Fiona Dodwell: "Morrissey: Capitol, Censorship And The Silencing Of Art" (June 15, 2023)

Morrissey: Capitol, Censorship And The Silencing Of Art.

Excerpt:
"With the situation being as it currently stands, it appears to many that Capitol Records signed Morrissey’s album to sink it, leaving many wondering why such an act would be of benefit to anyone. It hasn’t escaped Morrissey’s notice – nor his legion of fans worldwide who have been watching the unfolding drama with keen interest – that Capitol subsidiary Harvest Records were also the ones responsible for pulling Morrissey’s 2014 album, World Peace Is None Of Your Business from circulation, essentially abandoning the project and cutting it short."

Morrissey: Capitol, Censorship And The Silencing Of Art

Opinion by Fiona Dodwell On the singer’s website, Central, Morrissey recently posted a brief statement regarding his album, Bonfire Of Teenagers and the way that Capitol Records have left the album…

gabfest.co.uk

Didn't want to say it, but sure enough - there's of course a new FiDo article

 

[BookishBoy]

The last sentence of Dudwell's article:

We owe you everything, we love you, we need you.

would be much more honest if it was first person singular, surely?

 

[Mimi Ramone]

The last sentence of Dudwell's article:

We owe you everything, we love you, we need you.

would be much more honest if it was first person singular, surely?

How dare she speak for all of us !1!!1

 

[gashonthenail]

There is still a school essay vibe - but it's actually better than some of her other stuff. She's maybe been taking writing lessons?

 

[Malarkey]

 

[Anonymous Moz junkie]

Re-record it. Self release it with WMTWD and do a vinyl press. Do your own tours and own pressings (or license to record manufacturers as others do). I'm sure there's plenty of cash in it. Tell the labels all to F off for good just as many other artists have done many years ago. They are irrelevant relics of the past. They are needless gatekeepers that pedal and profit from filth they approve of (gangster rap endorsing violence of all kinds as one example) while sitting on art from others that don't share some subset of their beliefs. Good riddance to bad rubbish and such.

 

[bored]

legion:
noun: a few dozen people around the world who are aware of something obscure from a creator most people have never heard of.

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

The world is full of albums, some we know about, some we don't, that have been binned before release due to record company politics, tax writeoffs, and more, that simply never get released. Half of this article is veering on "oh noes! cancel culture! Wokeness killed my Morrissey LP!", when its more likely that - if we're really honest about it - Moz is not a huge selling artist, and has a commercial profile similar to say Van Morrison in 2004 : a guy who was once in a good band, whose been solo for ages, and is now trading off the legacy of How Good He Once Was. If he was 'new', and this was his debut selection of songs, nobody would be interested. He'd sell a reasonable amount if it was released, but not enough to excite a record company.

The idea that corporate gatekeepers are blocking it is laughable, paranoid nonsense. Maybe 30 years ago that was the point. Moz could self-release, create his own label, and go for it. But he'd rather get a cheque for a significant sum of money off a company and let them do the work than do it himself.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

I'm not gonna comment on FDs article. as she is one of many leaches in M world. The only reason she is there is clout . From her to, lots of people who do M nights to people in his own band. They don't really know M or his history or get him . He's just a money machine. This always happens with the famous. The trouble is M seems to only have these people around him now . When I see Ms post from yesterday and this today . What I read is that there is still no contract, no record deal . Its very frustrating as we the fans want more M music
M went to an awards show in London, I expect to play the game and speak to music industry bods.
I was hoping that would work , it hasn't, going by these posts. We are now in month 6 of this year . It's looking unlikely he will get a deal this year. Sad.

 

[bored]

The world is full of albums, some we know about, some we don't, that have been binned before release due to record company politics, tax writeoffs, and more, that simply never get released. Half of this article is veering on "oh noes! cancel culture! Wokeness killed my Morrissey LP!", when its more likely that - if we're really honest about it - Moz is not a huge selling artist, and has a commercial profile similar to say Van Morrison in 2004 : a guy who was once in a good band, whose been solo for ages, and is now trading off the legacy of How Good He Once Was. If he was 'new', and this was his debut selection of songs, nobody would be interested. He'd sell a reasonable amount if it was released, but not enough to excite a record company.

