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

 

[snoddywilko]

She's very sweet - but I don't think he needs this right now.

Why do you say that?

I think she makes a lot of very valid points & I think people speaking up in support of Morrissey is exactly what he needs, now more than ever.

 

[snoddywilko]

How sick and tired I am of this woman. She more than anyone is pushing the narrative that Moz is politically incorrect and subversive. She thinks she’s doing him a favor, but she’s just reminding the haters why they hate him. If anyone is reading her stuff, that is. He hasn’t said anything in a good while, nor has the media. But she’s has a new article out every week, all saying the same thing.

And by the way, as much as I adore Moz (and I do), Johnny was just as important for the Smiths music as Moz was. Only the most deluded Moz fans (those that feel that they’re more loyal to Moz if they hate Johnny) will claim otherwise.

She doesn’t claim that Johnny wasn’t important in The Smiths; she says he hasn’t gone on to achieve a fraction of what Morrissey has since the band split...which is demonstrably true.

 

[gordyboy9]

Yeah. I really, wholly expressed myself in that one quote headline. You got me.

thanks very much.try and at least if your schedule permits to start making three posts a year.

 

[Surface]

She doesn’t claim that Johnny wasn’t important in The Smiths; she says he hasn’t gone on to achieve a fraction of what Morrissey has since the band split...which is demonstrably true.

That's true but Johnny didn't really start focussing on his solo career until 2013.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

Why do you say that?

I think she makes a lot of very valid points & I think people speaking up in support of Morrissey is exactly what he needs, now more than ever.

It keeps putting him back into a culture war fight that he didn't join, doesn't fit neatly into & which has radically changed since December 2019.

It's good that she's positive about him.

And maybe it does cheer him up.

 

[snoddywilko]

It keeps putting him back into a culture war fight that he didn't join, doesn't fit neatly into & which has radically changed since December 2019.

It's good that she's positive about him.

And maybe it does cheer him up.

I think it’s good that there’s one constant supportive voice opposing the sea of regurgitative copy & paste detractors.

 

[Deleted member 29235]

I think it’s good that there’s one constant supportive voice opposing the sea of regurgitative copy & paste detractors.

Oh the irony of your posting that when your primary contribution to this website is post after post slagging off one particular contributor.

 

[Phranc & Open]

"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."

How polemic to hit the drummer and the bass player again here. As if it was Smiths-typical that the singer is remembered and maybe the guitarist. The more one gets upset about Ms. Dodwell's treatises, the more often she writes about the same topic, only with even more vehemence.
Listening today to the wonderful rewrite of Morrissey's "That's entertainment," it only dismays me more, that such accounts as Ms. Dodwell's, represent today what Morrissey is all about: justification and rejection of responsibility for one's word.

"Berlin is the rape capitol of the world" How did he come up with that again?

 

[Deleted member 29417]

"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."

How polemic to hit the drummer and the bass player again here. As if it was Smiths-typical that the singer is remembered and maybe the guitarist. The more one gets upset about Ms. Dodwell's treatises, the more often she writes about the same topic, only with even more vehemence.
Listening today to the wonderful rewrite of Morrissey's "That's entertainment," it only dismays me more, that such accounts as Ms. Dodwell's, represent today what Morrissey is all about: justification and rejection of responsibility for one's word.

"Berlin is the rape capitol of the world" How did he come up with that again?

Hyperbole based on press coverage.

Was there no coverage in Germany? Because it was everywhere in the anglophone world.

Germany toughens rape laws after New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne

Legislation tightens rules on consent, makes groping a sex crime and enables prosecution of entire groups

www.theguardian.com

 

[Phranc & Open]

Hyperbole based on press coverage.

Was there no coverage in Germany? Because it was everywhere in the anglophone world.

Germany toughens rape laws after New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne

Legislation tightens rules on consent, makes groping a sex crime and enables prosecution of entire groups

www.theguardian.com

Cologne was a special case, in which incidents occurred that we definitely do not want to tolerate permanently in this country. But my question was, what was he trying to justify by throwing it into the ring so smugly and knowingly? What was he trying to accuse Merkel of? The betrayal of her own country, the values and virtues that are being overrun by the Islamic world and waves of migration?

