Fiona Dodwell: "How Morrissey outran The Smiths (and why his critics will never admit it)" (February 18, 2021)

How Morrissey outran The Smiths (and why his critics will never admit it)

Excerpt:

"There’s an emergence of voices rising from the rotting grave of political correctness lately, in a feeble attempt to somehow make Morrissey’s art into nothing more than a shadow of The Smiths. In reality though, to many, he was the beating heart of the much-loved 80s quartet and unlike his bandmates, he became so much more.
There are many voices online using the tired old trope, “I won’t listen to Morrissey because I don’t agree with his views, but I’ll always have The Smiths.” If this sentiment were limited only to the dull echo chambers of anonymous social media users, it might not be so bad. Yet it does not stop there."





Regards,
FWD.

---

Now linked to by Central:

APPRAISAL - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - APPRAISAL

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[Deleted member 28251]

Not yet then. Apparently this is an "appraisal"...

https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/appraisal

.

Christ.

 

[Solo So Low]

Oh dear, what a witless assessment if ever there was one.

Listen up, this is how the script will go in the annals of music in 25 years time:
"The Smiths were epic, constant re-issues, forgotten live gigs issued ad infinitude and every lost demo remixed and acknowledgements of genius from all and sundry, forever.
Oh, and he did a few solo albums, nothing to bother yourself with there, oh and he went a bit, erm alt right, so back to The Smiths..."

The Smiths are a heritage act, condemned to be forever lionised, solo stuff, what solo stuff?!

If you were in a legendary band whilst "young" that's what gets remembered. Just look at rock music history. I love Lou Reed solo career but really, it's The Velver Underground. I love John Lennon solo but come on, what about his first band? Many other examples obviously, you can't outrun or outlast your early vital work - rock music is a young persons creative arena, the young have always owned it, I know artists work on into their 70's and 80's but really it's the songs they wrote in their 20's that made them memorable and vital, OK with you Mick and Keith, etc...?

You heard it hear first kids, sorry to disappoint but the solo years will be a mere footnote. Sadly.

 

[joe frady]

Christ.

í had an 'appraisal' at my work. Didn't read like that...

.

 

[George Michael fan]

I don’t think there’s a single person on earth jealous of Fiona Dodwell.

People might not be jealous of Fiona Dodwell as a human being. However, I believe that they might be jealous of her closeness to Morrissey and her place in the Morrissey fan community.

Fiona Dodwell is a well known respected journalist and she is very skilled at what she does. I admire her.

 

[Verso]

People might not be jealous of Fiona Dodwell as a human being. However, I believe that they might be jealous of her closeness to Morrissey and her place in the Morrissey fan community.

Fiona Dodwell is a well known respected journalist and she is very skilled at what she does. I admire her.

To Morrissey, she's a useful idiot. To the "fan community," she's nearly unanimously ridiculed. "Well-known" and "respected" and "journalist" are not words that anyone would use to describe her.

Are you Fiona?

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit .777]

BGVelcro :skinny spokesperson for the 'fan community'
maybe he was elected President of the Moz fan community in the Mozpedia convention.
Hugh as second consul in case BGVelcro has to make a punk rock tour of Liechtenstein.
Awarded his 24 bundles of matchstick fasces to go along with his Imperium by Jupiter himself ( the cuck skinny)
Nutter central.

 

[Anti-Moz God of Moz-Solo]

Not only will Morrissey’s upcoming death rid us of a majority of his rubbish, delusional fans, it will also bring to a deserved end the life of Fiona Shillwell.

 

[Anominous]

Not only will Morrissey’s upcoming death rid us of a majority of his rubbish, delusional fans, it will also bring to a deserved end the life of Fiona Shillwell.

No-one dies twice.

 

[George Michael fan]

Fiona Dodwell is amazing. I agree with so much of what she says. She has influence. When she writes an article people take notice.

 

[Anonymous]

Fiona Dodwell is amazing. I agree with so much of what she says. She has influence. When she writes an article people take notice.

You mean how people take notice of a pile of dog poop and walk around it?

 

[Uncleskinny]

What's funny is that someone on this site last week suggested Fiona might be getting a little skint and it was about time she shat out another length for her master - and HEY PRESTO! Here we are.

