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)

 

[Phranc & Open]

"Unfit to live in, just about fit to burst
Like the banks of a swollen river
As bitterness does its worst
Working on your feelings, eating you all up
But you have to shake that shit to move on
An' let love carry you on up,
bitterness rising, taking you off
Bitterness rising, you gotta shake those feelings off.

Or the past will take you, keep you from the truth
As bitterness rises, from the ashes of your youth."

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Absolutely. Revealing his own stupidity with that rhetorical question.

He really does. And explains to some extent why he’s been acting like a complete fool: he thinks he’s come across as intelligent.

Like someone said, some of these things were cool, cute, inspiring when he was 25-30 years old, but now, at 65, it’s just undignified.

 

[Redacted]

A record company only fronts the costs though and Morrissey would have to pay them back through a percentage of sales or agreed other means (pays for the loss to the label). It's just as much a risk for them as it would be for him. Due to the amount of negativity on Morrissey at the moment, a label is unwilling to sign him. It is very likely that he'll never be signed again. Record companies don't tend to take money from an artist's gigs, and that's usually where an artist makes their money.

He should self-release though. Unfortunately, he needs to prove himself and just getting the album out there is the quickest way of putting all this behind him.

A record company can make money from touring, if that's the deal they make. If they think they will make less on the album sales or ask for less on the album sales, they can get a cut of touring, merchandise, etc. The problem with this could be all his cancelations because I think if a record company thought they would make money on his touring, and he actually showed up to play he would have a better chance at getting a deal.

 

[robertw93]

The announcement of the Vegas shows either reference to the album gave me some hope but it sounds like we're back to square one.

 

[Phranc & Open]

So far away from Vauxhall at the moment. Looks like a completely different artist. No love, no warmth, just bitterness and a lack of understanding, that he's no longer being given a platform.

 

[Redacted]

Morrissey is starting to remind me of Michael Jackson with his Peter Pan Syndrome refusal to grow up and everyone is picking on me and no one understands me because I am so clever. Maybe that is why FiDo likes them both.

Some signs of Peter Pan syndrome include:

• Difficulty with commitment
  
  
• Difficulty maintaining employment
  
  
• Difficulty doing chores
  
  
• Difficulty keeping up with responsibilities
  
  
• Difficulty having purposeful direction in their lives
  
  
• Low distress tolerance
  
  
• Difficulty tolerating uncomfortable feelings
  
  
• Unrealistic goals, such as dreams of becoming a pro athlete or landing a record deal
  
  
• Spinning dreams as reality without making any real effort to achieve them
  
  Peter Pan syndrome can create tension in relationships and affect other areas of life, like work. If a person consistently finds it challenging to manage adult responsibilities, they may wish to contact a mental health professiona

 

[SteveWS]

Moz started off, long before fame, with the conviction that he was right and it was the world that was wrong. Then fame only 'confirmed' his conviction, and that was intoxicating for him; the effect has never worn off. So he cannot compromise - or admit it when he's wrong or in the wrong.

 

[Redacted]

Looking at the article again, these last 2 paragraphs, is the bolded one in reference to the situation with Johnny, is Morrissey trying to engage him?
What exactly is the point he made?


Smiths fans had another piece of news dangled in front of them recently. In late August Morrissey revealed that promoter AEG approached him and Marr in June with a “lucrative” offer to reform their much-loved band for a 2025 world tour – a proposal to which Morrissey said “yes” but Marr apparently ignored. Morrissey then pointedly compared his own imminent “largely sold out” US tour to Marr’s recent tour as “a special guest to New Order” (Marr is actually about to do a co-headlining US tour with James). On this situation, Morrissey is remaining tight-lipped.

“I think I made my point without turning it into the war of the worlds… which, of course, I easily could,” he says. Funnily, I don’t doubt that for a moment.

 

[Famous when dead]

Go easy on the killer!!!!?? Well it seems to me he's refering to the lack of hatred/notoriety/condemnation of the bomber murderer. Someone doing something so terrible usually goes down in history and their name synonymous with the atrocity. In this case it hasn't. I doubt despite the horrific tragedy of the killings most folk could name the killer???

