Moz's musicians

[Cili Barnes]

You know, I just don't know if I can make any more excuses for the musicians Morrissey has chosen to write and work with. They may very well be friendly and skilled, but I must say that to stand alongside an old legend like Morrissey, they simply aren't up to par. I know, I know, it sounds terrible considering how good a person Alain seems, but it's the truth.

Go see the Cure on this tour if you can get tickets. There are lots of shows with available tickets if you're willing and able to travel. These guys (the Cure) are incredible old pros, and when you come back to Morrissey's cd's, you find that Morrissey is simply missing any decent level of musicianship in his music whatsoever. I think Morrissey is too good, and deserves much more. I don't like seeing his peers being so good, when he is being so... er, not as good. Especially when I can see that Morrissey obviously has it in him to be great again.

For anyone else in LA tonight, see you at the Palace!! I'll be the one you can't take your eyes off of. Trust me on this: go to this show. Sell what you have to in order to go (your clothes, your body...). It's well worth it! Was anybody here at the San Francisco show?

 

[Seems a Little Strange]

> You know, I just don't know if I can make any more excuses for
> the musicians Morrissey has chosen to write and work with. They
> may very well be friendly and skilled, but I must say that to
> stand alongside an old legend like Morrissey, they simply aren't
> up to par. I know, I know, it sounds terrible considering how
> good a person Alain seems, but it's the truth.

> Go see the Cure on this tour if you can get tickets. There are
> lots of shows with available tickets if you're willing and able
> to travel. These guys (the Cure) are incredible old pros, and
> when you come back to Morrissey's cd's, you find that Morrissey
> is simply missing any decent level of musicianship in his music
> whatsoever. I think Morrissey is too good, and deserves much
> more. I don't like seeing his peers being so good, when he is
> being so... er, not as good. Especially when I can see that
> Morrissey obviously has it in him to be great again.

I think Moz has a pretty tight group backing him, but I do think some new songwriting partners would do him good.

> For anyone else in LA tonight, see you at the Palace!! I'll be
> the one you can't take your eyes off of. Trust me on this:
> go to this show. Sell what you have to in order to go (your
> clothes, your body...). It's well worth it! Was anybody here at
> the San Francisco show?

I hear KROQ is going to both braodcast and webcast tonight's Cure show.

 

[Unruly Girl]

> I think Moz has a pretty tight group backing him, but I do think
> some new songwriting partners would do him good.

> I hear KROQ is going to both braodcast and webcast tonight's
> Cure show.

Yup at 9pm.. but too bad i cant get KroQ where i live! They will be on hard rock live (Vh1) also so set your Vcr's people!

About Morrissey's backing band.. Some of the music doesnt seem to fit with the lyrics as much as it did when he was In The smiths.. When The music and lyrics seemed to fit together perfectly. I do think they are a great band though.. They have improved over time .

 

[Cili Barnes]

Re: Moz's musicians (just aren't good enough)

> I think Moz has a pretty tight group backing him, but I do think
> some new songwriting partners would do him good.

"Tight" just doesn't cut it for me. There are loads of bands who perform well together, but the music/compositions are most important. They have written a few exceptional songs, but those [very] few are just that, and far between. Alain and Boz aren't necessarily bad, but the problem is that they're not great. Morrissey has become so self-contained as far as his writing is concerned; there doesn't seem to be any real exchange of inspiration or ideas--at least not like when he was working with Johnny. I don't see how Morrissey can grow like that. Not that he must, but it would be interesting to see what so much talent would evolve into, if anything. Just a thought anyway.

 

[Kerissa]

Have you any cd that Alain, Boz, Gary and Spencer play on? They ar f*****g fantastic! Especially on the KROQ single, Your Arsenal and Southpaw Grammer.

As for comparing them to The Cure, all I can say is that The Cure and "The Guys" come from completely different musical backgrounds. So, it's not fair to say that they lack in musician-ship.

 

[Get me away from here i'm dying]

Who could?

