Variety: The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy interview - Morrissey mentioned (June 14, 2024)

"The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy Is Fine With the Long Wait for the Group’s New Album, but Isn’t So Sure His Dream Is Still to Write With Morrissey"

Relevant part:

Who do you dream of collaborating with at this point in your career?

I’ve always harbored a dream of writing a song for Morrissey, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen in my lifetime. For one thing, I don’t know how often he does that or how he would do that now. It would not [be great] culturally to work with him now for the damage that he’s done to his own reputation. And, maybe I shouldn’t want to, I think maybe he would be an unpleasant person to work with. So I’m of two minds about it.

The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy Is Fine With the Long Wait for the Group’s New Album, but Isn’t So Sure His Dream Is Still to Write With Morrissey

The Decemberists' Colin Meloy gets deep about the group's new album, and says he's not so sure his dream is still to work with Morrissey.

variety.com

Colin ensuring his dream never happens.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Everyone needs to remember that Morrissey did this to himself. He's the one who tarnished his legacy, no one else. But like Trump, he plays the victim and the thinning cult just parrots the leader. Morrissey could have/should have been a respected elder statesman of rock, never needing to worry about record labels or money but he chose this path. I just laugh at his loyal defenders.

 

[BrokenFrame]

Everyone needs to remember that Morrissey did this to himself. He's the one who tarnished his legacy, no one else. But like Trump, he plays the victim and the thinning cult just parrots the leader. Morrissey could have/should have been a respected elder statesman of rock, never needing to worry about record labels or money but he chose this path. I just laugh at his loyal defenders.

You're not entirely wrong, but there's no need to attack his fans on a Morrissey forum after claiming to be some kind of superior fan.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

What is the evidence of Morrissey being an unpleasant person to work with in the recording studio? My recollection is that Joe C enjoyed working with Morrissey. I also think most of his musical collaborators were happy to work with him in the studio (even Johnny Marr).

Anyway, it is Morrissey who invites musicians to write songs for him, it never happens the other way around.

You're not entirely wrong, but there's no need to attack his fans on a Morrissey forum after claiming to be some kind of superior fan.

I'm actually trying to help because a lot of them are irrational. I know right now they can't see it but one day, it will click.

 

[Roman Holiday]

I'm actually trying to help because a lot of them are irrational. I know right now they can't see it but one day, it will click.

It's not a matter of rationale, it's a question of taste. Morrissey is taking the route of eccentric pariah diva, but you would prefer him to be a respected "elder statesman of rock." Well, to each their own.

Get off the stage!

 

[Juan Dulces]

There's lots of ROOM...for YOUUUUU...on the BANDWAGON.

(Lovely REM B-Side, btw)

 

[Johnnie Ray]

It's not a matter of rationale, it's a question of taste. Morrissey is taking the route of eccentric pariah diva, but you would prefer him to be a respected "elder statesman of rock." Well, to each their own.

Get off the stage!

Keith Don't Go--Nils Lofgren

 

[Redacted]

On this date in the clip, Live Aid, July 13, 1985, I had just gotten into The Smiths. I was all Morrissey/The Smiths all the time. I missed out on this guy! I am like the Morrissey newbies here--discovering a new old favorite! The song, the hair! What are people's thoughts on Nik Kershaw? Do you remember him?

I remember that performance, I like Nik Kershaw even though I never really got into him, I thought that performance was a stand out. I like a lot of music from the 80s, it doesn't seem possible to really get into all of it, Nik Kerhsaw is still touring, I think.

Some people act like the Smiths were the only band in the 80s and I have to agree that the tire trope of Morrisey being an old grandpa rebel bucking the system every chance he gets is just ridiculous and immature. He is not a bad ass, he is just an ass.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

I remember that performance, I like Nik Kershaw even though I never really got into him, I thought that performance was a stand out. I like a lot of music from the 80s, it doesn't seem possible to really get into all of it, Nik Kerhsaw is still touring, I think.

Some people act like the Smiths were the only band in the 80s and I have to agree that the tire trope of Morrisey being an old grandpa rebel bucking the system every chance he gets is just ridiculous and immature. He is not a bad ass, he is just an ass.

Agree. At 65 (and looking older) his act is just kind of sad and pathetic now. You CANNOT be a rebel at his advanced age.

 

[Redacted]

Agree. At 65 (and looking older) his act is just kind of sad and pathetic now. You CANNOT be a rebel at his advanced age.

He looks older than he is, these glamour shots of his are not doing him any favors.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

He looks older than he is, these glamour shots of his are not doing him any favors.

I know. It maybe goes to show that living a clean life with lots of rest doesn't necessarily keep you young looking.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

I'm actually trying to help because a lot of them are irrational. I know right now they can't see it but one day, it will click.

 

[Innes]

Sadly Morrissey has brought this on himself. No one else is to blame.. no matter how hard you try

 

[j*e*t]

Looking at this old NME article from 2018 where Colin makes very similar comments, it does seem as though he thinks that's his best way to draw attention to his new music.

www.nme.com/news/music/the-decemberists-on-life-in-trumps-america-and-the-trouble-with-being-a-morrissey-fan-2270054

 

[Thewlis]

There's lots of ROOM...for YOUUUUU...on the BANDWAGON.

