Morrissey & Robert Smith
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Re: Morrissey & Robert Smith?
this has been discussed about 8.3 zillion times before!
however, the long and the short is that they publicly hated each other back in the 80's, never missing an opportunity to slag each other off.
two or three years ago, Moz said something quite positive about Smith, that he was at least an original artist (or some such) and Smith has acknowledged this comment, and I think is now much less critical of Morrissey. he still believes in a music press conspiracy theory tho that the Cure are overlooked when, according to him, they were easily the more important band in the 80's (record sales, acclaim airplay etc).
this has been discussed about 8.3 zillion times before!
however, the long and the short is that they publicly hated each other back in the 80's, never missing an opportunity to slag each other off.
two or three years ago, Moz said something quite positive about Smith, that he was at least an original artist (or some such) and Smith has acknowledged this comment, and I think is now much less critical of Morrissey. he still believes in a music press conspiracy theory tho that the Cure are overlooked when, according to him, they were easily the more important band in the 80's (record sales, acclaim airplay etc).
I think you're wrong there. there was huge amounts of acrimony between them. Smith once said that he deliberately ate more meat because of Meat is Murder.
Moz said tons of unflattering stuff about the Cure. one thing that sticks in my mind is "the Cure bring a new dimension to the word crap" - with the exception of a few singles, I can't say I disagree!
Thewlis
Very Senior Member
Well, The Cure are great! Moz didn't like any of his comtemporaries back in the day, especially those who were more popular than him!
I don't think you'll find a single band more love by the traditional The Smiths/Morrissey fanbase than The Cure though, especially in the US.
I don't think you'll find a single band more love by the traditional The Smiths/Morrissey fanbase than The Cure though, especially in the US.
really?
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=08/10/30/1613205
Robert Smith Interview Part 2 - NME.com
Didn’t you have a run-in with Morrissey back in the '80s?
“Unfortunately he was asked a question about people called Smith. It was me, Patti Smith and someone else called Smith who was famous at that time, who he would shoot. One would have expected at the time, him being a non-meat eating vegetarian pacifistic sort of guy, to say ‘I choose to shoot myself’ or ‘I choose to shoot no-one’ but he said ‘I’d line them all up and I’d shoot them all’. When I was told that at the time I kind of took umbrage, ‘That’s f***ing nice, c***’. I felt it was a bit unnecessary. I’d never said or done anything. So that engendered one of those tedious feuds. I’ve never met him, I’m not even sure we’ve been in the same room. I’m sure it’s the same for him, he got really aggravated at my response. I was very over the top but I felt justifiably so, having just been shot in print. It was one of those things, a mini Blur/Oasis thing. I don’t think I played along with it enough for it to become anything more. It kind of got resurrected from time to time, I think on his fansite it got reinvigorated and there have been various attempts to reignite it, but I think he’s actually said something really nice about us recently, about the fact that I’m a little bit wayward. Honestly I’ve never really had a problem. I felt it was unfair that he would shoot me. If you asked him again he might choose to shoot himself rather than me and Auntie Patti and whoever else it was.”
Robert Smith Interview Part 2 - NME.com
Didn’t you have a run-in with Morrissey back in the '80s?
“Unfortunately he was asked a question about people called Smith. It was me, Patti Smith and someone else called Smith who was famous at that time, who he would shoot. One would have expected at the time, him being a non-meat eating vegetarian pacifistic sort of guy, to say ‘I choose to shoot myself’ or ‘I choose to shoot no-one’ but he said ‘I’d line them all up and I’d shoot them all’. When I was told that at the time I kind of took umbrage, ‘That’s f***ing nice, c***’. I felt it was a bit unnecessary. I’d never said or done anything. So that engendered one of those tedious feuds. I’ve never met him, I’m not even sure we’ve been in the same room. I’m sure it’s the same for him, he got really aggravated at my response. I was very over the top but I felt justifiably so, having just been shot in print. It was one of those things, a mini Blur/Oasis thing. I don’t think I played along with it enough for it to become anything more. It kind of got resurrected from time to time, I think on his fansite it got reinvigorated and there have been various attempts to reignite it, but I think he’s actually said something really nice about us recently, about the fact that I’m a little bit wayward. Honestly I’ve never really had a problem. I felt it was unfair that he would shoot me. If you asked him again he might choose to shoot himself rather than me and Auntie Patti and whoever else it was.”
modrevolve
Standard Model
Its mentioned briefly here..man this video makes me yearn for 2004 again..What an amazing time to be a Morrissey fan.
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Dave
Guest
How dare you!
(yes, it's true, in my opinion.)and paragraph two is pretty close, but I think that Depeche Mode was more popular with Morrissey fans than The Cure, and New Order were close. The people I knew that liked Morrissey in the early 90's liked these bands also, even though the music is very different.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
Personally I adore The Cure. They're no 3 on my all-time list. Mozza of course being no. 1. There's no one like Morrissey in any way, but The Cure has been hugely important in my life and they have made some of the best albums of all time.
