35th anniversary of Wolverhampton gig (December 22, 2023)

Dec 22 / 1988 / 35 years!
Crazy

 

[Flash]

with the recent flurry of brilliant landmarks - 35 years for this legendary concert, 30 years for interlude (not necessarily the greatest song but certainly the greatest duo) and 500 million+ on Spotify for There is a light, well crikey, it makes one feel almost NOSTALGIC and yearning for a tour of NOSTALGIA. Heaven forbid a collective desire to celebrate greatness from years gone by.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Looking back, Morrissey didn't do his first solo tour until over 2 years after Wolverhampton. For those there... was there a sense of... ok, he'll be touring soon as a solo artist now? How surprising was it seeing Mike, Andy, and Craig in the band?

Great questions. While he didn't tour, he was releasing great singles on a consistent basis which was odd, it's like where's the album? Bona Drag was a great compilation and then came Kill Uncle to mixed reviews. June of 1991 had him on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I had my VCR ready, not knowing what to expect and oh boy, it was an Elvis in 1955 moment. I cannot stress enough how that tour and that image not only saved his career, it pushed it into the stratosphere!

 

[Seymour Glass]

I must have played that yellow covered VHS tape 14 thousand times. Good memories.

 

[kissmyshadestoo]

All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?

 

[gashonthenail]

Agreed, although Kill Uncle is still a dog of a record. But it's a testament to his power and bravery back then that he went completely off-message and headed down the rockabilly route. A very risky move, and not only did he pull it off but he also managed to save his career from the brink and write IMO his finest solo record (YA). Yep - 88 to 95 was absolutely peak Moz. He looked his best in those years as well, and the live shows were incredible.

Was it not Viva Hate that saved his career? Kill Uncle and the album never to be Bona Drag were interesting detours, but it took Your Arsenal, and then Vauxhall and I, to get his career back on track musically. But I agree he never looked better around that time.

 

[goinghome]

Was it not Viva Hate that saved his career? Kill Uncle and the album never to be Bona Drag were interesting detours, but it took Your Arsenal, and then Vauxhall and I, to get his career back on track musically. But I agree he never looked better around that time.

Since Kill Uncle has come up a few times, here is my Christmas present to MSoloers, some pages scanned from the last issue of True To You fanzine, with comments on the record and on individual tracks. An interview with Sack the band shared a spread so it's there too.

https://www.morrissey-solo.com/thre...ion-winter-2004.151680/page-2#post-1987566760

Rest up, treat yourselves, thanks for the fun and dramas, and may 2024 start showing signs of a saner future in general, and Moz regaining his place in the human race

 

[gordyboy9]

All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?

dare say some are on here as we speak.

 

[Doctor Tinkle]

I recall freezing to death for hours waiting in the queue (in my Queen Is Dead t-shirt) only for the doors to be closed shortly before it was my turn. Went away to get something to eat, only returning later to discover I'd missed Morrissey showing himself off to the crowd outside from the glass front of the building above... Aaarrggh!! Still, happy memories of sharing the Morrissey love with those in the queue, all those years ago.

 

[Fact checker]

Same here. Back in the days pre social media where Morrissey's every thought wasn't posted on the internet. He was a true enigma and as I always say, Morrissey's career from 1988 to 1995 was damn near perfect.

Steady. Even the man himself thinks Kill Uncle was poor.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Steady. Even the man himself thinks Kill Uncle was poor.

But he also thinks World Peace Is None Of Your Business is one of his best.

 

[SuedeMoz]

But he also thinks World Peace Is None Of Your Business is one of his best.

Isn't it more a case of he always thinks his latest is his absolute best?

 

[SeniorLife]

Remember seein' that on the old Hulmerist tape.
Moz pulled up in this antique bus and then all these
people gathered around the bus.

And he started to go the wrong way with no fault of his own...

 

[SeniorLife]

Without a doubt, it's always been that way. But what artist is going to say 'here is another album, but sadly it's not as good as previous work'...

But he does have a tendency to lift it to a higher status that it could ever possibly deserve. Nothing in my opinion will top 'Your Arsenal'

Isn't it more a case of he always thinks his latest is his absolute best?

 

[FactChecker]

But he also thinks World Peace Is None Of Your Business is one of his best.

Half of it is very good and moving in new directions for him. Unfortunately the other half is ploddy retreads of old ideas.

 

[Benny-the-British-Butcher]

All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?

They got wise the bellend cancelling performances

Benny