Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Top Ten Morrissey Video Fashion Moments


First, a few words on our current situation:


Go Vegan.




Life seems indefinable these days: a kind of mass of immobile time, uncertainty, and for many of us these days feel analogous to nothing. With the world suspended and hanging, it’s been an unwelcome and depressing life change for me, as someone whose favourite escapes are concerts and travel, with the majority of my friends living in other cities and countries, and the fact I remain wedged in an unfavourable living situation. Still, many others have it far, far worse: those who have become ill or lost loved ones, and those who have lost employment or their homes.

And yet, with chaos reigning, and politicians, as always, making questionable or reactionary decisions, for the most part there is an absence. This absence echoes down the screaming walls of the abattoir, and it turns away from the searing moments of terror animals must feel when crammed in cages, fighting for their lives, in the hell-on-earth wet markets of China. This absence rolls through the ocean's shores as discarded masks and gloves poison whales and turtles and marine life, and it lurks in forests where bats and pangolins are ‘culled’ merely for the assumed crime of their own existences; for, even our ‘solutions’ perpetually wreak more havoc on other animals and their ecosystems. The absence, of course, is the lack of human reflection on speciesism, the devastating bullet of narcissistic greed which will, ironically, lead to our very own demise.

Why has there been so little focus on the cause of this pandemic? Because these are big money industries? Because of 'tradition' or misbeliefs about protein? But people are dying... now is not the time, some say. But is this not precisely why now is the time to address that our continued exploitation of animals is wrecking the planet, destroying other species, and ruining ourselves? Considering the level of destruction, very few are uttering this truth. News outlets hardly touch on it ... the fact that 75% of infectious diseases are zoonotic – and are typically caused by human ravagement and consumption of other animals. If we want change, we have to reflect – and soon – on our own behaviours, and transitioning to a vegan diet is the most powerful tool we have. 

Morrissey has been advocating for animals for decades, trying to open our eyes to the horrifying mistreatment of animals in China, the pointless culling of seals in Canada, and the barbaric hellscape of factory farms. Often, he has been criticized and even defamed for his stance, but has bravely continued on being a voice for the voiceless. The simple truth is that animals want to live their lives just as much as we do, and have a right to their own lives. A few other musicians have also spoken out recently: Paul McCartney, who has been a vocal vegetarian for years, and now Brian May, who has switched to a vegan diet this year.  Still... the general silence of others on the root cause of this pandemic hangs ominously.


Do you care?
What will make you care?
Now is the time for change.


Via Peta


Art is life

With the current world looming so heavily, I’ve tried to seek solace in books and music. It’s undoubtedly been a difficult time, but these are the riches of the poor. Life is dragging and these are the greatest escapes I have access to ... so I immerse myself as much as I can, along with a few visits to my local duck friends.

Will time never pass for us?

And – at this point my blog will take a more lighthearted turn ...

For, as I was watching Morrissey videos and sipping wine one evening, I began to muse on all the fantastic fashion moments Moz has had over the years. A man of exquisite natural style and good looks, he also has incredibly good taste when it comes to his aesthetic. Thus, I decided to try and kickstart my currently rather wilted energies and channel them into the high-focused task of creating a Top Ten List of Morrissey’s greatest video fashion moments. I am of course, lamentably bad at ordering my top ten lists, and feel that on any given day my order for this may change, but ...

Let’s begin!



Top 10 Morrissey Video Fashion Moments




10. Glamorous Glue


This look is anything but shyness-is-nice, and Morrissey oozes high-intensity glam in a dazzling gold button up shirt. The shirt almost has a foil-like or holographic appearance, and he ties the look up nicely with blue jeans and a turquoise ring. It's a bit Elvis, and a taste of rock n roll deluxe. Leaving the studio, he opts for a more subdued, classic ensemble, and catches the eye of a very shy but lucky kitty.


*all screenshots via Youtube



9. Irish Blood, English Heart


Morrissey is unique in that he exudes both angelic levels of beauty and swoon-inducing elements of sexiness. At once rugged and beautiful, this aesthetic particularly comes through in this video shoot, where a white blazer and shirt cut elegant lines, complimenting his fantastic powered-by-plants physique. Charcoal trousers complete the elegant look.





