Fiona Dodwell: “Truth-Tellers Silenced” (December 29, 2023)

Another day, another Fiona piece…

Some nice new photos by Ryan Lowry included:

Second photo from Fiona Dodwell tweet (link posted by Famous when dead):

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UPDATE Dec. 31:

Slightly different color version posted by Juan / Instagram. Link posted by Famous when dead (original post):

 

[Eldritch]

I don't recall her saying anything about it, so we only have his side of the story, which has not been reliable

I do believe Miley sought him out, because she clearly has a thing for collaborating with old rock dudes (Flaming Lips, Billy Idol, John Travolta, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers...) And it's hard to imagine Morrissey reaching out to her. Anyway the way he has desperately clung on to a collaboration that Miley's people didn't want to happen is absolutely tragic and pathetic.

 

[Redacted]

I do believe Miley sought him out, because she clearly has a thing for collaborating with old rock dudes (Flaming Lips, Billy Idol, John Travolta, Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers...) And it's hard to imagine Morrissey reaching out to her. Anyway the way he has desperately clung on to a collaboration that Miley's people didn't want to happen is absolutely tragic and pathetic.

I tend agree, I have even said she will work with anyone from the 80s. I do wonder if they met at the studio and Moz suggested it tho, because his desperation to keep her on the track sort of suggests that possibility to me. Also, all his fawning over her when he told everyone live that it was her on the track led me to believe it could have been his idea. Even if it was his idea, I do believe she would be very enthusiastic about it, so that probably really got his hopes up. I could also see her as thinking this is a fun and easy way to work with another 80s artist and volunteering to do it. Either way- he needs to get over it.
We may never know the real story here, but that letter that was posted to twitter where he was basically begging to keep her on is super cringey.
Chrissie Hynde would sound so good on that song.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Yere...having people post positive stuff about you in a modern media world is never a good thing.

You cannot be that dumb...can you?

 

[Johnnie Ray]

the old high street outlet for buying magazines has moved to supermarkets,you can buy every magazine under the sun in tesco these days.there isnt the demand for musc magazines anymore,why pay over the odds for a mag when you can read most of the content online.

Viva Deadbeat?

 

[Johnnie Ray]

I tend agree, I have even said she will work with anyone from the 80s. I do wonder if they met at the studio and Moz suggested it tho, because his desperation to keep her on the track sort of suggests that possibility to me. Also, all his fawning over her when he told everyone live that it was her on the track led me to believe it could have been his idea. Even if it was his idea, I do believe she would be very enthusiastic about it, so that probably really got his hopes up. I could also see her as thinking this is a fun and easy way to work with another 80s artist and volunteering to do it. Either way- he needs to get over it.
We may never know the real story here, but that letter that was posted to twitter where he was basically begging to keep her on is super cringey.
Chrissie Hynde would sound so good on that song.

I agree with all that and I love your pic of Paul Westerberg who just had a birthday. Can you believe he was born in 1959, like Morrissey? He has remained cool and dignified. As for Chrissie Hynde, I am kind of sick of that battle axe. I like "Brass In Pocket" and thought she was cool when she was dating Ray Davies but I've always thought she was terrible overrated and boring.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Johnnie, you’re hilarious when you don’t even want to be! With your always slightly downtrodden, general disgruntled-ness. I hope for your sake that your dissatisfied complaints aren’t the only thing keeping you warm at night, lol!

Morrissey is an exceptional human on the inside - and quite scandalously delicious on the outside

Morrissey was...

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

You cannot be that dumb...can you?

Are you?

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

Are you suggesting that her pieces are positive? Every one of them is a rehash of the same old nonsense.

Didn't say she wasn't going over the same ground but she's positive for Moz.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I think many Morrissey fans still value integrity—and are happier to see career missteps represented as such. And not recovered for selfish, world class, arse-licking exercises.

Nobody expects Morrissey to be perfect. But few believe that fawning celebrations of his flaws will assist in returning him to greatness: it risks doing the opposite.

Fiona has me recalling the Aesop fable, The Ass & the Lap Dog—where the donkey sees the master enjoying the attention of a dog, and then (in a jealous effort to get a stroke) near kills him with a clumsy and stupid copy of the dog’s attentive behaviours.

Morrissey hasn't got that much longer as a performing artist. All the complaints won't matter in a few yrs.

 

[gordyboy9]

Viva Deadbeat?

whit,we dont use your americanisms where i come from,dead/beat,im watching the first 48 hours on the crime investigation channel,only thing i see are dead americans who are too trigger happy.
ray put the gun away,would be a good line in an M song.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

If he thinks it would have increased sales then he's delusional.

their association did get media coverage, I believe.

 

[BrokenFrame]

their association did get media coverage, I believe.

I won't dispute that.

 

[Seymour Glass]

She may Dodwell, but she certainly doesn't write well.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

True. Looks like having a gorgeous subject doesn’t hurt the effort!

I could be wrong, but what other present day music artist/band has their pictures taken outside Langston Hughes apt or under his street sign?

An original and I believe, genius move … only Morrissey.

All true, but very little of this is apparent in recent (non-)output like Kerouac's Crack, Notre-Dame, Sure Enough, I Am Veronica... And with him not giving interviews, not even to Sam or the Dodster, there is very little of Morrissey's genius to detect anywhere.

 

[Vesper Nocturne]

Morrissey was...

Love this song! And I love all previous Morrisseys like nobody’s business, but personally I wouldn’t trade current Morrissey for any previous Morrissey for all the money or love in the world

 

[Vesper Nocturne]

I could be wrong, but what other present day music artist/band has their pictures taken outside Langston Hughes apt or under his street sign?

An original and I believe, genius move … only Morrissey.

Yeah, I’m not the definitive authority on this point either but would assume the same.

Of course he’s always creative and moving forward, and he’s always thoughtful and inspired with any ideas he chooses to execute or proceed with.

I see him as a very adaptable person. And obviously he’s someone who always has a very clear vision of where he wants to go with whatever he’s doing/working on. These are fantastic characteristics to have, and i love that he does have them

 

[DaveJCarr]

I could be wrong, but what other present day music artist/band has their pictures taken outside Langston Hughes apt or under his street sign?

An original and I believe, genius move … only Morrissey.

It certainly speaks authentically to his taste, which for better or for worse when it comes to literary luminaries seems to be firmly ensconced in the early to mid half of the last century. Hughes is great, but I would love to know who among the figures carrying on the kind of artistic activism in the here-and-now Morrissey likes, or has even read. Yes it's a classic great picture, but it could be kind of speak to entrenched insistence on the greatness of the past.

 

[goinghome]

Those are great pictures, again.

The band definitely seems to be staying around for a longer period of time.

Print media is going the way of the Dodo. Have you seen the price of magazines these days? In the UK, there is literally only one high st outlet for magazines (WH Smiths) and they've reduced the number of mags they sell.

Yes, and no, check out https://printisdead.co/about

 

[DaveJCarr]

I didn't say we should discard or forget the past, merely that we ought not to be limited to it. Maya Angelou, Ta-nehasi Coates, Marcus Gardley June, Jordan, and Hanif Abdurraqib are a few of my favorites. I'm merely wondering which contemporary literary figures Morrissey likes, in the lineage of Hughes, Hansberry etc

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I didn't say we should discard or forget the past, merely that we ought not to be limited to it. Maya Angelou, Ta-nehasi Coates, Marcus Gardley June, Jordan, and Hanif Abdurraqib are a few of my favorites. I'm merely wondering which contemporary literary figures Morrissey likes, in the lineage of Hughes, Hansberry etc

Do you only read black authors?