The idea that corporate gatekeepers are blocking it is laughable, paranoid nonsense. Maybe 30 years ago that was the point. Moz could self-release, create his own label, and go for it. But he'd rather get a cheque for a significant sum of money off a company and let them do the work than do it himself.

In some ways Morrissey has already discredited this argument. He says he is censored but then says Sam Smith went on Saturday Night Live and put on a Satan worshipping performance.

If censorship in the music industry was as real as he claims it is Sam Smith would have been canceled by noon on Sunday.

Even in the late 80's when 2 Live Crew was arrested in Florida for public indecency due to sexual content of their songs at an 18+ show in Broward County, the record label still let them release a new single called "Banned in the USA".

Censorship in the 80's was infinitely more enforced than it is in 2023. It was also in the 80's when Tipper Gore (a liberal) led the charge to ban adult language in songs and then had to settle for the "Explicit Content Warning" sticker which was a congressional matter in this country.

It wasn't until the nip slip by Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl halftime show in the early 2000's that radio stations started playing an alternate version of The Who's "Who Are You" to omit the line "Who the f*** are you?"

Morrissey (and FIDO) think Capitol Records is censoring an album that has a track that only infers its reference to a terrorist attack in Manchester, England, a place that 98% of Americans can't find on the map?

That's delusional.


EDIT: Wow, this website turned the f word into f***. Is that some setting in my account or is that for everyone?

 

[Lucifer Sam]

This could happen to other singers, writers, performers. It feels like a good time to remind ourselves that this isn’t just a fight for the singer himself, it is a fight for authentic, meaningful art. The kind that gets us thinking, feeling and questioning.

We have the internet now. An artist can have their work be more available than at any point in the past, and ever since Lily Allen, unknowns using social media channels have become famous. Morrissey is already famous and could've chosen to self-release his work and his legion of fans would get to hear it, if that's what your concern is. He signed with a record company because he wants promotion and chart placement and the money to live out of luxury hotels. If the record companies are censorious gatekeepers, then obviously you can't have it both ways. If it really is all about "authentic, meaningful art" then maybe you have to be a Van Gogh or a Verlaine, and be willing to suffer for your art and possibly be the poet who dies in the gutter. But surely his royalties from his 40-yr span could buy him a comfortable little villa in the north of Italy.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

We have the internet now. An artist can have their work be more available than at any point in the past, and ever since Lily Allen, unknowns using social media channels have become famous. Morrissey is already famous and could've chosen to self-release his work and his legion of fans would get to hear it, if that's what your concern is. He signed with a record company because he wants promotion and chart placement and the money to live out of luxury hotels. If the record companies are censorious gatekeepers, then obviously you can't have it both ways.

If it really is all about "authentic, meaningful art" then maybe you have be a Van Gogh or a Verlaine, and be willing to suffer for your art and possibly be the poet who dies in the gutter. But surely his royalties from his 40-yr span could buy him a comfortable little villa in the north of Italy.

But why not fight for the option to suffer in luxury?

Though, yes I agree, it’s his choice. To avoid conflict and self release would be easier, but there’s a price. Either way there’s a price though.

 

[Lucifer Sam]

But why not fight for the option to suffer in luxury?

Though, yes I agree, it’s his choice. To avoid conflict would be easier, but there’s a price.

"Suffering in Luxury," that's an album title. He and Dodwell are more than welcome to go on the crusade against record company meanies, but this "it's all about the art" angle is dishonest. It's about the art, sure, but also about the champagne and vanilla candles and room service and the "why haven't I cracked the Top 20 when Bowie's Heathen made it to number 14 in 2002 and my record is so much more relevant?" complaints.

 

[klaus]

In some ways Morrissey has already discredited this argument. He says he is censored but then says Sam Smith went on Saturday Night Live and put on a Satan worshipping performance.

If censorship in the music industry was as real as he claims it is Sam Smith would have been canceled by noon on Sunday.

Even in the late 80's when 2 Live Crew was arrested in Florida for public indecency due to sexual content of their songs at an 18+ show in Broward County, the record label still let them release a new single called "Banned in the USA".

Censorship in the 80's was infinitely more enforced than it is in 2023. It was also in the 80's when Tipper Gore (a liberal) led the charge to ban adult language in songs and then had to settle for the "Explicit Content Warning" sticker which was a congressional matter in this country.