> You know, I just don't know if I can make any more excuses for
> the musicians Morrissey has chosen to write and work with. They
> may very well be friendly and skilled, but I must say that to
> stand alongside an old legend like Morrissey, they simply aren't
> up to par. I know, I know, it sounds terrible considering how
> good a person Alain seems, but it's the truth.

> Go see the Cure on this tour if you can get tickets. There are
> lots of shows with available tickets if you're willing and able
> to travel. These guys (the Cure) are incredible old pros, and
> when you come back to Morrissey's cd's, you find that Morrissey
> is simply missing any decent level of musicianship in his music
> whatsoever. I think Morrissey is too good, and deserves much
> more. I don't like seeing his peers being so good, when he is
> being so... er, not as good. Especially when I can see that
> Morrissey obviously has it in him to be great again.

> For anyone else in LA tonight, see you at the Palace!! I'll be
> the one you can't take your eyes off of. Trust me on this:
> go to this show. Sell what you have to in order to go (your
> clothes, your body...). It's well worth it! Was anybody here at
> the San Francisco show?

Trying to follow in johnny marr's footsteps is just not possible....the man virtualy invented a new style of guitar playing(in a decade of total crap guitar).Maybe if he could hook up with butler(formerly of suede)he could have a shot at the level that the smiths enjoyed.

 

[Cili Barnes]

Re: Moz's music

> Have you any cd that Alain, Boz, Gary and Spencer play on?

Yes, I have them all. I believe I have every Morrissey release from around the world, plus a boat-load of his bootlegs.

> They
> ar f*****g fantastic! Especially on the KROQ single, Your
> Arsenal and Southpaw Grammer.

The KROQ EP is good, I admit it. By the way, I went to the KROQ building, just because I could, and I was greatly disappointed. Although I don't know what I'd expected. Anyway... I'm (usually) not saying that the band are horrible, but there really is a lack of a conspicuous effort to make interesting music as opposed to just writing decent tunes. But it doesn't matter since he's obviously done so much already, and he still continues to write some very good songs. And no matter what, he'll always have his wonderful voice.

"Your Arsenal" was good because of Mick Ronson. By the way, maybe some of you will find this interesting. Morrissey said that he found Mick Ronson to be "an extraordinary person," and that Mick was, "very loveable," and, "totally unpretentious. He's influenced my life completely." Mick Ronson, on the other hand, thought that Morrissey was a "right miserable @#!!!." [Laughs]

"Southpaw Grammar" is good isn't it? Somehow it doesn't quite make an impression, but when listened to, it sounds good. It's a very energetic LP. Rare these days for Morrissey.

> As for comparing them to The Cure, all I can say is that The
> Cure and "The Guys" come from completely different
> musical backgrounds. So, it's not fair to say that they lack in
> musician-ship.

I actually don't compare the Cure with Alain and Boz and whoever are the drummer and bassist at the moment. I just see the Cure as a band who still write very original compositions, and Morrissey as lazier in that department. But, in Morrissey's defence, he isn't a complete musician like Robert Smith is. But this is why I feel he should find a more competent (and ambitious) partner. But whatever. I still like his music immensely, and that's what's most important.

 

[Cili Barnes]

Lots of people could.

> Trying to follow in johnny marr's footsteps is just not
> possible....the man virtualy invented a new style of guitar
> playing(in a decade of total crap guitar).

I don't feel that anyone should follow in Johnny Marr's footsteps, but I do feel that--in light of Morrissey being one of the most important recording artists of all time--he should somehow try to continue writing important music. "Important" in the sense that the songs still inspire musically, and not solely in terms of lyrics--which isn't always true anymore either. I don't mean to sound like I'm railing on the man, because I'm not, but after hearing an old band like the Cure sounding as vital as they did with "Disintegration" makes me wonder why Morrissey doesn't push himself a bit more, as opposed to being so satisfied.

> Maybe if he could hook
> up with butler(formerly of suede)he could have a shot at the
> level that the smiths enjoyed.

