Morrissey
Though Stephen Patrick Morrissey might not be in the best of health this morning (get well soon, Steve), the forty eight year old’s career is, despite some publication’s best attempts to sabotage it, in rather fine health itself at the moment. A new single and an imminent greatest hits package seemed a fine moment to reminisce on the man’s work, a process which commences immediately.
The son of a hospital porter and a librarian, Morrissey was raised in Manchester and as a child held a diverse range of interests, including sixties girl groups, Coronation Street and author Oscar Wilde. At school he was converted to the ways of rock by a 1972 T Rex concert and the city’s Belle Vue venue, eventually, thanks to the influence of his favourite band The New York Dolls, forming a punk band called the Nosebleeds (who once supported Magazine and were reviewed in the NME by Paul Morley), whom he fronted for the brief year of their existence. Jumping ship to front Slaughter and the Dogs, by this point Morrissey was also a published author, writing books on The New York Dolls, James Dean and B-Movie actors for Babylon Books.
His time as singer for Slaughter and the Dogs was again to be short lived, and it wasn’t until 1982 that Morrissey would find himself fronting another band, this time after a meeting with guitarist Johnny Marr. The two formed The Smiths and Morrissey for the first time decided to forgo the use of a first name, leaping from the punk rock stylings of his youth to crooning over Marr’s often desperately melancholic but always delightfully melodic jangles. Over the course of their four studio albums (including stone cold classic The Queen Is Dead), two compilation sets and one live LP, The Smiths established a reputation as one of the most important post punk bands of the eighties, garnering huge success in the UK, Ireland and Australia and a cult following across in the ‘States which continues avidly to this day. Yet due to musical differences involving Marr’s dislike of Morrissey’s fascination with sixties pop music (“I didn’t form The Smiths to play Cilla Black covers”, he once said), the band broke up in 1987, after a mere five years together.
Morrissey didn’t spend long out of the limelight, releasing his debut solo LP Viva Hate the following year. Along with the singles and b-sides compilation Bona Drag and the following full length proper Kill Uncle, Morrissey had established himself as a star in his own right, with top ten singles like ‘Every Day Is Like Sunday’ and ‘Suedehead’ charting higher than anything The Smiths ever put out on initial release.
His solo rise continued with what many consider to be Morrissey’s two finest albums, Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I, the former being nominated for a Grammy for best alternative album and the latter seeing the former Smith once again reach the top of the UK charts (a feat The Smiths only managed once, with second LP Meat Is Murder). Yet after the follow ups Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted were less well received critically and commercially, Morrissey, for the first time since 1982, went creatively quiet on us. He split with his label, and between 1999 and 2003 was an unsigned artist, battling with unfounded accusations of racism and being sued by former drummers. All this whilst being a celibate vegan, and moving to Los Angeles (though he now lives in Rome)
Skip forward to June 2003 however and you’ll find that Morrissey made a comeback big time, signing with Sanctuary Records, who gave him control of the one time reggae imprint Attack! Records to release a new album, You Are The Quarry, which went on to sell a million copies – making it his most successful record ever, solo or with The Smiths. Its 2006 follow up, Ringleader of the Tormentors, like its predecessor hit the top of the charts. The public had missed him.
And, it seems, he’d missed the public – a series of high profile festival appearances and runs at venues like London’s mammoth Earls Court saw Morrissey play the role of messianic musical figurehead as well as he ever had. February sees the release of his second Greatest Hits compilation, updated to include work from his rapturously received last two LPs.
MORRISSEY-SOLO.COM: Morrissey fans are obsessives. This becomes clear all too quickly, though this site is a wealth of information and debate.
MYSPACE.COM/MORRISSEY: All the usual pics, tourdates and streamable tracks, plus some MP3s for US customers to buy.
TRUE-TO-YOU.NET: A fansite so comprehensive, trustworthy and thorough that Morrissey doesn’t even deem it necessary to have an official one. He posts here himself, you know.
YOU ARE THE QUARRY: The big comeback assessed, lovingly.
IRISH BLOOD ENGLISH HEART: “His impact is so strong that a return in 2004 has been given more press-coverage than a potential Second Coming”… Said Toby L, in some press coverage.
FIRST OF THE GANG TO DIE: “Yet more marvellous reform”, deemed Matt Tomiak.
LET ME KISS YOU: Morrissey takes his tongue out of his cheek for a minute and puts it in someone else’s instead.
LIVE AT EARLS COURT / WHO PUT THE M IN MANCHESTER?: “should earn its place in any serious music fan’s collection with flawless, impassioned renditions of Smiths classics and prior Morrissey solo work”, said Joshua K. Shame it’s a way off til Christmas really.
YOU HAVE KILLED ME: He does this ‘comeback’ thing pretty well – this was the first single from Ringleader…
I JUST WANT TO SEE THE BOY HAPPY: “I’ve often enjoyed the way that Morrissey just gets a track and uses it as a way to say the stuff he wants to be heard, whatever words those might be…” said Charlie Potter – this single was another fine instance of just that.