It wasn't until the nip slip by Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl halftime show in the early 2000's that radio stations started playing an alternate version of The Who's "Who Are You" to omit the line "Who the f*** are you?"

Morrissey (and FIDO) think Capitol Records is censoring an album that has a track that only infers its reference to a terrorist attack in Manchester, England, a place that 98% of Americans can't find on the map?

That's delusional.


EDIT: Wow, this website turned the f word into f***. Is that some setting in my account or is that for everyone?

f*** if i know

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

"Suffering in Luxury," that's an album title. He and Dodwell are more than welcome to go on the crusade against record company meanies, but this "it's all about the art" angle is dishonest. It's about the art, sure, but also about the champagne and vanilla candles and room service and the "why haven't I cracked the Top 20 when Bowie's Heathen made it to number 14 in 2002 and my record is so much more relevant?" complaints.

I agree with the ‘crusade’ comment. As I said in another thread.. just more whining into the void.

I also said in the recent Central post thread that … I don’t think this is about the songs being heard or not. I wouldn’t say this angle is dishonest, that’s a bit harsh. But to me this conflict ‘M vs Capitol’ is obviously about more than just the art.

Well, it depends on how you define art. And how a ‘true’ artist should create, live, suffer. That great art can’t also be made why living well? Then we need to define what is great art, bad art, not art, etc.

“why haven't I cracked the Top 20 when Bowie's Heathen made it to number 14 in 2002 and my record is so much more relevant?"

did he say that?

 

[gashonthenail]

In some ways Morrissey has already discredited this argument. He says he is censored but then says Sam Smith went on Saturday Night Live and put on a Satan worshipping performance.

If censorship in the music industry was as real as he claims it is Sam Smith would have been canceled by noon on Sunday.

Even in the late 80's when 2 Live Crew was arrested in Florida for public indecency due to sexual content of their songs at an 18+ show in Broward County, the record label still let them release a new single called "Banned in the USA".

Censorship in the 80's was infinitely more enforced than it is in 2023. It was also in the 80's when Tipper Gore (a liberal) led the charge to ban adult language in songs and then had to settle for the "Explicit Content Warning" sticker which was a congressional matter in this country.

It wasn't until the nip slip by Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl halftime show in the early 2000's that radio stations started playing an alternate version of The Who's "Who Are You" to omit the line "Who the f*** are you?"

Morrissey (and FIDO) think Capitol Records is censoring an album that has a track that only infers its reference to a terrorist attack in Manchester, England, a place that 98% of Americans can't find on the map?

That's delusional.


EDIT: Wow, this website turned the f word into f***. Is that some setting in my account or is that for everyone?

If you can't see that the cultural landscape around censorship and what you can and cannot say has changed between 1983 and 2023 - you must have been hiding under a rock.
It's f*** for every one. For ever.

 

[Lucifer Sam]

Well, it depends on how you define art. And how a ‘true’ artist should create, live, suffer. That great art can’t also be made why living well? Then we need to define what is great art, bad art, not art, etc

I think great art can be made while living well. I just was referring to the Dodwell claim that record companies don't want to release good and daring art because they're scared of controversy. Granting that for the sake of argument, then if a musician wants to get his songs out there, he'd have to sacrifice the big payday by going independent. That's if this is all about integrity and not money, as Dodwell (wrongly) thinks it is.

did he say that?

No, but he's notoriously chart-obsessed and that's the kind of the thing I imagine him pestering his record company with. Going by Autobiography, I think he perversely enjoys having record company enemies to tilt against.

 

[A Man Escaped]

"They scurry about in their hushed meetings, deciding what will be allowed and what must be destroyed."

Paranoid nonsense.

"It hasn’t escaped Morrissey’s notice – nor his legion of fans worldwide who have been watching the unfolding drama with keen interest – that Capitol subsidiary Harvest Records were also the ones responsible for pulling Morrissey’s 2014 album, World Peace.."

I'm surprised it escaped Capitol's notice that Morrissey and his band frequently wore "F@ck Harvest" T shirts.

 

[gordyboy9]

f u c k.,,,i dont usually swear on a thursday.

 

[Les Tameside]

Morrissey trying to reverse Bonfire, away from Capitol Records.