Morrissey Mentions in this week's Guardian Guide

[Kitty3780]

Yes, I know it's terribly pretentious, but I do read The Guardian and in this weeks Guide, I noticed two mentions of Morrissey, which I thought I'd copy in for your reading pleasure...

1. Music Listings Section - page 29

"Never mind Manchester, this year it has become apparent just how much Morrissey has to answer for. Though his words have traditionally championed the struggles of the meek, his emotional honesty has also proved inspirational to the current wave of dreadful emo bands currently to be found inheriting the earth. A regrettable business, maybe, but this year has also been a year when Morrissey himself has continued to deliver the goods: a new album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors, consolidated the singer's fortunes that might have been seen to have begun with his You Are The Quarry album, while a new home in Italy seems to have brought out, after a fashion, his romantic side. Explosive kegs between his legs, these homecoming shows should prove eventful"

I suspect the author of that piece to be a closet fan as they have tried to be witty, whilst slating current music trends and "regrettably" using current and currently in the same sentance, which is surely lazy journalism? Aside from that they have picked up on the more romantic stylings on this album, though I personally do not believe Morrissey is more romantic now than he has been previously. He has written some wonderful "love" songs on all his albums, people just like to imagine he's a miserable sod who has never been in love, but that's just this unhumble girls opinion.

2. The Culture Show highlighted on TV Listings - page 57

"The lovely Verity Sharp returns to the Culture Show to present the results of their Greatest Living British Icon poll, and give the show the extra credibility that CD:UK's Lauren Laverne can't yet muster. Sir David Attenborough slugs it out with Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Morrissey for the title. It really must be Attenborough. He's inspired and educated generations with great dignity and consistancy, never blotting his copybook with a Frog chorus like Macca, or even splitting up the Smiths. Mind you, as it's voted for by the public, creepy Ray from X-Factor could come in from nowhere to steal first place."

Obviously this person is not quite so enamoured of Morrissey as they have the cheek to refer to him as "Dame", and raved about David Attenborough. Oh well, we are all entitled to our own opinions, but, to borrow the lyrics of Thom Yorke on this occassion, and directed to the author, "when I am King, you will be first against the wall."

Any thoughts on these two little bits of press, other than confirmation that The Guardian really is quite far up it's own arse?

Or have you seen any other interesting references in the press this week?

 

[mspendl828]

Plus Marr split up the Smiths rather than young Steve, but that's a minor factual innacuracy I guess.

Bowie used to get called The Dame back in the day by certain sections of the press, didn't he?

 

[Kitty3780]

I didn't know Bowie was called "Dame", knew he was the thin white duke, along with his various characters. Hmmm. Recycling titles for artists seen as slightly off the wall, or alternative. I wonder what other tags will be applied to him, which have formally been associated with other artists.

 

[40 % Papier Mache]

Yes, I know it's terribly pretentious, but I do read The Guardian and in this weeks Guide, I noticed two mentions of Morrissey, which I thought I'd copy in for your reading pleasure...

1. Music Listings Section - page 29

"Never mind Manchester, this year it has become apparent just how much Morrissey has to answer for. Though his words have traditionally championed the struggles of the meek, his emotional honesty has also proved inspirational to the current wave of dreadful emo bands currently to be found inheriting the earth. A regrettable business, maybe, but this year has also been a year when Morrissey himself has continued to deliver the goods: a new album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors, consolidated the singer's fortunes that might have been seen to have begun with his You Are The Quarry album, while a new home in Italy seems to have brought out, after a fashion, his romantic side. Explosive kegs between his legs, these homecoming shows should prove eventful"

I suspect the author of that piece to be a closet fan as they have tried to be witty, whilst slating current music trends and "regrettably" using current and currently in the same sentance, which is surely lazy journalism? Aside from that they have picked up on the more romantic stylings on this album, though I personally do not believe Morrissey is more romantic now than he has been previously. He has written some wonderful "love" songs on all his albums, people just like to imagine he's a miserable sod who has never been in love, but that's just this unhumble girls opinion.