 

[Flibberty]

The one point that I do agree with is the daftness of the idea that listening to The Smiths is fine, but that Morrissey's solo career should be off limits.

After all, the Morrissey who wrote the lyrics on Strangeways, Here We Come is very much the same person who wrote the words for Viva Hate a few months later...

 

[Gregor Samsa]

She doesn’t claim that Johnny wasn’t important in The Smiths; she says he hasn’t gone on to achieve a fraction of what Morrissey has since the band split...which is demonstrably true.

I claim that the impact of the Smiths essentially boils down to both Morrissey and Marr. The fact that their music has survived is because of their magical bond and the beauty they created together.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

Cologne was a special case, in which incidents occurred that we definitely do not want to tolerate permanently in this country. But my question was, what was he trying to justify by throwing it into the ring so smugly and knowingly? What was he trying to accuse Merkel of? The betrayal of her own country, the values and virtues that are being overrun by the Islamic world and waves of migration?

Throwing the border open without any organisation - it was a complete disaster. Too many people, not enough resources, other EU countries not complying so by the time they arrived in Germany they were traumatised.

The EU negotiated with Turkey a year later to shut the route down.

 

[A Man Escaped]

"It was Morrissey who pushed the boundaries, who stood firm as an anti-establishment figure, penning politically charged tracks at a time when — much like now — to be outspoken and controversial was a huge risk."

It was one thing, back in the day, to speak out against Thatcher, the Conservative Party and the Royal Family. To think that much of the people who supported his world view back then have made the same "political journey" that Morrissey has is nonsense.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

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

Well, as always, the haters here definitely take notice, the usual suspects. I bet they didn’t get a wink of sleep last night over Fiona’s achievement of getting on their tits.

Also wish one of them would gently inform skinny that she most likely didn’t get paid for this ‘publication’. He goes on and on about that, what a snooze.

 

[Boomer]

Don't refuse to read it!

It's really good.

No matter how tedious lockdown ever gets. If I’m crawling the walls in boredom. I won’t waste a second of my time reading her 6th form level output. Spending a minute being critical is a more valuable use of my time.

 

[Phranc & Open]

Throwing the border open without any organisation - it was a complete disaster. Too many people, not enough resources, other EU countries not complying so by the time they arrived in Germany they were traumatised.

The EU negotiated with Turkey a year later to shut the route down.

You describe the development from 2015 already right but I was more about the context with Morrissey statements, which he expressed without need. If it's his own opinion that Europe's individual values are going to the dogs because too much foreign is entering the respective countries and blurring old, respectable traditions, then he should also be able to live with criticism of this opinion and not to increase their own stigmatization to the unbearable. Bloggers like Dodwell definitely contribute to this.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

You describe the development from 2015 already right but I was more about the context with Morrissey statements, which he expressed without need,. If it's his own opinion that Europe's individual values are going to the dogs because too much foreign is entering the respective countries and blurring old, respectable traditions, then he should also be able to live with criticism of this opinion and not to increase their own stigmatization to the unbearable. Bloggers like Dodwell definitely contribute to this.

I don't think that was his point - he's not concerned about foreigners coming in - he's concerned about community breakdown & cultures becoming generic. He doesn't like media hegemony or political decisions that ignore the impact on people esp the poor.

One of his favourite places is Istanbul - because they still have an old-fashioned street life.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

"It was Morrissey who pushed the boundaries, who stood firm as an anti-establishment figure, penning politically charged tracks at a time when — much like now — to be outspoken and controversial was a huge risk."

It was one thing, back in the day, to speak out against Thatcher, the Conservative Party and the Royal Family. To think that much of the people who supported his world view back then have made the same "political journey" that Morrissey has is nonsense.

Morrissey has never made a ‘political journey’, he had no intention of even leaving his bed, never mind walking out the door and truly supporting any political party.

Yeah yeah, a hundred years ago he made some ill-informed remarks and wore a pin 2-3 times, big fvcking deal. And to call that support is laughable at best. Waters milked it best she could, but even she could see that Morrissey’s so called ‘support’ of her
party was going to go nowhere.

 

[GirI Unafraid]

Oh look, version 38547901 of the same puffpiece. She must've had an unexpected bill that needs paying. Fiona, please, for all our sanity, get boiler insurance or something.