With the right musicians, he could do his best solo work in later life. Imagine his time-ripened voice set against piano/string/acoustic instruments playing beautiful melancholic tunes.

As to his last quote, the obvious example is Johnny Cash - his last five albums are tremendous and outstrip anything he did since the early 70s. The cause of that, of course, was his bravery in working with Rubin, who challenged him out of his comfort zone....

But JC is not the only one. Bowie's "Heathen" and "Reality" were at the very least a comparative return to form.

Springsteen still puts out good albums, if not classic ones.

There's also Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson intermittently, Loretta Lynn, BB King's last album was strong and he is 84! So Morrissey shouldn't retire - he should view ageing with this unique lens. My only wish is that he works with new musicians - ones who can play more tunefully and delicately (though I do think Alain is unfairly underrated)

I better quickly buy tickets to as many shows I can go to.

Oh wait a second, Oh morrissey you almost got me...AGAIN!!! You clever swine.

This makes it the third tour in a row he hinted at retirement as tickets are on sale. I suggest he tries something new. NEW=relevance.

I still love you MOZ...and I love YOR. Get rid of Jesse Tobias please.

Old age could equal good music. Johnny Cash as someone pointed out. And my favorite David Bowie album is Heathen...released 2002.

The first-hand interview is still up and certainly worth a listen, roaming further than just this lightly-touched-on topic - http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=09/02/13/1523223 [morrissey-solo.com]

Bob Dylan? Shit for the best part of 20 years before storming back with three brilliant albums, all full of brilliant musings about the nature of getting old. Can't help thinking Moz would be good at that!

is the day that I stop being excited about new music getting released. I hope to god he graces us with at least 2 or 3 more albums. What is left to look forward to? An autobiography would be nice but we all know that it would be written about everybody BUT himself.

Hmm, I don't know Moz.

Paul Simon is incredible, genius, and he's nearly 70.

He still writes and performs with the same passion and beauty as 20 years ago.

His genius is still completely relevant.

You could do it!!! Please try, at least...

Morrissey is a pop star at heart, no matter what he says. The 'look' is very important to him, being 'of the moment' equally so. Somehow I can't imagine him doing the whole Dylan, Cash, Cohen, thing and growing old gracefully. I love YoR because it sounds so incredibly unlike the work of most 49 year old rock stars. And, amazingly, it doesn't sound like a middle-aged man rocking out with the kids. It sounds just like a Morrissey album. My only hope is that, in the next few years, he produces at least one more quiet, reflective gem like Vauxhall and I...but, otherwise, something tells me this is a man who "will not go quietly into that good night".

I went to see a 70+ year old Leonard Cohen last year and it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to.

It all depends what kind of music you make. If you're whole image was about being a rebellious, wild-living, rock n' roller like The Stones or Guns N Roses, then you can look ridiculous, but if you're a more contemplative, cerebral 'artiste' then you can go on as long as you want to. It's almost a totally different genre.

## After Years of Refusal and ROTT and YATQ there's
enough proof for anyone to see (and listen) that there >IS plenty of fire left in the engine room yet (and Boz.)

Carry-on, Carry-on,

Love,
your imaginary,
Strawberry.

When Morrissey does retire, I'm afraid to even think about the various "best of's" and other compilations that will suffice.

Really, I don't blame him. The money's gotta keep flowing in somehow!