8. I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris


Monochromatic becomes monumental in Paris, as Morrissey dons a deep blue ruffled shirt and dark blue jeans, accessorized with a handmade-looking beaded blue and amber necklace, all of which bring out his blue eyes (smoked up with a touch of shadow). He croons “nobody wants my love” with flashes of silver tambourine as pageant pugs dash about underfoot, and the band looks 1950's sharp in cuffed jeans and white tees, while Boz handily rocks double denim.







7. Tomorrow


More from France, as Morrissey makes the winding streets of Nice his own runway. How to make smart casual iconic? Mozzer achieves just that, pairing a simple checked button up shirt and jeans, proving he can dazzle just as much in less glitzy numbers. It’s a very inviting style, topped off with his fantastic quiff, and he’s got a cat-like quality as he prowls the streets. Good looking man about town, indeed!





6. All You Need Is Me


More Years of Refusal-era Moz, complete with tambourine, and yet again resplendent in blue. Morrissey’s fetching v-neck sweater, accented with little tropical flowers, fits his form scrumptiously, and the slightly distressed jeans he’s wearing are perfect vintage. Always one for attention to detail, the rosary and gold necklace round the look off nicely. Muy handsome devil!





5. Dagenham Dave


A little bit tough, and little bit sophisticated – Morrissey marries the two perfectly – combining faux-scars and olive cargo pants with a dapper black jacket and crisp white shirt – and the effect is devastatingly striking. Moz walks all over town, and into the tavern, with the cheeky devil even interrupting a pool game! Do the Daves, Sharons, and Karens of the world stand a chance? He’s just too good-looking!



Cheeky!


4. Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up On The Stage


Here we have Moz at his most swoonworthy, decked out in a grey Gucci seersucker suit, embroidered with a butterfly on the sleeve. He wears the jacket open at the chest, which is a romantic look on him, and it’s clear veganism keeps him looking very dashing! As he dances, strands of rosaries dangle from his back pockets which is one of his trademark stage looks. Meanwhile, the band is wearing sky blue silk pyjamas that are a tad Bollywood meets Sgt. Pepper’s.





3. Morning Starship


Filmed just last year in Toronto during Morrissey’s triumphant return to the stages of Canada, Morning Starship expresses the live concert experience with an ethereal, otherworldly feel. Moz shows his exquisite knack for accessorizing and texturizing with his wardrobe: wearing a sleek black jacket embroidered with a sparkling peacock, a Chilean “rodeo no es deporte” T-shirt cut at the neck, and black jeans; the look is completed with a duck pin and skull rosary.





2. November Spawned a Monster


Writhing Moz in the desert is deliciously high fashion! Perhaps one of Morrissey’s most iconic videos, November arrives with Mozzer wearing a sheer black shirt and slim-cut trousers with sand-savvy brown boots. Again, he pays attention to Morrissey-esque detailing with a small hearing aide and a bandaged nipple!






1. Spent The Day in Bed


With 2017’s release of Low In High School came lead single and video Spent The Day in Bed, which features Morrissey being wheeled out in a wheelchair by footballer Joey Barton. While Morrissey remains seated for the entire video, he is anything but a wallflower, decked out in a sparkling black sweater and velvety-looking trousers. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the zip-up sweater, while not button-up, is indeed a cardigan, which is my fave Moz fashion look. Why pamper life’s complexity when the fabric runs smooth on the cardigan sleeve?: the relaxed becomes dazzling with this ensemble.






Honorary mention. Dare we? We dare!

Bonus: I Have Forgiven Jesus


I’m not sure it’s appropriate to find a priest quite so handsome, but Morrissey looks captivating in a priest’s collar and robe walking under brooding grey skies. The video itself is soul wrenching yet simultaneously strangely amusing (perhaps because of the priest outfit?) ... I'm not sure why, so I won't try to explain.





I hope taking a peek at some Morrissey fashion moments with me has brought a bit of distraction to your life, as writing it has given me a bit of a lift. I feel Morrissey truly does have incredibly good taste, and his ability to mix casual pieces with elegant ones, accessorize, and coordinate patterns and textures speaks to how diverse his artistic ability is, as fashion is also an art form. At the beginning of a new tour, I am always excited to see what his wardrobe will be, and I hope later in the year we will have an opportunity to make more great memories.


Before I sign off, I'll leave you with a link to an interview I recently had the pleasure of working on with the site Letters to Morrissey. Here is an excerpt:

What resonates between you and Morrissey?

