Thomas Frederick Substack Collection (July 1, 2024 -> current)

[ThomasFrederick]

What Difference Does It Make? The Smiths' "absolutely awful" song that became a hit

What Difference Does It Make?

The Smiths' "absolutely awful" song that became a hit

tomfpapp.substack.com

 

[Who Rattled Your Cage]

Enjoying the articles on that Substack. I love this song. It's one of my favourite Smiths songs. Muscular, fast, punky, sad, melodramatic. So many personal teenage associations for me here. Some pretty off-base, but you know what it's like when you're young, you either misunderstand things or try to twist them round to fit your own limited life experience. I love the start of What Difference Does It Make - it sounds very Celtic to me, a jig, like bagpipes. Hardly surprising given the band's Irish heritage. Funny Moz changed the lyric "Oh my sacred mother" to "Oh my sacred one." Ho-hum. Lyrically, it also seems to tie into Miserable Lie, too.

 

[gashonthenail]

My favourite single by The Smiths. And their most iconic 'performance' on Top of the Pops. Guaranteed to fill the floor of any indie disco. If such things still exist.

 

[ThomasFrederick]

Margaret On The GuillotineMorrissey's Provocative and Harrowing Ballad

Margaret On The Guillotine

Morrissey's Provocative and Harrowing Ballad

tomfpapp.substack.com

 

[ThomasFrederick]

Morbidity As Art

Girlfriend in a Coma

Morbidity As Art

tomfpapp.substack.com

 

[goinghome]

About 1:02 minutes into the acclaimed 1965 film The Collector, an acknowledged Morrissey favourite, the lead actor says, 'what difference does one specimen make to a whole species?'

Also, I think the co-star Samantha Eggar bears a strong resemblance to Linder.

 

[goinghome]

Girlfriend in a Coma

Morbidity As Art

tomfpapp.substack.com

Morbidity again, hmmm.

Besides the musical inspiration, it has also been said that the lyrics may be partly based on Morrissey's traumatic personal experience as a teenager, of losing a girlfriend to sickness and death. So this jaunty little song has a serious side or two.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

About 1:02 minutes into the acclaimed 1965 film The Collector, an acknowledged Morrissey favourite, the lead actor says, 'what difference does one specimen make to a whole species?'

Also, I think the co-star Samantha Eggar bears a strong resemblance to Linder.

Not so. I believe he said he didn’t care for the film. I can’t remember from where he said it, could only find this quote posted by an anon from a past thread …

"the film itself is quite sexist and really quite questionable. I'm not a Collector fan by any means."

 

[ThomasFrederick]

'Oh Phoney' Morrissey's Obscure Poison Pen Song

Oh Phoney

Morrissey's Obscure Poison Pen Song

tomfpapp.substack.com

 

[markem41]

Anyone understand the "Urmston's answer to nothing" swipe by Moz at Tony Wilson? Wilson's associated with Salford, Manchester and Marple Bridge, I've not heard of any connection to Urmston.

 

[ThomasFrederick]

'Disappointed'

'Disappointed'

Thanks for reading Morrissey, Ringleader of The Tormentors!

tomfpapp.substack.com

 

[Who Rattled Your Cage]

The music on Disappointed, a song I do like, is just a lazy riff-rip from How Soon Is Now, especially at the start.

 

[Young And Alive]

Oh this world may lack style, I know

 

[goinghome]

I wasn't aware it might have been about Tony Wilson. Nor quite how much Wilson resented The Smiths. The image of him screaming for the power to be cut back-stage is disgraceful. Lots of new interesting info there again

 

[markem41]

I wasn't aware it might have been about Tony Wilson. Nor quite how much Wilson resented The Smiths. The image of him screaming for the power to be cut back-stage is disgraceful. Lots of new interesting info there again

Hmm, do you think that description of events may be a tad melodramatic? GMEX wasn't the best concert venue for acoustics and I don't remember any of the groups sounding particularly impressive / explosive. I think New Order have done quite well for themselves

 

[ThomasFrederick]

Hmm, do you think that description of events may be a tad melodramatic? GMEX wasn't the best concert venue for acoustics and I don't remember any of the groups sounding particularly impressive / explosive. I think New Order have done quite well for themselves

Quite possible. Nevertheless, makes for interesting reading. Wilson really did not care for M to put it very diplomatically, so who knows.

 

[markem41]

Quite possible. Nevertheless, makes for interesting reading. Wilson really did not care for M to put it very diplomatically, so who knows.

They were both after publicity and control so it was never going to end well. Pair of divas!

 

[j*e*t]

Anyone understand the "Urmston's answer to nothing" swipe by Moz at Tony Wilson? Wilson's associated with Salford, Manchester and Marple Bridge, I've not heard of any connection to Urmston.

This is the only connection I've found: an interview that Jon Savage did with Tony that seems to have been for a documentary 'Joy Division' (2007), (directed by Grant Gee, with Jon as a consultant) in which Tony contrasted himself with Ian Curtis by saying: 'My psyche is, I'm the guy who took two tabs of acid on a Saturday night and then had to go and judge Stretford and Urmston Women's Co-operative Rosebud competition, to see if I could make it. Going as a TV personality. Wow.'

disordertc.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/an-interview-with-anthony-h-wilson/

 

[Surface]

Hmm, do you think that description of events may be a tad melodramatic? GMEX wasn't the best concert venue for acoustics and I don't remember any of the groups sounding particularly impressive / explosive. I think New Order have done quite well for themselves

I went to the gig as well and thought it was a great day although I do agree the acoustics weren’t great. I’d seen the Smiths a couple of times before the GMEX gig and did think they sounded miles better with Craig on 2nd guitar. not sure about Morrissey little tale in Autobiography as its never been mentioned by anyone else so maybe it’s his over active imagination.

Nice that Manchester recognises Tony's contribution to music etc by naming the area where Home is as Tony Wilson Place, it’s only a couple of mins from The Hacienda (now Hacienda Apartments) as well, so a perfect place to remember him.

 

[markem41]

I went to the gig as well and thought it was a great day although I do agree the acoustics weren’t great. I’d seen the Smiths a couple of times before the GMEX gig and did think they sounded miles better with Craig on 2nd guitar. not sure about Morrissey little tale in Autobiography as its never been mentioned by anyone else so maybe it’s his over active imagination.

Nice that Manchester recognises Tony's contribution to music etc by naming the area where Home is as Tony Wilson Place, it’s only a couple of mins from The Hacienda (now Hacienda Apartments) as well, so a perfect place to remember him.

Yes, a nice touch and also close to his home on Little Peter Street, I think.