Morrissey in NME's list of Today's Greatest Lyricists

[Uncleskinny]

Along with several others. I'll bung a list and a scan up before long.

**EDIT** - and here we go...

"He's still the standard to beat" - NME

Full list is:

Thom Yorke
Bill Callahan
Stuart Murdoch
Wild Beasts
Nick Cave
Stephin Merritt
Laura Marling
PJ Harvey
Stephen Malkmus
James Mercer
Frank Black
Jay Electronica
Bruce Springsteen
Alex Turner
Andy Falkous
James Murphy
Joanna Newsom
Jarvis Cocker
Damon Albarn
Paul Weller
Jamie T
Jay-Z
Morrissey

Missing out, as the NME mention, are:

David Gedge
Pete Doherty
Bjork
50 Cent
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Eminem
David Bowie
Jonathan Richman
Patti Smith
Mick Jagger
Ray Davies
Mike Skinner

And, in a barb by the NME features editor James McMahon...

"...and you can say what you want about Noel Gallagher, but has f***ing Morrissey ever summed up the rock'n'roll dream as succinctly as Noel did in 'D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman'? No he f***ing has not."

Peter

 

[Worm]

Along with several others. I'll bung a list and a scan up before long.

P.

Does the NME write any stories anymore, or do their interns just compile lists and write photo captions? Just curious, as I haven't seen an issue in years.

 

[Maurice E]

Along with several others. I'll bung a list and a scan up before long.

**EDIT** - and here we go...

"He's still the standard to beat" - NME

Full list is:

Thom Yorke
Bill Callahan
Stuart Murdoch
Wild Beasts
Nick Cave
Stephin Merritt
Laura Marling
PJ Harvey
Stephen Malkmus
James Mercer
Frank Black
Jay Electronica
Bruce Springsteen
Alex Turner
Andy Falkous
James Murphy
Joanna Newsom
Jarvis Cocker
Damon Albarn
Paul Weller
Jamie T
Jay-Z
Morrissey

Missing out, as the NME mention, are:

David Gedge
Pete Doherty
Bjork
50 Cent
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Eminem
David Bowie
Jonathan Richman
Patti Smith
Mick Jagger
Ray Davies
Mike Skinner

And, in a barb by the NME features editor James McMahon...

"...and you can say what you want about Noel Gallagher, but has f***ing Morrissey ever summed up the rock'n'roll dream as succinctly as Noel did in 'D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman'? No he f***ing has not."

Peter

nice one - thanks for posting.
like the subtle reference to Tony the Pony!
also like the eclectic choice of songs (Piccadilly, I Know it's Gonna Happen etc through to Paris).
looks like it's written by Moz mega-fan, Mark Beaumont.

 

[Worm]

And, in a barb by the NME features editor James McMahon...

"...and you can say what you want about Noel Gallagher, but has f***ing Morrissey ever summed up the rock'n'roll dream as succinctly as Noel did in 'D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman'? No he f***ing has not."

Peter

Thanks, Peter.

James McMahon is a tool. Noel's lyrics in 'Spaceman' are okay. They're nothing great.

These words aren't about rock and roll per se but they could be, and they're brilliantly succinct:

"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving
England is mine and it owes me a living".

Oh, and by the way "f***ing Morrissey" has never done anything but soil the hotel linens. McMahon needs an editor, or are editors no longer required when the NME's crack journalism staff is only around to make up lists?

 

[Bhoy_least_likely_to]

yes he is still the one to beat and always will be but is how soon is now his best lyric, I doubt it. Mike joyce is also in this weeks issue regarding the drums. He says his favourite drums song is the queen is dead. In the few short lines he featured in he seemed like a tosser. Also mentions moz getting ushered in via the back door at the drums gig with a massive bouncer.

 

[Anonymous1]

I don't think 'How Soon Is Now' contain Moz's best lyrics, but then again that's a very tough call.

Some of my favorites include '[I'm] living longer than I intended, something must have gone right', 'The pain was enough to make a shy bald buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder', and 'I live the life, I feel the pain, to sing the song, to tell the tale'.

Regardless, I think Jay-Z's inclusion on this list makes NME lose all credibility.

 

[JulieDurham]

Along with several others. I'll bung a list and a scan up before long.

**EDIT** - and here we go...

"He's still the standard to beat" - NME

Full list is:

Thom Yorke
Bill Callahan
Stuart Murdoch
Wild Beasts
Nick Cave
Stephin Merritt
Laura Marling
PJ Harvey
Stephen Malkmus
James Mercer
Frank Black
Jay Electronica
Bruce Springsteen
Alex Turner
Andy Falkous
James Murphy
Joanna Newsom
Jarvis Cocker
Damon Albarn
Paul Weller
Jamie T
Jay-Z
Morrissey

Missing out, as the NME mention, are:

David Gedge
Pete Doherty
Bjork
50 Cent
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Eminem
David Bowie
Jonathan Richman
Patti Smith
Mick Jagger
Ray Davies
Mike Skinner

And, in a barb by the NME features editor James McMahon...

