Josh Klinghoffer Blames 'the Culture' for Morrissey Album Delay - Ultimate Classic Rock (June 5, 2022)

Album delay reason:

Josh Klinghoffer Blames 'the Culture' for Morrissey Album Delay

Josh Klinghoffer hinted that Morrissey's latest album is delayed due to the singer's controversial comments in June 2022.

ultimateclassicrock.com

Excerpt:

“Morrissey has, I think, done himself no favors in the court of public opinion with some of the things he’s said or some of the pins he’s worn on television,” Klinghoffer admitted. “I think the whole story surrounding this record and the fact that it’s not out yet, if people were able to listen to the information and keep a cool head, they could see that there’s a greater discussion around this album than the album or the music itself.

“If Morrissey says something that’s offensive to people … I don’t know how much they know him, how much they know his music in the past,” the guitarist continued. “I don’t know how much time they spend listening to his [music], thinking that they really know where he’s coming from. People just might get offended. I don’t, because I honestly don’t think he’s a malicious person, even if he says stupid shit.”

At the end of the day, Klinghoffer is confident Bonfire of the Children deserves to be released, regardless of any controversies that may surround the singer.

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Related item:

• Tuna on Toast with Stryker Podcast: Josh Klinghoffer - Morrissey mentions (May 31, 2022)

 

[Eldritch]

Im not sure if this is doing anyone any favors. I think M has been mistreated, I think also the way he acts and his coterie of sycophants put us where we are now - that should be of name of his lp-"Coterie Of Sycophants"

"The culture" is against him sure but this comment acts like the whole world is waiting for the lp
If it was, it would be released.
Part of the issue is as much as we dress it up he has lost LOADS of fans.
More than that the truth is, his fan base has never been as big as his infamy - the Smiths played places like Brixton academy in the UK, they weren't super arena sellers.

In the USA they were a collage radio band. There was some support for M, when Viva first came out but that fell away pretty soon.
Around the time the stock in M fell, in the UK ..He picked up pace in the USA, for about 2 years.
He is a respected artist and his name still headlines SOME festivals - not big ones like Glasto or Reading in the UK, or the bigger ones in the USA
Personally, I do not care about any of this. I'm just saying if M was a huge seller, the lp would be released, Hip hop artists that cause more trouble than M, have lps released, why? Because they sell.
That has to be addressed. There is no shame in his lack of sales, the music industry is a different place than it was in 1999 - though it's worth remembering he never had a contract then either.
I do not think trying to dress Bonfire up as some edgy suppressed lp is helpful

He really messed up with BMI . They tried , they did video's, they got him on BBC and then he started going on about UKIP, knowing full well what will happen- he is free to say what he wants, but the public are free to walk away and lots have.

He just needs to get a publishing deal and get the music out there.
Do some interviews where he brings witty, deep thinking M to the fore.
Im not attacking M, this comment isn't about that. I am speaking as a fan who would like to listen to as much M music , as i can. Trouble is "showcase" concerts and articles like this, make me fear we have little chance of the LP coming out, unless he is realistic


I hope I am wrong

All of this is true. If Morrissey really sold records, he would find the kind of contract he wants. But the dwindling fanbase, his demands for big advance, him not wanting to do a 360 deal, his toxic comments and his history of falling out with every record company he has ever worked with all makes him a poison pill for all major companies -- and he's not willing to sign a deal with a smaller label. His loss really -- and ours.

 

[Juan Dulces]

All of this is true. If Morrissey really sold records, he would find the kind of contract he wants. But the dwindling fanbase, his demands for big advance, him not wanting to do a 360 deal, his toxic comments and his history of falling out with every record company he has ever worked with all makes him a poison pill for all major companies -- and he's not willing to sign a deal with a smaller label. His loss really -- and ours.

That's a good point.

Record labels aren't anywhere close to being the same kind of organizations that they were in the 80s/90s heyday. The days of huge advances are pretty much over, unless you're one of the only artists selling. The real money is (and always was really) made from live performances and marketing. Regarding big cash advances that used to happen, most of that money went to recording costs and drugs. Bands always made their millions on the road, not from the 5 cents per album sold.