I think Morrissey is a truly authentic individual – he speaks of both the outer and inner world as he sees and feels them. There is a lot of forced positivity crammed down our throats in life, and I find THAT depressing, so to me it is strange when people consider Morrissey’s music to be “a downer” or whatever nonsense people who don’t get him say. One of the things I love most about Morrissey is that he isn’t afraid to say things like “life is a pigsty,” “the world is full of crashing bores,” or “earth is the loneliest planet.” To me, that is extremely liberating... and with that honesty, he has moments of hope and humour woven through his lyrics and writing. His views on life resonate with me, and I think he captures so brilliantly the complexity of human emotion in a world that can be very abrasive to the sensitive spirit.



Morrissey in Vancouver, 2019


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, 20 March 2020

I Am Not A Dog On A Chain: A Review


For the album review, skip to the boldened heading below...







Oh has the world changed or have I changed?

I would like to go back to February 14th of this year, which was probably the last time I felt fully serene. A dreaded sunny day, I decided to visit the old Victorian Gothic cemetery across town. The air was crisp and cool, but low winter sunlight wavered through the trees, and my only company was gentle deer grazing and curled up against time-worn tombstones. Rare contentment. Walking amongst weathered angels, Cemetry Gates danced through my consciousness, and I thought of how I would soon be visiting the tombs of Oscar and Jim at Pere Lachaise, and Sartre and de Beauvoir at Montparnasse. Those were side trips though, because the true reason I was going to Paris, Cologne, and London, was to see Morrissey.


Cemetery deer


Days passed; the core became ruffled... uncertainty began trickling in, in waves of nauseating confusion, as an illness known as coronavirus, which previously seemed distant, existing mostly in China and man-made, floating, germ-ridden petri dishes of gluttony known as cruise ships, took hold in Northern Italy. Days held their breath and groaned with stress, and on social media I muted everything to do with the words “corona” and “covid-19,” somehow telling myself that if I hid from the world news, it could never possibly find me. One morning, a friend texted me a map of Germany, marked with a big red area, throbbing like a scab: that’s the most infected part of Germany, she said. It’s also where Cologne is located. Oh.

France’s numbers, too, were beginning to take off. Countries began discussion of setting up quarantine facilities and cancelling large events. Even borders could be shut down. Muting everything was not working. The media, as always, drove further hysteria, as unbridled panic undoubtedly brings more clicks and clacks. During such frenzy, it is hard to know who to trust, or how to decipher exactly how dire a situation truly is, particularly if one is overseas: Do you trust journalists? Do you trust governments?

So, I began packing... slowly... while nursing dwindling glimmers of hope, for it would not be long until I gazed into Morrissey’s blue eyes once more, and it would not be long until new songs graced my ears for the first time. PARIS BANS EVENTS OF OVER 5000. I deleted social media. And reinstalled it. GERMANY TALKS OF BANNING MAJOR EVENTS. And deleted it. 24 hours before our flights to Europe were to depart, working on limited funds in a world that was seemingly against us, my friends and I made a down-to-the-wire decision: not to go. It was not my gut instinct, for my gut instinct, of course, is to follow my heart, and not the whims of governments. However, Europe seemed to be falling into disarray, and I had the back up plan that I would go to Morrissey’s gigs the following week, in New York City, where I felt my odds were better stacked, with smaller venues, in a less affected part of the world. After all, New York is the “city that never sleeps.”

I did not play the odds wisely, and now find myself in a daily quicksand of (predictable) self-loathing and regret, fuelled by hindsight’s 20/20 glare. While Paris was cancelled due to government orders, Cologne and London did squeak in, just barely. New York has also now banned large events. Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.


Morrissey in London
by manal.dancer on IG


Meanwhile, I will carry on like most others, lost in befuddlement over an impossible global situation, personally questioning the actions of governments, as my thoughts disappear into a void that likely few would want to hear anyways. One thing I am certain of, however, is that we can only expect situations like this to reoccur as long as the exploitation of animals continues. If barbaric, cruel practices such as wildlife markets and factory farming carry on, they will ultimately lead to our demise, and the demise of the planet itself. If humans could only believe the truth - that other species have a right to their own lives - we might actually stand a chance.



The album review:



In the midst of all this – we have something to keep us going – and that is that Morrissey has released a new record: his thirteenth studio album, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain.