"...and you can say what you want about Noel Gallagher, but has f***ing Morrissey ever summed up the rock'n'roll dream as succinctly as Noel did in 'D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman'? No he f***ing has not."

Peter

What about Vic Chesnutt, Mark Linkous, Neil Young, ELvis Perkins, Howe Gelb...

 

[Uncleskinny]

I'm baffled by the complete absence of Neil Hannon...

P.

 

[Freda]

I'm baffled by the complete absence of Neil Hannon...

P.

Yes! That was my first thought when I saw the list.

 

[I am a Ghost]

I haven't heard of half the people on the list.
I must be doing something right.

 

[nightingale+therose]

Thanks for posting Peter.
Funny to see a few of our 'great british lyricists' pop up in the 'in list' and the 'missed list'... i think they read our thread, yet still decided to omit a few of our more emphatic suggestions!

Good to see i still don't recognise half the names on the 'in list'!

 

[Aly]

Regardless, I think Jay-Z's inclusion on this list makes NME lose all credibility.

I thought the very same thing. But still, it's always good to see Morrissey's brilliance acknowledged, even if the NME's implied comparisons border dangerously on insult.

 

[menju56]

Some embarrassing inclusions there and some glaring omissions (as to be expected), but thankfully Morrissey is there. He couldn't not be there!

 

[Orson Swells]

No Bob Dylan! Ludicrous... "How Soon Is Now" is perhaps the most obvious lyric they possibly could have quoted...

"...and you can say what you want about Noel Gallagher, but has f***ing Morrissey ever summed up the rock'n'roll dream as succinctly as Noel did in 'D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman'? No he f***ing has not."

Peter

It never occurred to him that maybe Morrissey isn't interested in the cliche of "summing up the rock'n'roll dream"...

 

[yellow Bentine]

I

Regardless, I think Jay-Z's inclusion on this list makes NME lose all credibility.

I dont know how you can say that?....



Has anyone EVER summed up the pain of dropping an Ice cream better than Jay Z did with the song "99 Problems"..?

 

[death below the stairs]

I'm baffled by the complete absence of Neil Hannon...

P.

I would have been baffled by the inclusion of Neil Hannon. Yes he has some quite good one liners here and there but he isn't an original thinker or writer.
Too much evoking of Moz, Noel coward etc.
There are lots of good writers to a degree but the difference between a good writer and a great writer is originality.

The real question here is where are the woman folk- apart from the token few?
No patti
No Joni
No kate Bush
No Nico
To name but four
This list has been made up by the usual know nothing, spotty faced boys, me thinks.
By the way, I got quite excited to hear about the NME relaunch, I thought it might be a return to past glories. Alas, it's awful about a third the size it used to be even in the 90's.

I saw in Q ( another waste of paper) that Chris martain and Bono were in their top ten and Liam G was number one!
This world, I am afraid.......

 

[Qvist]

Nice to see Bill Callahan getting some recognition. I'm missing Matt Johnson, Jonathan Richman, John Balance and Paddy Mcaloon though. And WTF is Paul Weller doing on that list? OK, he did some good things with The Jam, but surely nobody can take his lyrics after that time even remotely seriously?

cheers

 

[justme]

This world I am afraid.......

Oh , indeed ... have you seen the poll for the Best Lyricists on the NME site?

1. The guy from Muse
2. The guy from My Chemical Romance
3. Alex Turner

Only then Dylan and Moz (at 4 and 5 respectively)

edit: http://www.nme.com/rate/greatestlyricists/7

 

[death below the stairs]

Oh , indeed ... have you seen the poll for the Best Lyricists on the NME site?

1. The guy from Muse
2. The guy from My Chemical Romance
3. Alex Turner

Only then Dylan and Moz (at 4 and 5 respectively)

The only time I read music mags these days is if I am in a long queue at the post office.

 

[Spinster]

I would have been baffled by the inclusion of Neil Hannon. Yes he has some quite good one liners here and there but he isn't an original thinker or writer.
Too much evoking of Moz, Noel coward etc.
There are lots of good writers to a degree but the difference between a good writer and a great writer is originality.

The real question here is where are the woman folk- apart from the token few?
No patti
No Joni
No kate Bush
No Nico
To name but four
This list has been made up by the usual know nothing, spotty faced boys, me thinks.
By the way, I got quite excited to hear about the NME relaunch, I thought it might be a return to past glories. Alas, it's awful about a third the size it used to be even in the 90's.

I saw in Q ( another waste of paper) that Chris martain and Bono were in their top ten and Liam G was number one!
This world, I am afraid.......

Yes, death! Why were all the great lyricists nominated male?? Shouldn't some females be listed as this "poll" seemed to be non-gender exclusive??

Or, maybe they should have had "Today's Greatest Lyricists" in male and female categories??

Sorry..i have nothing else to do...

Keep runnin' up that hill...