how lame

morrissey should start his own music magazine. he is the best music critic i have ever heard speak.

Will there ever be an end to rumours?

Just as an aside, why does Morrissey get it in the neck for releasing a greatest hits album while people like Dylan and Keefey get a free pass when they appear in adverts?

'Once Morrissey made music that talked about the underdog, the victim and those in the minority. Now he makes music that excludes those people.'

Agree.

The article was boring, like me.

Yeah, a total Shambles

goi goi: watch the letterbox?

you can't sue for a bad review, dear mozzer. just don't take it so personally. Not everybody is enamoured with every note that comes out of you.

Obviously, you can't sue because someone savages your album, however lazy the hackery involved. But you certainly can sue someone who insinuates, in a national publication and in a way designed to damage your career and good name, that you are a racist.
We'll see how smug Quantick's writing is when he's filling out bankruptcy applications from a flee-ridden grief hole. I suspect the awkwardly-worded patronizing putdowns will flow rather less easily from the quill at that point.

There's no evidence that Morrissey would sue over Quantick's tedious review.

The Guardian is the single most piece of self righteous shit ever published. It's staff and readership should be put in a field and bombed.

I emailed the letters page after reading that article. The gist of my email quoted parts of Quantick's review and lambasted him, firstly for laying into Morrissey's band in such disgraceful way, secondly, for losing his touch spectacularly when it comes to writing humorous, satirical material and finally, for repeating parts of the NME interview which are soon to be contested in court.
I wish I could print the response I received, but now it makes sense as to why my letter wasn't printed. I don't want to say who emailed me, as I don't want to get anyone into trouble. Suffice to say that the email mentioned Morrissey wasn't happy with what had been printed, but it did not attack Morrissey or Quantick in any fashion; indeed it was without personal opinion. However, it acknowledged the receipt of my letter and said that Word were sorry that I didn't like the article.

If anything on here gets back to, or has any influence on Morrissey whatsoever, I'd simply urge him not to take any action against Word. Most of the journalists who work on that magazine are fans of his. If any inflammatory material got into print then that is through no fault of anyone but Quantick. I don't believe for one second that anyone thought they were doing anything but allowing a journalist freedom of speech (however crap that speech was). Quantick would have been the only person here with any agenda, and I don't think that was to harm Morrissey's reputation in any way with regards to charges of racism or prejudice.

Morrissey, for the sake of the fans and Word (one of the last three decent music magazines in Britain), just stick to taking legal action against the NME. If you went after everyone who repeated and embellished what that 'interview' had said then you'd have most major newspapers in the dock, not to mention the Murdoch empire ... and you wouldn't have a hope in hell's chance of winning that one.

Morrissey, I'm blinded to all your faults, but I'd be seriously disappointed in you if you tried challenging everyone with right to an opinion over this issue. Most sane people know the truth, know your position on any sort of prejudice is unequivocally in opposition, and know that some journalists just have an axe to grind ... please, please, please don't go down the route of suing everyone left, right and centre. You cannot become part of that childish compensation culture. Fight those words with your music instead, as you always do. The world isn't against you. Indeed, I think it's only your fans who remember what Quantick wrote in that article. Those who appreciate the fact that you're still making music of a standard above any chart fare, think that he's a class A twat for it anyway.

For those reasons, I sincerely hope that this rumour remains a rumour.

Silly journalists.
Morrissey should just ignore them...this is not worth one second of his attention and surelly not a reason to take legal action because it's meaningless.

  Morrissey's music has been around for 25 years. He survived on his own terms, his music and legacy is enormous and unquestionable. The man is a living legend and nothing can change that!

Morrissey's disappointing metamorphoses into the type of artist that he has often railed against is rich with irony.

He has become the qunitessential wealthy coward who feels that they can sue away their enemies, and burden the courts with trivial complaints.

He is now completely detached from his so called "working class" background (as if he ever had to depend on a job in his life). Morrissey has always been an aristocrat in spirit.

If he had the guts to actually face his detractors, and answer the tough questions, as well as act more professionally to those he works with, then maybe he wouldn't find the need to sue because people are "mean" to him.

First, he had his mother fight his battles, then Johnny Marr, and now he has a big of enough nest egg to go after his detractors via the threat of frivolous lawsuits. It reminds me of the bullied kid who seeks out a mercenary to fight their battles for them.