Jessikers
Some Passable Creature
How dare you!
and paragraph two is pretty close, but I think that Depeche Mode was more popular with Morrissey fans than The Cure, and New Order were close. The people I knew that liked Morrissey in the early 90's liked these bands also, even though the music is very different.
I agree with you!
jamescagney
Stood at the urinal
Unfortunately Morrissey and Robert Smith find themselves in similar situations. Both are highly talented, prolific and established artists who unfortunately, due to their age and demands for independence, are shunned and not supported by the mainstream record industry. (I'd guess Kristeen Young is shunned for some of the same reasons.)
Both frequently write angry private and public letters slamming the press and their record companies... how they promise one thing, then act another way, how they get no radio or MTV airplay or promotion... How they release records at higher cost than they promised, abusing the fans, etc. Both complain how their singles aren't released correctly as promised...
I think he may have to fight to "inch the Cure thing forward" in terms of record and single releases and touring, despite the fact that Robert still plays big stadiums.
It reminds me of how Morrissey feels about American Idol... the record companies care most about maximizing financial return on investment, and so prefer young unsigned artists who have no demands about salary or creativity, and no fancy contract lawyers. Or how Maurice Starr supposedly said he could take any five average white kids off the streets and manufacture them into New Kids On The Block, then did.
There are so many supposedly "independent" labels out there now, you'd think one of them would step forward. But I guess they're just fronts for the major labels and operate with the same rules on profitability.
It makes me wonder if perhaps there might be an opportunity for them to somehow collaborate and help themselves and others. Robert had his Fiction Records after all, and Morrissey has his Attack... but maybe Fiction couldn't happen the same way in today's world, I dunno.
Both frequently write angry private and public letters slamming the press and their record companies... how they promise one thing, then act another way, how they get no radio or MTV airplay or promotion... How they release records at higher cost than they promised, abusing the fans, etc. Both complain how their singles aren't released correctly as promised...
I think he may have to fight to "inch the Cure thing forward" in terms of record and single releases and touring, despite the fact that Robert still plays big stadiums.
It reminds me of how Morrissey feels about American Idol... the record companies care most about maximizing financial return on investment, and so prefer young unsigned artists who have no demands about salary or creativity, and no fancy contract lawyers. Or how Maurice Starr supposedly said he could take any five average white kids off the streets and manufacture them into New Kids On The Block, then did.
There are so many supposedly "independent" labels out there now, you'd think one of them would step forward. But I guess they're just fronts for the major labels and operate with the same rules on profitability.
It makes me wonder if perhaps there might be an opportunity for them to somehow collaborate and help themselves and others. Robert had his Fiction Records after all, and Morrissey has his Attack... but maybe Fiction couldn't happen the same way in today's world, I dunno.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
jamescagney
Stood at the urinal
A lot wisdom to be found in that post. Hats off!
Well, you know, Morrissey is clearly frustrated at his flagging ability to inch his career forward. Maybe it's time to collaborate briefly, business-wise if not music-wise, to stoke interest and increase powers. On a single, a label, a tour, etc. There's Robert Smith... Lady Gagag expressed interest... and there's this guitarist with the Cribs that's not bad...
I can think of other artists that have made deals of I'll do this for you if I also get to do that for me...
jamescagney
Stood at the urinal
Jesus! Never say that Robert Smith has a sense of humour, about himself or anything!
And he certainly has no sense of humor about someone shooting him! The nerve!
Despite Morrissey's hilarious sense of humor, I suspect he or most anyone would naturally react the same way if someone poked fun at him. (And maybe this outburst *was* Morrissey reacting the same way. I don't believe this story was truly the start of the rivalry.)
After all, if someone famous slagged you in the press, would you hold your tongue about that person afterwards?
If someone responded to a question put to them in that way, no, I wouldn't take it personally at all. I wouldn't think they really wanted to shoot me either. I would just think that that was the most interesting thing they could think of to say to a rather silly question.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
Well, you know, Morrissey is clearly frustrated at his flagging ability to inch his career forward. Maybe it's time to collaborate briefly, business-wise if not music-wise, to stoke interest and increase powers. On a single, a label, a tour, etc. There's Robert Smith... Lady Gagag expressed interest... and there's this guitarist with the Cribs that's not bad...
I can think of other artists that have made deals of I'll do this for you if I also get to do that for me...
I'd prefer business-wise. A duet, for instance, would seem silly and unnatural.
Gaga expressed interest? In Robert then? Well, if she ever goes through a "dark phase" Robert should be her go-to-guy.
jamescagney
Stood at the urinal
I'd prefer business-wise. A duet, for instance, would seem silly and unnatural.
Gaga expressed interest? In Robert then? Well, if she ever goes through a "dark phase" Robert should be her go-to-guy.
She expressed interest in Morrissey at some point.
Robert has done lots of bubbly pop songs too. There was even a bubbly duet with a Gaga-like blonde, though I thought it was not good.
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