Morrissey Central "OK BY ME" (September 20, 2024)

OK BY ME - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - OK BY ME

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[Leroy]

For all of his proclamations of greatness and sensitivity over the years and for all of his dismissals of other artists and groups as being useless, reading Morrissey's own website makes me feel like I've been had.
It is absolutely beyond PISS POOR and he's now so obviously out of touch with the real world that it's painful to even think about. Yes, I have been a huge, huge fan since the late nighties but if you all just took a step back and a deep breath and ACTUALLY EXAMINED what he's been contributing in recent times, it's actually very little.
Go back to your lives, People. The good times we shared ain't coming back.

# late eighties

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

I may want to listen to something else! Have you not thought about that?

Yeah yeah

 

[DagenhamDan]

I always thought Rebels without applause is just a ripoff musically of Cemetry Gates.

No bad thing really?

 

[SteveWS]

I'm not sure that it really matters - such 'thefts' are surely homage as much as they are anything else. For example, Handsome Devil's opening guitar-line reminds me of Magazine's John McGeoch playing Shot By Both Sides, and I'm sure this is more tribute than simple theft.

 

[eugenius]

A few things...

1. Nice work on that first clip.

2. No bearded millennial hippie is going to convince me that Autotune improves songs.

3. If there's a hidden message in El Jefe's latest missive, it's that he's moved passed last week's "Johnny's torpedoing the Smiths' legacy" misunderstanding, and so should you. The "OK BY ME" headline says everything and nothing.

 

[SteveWS]

Alternatively, the title he'd like to post would be: 'FINE!'

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I always thought Rebels without applause is just a ripoff musically of Cemetry Gates.

I can see that.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

For all of his proclamations of greatness and sensitivity over the years and for all of his dismissals of other artists and groups as being useless, reading Morrissey's own website makes me feel like I've been had.
It is absolutely beyond PISS POOR and he's now so obviously out of touch with the real world that it's painful to even think about. Yes, I have been a huge, huge fan since the late nighties but if you all just took a step back and a deep breath and ACTUALLY EXAMINED what he's been contributing in recent times, it's actually very little.
Go back to your lives, People. The good times we shared ain't coming back.

Thats right mate, I know what you mean about "been had"
Funny you say that. Im working in Los Angeles at the moment and went to both Pulp gigs this week. I spoke to some Smiths and Moz fans and they said that as well, They feel like they have been had, They thought M was better than all the Brit-pop lot and didn't really enjoy Brit Pop at the time. as they carried the torch for our M. Now they feel they wasted their time and think Jarvis is what they thought Moz was, "bookish, intelligent, kind and actually gave a shit about his fans and put on a good show " They said both Pulp shows were better than any of Ms shows for years.

When peeps say the whole "If you don't like him why are you here?" The answer for me mainly is the guy feking meant a lot to me, all those Smitsh gigs up and down the UK, loads of Solo giga, all the feck over.
So, its hard to think that guy has gone. so I come here, hoping some news will show at least 20% of that guy is here. If you are a M fan since Quarry, then it might not seem like he changed much but when you compare to 80s and 90s M its a different fecking world. Its fecking natural to think, if he is like this now, maybe he always was and I got it wrong. Especially when he has backtracked on most things at this point

 

[dneuer]

That song is awful, really awful.

as soon as I heard Watt was involved I was more than a little worried. This song, produced differently, has promise. But, the fact that so many people were wondering if this was a demo version is all one needs to know.
I’ve said it before, that vocal effect makes him sound like something out of The Little Mermaid. How it was approved is a mystery.

 

[A Man Escaped]

as soon as I heard Watt was involved I was more than a little worried. This song, produced differently, has promise. But, the fact that so many people were wondering if this was a demo version is all one needs to know.
I’ve said it before, that vocal effect makes him sound like something out of The Little Mermaid. How it was approved is a mystery.

Makes me think of a Bobby McFerrin parody.

 

[Cornflakes]

Alternatively, the title he'd like to post would be: 'FINE!'

 

[gordyboy9]

as soon as I heard Watt was involved I was more than a little worried. This song, produced differently, has promise. But, the fact that so many people were wondering if this was a demo version is all one needs to know.
I’ve said it before, that vocal effect makes him sound like something out of The Little Mermaid. How it was approved is a mystery.

he won producer of the year so he must have something,yeah it sounds like its underwater.

 

[dneuer]

he won producer of the year so he must have something,yeah it sounds like its underwater.

No, no... don't get me wrong. He certainly was/is the golden child of the industry and garnered the awards (we all know what awards are worth, though) and that was in part why M went with him, I'm sure. Morrissey would no doubt disagree with my opinion (and that's all it is), but Watt was not the right producer for him artistically. Maybe to garner attention since he was the big name, but... and you don't have to look any further than Rebels, for him to treat M's vocals as if he's someone half his age was a travesty. I think the majority of fans that heard the song live would agree the live version was much better because of the lack of that added effect. M's singing technique and ability to command it is as good as it's ever been. The effect was unnecessary and distracts instead of enhances. If you give a kid a box of 120 crayons as opposed to the 24 pack that would suffice, it's easy to use more than needed.


