The Telegraph / James Hall: "Morrissey: ‘My whole life has relied on free speech – naturally, I’m gagged’" (September 9, 2024)

Morrissey: ‘My whole life has relied on free speech – naturally, I’m gagged’

The forthright singer’s ‘masterpiece’ Bonfire of Teenagers was finished in 2021. He reveals the ‘idiot culture’ blocking its release

https://archive.is/J2hBl - no paywall.

Morrissey: ‘My whole life has relied on free speech – naturally, I’m gagged’

The forthright singer’s ‘masterpiece’ Bonfire of Teenagers was finished in 2021. He reveals the ‘idiot culture’ blocking its release

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Related items:

• Morrissey-solo.com: "What has happened to Bonfire of Teenagers? - media request" - September 2, 2024
• The Times / Will Hodgkinson: "Morrissey says he is being censored. He isn’t" (September 10, 2024)

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

Why does everyone keep bringing up T Swift on this forum???????????????????? I do not understand what she has to do with anything on here.
Keep her in her shiny, little corner.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Why does everyone keep bringing up T Swift on this forum???????????????????? I do not understand what she has to do with anything on here.
Keep her in her shiny, little corner.

cuz she kool.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

 

[Ryan]

Lol. No one believes you.

No, I really am sick of this shit now. With The Cure finally about to release their first new album* since 2008 I’m going to relish that and just enjoy whatever Morrissey debuts live to scratch that itch.

*Yes, the last couple of days have seen social media hints - official site, various band members.

 

[Eldritch]

Oh God. Didn't visit here for a week or so and then came back to this. Loads of great posts in this thread -- and lots of idiocy too: gordyboy wanting to play BoT to a room of grieving parents really made my day.

Anyway, Morrissey really sounds exactly like Trump these days: a narcistic bigot clearly well on the way of losing his mind. Saying he's been denied the freedom of speech while talking to a major newspaper and saying no to interview requests left and right. Not giving interviews is naturally his prerogative but after that it's a bit silly to say he's being gagged. Just because the people willing to talk to him apparently don't meet his high standards. John Kelly, a former military advisor to Trump, recently said that meetings with the president were exercises in "competitive sycophancy", with all advisors trying to outdo each other in praising the Great Orange. Clearly Morrissey would love to have a crowd people like that around him too.

And sorry, I just believe that BoT (the song) is the reason for labels not wanting to sign Morrissey. Margaret on the Guillotine was controversial, but not Bonfire of Teenages, a song against fundamentalist terror. Just like I can't believe that all labels turning the album down called it a masterpiece. Really? Pull the other one, M, you sad little man.

 

[gashonthenail]

i mentioned this in an earlier post about him performing bonfire in the north of england,it was loudly cheered by the crowd,there was a defiance in the crowd,why are these record companies so scared,we will get to the stage where the cancellers cancel each other.

Very true, Gordy. Never thought Bonfire is the strongest song lyrically, but hearing it live you could feel the whole audience go quiet and have goosebumps. There is a real feeling about that song that Morrissey is saying something you are simply not allowed to say. The power of that in a public place and in a group setting is spine tingling. This album could sell well - and that's what really scares them. Labels are spooked about the reputational damage, and those ESG-minded investors.

 

[Redacted]

Oh God. Didn't visit here for a week or so and then came back to this. Loads of great posts in this thread -- and lots of idiocy too: gordyboy wanting to play BoT to a room of grieving parents really made my day.

Anyway, Morrissey really sounds exactly like Trump these days: a narcistic bigot clearly well on the way of losing his mind. Saying he's been denied the freedom of speech while talking to a major newspaper and saying no to interview requests left and right. Not giving interviews is naturally his prerogative but after that it's a bit silly to say he's being gagged. Just because the people willing to talk to him apparently don't meet his high standards. John Kelly, a former military advisor to Trump, recently said that meetings with the president were exercises in "competitive sycophancy", with all advisors trying to outdo each other in praising the Great Orange. Clearly Morrissey would love to have a crowd people like that around him too.

And sorry, I just believe that BoT (the song) is the reason for labels not wanting to sign Morrissey. Margaret on the Guillotine was controversial, but not Bonfire of Teenages, a song against fundamentalist terror. Just like I can't believe that all labels turning the album down called it a masterpiece. Really? Pull the other one, M, you sad little man.

Excellent post, one question, last paragraph, do you mean to say you do not believe BOT is the reason for the labels not wanting to sign Morrissey?

 

[Ryan]

Why does everyone keep bringing up T Swift on this forum???????????????????? I do not understand what she has to do with anything on here.
Keep her in her shiny, little corner.

Cuz the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate!

 

[gordyboy9]

As per normal you revert to name calling.

9.36pm yesterday - your response to a post from Amy

dont talk garb,there is no such think as honesty on here,people are pre-conditioned with a view of liking the singer or not liking the singer,its that black and white,to think i liked one of your posts last week,need to scrub myself with a wire brush .
you might have a dictionary in front of you but i have 60 years of knowledge,i will take that every day of the week.

if you think thats derogatory to woman then the least said the better,clutching at straws,to think you scrolled through my posts looking for something that wasnt there,how sad are you.
keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling.
im so derogatory to women that im off to meet a very nice looking one now.

 

[Eldritch]

Excellent post, one question, last paragraph, do you mean to say you do not believe BOT is the reason for the labels not wanting to sign Morrissey?

