Am surpised that Stephen Street seems happy to make the same mistakes again. Firstly it may not be the best re-issue but it is Morrissey's album he can do what he likes and he deserves his full due credit. It appears Street priced himself out of the co-writer picture in the past arguing over fees and credits, which is a shame as they made some good songs. Seems like Streets ego kicked in, but time has showed us (as Streets writing has dried up and Morrissey's success has gone on and on) that he was actually onto a good thing at that point and should not have been greedy as he has surely lost out in the long run. Astonishingly he continues to be disloyal, why does he feel the need to say these thing that grab the headlines? "Butchered"...... "Trying to keep Morrissey happy – as a lot of people have discovered over the years – is quite a difficult thing to do. You’re walking on eggshells a lot of the time. It was draining"....... "contrary"..... - why doesn't he shut up and at the very least be professional. You can have creative differences in the studio but in the end it is Morrissey's album and he has the final creative say. Why bitch about it all in the press when you are meant to be promoting the album? - just say "We discussed it but it is his album and he has the final say but it was great being involved with him again blah blah". Stephen Street has alot to thank Morrissey for - he built his reputation on Morrissey's talent but you have to scan these pages to find a single gracious word.
Finally we can all criticise Morrissey for the way he handled himself personally, for his "contariness" and his tendancy to flounce, but what shouldn't be forgotton is that Morrissey was and perhaps still is, very fragile in terms of his mental health. He has had periods of very serious severe depression which will have made it very difficult to form and maintain "normal" relationships and to even function well on a day to day basis. He has been very candid about this. He is not a well man. The unhappiness, the aloneness, the isolation, it will grip you and shape you and direct your perception of the world and those around you (and inspire you). This is what Morrissey is (or was) like, he spied the world from under a little black cloud - his own personal black cloud and this is why we love him. What seems to have been forgotton is that you must accept the bad with the good - they are the same thing (because sometimes the black cloud illuminates). So don't be surpirsed if people found him difficult to get along with, mistrusting, awkward, singleminded or contary, I personally wouldn't have it any other way. Probably if you can remember those were actually some of the qualities that drew you to Morrissey in the first place (under another name) - because just like him you too were probably shy and sad once and those few who knew you would probably discribe you in similar terms - but then you grew up and you forgot how it feels and you got a job and a brand new trendy clutch bag and you made friends and compromised and started to look down your nose at the world and now you say things like "I am a Smiths fan but not a Morrissey fan" (like that makes sense) or you say "I love the songs but i really don't like the man" (like that makes sense) or you say "he has lost his way and he isn't the same" but the truth is that somewhere along the line you got happy, so you closed your eyes and your ears completely and you forgot how it feels to feel terrified and alone then you got comfy and stopped creating, much to the dismay of those around you and suddenly you woke up to find you'd lost all your compassion and now you can't tell the difference between shyness and aloofness and silence and snobbery anymore and you think people should just get a job and give themselves a shake - without realising it you have changed so much that even the word "sad" has a totally different meaning for you and you spend your days and nights bitching about the one that for some reason you can't shake out of your mind