*chatpt give me a long-winded summary of why I'm not a fan of the use of the vocal effect on Rebels

 

[Famous when dead]

No, no... don't get me wrong. He certainly was/is the golden child of the industry and garnered the awards (we all know what awards are worth, though) and that was in part why M went with him, I'm sure. Morrissey would no doubt disagree with my opinion (and that's all it is), but Watt was not the right producer for him artistically. Maybe to garner attention since he was the big name, but... and you don't have to look any further than Rebels, for him to treat M's vocals as if he's someone half his age was a travesty. I think the majority of fans that heard the song live would agree the live version was much better because of the lack of that added effect. M's singing technique and ability to command it is as good as it's ever been. The effect was unnecessary and distracts instead of enhances. If you give a kid a box of 120 crayons as opposed to the 24 pack that would suffice, it's easy to use more than needed.


*chatpt give me a long-winded summary of why I'm not a fan of the use of the vocal effect on Rebels

I think the whole project was down to happenstance via Covid, who was lurking around Sunset and missing band members etc...
I've maintained Rebels sounds less processed and markedly better than the MP3/YT track via the highest BR version shared here and a decent DAC/audio setup. There's definitely layered vocal effects, but it's not quite at Cher/Believe levels.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Leroy]

Thats right mate, I know what you mean about "been had"
Funny you say that. Im working in Los Angeles at the moment and went to both Pulp gigs this week. I spoke to some Smiths and Moz fans and they said that as well, They feel like they have been had, They thought M was better than all the Brit-pop lot and didn't really enjoy Brit Pop at the time. as they carried the torch for our M. Now they feel they wasted their time and think Jarvis is what they thought Moz was, "bookish, intelligent, kind and actually gave a shit about his fans and put on a good show " They said both Pulp shows were better than any of Ms shows for years.

When peeps say the whole "If you don't like him why are you here?" The answer for me mainly is the guy feking meant a lot to me, all those Smitsh gigs up and down the UK, loads of Solo giga, all the feck over.
So, its hard to think that guy has gone. so I come here, hoping some news will show at least 20% of that guy is here. If you are a M fan since Quarry, then it might not seem like he changed much but when you compare to 80s and 90s M its a different fecking world. Its fecking natural to think, if he is like this now, maybe he always was and I got it wrong. Especially when he has backtracked on most things at this point

Thanks for putting it better than I ever could have. It's because he has meant so much to us for such a long time that we keep checking back in with him. When was the last time any of us saw something online about Morrissey and were genuinely thrilled?
My mate from Sacramento also caught a Pulp gig recently and sent me a lovely photo of him and Jarvis after the show. He said he genuinely had time for everyone. Heartwarming.

 

[dneuer]

I think the whole project was down to happenstance via Covid, who was lurking around Sunset and missing band members etc...
I've maintained Rebels sounds less processed and markedly better than the MP3/YT track via the highest BR version shared here and a decent DAC/audio setup. There's definitely layered vocal effects, but it's not quite at Cher/Believe levels.
Regards,
FWD.

I wouldn't suggest that didn't play a part in it, but we had Gaz and Craig in the UK and Spen on the opposite coast here in the US and were still able to put out the last EP. Watt was chosen because he was the current hot ticket and I'm convinced was part of a package deal that was going to "guarantee" BoT got released.

Cherrissey lol... I do agree. It's not as bad as THAT. Maybe it's because I'm not exactly a big fan of hers, but somehow it doesn't bother me as much lol. If it's unnecessary and isn't improving it, I still think it's bad, though. I'd even extend that to adding Miley to Veronica. If the leaked email is anything to go by, it was a decision made at least in part not to improve the song, but rather to gain exposure. His voice on Veronica was great on its own. Again, maybe the production made her sound worse than it could have been. Ironically, it would have solved one of the problems preventing the record's release and in the process would have made for a stronger song.

 

[April Snow]

The "Knockabout" song is a great song and I love "Rebels Without Applause" but the auto tune on Rebels have messed it up for me ........he is one person that does not need auto tune. His live versions of it are and sound so much better.

 

[SteveWS]

I know nothing about music technology compared to you all, but on listening to RWA I was struck by how Morrissey sounded so young that it seemed slightly bizarre and distracting. A needless and all too obvious production 'trick'.

 

[Tampa Moz Fan]

Watt is trash, I'm sorry. He has no ear for vocals and has no idea how to record them and mix them. It's not just Rebels. Listen to other tracks he has produced. He must have paid someone a lot of money to win "producer of the year."

 

[Leroy]

I have been giving this a lot of serious thought and I think I'm done with all of it. It's been a long time (37years) loving The Smiths and Morrissey but the world has changed, life has changed and we've all aged. I've simply reached the end of the road with it all. Of course that's not to say that anyone else should reach the same conclusion but I don't want to give any more of my time to it. I am going to give all of my records away. ALL of them.
Good luck to the nice folk on here.