2. The Culture Show highlighted on TV Listings - page 57

"The lovely Verity Sharp returns to the Culture Show to present the results of their Greatest Living British Icon poll, and give the show the extra credibility that CD:UK's Lauren Laverne can't yet muster. Sir David Attenborough slugs it out with Sir Paul McCartney and Dame Morrissey for the title. It really must be Attenborough. He's inspired and educated generations with great dignity and consistancy, never blotting his copybook with a Frog chorus like Macca, or even splitting up the Smiths. Mind you, as it's voted for by the public, creepy Ray from X-Factor could come in from nowhere to steal first place."

Obviously this person is not quite so enamoured of Morrissey as they have the cheek to refer to him as "Dame", and raved about David Attenborough. Oh well, we are all entitled to our own opinions, but, to borrow the lyrics of Thom Yorke on this occassion, and directed to the author, "when I am King, you will be first against the wall."

Any thoughts on these two little bits of press, other than confirmation that The Guardian really is quite far up it's own arse?

Or have you seen any other interesting references in the press this week?

oh dear, you do take life a bit too seriously!

1 - is actually saying ROTT is a good album and is being entirely positive about morrissey.

2 - when i read that this saturday i chuckled! i thought "dame morrissey" was pretty funny, and endearing... and we all knew attenborough was going to be the most supported, that's why he won... you can't honestly expect the grauniad to have the same fanatical views about morrissey as us lot can you?

 

[Kitty3780]

Oh no, I take life very unseriously indeed, which is why I am always open for constructive criticism when it's well leveled. Too much time on my hands would probably have been more apt!

And yes, I also laughed at the Dame - for a minute there I thought he'd maybe been given a title in light of his fine service to the music industry!

 

[40 % Papier Mache]

Oh no, I take life very unseriously indeed, which is why I am always open for constructive criticism when it's well leveled. Too much time on my hands would probably have been more apt!

And yes, I also laughed at the Dame - for a minute there I thought he'd maybe been given a title in light of his fine service to the music industry!

hehe fair enough, one thing i will join in your vitriol on is when the press calls moz the "alan bennett" of pop... i bloody hate alan bennett, and his freaky relationship with thora hurd...

 

[Kitty3780]

one thing i will join in your vitriol on is when the press calls moz the "alan bennett" of pop... i bloody hate alan bennett, and his freaky relationship with thora hurd...

I must disagree with this... I simply adore Alan Bennett's writings as he is so down to earth and working class and I can visualise everything he says. I don't think the comparrason between the two is insulting on the level that they are both writing about the same kind of things - life and in a very emotional/honest manner, but not so much these days as Morrissey is moving in far grander circles now than he did when penning lyrics to Rusholme Ruffians. I think the press (and people generally) should stop saying "that person is like so and so" when they are both clearly totally different and unique. I doubt very much literary press refer to Alan Bennett as "the Morrissey of books".

By the way, if he is still having a relationship with Dame Thora Hird (she really was one you know), I'd consider that very freaky as she is well as truly dead.

You're not by any chance a southerner are you? That would explain the lack of Alan Bennett appreciation. I'm a southerner by birth, but I have northern soul!

 

[40 % Papier Mache]

By the way, if he is still having a relationship with Dame Thora Hird (she really was one you know), I'd consider that very freaky as she is well as truly dead.

You're not by any chance a southerner are you? That would explain the lack of Alan Bennett appreciation. I'm a southerner by birth, but I have northern soul!

i am a southerner... for my sins... on reflection i think it's more what alan bennett has become that i hate so much. looking back at his early work, i'm sure it's all good! it's just the cloying, self-satisfied, smug element of radio four dramas which i find so horrible.

i don't think they were ever "having a relationship" in that sense...after all mr bennett very much 'dances at the other end of the ballroom'. i just found the whole thing a bit tedious... she might have been a dame, but she was still a nasty old right wing thatcherite hag.

 

[Kitty3780]

mr bennett very much 'dances at the other end of the ballroom'.

Does he??!! I always believed he was more of an observer than a participant. Just like our glorious leader would have us believe, though I suspect Moz dances all the way accross the ballroom and back again, probably with flowers in his hands, waving them gaily like a 6 year old girl in a summer meadow.

Ah, a happy image!

I can't see Thora as witchlike, just as a normal woman. I might not agree with all her views, but I thought she was a reasonable actress and not a truly nasty human being. I have trouble seeing anyway as truly nasty though, I am too kind.

Except Thatcher, she stole my milk, the evil, warmoungering boot. I really, really do enjoy listening to "Margaret on the Guillotine"!