Interesting note - in 2022 (can't remember what month) most songs downloaded on ITunes, Spotify, etc ----- songs from before the year 2000. Pro Tools and other high-end recording software (during the current musical era) has managed to completely eradicate emotions from most recordings. It's hard to find a new release that actually sounds special. Most new music sounds like it was recorded 'by the numbers' and not in 'a fresh way'. That's Pro Tools for you.

Morrissey should just fork over the cash and release this himself. He keeps playing live, so he continues to remain a presence.

 

[Roseanne Barred]

I blame those upset by the victims racism.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this guy's heart is in the right place, and he's obviously a fan as well as session musician who played on the record. That said, given how prickly M is towards any negative comments, I'm not sure he'll be invited back after publicly saying "he says stupid shit."

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Morrissey should just fork over the cash and release this himself. He keeps playing live, so he continues to remain a presence.

Heard rumours that he actually bought a few hundred C90s while he was out shopping in LA the other day, and that him and Damon have a production line going with a double-deck tape machine in their spare bedroom.
In fact, I’ll let the cat out of the bag; I have been in negotiations with SER for them to use one of my photo montages for the inlay card. But I drive a hard bargain.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Why would a record company waste money on something that isn't going to sell?

Why would a human being (albeit a poor excuse for one) waste time on a website devoted to a singer they claim to hate? Strange things happen. Or, in your case, keep happening and refuse to stop.

 

[ACTON]

Im not sure if this is doing anyone any favors. I think M has been mistreated, I think also the way he acts and his coterie of sycophants put us where we are now - that should be of name of his lp-"Coterie Of Sycophants"

"The culture" is against him sure but this comment acts like the whole world is waiting for the lp
If it was, it would be released.
Part of the issue is as much as we dress it up he has lost LOADS of fans.
More than that the truth is, his fan base has never been as big as his infamy - the Smiths played places like Brixton academy in the UK, they weren't super arena sellers.

In the USA they were a collage radio band. There was some support for M, when Viva first came out but that fell away pretty soon.
Around the time the stock in M fell, in the UK ..He picked up pace in the USA, for about 2 years.
He is a respected artist and his name still headlines SOME festivals - not big ones like Glasto or Reading in the UK, or the bigger ones in the USA
Personally, I do not care about any of this. I'm just saying if M was a huge seller, the lp would be released, Hip hop artists that cause more trouble than M, have lps released, why? Because they sell.
That has to be addressed. There is no shame in his lack of sales, the music industry is a different place than it was in 1999 - though it's worth remembering he never had a contract then either.
I do not think trying to dress Bonfire up as some edgy suppressed lp is helpful

He really messed up with BMI . They tried , they did video's, they got him on BBC and then he started going on about UKIP, knowing full well what will happen- he is free to say what he wants, but the public are free to walk away and lots have.

He just needs to get a publishing deal and get the music out there.
Do some interviews where he brings witty, deep thinking M to the fore.
Im not attacking M, this comment isn't about that. I am speaking as a fan who would like to listen to as much M music , as i can. Trouble is "showcase" concerts and articles like this, make me fear we have little chance of the LP coming out, unless he is realistic


I hope I am wrong

I dunno. Moz was big in US for Kill Uncle and Arsenal which I think you mentioned. He was critically lauded for Viva Hate, Arsenal, Vauxhall, Quarry and Ringleader. He was hugely popular around Quarry and played some big arenas. Since then maybe snaller venues but usually pulled in a big crowd. I think you're right that in recent years his audience has shrunk but we live in an age where Johnny Depp gets 4 million thick-tock followers immediately after winning the court case, while Amber Heard gets her already shrinking part in Aquashite 2 deleted. The knee-jerk generation will soon be superseded by the jerk-off generation. Moz would sell more if he didn't do interviews or express his opinions outside music but then he probably wouldn't be Moz. I do think his army of sycophants are to blame to a lesser extent too.

 

[ACTON]

I’ve never heard of this person. I just don’t follow bands or musicians anymore. Morrissey or bust, I guess. These days anyway…

Aww man. Some great music out there. So much that it means I'll be disappointed if a new Moz album doesn't appear in 2022 but not gutted.
Blancmange: Wanderlust. Suede: their last few albums are as good as their first few. Ditto for Gary Numan (especially Savage). John Carpenter, John Grant, the list goes on. So much to enjoy and look forward to. I'm afraid to look forward to the new Cure album because it could be excellent like Pornography/Disintegration or like a poor cousin of Bloodflowers.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sure this guy's heart is in the right place, and he's obviously a fan as well as session musician who played on the record. That said, given how prickly M is towards any negative comments, I'm not sure he'll be invited back after publicly saying "he says stupid shit."