I Am Not A Dog On A Chain is precisely the album the world needs right now, which may sound like a bold statement, but... art that feeds the mind, heart, and questioning spirit is, for many of us, the vital force that inspires us to continue through dark times. It’s the bite, the rubber ring we can hold onto when everything else sinks, disappoints, and discourages. Good art, I think, ought to be both daring and freeing. Morrissey is perhaps the last – possibly the only – creator of his kind in this sense, when it comes to modern, popular music.

Hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly.

I Am Not A Dog On A Chain opens with the aggressive, thunderous, electronic pulse of Jim Jim Falls, which is somewhat of a sonic departure for Morrissey. “At Jim Jim Falls, I falled in love, at Jim Jim Falls, I’ve felled up from hell,” he sings, his voice smooth against distorted synths and metallic echoing percussion. “If you’re gonna jump then jump, Don’t think about it...” his voice remains nearly calming, yet the powerful words bite. Describing the protagonist’s internal battle, that strange-yet-familiar ambivalence towards suicide, the torment of living inside one’s chattering head, Morrissey conveys the suicidal person’s self doubts, where action, whether by jumping, living, or singing could be release from a circular, never-ending mental battle. Instrumentally, the track is as forceful and de-realizing as the existential dilemma itself: a fist full of sound to kick off the album and engage the listener.



Morrissey in Vancouver, 2019


The otherworldly Love Is On Its Way Out is next, opening with raindrops of intricate keyboard riffs. “Did you see the headlines? Did you see the grablines? Did you see the nerve gas... children crying... did you see the sad rich, hunting down, shooting down elephants and lions?” In one verse, Morrissey describes a soulless modern life: a world built on fear, and monetization of distress, violence, and greed. The song climbs towards a full, climactic crescendo, and the human condition, that feeling of aloneness and wanting to be loved, in spite of living in a world devoid of love, is expressed in that Morrissey-esque way, comforting the misfit heart: “But before it goes... before it goes... do you have the time to show me... What’s it like? What’s it like?...Oh take time, be mine... and Gaze with fondness on... the wrong one.” “The wrong one” – self deprecating, lovelorn, and loveable at once.

Bobby Don’t You Think They Know is a back-alley underworld soul ride through the life of a singer who is hiding his “torture down below” in a drug-addled haze. You may need an urban dictionary to keep up with the terms: Bobby is not merely dabbling. Featuring vocals with R&B power Thelma Houston, Morrissey harmonizes in velvet tones, and the tune is catchy, with sparkling, urgent keyboards, lush dark chords, soulful saxophones, and a Doorsy organ solo. Oh what layered lives we lead, and oh the things we try to hide.


Thelma and Moz
via thelmahoustonofficial IG


Title track I Am Not A Dog On A Chain has a light, poppy feel, juxtaposed with thought-provoking vocals. A call for critical thinking and being one’s own person in a world that imposes just the opposite, Moz, who is no wallflower when it comes to voicing his own views (and I love that about him) beseeches us again to “stop watching the news,” speak our own truths, and “open up” our “nervous mouth[s]”. His voice switches from playful and lilting, to crooning, dark, and commanding throughout the song, as do the instrumentals. Some sage advice: “I do not read newspapers, they are troublemakers. Listen out for what’s not shown to you and there you find the truth.”

What Kind Of People Live In These Houses features jangly acoustic guitars and a touch of twangy pedal steel. Lyrically, it has a slight kitchen sink feel, the poetics of the mundane - describing various everyday people, some even wearing “proper trousers.” Nuances of Irish Blood, English Heart’s “sick to death of Labour and Tories” stir, as Morrissey questions how much thought goes into the home dwellers' political views: “they vote the way they vote, they don’t know how to change... because their parents did the same.” ... And I can’t help but think of how very true and unfortunate this observation is. He continues with, “they look at television thinking it’s their window to the world,” his pronunciation of “te-le-vision” slightly mocks, and tells another modern truth of the frozen state many people find themselves in (or perhaps don’t find themselves in: do they ever consider that there is a life to be lived elsewhere?). Finally, Morrissey gives up on the crashing bores with a resigned... “who cares what people live in these houses?”


Morrissey at the Hollywood Bowl, 2019


Knockabout World has 90’s synth vibes but mixes retro with futuristic sounds, complimented with cascading guitar riffs. The world is a boxing match, pummelling us, knocking us about, so full of herd-minded bullies and cancel culture drones constantly forbidding us to be ourselves: “they tried to turn you into a public target.” In spite of this ongoing battle, as we also see with Love Is On It’s Way Out, Morrissey remains at heart a romantic: “I’d kiss your lips off any day” and “you’re okay by me.” It’s a catchy, satisfying song.

Morrissey digs into his 60’s girl group influences with Darling, I Hug A Pillow, which along with Jim Jim Falls and Bobby Don’t You Think They Know, is one of my favourite tracks on the record. It’s a touch motown, and a touch Paper Dolls, accented with ethereal female backing vocals and latin-flare trumpets. Darling is a yearning for physical love, capturing the ache of longing while being seductively sweet, and yes, even a tad naughty: “no longer keeping secret your secret place.” Morrissey’s “darling I’s” on the outro are ultra dreamy!


The Paper Dolls

Once I Saw The River Clean boasts an upbeat, resonating electronic sound, with heartbeat rolling tom and bass drums, and strings later in the piece add elements of old-world patina. The song has a storytelling aura, describing neighbourhood walks with grandmother down familiar Manchester roads, past graves, gardens, and the gaze of savage youth, contrasting coming-of age-with aging, innocence with anticipation. Time’s tide reflects: “She would never be again... a Dublin dancer free and young.” It is a window into memory.

Newer and older instrumentation’s marriage finds its home once more in The Truth About Ruth, which lures us with soft rolling piano, and swells into a haunting tapestry of distorted electric guitar, mandolin, minor chords, and eerie operatics; it’s hybrid natural and synthetic. Ornate medieval and baroque characteristics add to the drama of the track, which tells the tale of Ruth, who is John, struggling to stay grounded in a binary-gendered world: “the life you lead, straightforward and bland. Everything happens according to plan. But some people fight just to take root. In a world ill-equipped for the truth about Ruth.”

The longest track on the album, spanning nearly 8 minutes, is The Secret Of Music, an experimental, textured collage of sound, and it’s quite structurally and sonically different than any other Morrissey track I can think of. His voice mesmerizes, both crystal clear and seductive, and the lyrics flow smoothly, like stream of consciousness writing. Muted trumpets, creeping clarinets, and Hendrix-esque guitars carry the listener on a dynamic journey, weaving one into the experience of sound. It’s reminiscent of late 60’s experimentalism, and it’s ultra-trippy, with sound effects that uncover themselves anew with each listen, including boomerang wind whips, laughter, and strange voices akin to almost-there radio signals.


Morrissey wearing vintage trousers in Calgary


The closing song, My Hurling Days Are Done, soothes like a lullaby, while lamenting the passing of time and its crimes all at once. It seems to be Morrissey’s reflection on aging, and the loneliness of this very human experience of trying to accept and understand how one goes from child, to adult, to older-age. The same time that blossoms us, also jades us with experience, and while we are worn down somewhat, much of our spirit remains the same and struggles to make sense of it all; it transfixes. The lyrics express the vulnerability of being at the mercy of time, which will “send you an invoice. And you pay with your strength and your legs and your sight and your voice.” And yet... I sense defiance, because it’s damn brave to talk openly about these things.


And this is why the world needs Morrissey, and why he still has so much to say. It is hard, beyond hard, to find authenticity in a society dominated by social media, clickbait journalism, and out of touch celebrities and politicians. The modern world feels soulless, clinical, isolated and disturbingly - it seems to gleefully feed off panic, greed, and our gnawing unhappiness – yet somehow – we aren’t allowed to speak about such angst or frustration. The part of me that feels guilty for checking out from the news, and curling myself into the little space in my head at times, also knows this is survival instinct for the overthinker and the overfeeler. Because, at some point, how can you not feel overwhelmed?

I Am Not A Dog On A Chain draws us into a cathartic world of music, a world where we can find our own voices. Like any good art, it challenges us – covering every topic from trophy hunting, to suicide, to gender identity, to unrequited desire, to aging. Yet with these challenges, the album comforts, because we feel heard and spoken to as thoughtful, intelligent, feeling individuals.

I want to not feel alone, and when I put a Morrissey record on, I again remember I am not alone.




Posted by at 2 comments:

Thursday, 16 January 2020

Bobby Don't You Think They Know New York

January is a lulling month, with skies and pavement reflecting each other’s dismal grey, so to break up the monotony, I thought it would be a good time to book a trip to New York and visit some Moz friends. Waking up in Brooklyn the morning after crossing the continent cramped and crammed into two economy class flights, my first delight was a purring peaches and cream kitty nestled beside me, and then, upon checking notifications on my phone, my next delight was discovering that a snippet of a new Morrissey single was circulating the net. Stale jetlag evaporating in an instant, I fumbled with my phone for that heart-surging initial listen and Bobby Don’t You Think They Know graced my ears (and the kitty’s) for the first time.


Morrissey on Broadway, photo by me


 And oh, what perfect timing to be visiting a tour friend for the release, as decades fall away and we are suddenly oozing teenage excitement because how can we not? By mid-afternoon, the entire track is available to stream, much to our enraptured screams. With each listen of Bobby, another new layer is uncovered.

Featuring R&B powerhouse Thelma Houston, Bobby Don’t You Think They Know is the first single from Morrissey’s upcoming album I Am Not A Dog On A Chain. The song opens with a catchy keyboard riff, higher notes pushing forward with sparkling urgency, whilst underneath lush dark chords resonate. Darkness and light expound first phrases, and well, we wonder, “what is this song about?” Morrissey’s smooth voice invites us into Bobby’s dark underworld: “ice, blow, spikes, snow... Bobby don’t you think they know?” He’s forceful, but then, he softens, “aren’t you... tired of... pretending? I know, you’re tortured... below.” Man, Bobby is going through it and it’s heavy.



Thelma and Morrissey (via thelmahoustonofficial Instagram)


Then, Thelma joins in and the harmonizing begins. Their voices work well together: Morrissey’s silky smooth vocals blend, balance, and drive mesmerizingly with Houston’s nimble yet controlled phrasing. It’s elegant and plucky at once. While the tune is definitely keyboard-based, guitars and bass, with gritty-city distortion cradle the keys nicely, and add texture to the track. For anyone unversed in druggie-slang, you’ll pick it up here, as Bobby has been more than merely dabbling, trying to mask his “torture down below” with a cocktail of uppers and downers. An organ solo adds vintage flair, a bit of late 60’s a la Doors, and builds with Houston’s gospel rock vocal accents into streetwise vibrato-driven baritone and tenor saxophones. Bobby is a truly textured musical piece, simultaneously dark, smooth, heavy – and showcases Morrissey’s uncanny ability to fabric a short story - a life - within a pop song; his lyrics always leave us wanting more and wondering more.





Undoubtedly, the release of a new Morrissey single added an extra spring in my step whilst pounding the shoe-worn pavements of Brooklyn, and, combined with the news (unveiled back in December) that Morrissey is planning another May New York residency, this time at the Harlem Apollo, there lingers a certain sparkle in NYC air. My friend and I decided to tackle the subways up to Harlem, taking in cultural sites and a quick glimpse at the legendary Apollo, which stands with dramatic anticipation amongst the bustle of street vendors and dusky lights.


Harlem at Dusk by me

New York is one of those cities that breathes art, culture, inspiration, and as a place where such divine, revolutionary literature and music are birthed, it has been an influential city for Morrissey. Even buildings and subways throb struggle-art, art-struggle, as well as a certain edginess that evokes and erupts cultural shift to anyone who is paying attention. So, my visit did bring to mind some of Morrissey’s New York influences, and while I’m sure I’m missing many (do forgive), I thought I’d touch on some here:




1. The New York Dolls



via Esquire

Well, obviously! The Dolls were one of those bands decades ahead of their time, and struck young Morrissey like otherworldly lightning. Forcing open the lock-and-key of gender-specific fashion, with hair teased to the skies, they shocked any “basic” who even glanced their way, and they merged sultry pout with aggressive snarl both in appearance and sound. Morrissey has described them as “the mafia of rock and roll” (Face, 1985) and “the band who completely destroyed and changed my life” (Mozipedia). “At last I am someone!” (Autobiography – of which pages 68-75 may remind you of just how much the Dolls mean to Mozzer).


Teenage Moz in a Dolls tee via Pinterest

Morrissey ran the Dolls fan club in the 1970’s, and published a short book, The New York Dolls in 1981. Most astoundingly, he facilitated the band’s reunion in 2004 for his Meltdown festival, documented in the film New York Doll, featuring the story of bassist Arthur Kane, who tragically passed away only a few weeks later. In 2006, Morrissey covered the Dolls’ Human Being.

Morrissey, on the New York Dolls (via Louder ThanWar):

“They looked and sounded sensational. The lyrics had a fantastic rat-a-tat-tat spit to them, and the retching sound of Thunder’s guitar sounded completely unique to me. I was completely hooked – and I still am. Love at first sight. Or sound.”



2. Lou Reed



via Rolling Stone

Morrissey first saw NYC-born Reed live in 1972, where he was captivated by Reed’s unique poetic rock and being: “Lou Reed is unimpressed by applause, and lives a life detached from custom. His stare is cold and his romanticism is brutal. His songs are half-sung melodies of menace. He might drop dead any second, and is therefore the real thing.” (Autobiography). In 2013, Morrissey covered Reed track Satellite Of Love. Reed’s disregard for any notion of imposed societal ‘rules’ and misfit mystique must have spoken to Morrissey, and he chose the Velvet Underground’s The Black Angel’s Death Song amongst his Desert Island discs. After Reed’s death, Morrissey wrote on True To You:

“No words to express the sadness at the death of Lou Reed. He had been there all of my life. He will always be pressed to my heart. Thank God for those, like Lou, who move within their own laws, otherwise imagine how dull the world would be. I knew the Lou of recent years and he was always full of good heart. His music will outlive time itself. We are all timebound, but today, with the loss of liberating Lou, life is a pigsty.”



3. The Ramones


Ramones on Subway Train by Bob Gruen

Formed in Queens, the Ramones soon impressed young Morrissey with their blitz blast of raw punk songs. In a 2012 interview, Morrissey remarked that his “love for the Ramones would out-live time itself. And it shall. Well, it virtually has already. If the Ramones were alive today, they’d be the biggest band in the world. It takes the world 30 years to catch on, doesn’t it?” and in 2014, Morrissey curated a Ramones compilation. Two years, later, in 2016, Morrissey covered Judy is a Punk at a Brooklyn concert, later releasing the song on Low in High School Deluxe Edition. He also often uses photos of the Ramones as stage backdrops.



4. James Baldwin


Baldwin in Harlem via The New York Times

Harlem-born writer and social activist Baldwin has greatly inspired Morrissey, and in Autobiography he writes of seeing Baldwin from afar in a Barcelona hotel in 1986:

“He is weathered and intense, absorbed in his own thoughts, with a face there could never be enough time to describe. I drink him in, but can do no more. I pin so much prestige to James Baldwin that to risk approach places my life on the line; I’d hang myself at any glimmer of rejection. History books overlook James Baldwin because he presented an unvarnished view of the American essence – as blunt and rousing as print would allow. His public speeches were intoxicating, his motivational palette of words so full of fireworks that you smile as you listen – not because of humor, but because he was so good at voicing the general truth, with which most struggled. His liking for male flesh gave the world the perfect excuse to brush him aside as a social danger, and he was erased away as someone who used his blackness as an excuse for everything. In fact, his purity scared them off, and his honesty ignited irrational fear in an America where men were draped with medals for killing other men yet imprisoned for loving one another. Pitifully, on this Barcelona day, I do not have the steel to approach Baldwin, because I know very well that I will jabber rubbish, and that his large, soulful eyes will lower at someone ruefully new to the game. Shortly thereafter, he is dead.”

Morrissey’s website, Morrissey Central, features Baldwin’s image and quote, “artists are here to disturb the peace” on the homepage, and his stage backdrops also often feature Baldwin.



 Of course, there are so many influential New York artists, it is impossible to discuss them all within a short blog post, but certainly artists like singer and poet Patti Smith (while not born in NY, much of her artistic foundation formed during the NYC punk movement; Morrissey was completely spellbound by Horses on first listen in 1976) and drag artist John Epperson aka Lypsinka (also not NY-born, but whose career catapulted off Broadway in the 80’s) feature prominently in Morrissey’s faves.

It is clear that New York holds a special place in Morrissey’s heart and numerous successful residencies and memorable gigs also attest to how adored he is in the city. I feel beyond fortunate to have seen him 8 times in NYC, once at Madison Square Garden, and 7 times at Lunt-Fontanne, and hope with every ounce of my being to see him in NY again later this year.

For now, I’ll leave you with a distinctly Morrissey New York “Fashion moment,” where he exudes dapper and sporty in an embroidered Gucci Yankees jacket:


Via alisonmartino on Instagram



Special thanks to #teamsnuggles
and my 'NY correspondents'
@basia_ana and @butihatepepperoni
for their copious cultural know-how

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)