The man truly needs to grow up. He is taking one glorious bowel movement after another on his legacy.

Don't worry Morrissey. You still have the emo, Internet virgins to defend every childish move that you make.

Not worth your hard-earned 48cents (or whatever gloominess it is right now) to the pound, Mozzer. Save your funds for upcoming tours & albums for your fans.

Quacknicker knows where he can shove his 'underdog'.

We know that all of your songs speak to the less fortunate and lacking in priviledged ease, whether it be in love (lack thereof or helplessly falling in or angsting within it), country, homeland, which side of the law, family status ("And the Father Who Must..."), attraction and gender. It's just so obvious. To me, nothing's changed in that respect from the very first song uttered from you in The Smiths. You're just singing about more than England now from your very English perspective. How very sinful, huh? (You know the answer to that.)

Quacknicker is just an smelly, lazy prick who doesn't even seem to care for his own profession, otherwise he would have actually listened to Greatest Hits as well as your last few albums. The press are being fickle as always. Just walk on, walk on... and do what you do: Make great songs. You know we love you.

Word magazine is the new NME and I couldn't even read that whole article. Journalist's love to over use metaphor and the like to the point that it becomes hard to read.... brain hurts!

cut the cunt's cock off and lob it in the road.

If you all really want to support Morrissey, do not buy this magazine again. I used to buy it every month and remember Morrissey has been on the front cover of The Word three times and they were always very pro Morrissey.

I read that wankers piece on Morrissey in the newsagent and it is full of venom and a very personal attack on Morrissey and that magazine should not be supported by anyone on this site.

I love Moz but let's be honest, any one reading DQ's article must have felt that there is at least some truth in it. Why is it that the greatest singer/songwriter in the English language alive today refuses to have any one other than nonentities as musicians? We can only assume that Moz prefers it that way because of his ego and/or to prevent another Joyce/Rourke scenario arising. It's a real shame because you can't help thinking that some of those songs could have been just so much better...

The current poll results are interesting, in light of the Quantick article.

The band-bashing that became so fashionable here does not seem to be the opinion of the majority.

About 43 percent of fans (at least those who take the time to visit Solo and make their feelings known) rate the band from very good to fantastic.

The next 30 percent think they're just OK.

About half as much think they're awful, and the rest don't really care.

There are some very valid objections to the current line-up raised here (15minuteswithyou puts it very well) but overall it seems that the majority of fans are having a wonderful time at the shows, and really enjoy the bands energy.

Sure things could be better, The Smiths set the bar ridiculously high. But Quantick's vitriol seems hysterical and unwarranted.

First of all:
I've been a fan for almost 20 years. I've bought every single, every album, been to as many shows as is humanly possible (always front row, of course), own a vast collection of bootlegs, rarities and memorabilia. And I have Morrisseys name tattooed on my arm.
BUT.
So much of the review in Word rings too true these days. I don't know what has happened with Morrisseys lyrics lately, but the latest bunch seem so half-arsed and unimaginative. Like he wrote them in 5 minutes thinking "ok, that'll do".
They used to be witty, they used to be charming, they used to be intelligent, they used to be deep, they used to be heartfelt. Nowadays it's all a bit too much "I'm the only sane person here", "Everyone is out to get me" and minor variations on those themes. A persecution complex that has gone a bit too far. He used to make me feel better about myself with his lyrics. He used to make me feel wanted and not so alone. Nowadays... he's just nagging.
A wealthy, (reasonably) happy, fat middle aged man going on and on and on about how HE is the only one around who understands anything about this world. And how everyone is always out to get him for it.
It's just too sad.

I tried to defend the shambles that was the Greatest Hits album by telling people that it was just that (a Greatest Hits – i.e a round up of his singles that have gone highest in the charts) rather than a ”Best of” (which it – in any sort of light - surely isn't). But in the end I just couldn't be bothered anymore. It is just so coorporate, dull and uninteresting.
And the two ”new” songs on there.... Well, let's be as nice as possible about it and not call it "dull shit" and just state that ”Grow up” is the worst single he has released since 1991.
I really liked ”All you need is me” when it was first played live a year or so ago. But then Jerry ”Satan” Finn got his stinky, american, MOR-hands on it and turned it into the sonical equivalent of a polished, flat f**king turd.
Makes one really long for the new album doesn't it? No? Didn't think so...