It was a reply directly to the article's author.
"..which appears to be a comment on the British justice system.."
Given the 'justice system' had no direct dealings with the brother who blew up and everything to do with the accomplice via a publicised trial, Morrissey (if Hall is correct) is alluding to Hashem.
FWD.

 

[Musician]

He has mentioned previously why he doesn't intend to self-release (I think it may have been in one of those interviews released on his website with questions asked by his nephew). Basically, he's old-fashioned; he prefers having a big company behind the release. Having to self-release and/or release songs online is too modern and not in keeping with the romance of the old ways of doing things.

Sure, in 2024 you can still be "old-fashioned" and want be a TV star.....when, in fact nobody really watches TV anymore below 60. Imagine someone who could be a huge über-star on Youtube with hsi show, but no, he wants a Friday evening slot on TV. So rather doesn't produce anything than go online. Well at least Morrissey doesn't want to be a silent movie star

 

[Les Tameside]

My six year old said she could have the album ‘out there’ by 4:30pm. An hour after primary school finishes.

 

[Ryan]

I heard , the lp in NY and it was good but not a masterpiece. ( then again I can’t remember much )

Which lp?

 

[Ryan]

Anyway, what’s the deal with this article?

Last we heard was M say that good news was around the corner for BOT.

Why now this article about more censorship?

 

[SteveWS]

Surely the line 'Go easy on the killer' is an ironic criticism of liberal-type people and media? The types who (supposedly) give priority to perpetrators' welfare before ever considering the victims' plights? Morrissey, in his jaded and arguably incendiary way, is framing such calls as being repeated until these become received wisdom for the allegedly undiscerning thinkers amongst the population.

 

[Lionsy]

Morrissey has found his new home. The Torygraph.

Oh my.

When he creates a youtube channel where he uploads weekly videos "telling it like it is" and ends every sentence with "that's the way I see it" then you really need to start worrying

Basically, if he does a Jim Davidson

 

[Dorothy]

From watching/reading previous interviews and getting an understanding of his train of thought, I think by saying "Controversial means intelligent, doesn't it?" he means that in today's social climate, anyone who goes against stupidity (which he goes on to refer to as “Idiot Culture”) is deemed controversial when what they are saying is common sense. I think he means that people have become so stupid that anyone with an ounce of intelligence is seen as controversial because they are seemingly now the minority. That's what I think he means in the context of what he's saying. I don't think he means that applies to everything anyone says.

He has mentioned previously why he doesn't intend to self-release (I think it may have been in one of those interviews released on his website with questions asked by his nephew). Basically, he's old-fashioned; he prefers having a big company behind the release. Having to self-release and/or release songs online is too modern and not in keeping with the romance of the old ways of doing things.

Okay , I can see that- thanks for this perspective on it.

 

[Redacted]

Which lp?

Dirk says he has heard Bonfire of Teenagers in it's entirety, you know a mate with connections had it on his phone or something, but of course he can't remember any of it

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

From watching/reading previous interviews and getting an understanding of his train of thought, I think by saying "Controversial means intelligent, doesn't it?" he means that in today's social climate, anyone who goes against stupidity (which he goes on to refer to as “Idiot Culture”) is deemed controversial when what they are saying is common sense. I think he means that people have become so stupid that anyone with an ounce of intelligence is seen as controversial because they are seemingly now the minority. That's what I think he means in the context of what he's saying. I don't think he means that applies to everything anyone says.

If that is the case, I whole heartedly agree with that statement. It is true. I was just talking to my husband the other day about how it seems to be so popular to be a complete idiot now-a-days, and to only be zoned into to social media trends, clown politics, and crap like that. People don't seem to care much about critical thinking anymore. Or maybe it's always been this way? I think social media has made a lot of us degenerate -- A widespread distraction.

 

[JerryCan]

... .i forget what good news looks like these days.

So true.

 

[Billy A]

Surely the line 'Go easy on the killer' is an ironic criticism of liberal-type people and media? The types who (supposedly) give priority to perpetrators' welfare before ever considering the victims' plights? Morrissey, in his jaded and arguably incendiary way, is framing such calls as being repeated until these become received wisdom for the allegedly undiscerning thinkers amongst the population.

Yes, exactly.