Sunday 12 September 2010

currently listening to...Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes

The Seattle quintet's debut album. Stunning harmonies and beautiful melodies. Much talk has been of their follow up...supposed working title: 'Deepwater Horizon'.

Just to get you in the mood, here's an article from last year: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/07/fleet-foxes-second-album

What has happened to Morrissey?

In the 80s he wrote some of the best lyrics ever written. Humorous, satirical, witty, vain, self-deprecative...the list goes on. He formed one of the best ever song writing partnerships with Johnny Marr and wrote four of my favourite albums of all time. His words made youngsters listen and love him eternally. He was the modern day Oscar Wilde.

It's now 2010 and Moz's deterioration has been steady and depressing. Musically, he hasn't released anything great since 'You Are The Quarry'. When I heard the recent 'This Charming Man' cover with his band-I genuinely had to turn it off. God knows what Johnny Marr must have thought when he heard it. What a tragic decision, and one rooted in his failures.

Morrissey has been in the press quite a bit recently....what with his very 'controversial' comments about the Chinese. I wish I didn't feel that he chose his words extremely carefully, to make the most impact. His sole aim these days seems to be to make the front page of the guardian music section, with hundreds commenting. Oh, and it's all around the time of his 67th re-release of 'Everyday is like Sunday'. I mean I'm sure he does feel passionately about animal rights...and 'Meat is Murder' influenced countless people to become vegetarians....it just seems that it's all for effect these days, when years ago it was about being distant from the press and standing up for the isolated.

A Morrissey autobiography? Really? Surely not? Obviously I'll read it...but really? It can't be. I love the fact that the only words from the man himself that I own, are in his records. I don't want to hear anything about his private life...it'll take away whatever of his 'cool-ness' that I've clung onto. Isn't Morrissey always telling us how private he is by how little he gives away? I thought he hated the celebrity culture and the mass media? Why is he becoming exactly what he wrote that he hated years ago? I don't want to know his sexuality. I mean yes he's probably gay...but we don't 'know' that. We shouldn't need to. I don't want to know which celebrities he's friendly with or what he does on a Sunday afternoon. It will ruin it all. I want him to be untouchable.

I just wish that when Morrissey makes a statement it's because he wants people to listen...and not because he wants people to listen and then go out and buy his greatest hits number 58. I think he needs to re-listen to his 80s records. He needs to re-read Oscar Wilde. Stop writing his autobiography....and get it together.

He's one of my favourite frontmen of all time. His words mean a lot to me. The Smiths were so great it's pointless writing about it. I just want Morrissey to forget the mass media and the press, and remember the man he used to be.

I look forward to an onslaught from the diehard (who also need to re-listen to those 4 Smiths albums and take note of the words).

currently listening to...The Beatles

The Beatles-Beatles For Sale

I always spend so much of my time listening to Rubber Soul onwards that I recently re-listened to all of their earlier albums. This one, in particular, has so many phenomenal moments. 'No Reply', 'I'm a Loser' and 'Mr. Moonlight' stand out.