Which of Morrissey's 'old pals' do you think he's collaborated with?

[give me a drink]

Maybe it's Vini Reilly...after all, Reilly wrote all the music on Viva Hate! (Except for Suedehead.)

And did you hear, the A-Team killed Bin Laden the other day by just walking right into his house and shooting him?

Interested in a bridge?

I was thinking Vini Reilly myself but I can't see that I met Vini once and he said he hadn't heard from Morrissey in years but didn't speak badly of him. Bin Laden on the other hand, he almost spat as he said his name.

 

[DAVIE]

Well Marr has just recently left The Cribs and is doing solo work....who knows eh?
Hmm, I guess it would be still be good if Morrissey ran back into Street again, but not as great!
If Morrissey met Marr again then I am sure the press would have an idea....

 

[Fr. Neil Horan]

Though I am an old pal, I can confirm it is not me - no not I - who has collaborated with himself.

 

[Maurice E]

Well Marr has just recently left The Cribs and is doing solo work....who knows eh?
Hmm, I guess it would be still be good if Morrissey ran back into Street again, but not as great!

Better to work with Marr than Street? I think you're assuming Marr still has the incredible songwriting skills of his prime-time Smiths era.
Whilst the consensus is that he remains one of the best ever guitarists, many/most people seem to think his ability to compose truly wonderful pieces of music is much diminished...

 

[mcrickson]

Better to work with Marr than Street? I think you're assuming Marr still has the incredible songwriting skills of his prime-time Smiths era.
Whilst the consensus is that he remains one of the best ever guitarists, many/most people seem to think his ability to compose truly wonderful pieces of music is much diminished...

And where is the evidence that Street can presently write anything as good as "Viva Hate"?

 

[Deleted member 1074]

And where is the evidence that Street can presently write anything as good as "Viva Hate"?

The chances of someone who hasn't written a song in 20 years ACTUALLY writing a good song are significantly higher than that of someone who has consistently written bad songs for the past 20 years...

 

[oliver]

And where is the evidence that Street can presently write anything as good as "Viva Hate"?

where was the evidence that he could even write Viva Hate to begin with?

 

[mcrickson]

The chances of someone who hasn't written a song in 20 years ACTUALLY writing a good song are significantly higher than that of someone who has consistently written bad songs for the past 20 years...

And how do you figure that? Seems about equal to me. Basically what you're saying is that neither honed his craft. The difference is, despite what has happened since, history holds Morrissey/Marr at a higher standard than Morrissey/Street. Perhaps it has just been that both have been without that distinctive comfort of knowing that their work is in the hands of Morrissey. Yeah, Moz doesn't do much regarding the music, but I feel like just the chemistry of "the songwriting duo" is what made Smiths songs what they were. Neither Marr nor Street has had anything that special since. That's why their work has left much to be desired. No matter what, it'd be just plain stupid to call Johnny Marr an untalented musician even after what he's been giving us the past few years. You don't just "lose" the skill that was the music of the Smiths. Your style just changes based on your surroundings -- who you're writing songs for. Now, put him back with Morrissey, and the songs will be brilliant, I guarantee you. Perhaps not reaching the almighty "legacy of the Smiths," but something new. That's really all I could ever ask for.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

It almost sounds like you're trying to say talent doesn't diminish...of course, that would be an absurd thing to say because it obviously does. Age, complacency, & lack of drugs are the musician's three worst enemies.

Marr has stated before that Morrissey would often send his songs back to him insisting he better them before he would ever put lyrics to them. Marr was good so long as he had Morrissey to tell him 'This isn't good enough. Fix it.' When he no longer had Morrissey to play taskmaster and recorded whatever he wanted, his songwriting went down the tubes. See 'Boomslang', Modest Mouse, & The Cribs.

The point is, Johnny used to be good & Morrissey used to be picky. Neither are either, currently.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

PS - As far as Street is concerned, realistically they only wrote 26 songs together as compared to Marr's 70. If Street had written 70 songs, then it would be an appropriate comparison...as it is now, you're comparing 1 year, 1 album, 1 compilation, and 5 singles to 5 years, 4 albums, 3 compilations, and 17 singles. Obviously one is going to be held in high esteem, but if the situation were reversed and all you had to show for Marr was the debut album and 'Hatful of Hollow', no one would even care these days...the same can't be said for Street who in a short time arguably wrote at least 5 of Morrissey's best songs...solo or Smiths.

Also, seeing as Morrissey is keen on chart positions, all of Street's singles were in the Top 20...

 

[Deleted member 1074]

where was the evidence that he could even write Viva Hate to begin with?

The liner notes.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

osama killing was a story

Thank you, come again.

 

[DAVIE]

Better to work with Marr than Street? I think you're assuming Marr still has the incredible songwriting skills of his prime-time Smiths era.
Whilst the consensus is that he remains one of the best ever guitarists, many/most people seem to think his ability to compose truly wonderful pieces of music is much diminished...

We Share The Same Skies - The Cribs

Listen to Marr's guitar sing baby...

Marr was good so long as he had Morrissey to tell him 'This isn't good enough. Fix it.'

Well it's a shame Morrissey failed to bring that into his solo career with Boz and the rest of these guitarists....Marr is a good guitarist and done some amazing songs with The Cribs and The The since.

 

[MozVegan9]

The guitar line in 'We Share The Same Skies' make me wonder how much better it would be with Morrissey's vocals, or the guitar line to Modest Mouse's 'Dashboard'.

 

[Maurice E]

No votes for Langer despite him having written the undisputable genius pop of November Spawned A Monster, and the wonderfully quirky Poor Mute Witness...

 

[Skylarker]

No votes for Langer despite him having written the undisputable genius pop of November Spawned A Monster, and the wonderfully quirky Poor Mute Witness...

Yeah, those are good songs, but I'm not sure how much Morrissey and Langer were pals per se, at least to the extent that Morrissey would go back to him for untapped resources.

I mean, we don't even know if the source is credible to begin with...but assuming it is, I sincerely doubt they were alluding to Langer.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

They obviously were alluding to the Oak Ridge Boys...

 

[Skylarker]

Now that would be a collaboration...

 

[Oso Blanco]

I have a feeling it's Kristeen Young.

Let's hope you're wrong.

I also hope he's wrong, but given the fact that Kristeen Young will be supporting Morrissey's upcoming tour I too have the bad feeling it could actually be her Mom was tweeting about.

 

[Skylarker]

I also hope he's wrong, but given the fact that Kristeen Young will be supporting Morrissey's upcoming tour I too have the bad feeling it could actually be her Mom was tweeting about.

I think that even a lobotomy ward patient could read the lyrics to her last LP and safely assume that the bulk of her notable collaborations with Morrissey were, uh, off the record.

Puns are fun!