Not only that, but he says (and this is so true) that Morrissey is playing the same coy games with the press he did back in the 1980s and that just doesn't fly anymore in the modern world.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

Im not sure if this is doing anyone any favors. I think M has been mistreated, I think also the way he acts and his coterie of sycophants put us where we are now - that should be of name of his lp-"Coterie Of Sycophants"

"The culture" is against him sure but this comment acts like the whole world is waiting for the lp
If it was, it would be released.
Part of the issue is as much as we dress it up he has lost LOADS of fans.
More than that the truth is, his fan base has never been as big as his infamy - the Smiths played places like Brixton academy in the UK, they weren't super arena sellers.

In the USA they were a collage radio band. There was some support for M, when Viva first came out but that fell away pretty soon.
Around the time the stock in M fell, in the UK ..He picked up pace in the USA, for about 2 years.
He is a respected artist and his name still headlines SOME festivals - not big ones like Glasto or Reading in the UK, or the bigger ones in the USA
Personally, I do not care about any of this. I'm just saying if M was a huge seller, the lp would be released, Hip hop artists that cause more trouble than M, have lps released, why? Because they sell.
That has to be addressed. There is no shame in his lack of sales, the music industry is a different place than it was in 1999 - though it's worth remembering he never had a contract then either.
I do not think trying to dress Bonfire up as some edgy suppressed lp is helpful

He really messed up with BMI . They tried , they did video's, they got him on BBC and then he started going on about UKIP, knowing full well what will happen- he is free to say what he wants, but the public are free to walk away and lots have.

He just needs to get a publishing deal and get the music out there.
Do some interviews where he brings witty, deep thinking M to the fore.
Im not attacking M, this comment isn't about that. I am speaking as a fan who would like to listen to as much M music , as i can. Trouble is "showcase" concerts and articles like this, make me fear we have little chance of the LP coming out, unless he is realistic


I hope I am wrong

Stealth slagging him is pointless.

John Lydon is a Trump supporting Brexiteer who was accused of racially assaulting a member of Bloc Party & he got on Prime Time UK television.

Morrissey didn't mess it up with the UKIP comment - he was already in trouble. They would have twisted anything. A work colleague saying he's a nice person doesn't do any damage.

He'll hang on till doomsday if he wants something, so it'll get released when it gets released.

 

[Fion s]

Absolute hogwash. The only thing that's happened is that the things he's said and done have made people vote with their wallets. It's really that simple. Why would a record company waste money on something that isn't going to sell?

And yet here you are, still utterly obsessed, in fact, probably more than ever. The more rubbish you come out with, the less convinced I am that you actually hate him like you want people to think you do. I think you're still infatuated but are ashamed to say so. The alternative scenario is that you spend all your time stalking the fansite of an artist you despise, waiting with baited breath for the tiniest bit of news, but that's too pathetic of a notion to even comprehend.

 

[Amy]

Stealth slagging him is pointless.

Who is 'stealth slagging' him? Some guy admits that Moz has done himself no favours and that's 'stealth slagging' now?

 

[Juan Dulces]

So much to enjoy and look forward to. I'm afraid to look forward to the new Cure album because it could be excellent like Pornography/Disintegration or like a poor cousin of Bloodflowers.

I think the new Cure album will be good. Regarding Cure albums, no Cure album was as disappointing for me as Bloodflowers. It was just a strange change in direction, and that's after the Wild Mood Swings complete departure from their sound. Bloodflowers was slow and plodding. The tracks Watching Me Fall and Last Day of Summer both grew on me as an adult, but as far as Cure albums go, I think it's their least impressive by far.

The Cure 'Faith' album is truly great (and strangely overlooked), and though 'Pornography' is a great art-piece, there's some of it that I find boring, even today. Disintegration was terrific, I'm also a big fan of the sound of Wish (sounds like a happier time).

 

[Deleted member 29417]

Who is 'stealth slagging' him? Some guy admits that Moz has done himself no favours and that's 'stealth slagging' now?