I've heard this suggestion many times, but I don't feel that it would be a very good partnership. Although Bernard is a great guitarist, and he's probably much more versatile than i give him credit for, I've always considered him a more overtly sexy guitarist which I feel might not blend so well with Morrissey's more understated sexuality. Also, Bernard's writing has really changed. It sounds closer to a more classic style now, and I'm not so sure that that would be a great improvement over Alain or Boz's melodies. But I don't know. I just know that it would never happen, so I don't think about it.

 

[Seems a Little Strange]

Re: Moz's musicians (just aren't good enough)

> "Tight" just doesn't cut it for me. There are loads of
> bands who perform well together, but the music/compositions are
> most important. They have written a few exceptional songs, but
> those [very] few are just that, and far between. Alain and Boz
> aren't necessarily bad, but the problem is that they're not
> great. Morrissey has become so self-contained as far as his
> writing is concerned; there doesn't seem to be any real exchange
> of inspiration or ideas--at least not like when he was working
> with Johnny. I don't see how Morrissey can grow like that. Not
> that he must, but it would be interesting to see what so much
> talent would evolve into, if anything. Just a thought anyway.

I'm not disagreeing with you, actually. The fact that Alain thinks "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel" the best work he's done with Moz speaks volumes. Moz's best solo work is Your Arsenal, which beautifully illustrates your point. He needs to find someone like Mick Ronson, someone who can push him.

 

[.]

Re: Moz's music

> The KROQ EP is good, I admit it. By the way, I went to the KROQ
> building, just because I could, and I was greatly disappointed.
> Although I don't know what I'd expected.

the "KROQ EP" was recorded at capitol studios, which *is* impressive.

 

[stop making scents]

> Go see the Cure on this tour if you can get tickets.

the cure are ugly and smelly

 

[Cili]

Re: Moz's music

> the "KROQ EP" was recorded at capitol studios, which
> *is* impressive.

Oh, I didn't mention KROQ's building because I thought Moz and co. had recorded there. I'd just heard so much about the station, and for some reason, I thought it would be a fun and exciting place surrounded by interesting people. :-(

I don't quite understand why you feel recording in Capitol's studios is so impressive. Does it have some history that I don't know about?

 

[Cili]

Re: Moz's musicians (just aren't good enough)

> I'm not disagreeing with you, actually. The fact that Alain
> thinks "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel" the best
> work he's done with Moz speaks volumes. Moz's best solo work is
> Your Arsenal, which beautifully illustrates your point. He needs
> to find someone like Mick Ronson, someone who can push him.

I think so too. He seems to work better that way. Also, it always helps to have (strong) creative input because you never know what will come out of it all. It's a nicely volatile situation, which I feel would do Morrissey's music some good. I just feel it would be refreshing to hear Morrissey writing some unique tunes again--unique to what he's been writing, that is. Because if you think about it, he is pretty unique amongst other recording artists, even if we're all now sort of used to what he does.

 

[.]

Re: Moz's music

> I don't quite understand why you feel recording in Capitol's
> studios is so impressive. Does it have some history that I don't
> know about?

well, it's in the capitol records building, for a start, which is a music industry landmark.

 

[Get me away from here i'm dying]

It's all about material

> I'm not disagreeing with you, actually. The fact that Alain
> thinks "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel" the best
> work he's done with Moz speaks volumes. Moz's best solo work is
> Your Arsenal, which beautifully illustrates your point. He needs
> to find someone like Mick Ronson, someone who can push him.

Morrissey does need to push himself.....the fact that he is currently touring with old songs(some smiths tunes.....not that i mind)tells the whole story.You might say that he has some tunes off Malajusted, but that only makes up for about three songs he has in his set.He has in effect settled into a rut.....a nice comfortable one, since he has been doing the same songs on tour for.....three years+ at least.I think....and this is just a thought, that he should find a new band(guitar players mainly)Maybe what he needs is new blood,find a ground breaking lead guitarist.After all marr was only 19 or so when the smiths began, of course then the problem you run into is the lack of quality found in todays guitar playing.