achievement as what it once was. Today it is more down to the quality of the marketing force behind the acts rather than the quality of the music itself.

Very few number ones in the past few years have been down to the talent of the individual artists. Unfortunately there is no accounting for taste amongst the majority of the British public...

"Hallelujah is now ruined forever as a song destined to be played at thick peoples' funerals". Charlie Brooker summed it all up with these words.

 

[joe frady]

"hallelujah is now ruined forever as a song destined to be played at thick peoples' funerals".

 

[mcrickson]

In retrospect of all these excellent posts, how many copies of SISMS 7'' will I need to buy to turn Moz's luck in the charts around? :rollseyes: