Today is Morrissey's birthday.
I'm sure he's depressed about it.
Rarely does a band exist that transcends decades and milestones in your life. Sure I liked Duran Duran in the 80's but I get a little cringy when I hear them now. And if I do listen, it's with the windows up so no one else can hear. And I still love my DEVO, but I am among the few. The Smiths however were cool and are cool and they have stuck with me for a long time. I loved them in college. After college. During married life. After my first child. After my second child and yes even today.
There are several reasons to love Morrissey and more specifically The Smiths, but one of the biggest is for the song titles. I've often thought it would make for a good Sgt. Peppers-like movie to create a plot based on their song titles.
Girlfriend In A Coma
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
The Headmaster Ritual
Oscillate Wildly
Barbarism Begins at Home
Meat is Murder
Frankly Mr. Shankly
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Somewhere among those titles is the beginning, middle and an end to the most original and most brilliant movie script ever written.
Nice post. Here are a few more
ReplyDelete-Stop Me if you think that you've heard this one before.
-The Boy with a thorn in his side
-We hate it when our friends become successful
God how I despise Morrissey. Whiny, self-indulgent, and far too inspired by his own press.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right, but he makes good music.
ReplyDeleteNobody likes you Ray.
ReplyDeleteKidding.
I have to agree with Pat though. He's a bit whiny and an asshole but the guy makes good music.
He does???? I think his music is the most boring kind of eighties jangle rock.
ReplyDeleteThe funniest thing I ever heard said about Morrissey was "all he needs is a hamburger and a good fuck".
ReplyDeleteThat's always stayed with me as definitive.
(By the way, the Brit miniseries "Blackpool" [soon to be remade for us 'Mericans by ABC] featured a wonderful musical number set to "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side".)
A good fuck from whom? Morrissey is said to be A sexual.
ReplyDeleteA good fuck from ~anyone~...at least I think that was the implication.
ReplyDeleteNext you're going to tell me he was a vegetarian. ;-)
(I like your talkbacks Piper. They're full of piss and vinegar, which I'm told makes a good salad dressing.)
I always liked "You're The One For Me, Fatty" from his solo career.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I had a friend return from a trip to the UK when I was a freshman in college with a CD single for me that held a ton of impact for me for years to come. That song was "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty."
Can't believe I missed this post so long ago. Morrissey is one of my absolute favorites.