Yes, I don't believe that song would be a deal breaker. It's more like Morrissey being entirely problematic for labels: past his prime, problematic views, falling sales, long history of falling out with labels and so on. If a label has no problem with all those other things, they surely wouldn't object to a song which condemns terrorism. It's not a very good song and the lyric is just lazy, but there's no scandal. It's just an excuse for Morrissey to think a potential controversy is why his "masterpiece" doesn't get signed.

 

[Redacted]

Yes, I don't believe that song would be a deal breaker. It's more like Morrissey being entirely problematic for labels: past his prime, problematic views, falling sales, long history of falling out with labels and so on. If a label has no problem with all those other things, they surely wouldn't object to a song which condemns terrorism. It's not a very good song and the lyric is just lazy, but there's no scandal. It's just an excuse for Morrissey to think a potential controversy is why his "masterpiece" doesn't get signed.

We are in total agreement, thank you for clarifying.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

No, I really am sick of this shit now.

great. When people get finally sick, maybe they’ll choose (because it is a choice) to not let it bother them, commenting, etc.

Btw, there’s a difference between commenting on another’s posts and repeatedly commenting negatively on Morrissey. One has the possibility of conversation, understanding and defense between two people, and the other is .. just a one way, dead end road. Some can’t see this.

With The Cure finally about to release their first new album* since 2008 I’m going to relish that and just enjoy whatever Morrissey debuts live to scratch that itch.

*Yes, the last couple of days have seen social media hints - official site, various band members.

Cool. Can’t wait to hear it. Very curious. In spite of some of the live versions, hopefully the studio mixes will be more interesting. I mean, move away from the expected old hat ‘Cure sound’, and do something new.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

great. When people get finally sick, maybe they’ll choose (because it is a choice) to not let it bother them, commenting, etc.

Btw, there’s a difference between commenting on another’s posts and repeatedly commenting negatively on Morrissey. One has the possibility of conversation, understanding and defense between two people, and the other is .. just a one way, dead end road. Some can’t see this.



Cool. Can’t wait to hear it. Very curious. In spite of some of the live versions, hopefully the studio mixes will be more interesting. I mean, move away from the expected old hat ‘Cure sound’, and do something new.

They haven’t released an album with the classic Cure sound in more than 30 years. WMS was all over the place, Bloodflowers was much too organic sounding to be ‘classic Cure’, the selftitled and 4:13 were mostly aggressive alt-rock records. I’d welcome the classic sound with open arms. Especially since the songs themselves (or those we’ve heard live) seem to be excellent and fit nicely along with the classic sound.

 

[From the left]

Tears for Fears will release new album
Songs For A Nervous Planet,’ out October 25th.

My list of albuns released before BOT is very long.

 

[Eldritch]

Tears for Fears will release new album
Songs For A Nervous Planet,’ out October 25th.

My list of albuns released before BOT is very long.

The TFF album is a live album with four new studio songs. They could be from the lengthy Tipping Point sessions, but no official word has been given.

 

[ForgotHowIGotMyName]

The labels don't have to justify anything, not to me, not to you, not to anyone outside of maybe the corporate bosses and the shareholders.

But, for the sake of extrapolation, let's say they did and came out and said something like

"yeah we have no problem with the album's lyrics sentiments etc. We just don't find Morrissey to be someone who we can rely upon to abide by label requests to not promote artists who are under different labels. We don't think that the example he set of naming shaming and encouraging his fans to engage in public pressure campaign on capiitol is an indicator of someone we want to deal with.

If you look at his track record over the past decade, ( or really nearly his entire career) anytime a label does something that is not 100% to his absolute satisfaction, it's only a matter of time before he puts that label on blast, regardless of how much support we havs provided, ideas we've entertained, and how much success that we had with previous releases. For all of those reasons, we chose not to deal with him at this point."

If they said something that, would you believe them? Or must it always be that Morrissey is silenced and blacklisted because of what he has to say?

Just say you hate white people.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

They haven’t released an album with the classic Cure sound in more than 30 years. WMS was all over the place, Bloodflowers was much too organic sounding to be ‘classic Cure’, the selftitled and 4:13 were mostly aggressive alt-rock records. I’d welcome the classic sound with open arms.

Especially since the songs themselves (or those we’ve heard live) seem to be excellent and fit nicely along with the classic sound.

yeah, that’s why I wrote ‘in spite of the live versions’. But I have a feeling it’ll be pretty great anyway, considering all the time spent on it. I hope it goes even deeper than ‘Disintegration’. It seems we’ll soon hear.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

yeah, that’s why I wrote ‘in spite of the live versions’. But I have a feeling it’ll be pretty great anyway, considering all the time spent on it. I hope it goes even deeper than ‘Disintegration’. It seems we’ll soon hear.

I hope so, too. Judging by what we’ve heard, that seems plausible.

 

[No 27]

Yes, I don't believe that song would be a deal breaker. It's more like Morrissey being entirely problematic for labels: past his prime, problematic views, falling sales, long history of falling out with labels and so on. If a label has no problem with all those other things, they surely wouldn't object to a song which condemns terrorism. It's not a very good song and the lyric is just lazy, but there's no scandal. It's just an excuse for Morrissey to think a potential controversy is why his "masterpiece" doesn't get signed.

Indeed. The whole terrorism-is-bad motif is all a bit motherhood and apple-pie really. Bland.

 

[marred]

How the man who wrote Bonfire Of Teenagers, which is about young people going out for a night of fun and not coming home because they were cooked by a fireball has yet to say anything whatsoever about the October 7 massacre of 1200 young people while dancing and then goes on to claim he's being gagged is f***ing beyond me. Yes people get cancelled for going against popular false narratives but there are plenty of platforms where Morrissey could speak his mind on a multitude of subjects. WTF is he afraid of?