If 2004 was Morrisseys 68-comeback then just four years later he is well on his way into his Vegas years. The new material is below par substandard Morrissey-ny-numbers, the band is now consisting almost entirely of american studio musicians (have you HEARD the new bassplayer, ffs? The most hamfisted, sorry excuse for a musician he's ever worked with, IMHO) and he's out and away on a tour that seems to go on forever.
It took four years to destroy all the good will that the ”Quarry” comeback gave him.
One more Jesse Tobias-written, half-decent album and it's all over (ROTT had it's moments, though. Both "Dear God" and "Pigsty" are Moz classics, in my book. Penned by mr Whyte, though... it figures).

It just gets harder and harder for every passing day with this new medicore state of affairs to even remember why I fell in love with Moz in the first place. And it makes me so sad. I want Morrissey to feel relevant, to be brilliant again. But the next album has all potential to be a dip in quality just as ”Kill uncle” was. But then again, he has risen from mediocrity before.
Let's just hope it's not too late.

I love you Morrissey, but you need to have your quality control checked. And kick out half of the sad lot that is your band nowadays.

/ Martin, Stockholm.

Moz should only be allowed to sue someone once he has paid Mike Joyce what a Judge told him to....Fair???

I don't disagree they deserved to get beaten cos they played shite, however, it didn't help having 12 on the opposition.
That referee wants castrating then shot through the head.
Let's hope they pull it out for arsenal.

Maybe Morrissey could just cut to the chase and write a wicked song deriding this have-a-go merchant, and Jonze too while he's at it - a la Tony the Pony? They're not worth more effort. There would be plenty of rhyming potential with the name Quantick and if not so much with Jonze, that shouldn't pose a problem for Morrissey who found a way to line up 'reservoirs' with 'stars'. No?!

I thought I'd just add my tuppence worth.

8 Things about Mr. Morrissey that annoys me:

* While being adventurous in terms of embracing foreign cultures like America, Mexico and Italy - he's profoundly provincial as a songwriter. The lyrics always seem to revert back to "poor maudlin little me". The conceit here is that he believes that if people think he's anything other than a tragic torch singer he feels his career will end full stop. Does it ever occur to him that wallowing in safe mediocrity of pub rock, that is his comfort zone, may also bring his stint in the limelight to a shuddering halt!

* That odious grimace he makes when he poses for photographs - this must be counter-intuitive at least some of the time; as no one on Earth can possbily be 100% miserable all of the time. Again, the conceit here is never give the public what they want - a smile. To him, flashing the gnashers might just give other folk the vague impression that he's happy - a happiness that Mr. M could never admit to in public.

* Flogging the mic lead during stage performamces. This has just become an irritating stage habit that ceased to be theatrical circa 1997.

* All his annoying "friends" - Jonathan Woss, Russell 'bouffant' Brand, David 'gis' a blow ob' Walliams. Can't he find anyone else to fraternize with beyond the stale humourless dross employed by the BBC? Isn't this yet another sign that he's wallowing in a mediocrity of his own making? I thought he didn't like wankers in show business. Sadly he's starting to make Sir Elton John look like a man of great taste and discernment.

* He EXPECTS everyone on his payroll to listen to dreary Nico, Kristeen Young, Marc Bolan and T-REX. How provincial and narrow minded is that? Mr. Morrissey likes to think that he has superior taste in books and music to everyone else. The sad fact he doesn't. Nico is one of the most depressing recording artists whoever existed and Mr. M's superiority in his own cultural tastes is entirely misplaced.

* Can't he be interviewed by a bog standard muso journalist without getting embroiled in the racism rows? Hasn't he learned his lesson from Finsbury Park 1992? There is an old adage, if we don't learn from our mistakes we are forced to repeat them!

* I think much of Mr. Morrissey's woes are related to the fact that he seems to be entirely surrounded by sychophants and cannot bare to be around anyone who does not share his tastes, habits and points of view, as witnessed and documented quite recently by Andrew Winter in the Times newspaper.

* Though I have spent some time listening to 'Ringleaders' and 'Quarry' - I find both albums unlistenable now - and can't imagine ever listening to them ever again.

I find them energy zapping and depressing. 'Malajusted' is melancholic but it also has some great humour is extremely well written. This is my favourite album.