Telegraph's Interview & Q&A with Morrissey

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...Whatever the truth of his sex life, if he has one, at the age of 52 he’s still singing lines like “Nobody wants my love.” Surely these are adolescent sentiments.

“No. I think we all die saying those things and feeling those feelings. On our deathbed we’re still scrambling for dignity and a little bit of love and respect. We may be 112, but those feelings never go away.”

If he’s so lonely, why not just start a relationship?

“Well, you must be true to your heart. Yes, you might pair off for companionship, but maybe the other person doesn’t want to, or sees it slightly differently. There’s always somebody who loves more than the other.”

But if, as he insists, he’s been single his whole life, how does he know what relationships are like?

“You don’t need to have been down a pit to know that it’s dirty.” ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...eaven-knows-hes-a-bit-less-miserable-now.html


...Daily Telegraph: But as a vegetarian who wrote the album Meat Is Murder, don’t you deplore Lady Gaga’s meat dress?

Morrissey: Well, the meat dress was first done by [the artist] Linder Sterling in Manchester in 1982, and she did it as a protest at men seeing female flesh as meat. I don’t know whether that came across with Lady Gaga. I think people didn’t question it too deeply – they simply saw it as “today’s loony idea”. But I like to assume that Gaga had the same notion. If it’s a social and political statement, it’s acceptable. If it isn’t a social and political statement, I don’t really see the point.


Daily Telegraph: What do you think of the pop chart today?

Morrissey: I think the pop chart today is entirely market-driven. And it has nothing to do with public taste. And it has nothing to do with moving music forward. It’s simply a market chart. And people who’ve managed to grapple into the top five have done so because of an aggressive campaign, and nothing else. And so many sales are mysteriously automatic. Very often now we glance an eye at the chart and we can’t understand why a certain person is No1 or No2, why have they flown in at No3. It’s understandable to ask that question. But it’s simply market-driven. Nothing else. The quality of the music, the content – absolutely immaterial. As a direct result so many bands and so many artists have ongoing success with absolutely no songs.


Daily Telegraph: What about Adele, though? She’s selling millions of records but she didn’t have an enormous marketing campaign.

Morrissey: Yes. I don’t think there has been an aggressive campaign for her, and I think it has been one of those situations where people actually like her voice. And rightly so. I’m very pleased for her. Because I’ve seen someone who has attained great success simply on the strength of her voice. And she does use it very well. But there are a mass of other examples where undeserved success seems to come automatically to the most unlikely people, who themselves are completely bewildered...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/8579607/Morrissey-on...-Lady-Gaga-and-modern-pop.html

(I'm relieved with his opinion about Adele; she's a miraculous anomaly)
 
Thanks for the links. The full interview is in Saturday's Daily Telegraph (18/06/2011)-in the Review Section.
Lovely cat photo's taken at Battersea dog's and cat's home.
 
Very good reads all of them.
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

Thank you for the find.

At last someone asks the question ~

"Daily Telegraph: You’ve said time and again that The Smiths will never reform. But what about just you and Johnny Marr getting together on stage and playing the old songs? So many people would love that – is it really impossible?

Morrissey: More important than what you’ve just said is my belief that it was musically so good and so perfect and then it ended, and that was Fate taking control. And that’s how it should be.


Daily Telegraph: So if the two of you were to play one more concert together, you think that would tarnish everything?

Morrissey: I think whether it did look wrong or it didn’t look wrong, many people would say it looked wrong. And I have enough to live with as things stand, without more accusations and more criticism.


Daily Telegraph: Forget the criticism. Think of all the people who would love it.

Morrissey: But then there’s something about the public always wanting a reformation here and there from such a body and such a band, just simply because they feel, “We’re the public and we can demand it.” And once it happens, nobody’s actually really interested. I mean, can you think of a reformation that continued to be fantastic after the first articles and the first concerts and so forth? After the reformation, six months later, all the musicians begin to feel how they always did about each other. And it rots."


~ And is answered by a non-denial denial? :)
 
That's a good answer. From an Artist. He knows too much about bands and pop music to make the mistake of reforming.

What would Morrissey and Marr be supposed to do after they'd done a few gigs together? Shrug and walk away? Write more music together and suffer the inevitable comparisons to their younger selves? Nah, better to cherish what they had and keep moving on, not back.
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey


Thanks Tingle3, I didn't come upon those extras at first. This material must be some of the best, most varied and indepth, in years.
 
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Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

This is actually a really good interview, a lot of good questions and insightful answers, yes it's still the cryptic Morrissey, but to be fair he had some good answers there. He sounds a lot more mellow and accepting nowadays in interviews.
 
Now that was great. The journalist admitted Morrissey had seemed 'surly and sour' in recent interviews (as most of us will be well aware!) but he seemed to know how to soften Moz up and get him answering the real questions. The all-important 'Marr question' was finally asked, and very skilfully dodged....there is hope yet :)
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

It's nice that Morrissey is answering normal down to earth questions. It makes Mr Moz look great!
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

He also said something very nice about Adele who's not made (as far as I'm aware) any mention of The Smiths/Morrissey in interviews etc. She should be bloody honoured!
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

I was waiting so long for someone to bring up the Johnny Marr and Morrissey reformation...Hmm, Morrissey just managed to skim the subject! I don't think it will happen. It may even look like Morrissey won't change his current sound either. Something else to be disappointed about guys. Looks like we have to FORCE Boz to stop being an idiot and play in a different style!
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

This is hands down the best Morrissey interview I've read in many, many years. This is the guy whose every press quote I poured over tirelessly back in the 90s.

An excellent, excellent article...the journalist operated with class, refinement, and respect, and Morrissey responded accordingly.

A great read.
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

This is hands down the best Morrissey interview I've read in many, many years. This is the guy whose every press quote I poured over tirelessly back in the 90s.

An excellent, excellent article...the journalist operated with class, refinement, and respect, and Morrissey responded accordingly.

A great read.

Agreed! Best we've seen Morrissey in years methinks!
 
Re: Telegraph's Interview & Q&As with Morrissey

That was a great read, cheers. Fascinating, funny...moz at his best.
 
I think the interviewer did a good job for once and the answers Morissey gives seem to be from a relaxed man.

The Smiths were perfect musically for me and nothing that he and Johnny could do together now would replicate that.

I think the Autobiography to fans on here will be like when the latest installment of Harry Potter went on sale. People will buy it, rush straight home and read all 600 pages in one day!
 
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