(Lovely REM B-Side, btw)

Ages of You

 

[Surface]

Interesting - their album The King Is Dead was number 1 in the US selling over 500k copies.

The King Is Dead was recorded during spring 2010,[7] with most of it being made in a six-week period in a barn at an 80-acre (320,000 m2) site called Pendarvis Farm, near Portland, Oregon.[4] It has been speculated that the album title is an homage to The Smiths' 1986 album The Queen Is Dead,[8] largely due to Colin Meloy's long-touted influence from the band

 

[BookishBoy]

To be fair to Colin, and I know I called him a wanker on this thread yesterday or whenever, but I remembered this interview in The Believer magazine from the early/mid 2000s, not long after his band became a cult thing in the States. He really is/was a huge Morrissey fan:

CM: Absolutely. Morrissey has been a huge influence on me and I think he tends to get overlooked as a songwriter just because “Morrissey” as a character tends to outshine what he’s created. I think he is a phenomenal songwriter—an incredibly complex and incredibly intelligent songwriter. He’s writing songs that work on so many different levels. I continually go back to the Smiths and to some of his early solo work and find something new. Come at it from a different angle, from a different mode of experience and think, “OK, OK I think I get it!” So many layers of irony…

I think of his literary allusions, the flaws of his characters, his self-referential tone, and how well he treats that. That’s one of his strongest traits and it’s also what he gets a lot of criticism for: his being this sort of egomaniacal character in songs when in fact there’s heaps and heaps of irony there—I’m talking strata upon strata. Like there is that egoism, but it’s defending a very, very sincere fragility, but also poking fun at that at the same time—poking fun at shyness and extrovertedness.

There are so many different levels to him, and he’s just so funny and cutting and people don’t see how funny he is and what a sense of humor he has. They just see the surface. So, that’s definitely been the inspiration.

BLVR: Well his voice is incredibly distinct and his public persona so well-developed that people just…

CM: He’s easy to write off as “Morrissey,” but that’s an identity he’s created… it’s one of the facets of his persona. It’s really interesting.

 

[BrokenFrame]

To be fair to Colin, and I know I called him a wanker on this thread yesterday or whenever, but I remembered this interview in The Believer magazine from the early/mid 2000s, not long after his band became a cult thing in the States. He really is/was a huge Morrissey fan:

CM: Absolutely. Morrissey has been a huge influence on me and I think he tends to get overlooked as a songwriter just because “Morrissey” as a character tends to outshine what he’s created. I think he is a phenomenal songwriter—an incredibly complex and incredibly intelligent songwriter. He’s writing songs that work on so many different levels. I continually go back to the Smiths and to some of his early solo work and find something new. Come at it from a different angle, from a different mode of experience and think, “OK, OK I think I get it!” So many layers of irony…

I think of his literary allusions, the flaws of his characters, his self-referential tone, and how well he treats that. That’s one of his strongest traits and it’s also what he gets a lot of criticism for: his being this sort of egomaniacal character in songs when in fact there’s heaps and heaps of irony there—I’m talking strata upon strata. Like there is that egoism, but it’s defending a very, very sincere fragility, but also poking fun at that at the same time—poking fun at shyness and extrovertedness.

There are so many different levels to him, and he’s just so funny and cutting and people don’t see how funny he is and what a sense of humor he has. They just see the surface. So, that’s definitely been the inspiration.

BLVR: Well his voice is incredibly distinct and his public persona so well-developed that people just…

CM: He’s easy to write off as “Morrissey,” but that’s an identity he’s created… it’s one of the facets of his persona. It’s really interesting.

Doesn't this make it even worse? considering that he just threw Moz under the bus.

 

[BookishBoy]

Doesn't this make it even worse? considering that he just threw Moz under the bus.

Maybe it does make it worse - that's up to you.

I just thought it was worth flagging up, given some of the comments on this thread, that Meloy had (and quite possibly still has) a very deep appreciation of Morrissey's genius as a songwriter and performer.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

It's not a matter of rationale, it's a question of taste. Morrissey is taking the route of eccentric pariah diva, but you would prefer him to be a respected "elder statesman of rock." Well, to each their own.

Get off the stage!

If he still released (decent) material, it would be easier to accept this stupid route he’s taking.

 

[Mr. Whiteside]

Maybe it does make it worse - that's up to you.

I just thought it was worth flagging up, given some of the comments on this thread, that Meloy had (and quite possibly still has) a very deep appreciation of Morrissey's genius as a songwriter and performer.

I think a not-insignificant amount of people used to adore Morrissey and now they don't any longer. I think it was starting to happen before For Britain; I think the Der Spiegel interview showed him not only saying awful things (and then denying it) but then almost immediately being caught out as a bald-faced liar when the tape was released.
This man was asked a question and he answered it and I think a lot of former fans feel the same way he does. This wasn't an "attack" out of nowhere and indeed isn't even an attack - he is simply pointing out things Morrissey himself has done. He has in fact damaged his own reputation and perhaps thinned his fanbase by his own actions.
I'm always amused by reactions like the ones in this thread, with a tone of "oh poor Morrissey" whenever he receives (rightful) criticism, considering the stuff he has said about people in the press over the years. He has been ruthless.