I'm intrigued to know how genteel your publication is if you can't recognize a stealth slag when you see one.

He even denies he's doing it - in every post - because he's not sure if he got the tone right.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

All of this is true. If Morrissey really sold records, he would find the kind of contract he wants. But the dwindling fanbase, his demands for big advance, him not wanting to do a 360 deal, his toxic comments and his history of falling out with every record company he has ever worked with all makes him a poison pill for all major companies -- and he's not willing to sign a deal with a smaller label. His loss really -- and ours.

Nobody sells records these days....unless you're completely anodyne.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Absolute hogwash. The only thing that's happened is that the things he's said and done have made people vote with their wallets. It's really that simple. Why would a record company waste money on something that isn't going to sell?

Absolutely true.

 

[Anonymous]

The trouble with Moz is oh so obvious to any of his fans here. It's his massive ego that allows him to believe that his personal opinions about politics, #metoo, immigration, and whatever, are somehow of great importance to the world. This has led him to the point where he is now. An "entertainer" who can't get his superior product out there because he evidently thinks his political and social opinions are more important to the world than being able to sing or release records. Is this fair? Probably not, but how do we know that this self-sabotage isn't being done on purpose!?

 

[Mike Rourke]

The trouble with Moz is oh so obvious to any of his fans here. It's his massive ego that allows him to believe that his personal opinions about politics, #metoo, immigration, and whatever, are somehow of great importance to the world. This has led him to the point where he is now. An "entertainer" who can't get his superior product out there because he evidently thinks his political and social opinions are more important to the world than being able to sing or release records. Is this fair? Probably not, but how do we know that this self-sabotage isn't being done on purpose!?

It's the fact that his personal opinions actually are of great interest (at least to the cultural world) that has got him in such a mess. The cultural world remains fascinated by him - if he says 'I urge you to vote for a bunch of far-right twats', it's going to get reported. In the old days it would only get covered by the NME and reach a few thousand indie geeks. Now his ill-thought-out words get published on international news websites and reach literally millions of people having a devastating impact on his reputation.
Good on this Josh Klingfilm chap for pointing out that Morrissey has indeed said some unbelievably stupid stuff, and wearing the emblem of a far-right political party in concerts and in front of millions on TV was utter f***ing madness.
Morrissey remains a great pop star and essentially a decent person but the foolishness of his political comments and gestures in recent years has been spectacular.

 

[Mike Rourke]

I dunno. Moz was big in US for Kill Uncle and Arsenal which I think you mentioned. He was critically lauded for Viva Hate, Arsenal, Vauxhall, Quarry and Ringleader. He was hugely popular around Quarry and played some big arenas. Since then maybe snaller venues but usually pulled in a big crowd. I think you're right that in recent years his audience has shrunk but we live in an age where Johnny Depp gets 4 million thick-tock followers immediately after winning the court case, while Amber Heard gets her already shrinking part in Aquashite 2 deleted. The knee-jerk generation will soon be superseded by the jerk-off generation. Moz would sell more if he didn't do interviews or express his opinions outside music but then he probably wouldn't be Moz. I do think his army of sycophants are to blame to a lesser extent too.

Morrissey was actually at the height of his popularity, in terms of live audiences, as recently as 2018. His winter 2018 arena tour of the UK was his biggest and most successful ever, solo or Smith.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

It's the fact that his personal opinions actually are of great interest (at least to the cultural world) that has got him in such a mess. The cultural world remains fascinated by him - if he says 'I urge you to vote for a bunch of far-right twats', it's going to get reported. In the old days it would only get covered by the NME and reach a few thousand indie geeks. Now his ill-thought-out words get published on international news websites and reach literally millions of people having a devastating impact on his reputation.
Good on this Josh Klingfilm chap for pointing out that Morrissey has indeed said some unbelievably stupid stuff, and wearing the emblem of a far-right political party in concerts and in front of millions on TV was utter f***ing madness.
Morrissey remains a great pop star and essentially a decent person but the foolishness of his political comments and gestures in recent years has been spectacular.

Mike - he didn't say that.

You are saying that.

Yet again.

Three years after the last time he mentioned the Irish Lesbian Vegan who is violently hated by the actual far right.