Reheated leftovers from last month's turd buffet

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Morrissey was more important to the mythic proportions The Smiths reached, as Fiona described it.

I am not a deluded fan and I don't hate JM. It's the opposite. I admire his art in The Smiths and respect his devoted work as a musician, even though I don't know much of it.

JM was very important and the partnership Moz/Marr created great music, but he doesn't appear to me as important as Morrissey when I consider the philosophical, aesthetic, poetic and imagetic appeal of The Smiths.

I agree with Fiona: Morrissey was the face of The Smiths. To me and to many, many fans.

In The Smiths it's his face, his lyrics, his voice and his image that's remained indelible in our hearts and souls throughout the years.

But saying this is just adapting the narrative to fit one’s agenda. Of course Moz was responsible for the philosophical, aesthetic, poetic and imagetic appeal. He wrote the lyrics, chose the pictures for the sleeves and did most of the interviews. But that’s obvious. Marr wasn’t involved with that and therefore it doesn’t diminish his importance to the band.

Yes, he was the face of the band. He was the frontman. Another obvious statement.

And surely the music has also remained indelible in our hearts, right? Their sound was just as iconic as anything else, and it has remained timeless and influenced numerous other bands and artists.

 

[King Leer]

Random question, but whatever happened to superfan of yesteryear Julia Riley? Did she tune out when Morrissey's tune changed, or just lost interest, or what?

No convoluted joke answers, por favor.

 

[Hungry Ghost]

Random question, but whatever happened to superfan of yesteryear Julia Riley? Did she tune out when Morrissey's tune changed, or just lost interest, or what?

No convoluted joke answers, por favor.

It is said that she has joined a cross-fit gym and dedicates most of her free time to fitness now.

 

[Deleted member 28251]

Random question, but whatever happened to superfan of yesteryear Julia Riley? Did she tune out when Morrissey's tune changed, or just lost interest, or what?

No convoluted joke answers, por favor.

I’m not even in the know, but I know it will have something to do with money.

 

[Surface]

Random question, but whatever happened to superfan of yesteryear Julia Riley? Did she tune out when Morrissey's tune changed, or just lost interest, or what?

No convoluted joke answers, por favor.

No Idea. I met her once, in the Crowne Plaza after the 2015 Birmingham gig, After reading some of the posts on here I expected her to be a bit of an arse but she was actually very pleasant.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

I’m not even in the know, but I know it will have something to do with money.

Only thing I could dig up was someone linking it to the Baldwin t-shirt debacle - with zero evidence.

I expect it is money.

 

[Bluebirds]

When you're assessing the size ofthe morrisey fanbase you have to consider whether this is pre or post coming out as a far-right political campaigner because the fanbase has just haemorrhaged since 2018. Pre, he may have got 30,000, now he'd struggle to sell 10,000. As for the Smiths, you're confusing them with mega-indie band status. Most big indie bands have albums that have gone 5 times platinum. A couple of smiths albums just about managed single platinum. Even without his far-right campaigning and borderline racism, most people simply didn't like the sound of Morrissey's voice - they were never going to be a massive band. Just eternal nme/John peel favourites.

Yes The Smiths, in their lifetime, were never massive in terms of platinum albums but their legend and influence has pervaded all aspects of popular culture since their demise.
The Smiths are now the mainstream. A reformation would be absolutely huge. And thankfully it also isn't going to happen.

 

[Eldritch]

I can't believe someone gets paid for this trite, sixth-form level, 'stating the obvious' Cliffs Notes guide to Moz.

Whatever this "Medium" is, it seems more like a hosting site for bloggers instead of a proper publication. It's more likely that Dodwell pays them instead of being paid. I don't think the other publications she writes for are that big on paying writers either.

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Not yet then. Apparently this is an "appraisal"...

https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/appraisal

.

One of her most recent 'published' 'articles' was a plea for 're-appraisal' of some 'underapperciated' Morrissey albums (including hidden gems like some record called Your Arse or something? Anyone ever heard of that one? Too obscure?) - think there's a weird Headmaster Ritual vibe going on...