The bit I enjoyed the most was Morrissey explaining to Lynn Barber why Jarvis Cocker wasn't a patch on him. Would love to read that in its entirety. In general, though, it was good to see him back talking and clearly willing to talk about anything that's thrown at him. I hope this is the first major interview of many.

Ian

It dosen't much look like him,does it?

must be that he has an assistant named Blossom? God, he's been in LA too long

To be honest, I don't think this was a very good article at all. I thought the interviewer/writer was quite poor. Both with questions and her "observations."
The section that bothered me most was when she questioned Morrissey's own allegations that he is big in America, yet couldn't find anyone who knew him. Well, that's fine, but I feel strongly that the record of his tours here of the last 10 years strongly negate her observations.
Another part of the article that I felt was poorly written, was that you couldn't tell what parts of the article came from her interview, and which bits came from previous articles/books. I think it was clear there was some borrowed material there.
Lastly, I felt the tone of the article was sophmoric and actually patronizing to the audience.

Mike Joyce played bass in The Smiths and shagged a lot, Moz stepped out of the 'Outside' Tour with Bowie, cause Bowie wanted him to play one of his songs ( which he 4 years later did anyway one evening in New York), and Blossom now works for Morrissey!
I wish every interview would give so much news!

Cat got my tongue.

Morrissey hates the Queen yet he'll go running to her with his problem that he doesn't think drummers should earn a fair share of the profits. Maybe he thinks she'll relate to him, hoarding the wealth and all. What an A$$H0LE.

why? try these for starters!
-moz banging on about having no friends for the millionth time (he's seen practically every week attending gigs and he is never without companions; does he not consider them to be friends?)
-having a go at Marr for not supporting Moz's solo career; has Morrissey ever said anything flattering about Marr's post smiths achievements
-having a go at Jarvis Cocker; I don't rate him as a singer either but he's also label-less and become pretty insignificant. why doesn't he have a pop at one of the many really crap, overhyped current bands like Starsailors or Coldplay instead?
-his obsession with the court case and the implication that he'll go to prison rather than cough up. he's even dragged his mum and sister into it. i happen to think he's probably right about Mike Joyce not deserving the cash but you've gotta know when to let go.
-the interviewer was also pretty unflattering about Morrissey's status/appearance etc and described Mike Joyce as the bass player!
-on a positive note, Moz said some nice stuff about 'changing the poetic landscape of British popular music' (fantastic!) but generally the negatives far uotweigh the positives from that interview.

John Steed

i can't see why not. maybe his taste in shirts crossovers into his taste in music.

that bit about the manager carrying a saw in case morrissey's trees needed trimming was hilarious. i hope morrissey was just being silly.

Overall, I think that the article is quite depressing, negative, and dull. There isn't anything quite interesting in it, telling only from what I've read so far. I thought that what the interviewer noted wasn't souly based on actual facts or previous encounters with Moz or the like; it was mostly based on her opinion, which is completely different and otherwise shitty, for lack of a better term. I believe she made out Morrissey to be foolish, ignorant, and more pompous than he really is. Plus, many of the things he said were completely taken out of context. This interview is definately not the best one I've read. Just my opinion, though.

when i read the word "portly"
i think to myself: now that's a polite way of saying "chubby"

now i am not sure what the reporter meant, because there is another meaning for the word which could fit, but i have also noticed that quite a few people seem to think Morrissey is "cuddly"

i am starting to think that most people have unrealistic and inconsitent standards when it comes to weight.

Morrissey is not "portly", "healty" yes, but not "portly".

George Castanza is "portly".

Incest?

Johnny Marr sent Morrissey a telegram saying congratulations on Viva Hate's success and Morrissey never responded. This is just the kind of interview that reminds me of a line Martha Reeves once told me: "If you want to enjoy the show, don't go backstage."

Morrissey's lying. Johnny Marr has been nothing but complimentary about Morrissey and the Smith's accomplishments. He's also shown that he's fair when it comes to former employees getting their fair money, unlike Morrissey. Calling his bandmates "as replaceable as lawn mower parts" was just viscious and needlessly nasty.

uhg. I think I'll go check out someone elses' website now.

So "weeding out fans" is DESIRABLE? Jesus.

There's been a lot of talk in the above about "a true fan".

So...

What constitutes a true Morrissey fan?

Dear Morrissey,

What's wrong with a little shag? Yeah Baby Yeah!!

Sincerely,

Austin Powers, Fred Durst, Kid Rock, and all the members from Kiss, Motley Crue, and Guns and Roses.

duh

umm where the hell is the interview? that was the biggest waste of my time to read.

I've been a fan since the Smith's first record and can't believe how negative so many Morrissey fans are--and I can't believe how negative Morrissey is either.

After some years go by and we get older, I'd think most stars would look back at their achievements with pride and FORGIVENESS. I think Marr, from what I've read, can relate to that. Morrissey on the other hand, seems so nasty to the guys who became stars with him. That seems so sad to me.

He was telling her all wrong, misleading and untrue things about himself, just for the sake of fun... Bad bad Moz, making fun of this poor square-jawed British lady... Moz friendless celibate... Gimmi a break... This lad enjoys his Cat'n Fiddle merry hours with buddies, he has gay lovers, he abandoned old "celibacy" bull loooong time ago... Oh, his Mozziness wicked sense of humour... could he be mean and cruel to the clueless outsider... We gay males could be bitches sometimes (esp. when we have our period! LOL)

Former Morrissey's [and now his mothers] mansion
in Altrinkham gona be Mike Joyce's, mhh, never,
can't believe Morrissey would go 'that' far.

It was [for me] real news for me, thought
Morrissey [as Marr did] paid.

Again it shows that Morrissey still lives up
with his selve made principles.

If theydare touch a hair on yer head, I'll
fight to the last breath

[new lyrics of 'irish bloos, english heart'
fit like a glove concerning the courtcase]

Well, the Smiths are dead.

and Morrissey's touring [and forgot nothern europe
;(]

That's Utah there, not Colorado gracing the horizon behind our hero. Having just driven it, and also having been to Colorado Springs in the last year, they look nothing similar.

Picking nits? Sure. But we all wear cowboy hats then, don't we?

On topic, crap interviewer. Interesting tidbits, though.

Morrissey only decided to move to the US, so he did not have to pay Mike Joyce!!!! It's obvious now. He has got no property in the UK, because he does not live there. It also means that he only has a limited amount of days a year that he can spend in the UK (that's perhaps why there's only 2 British dates). Of course he forgot that Joyce's lawyers would be smart enough to find out that Moz is the real owner of the house in Altrincham... Now we understand the abosulte hate in 'Sorrow'.

In nearly 20 years of following Morrissey in interviews I've never been more saddened and disgusted at the sour, bitter, hateful miser who exposed himself in The Observer.

#1 - "Yes, we'd like to sign you but we don't want to sign your musicians." There's always some absurd condition which makes absolutely no sense.... he says. Yet that didnt stop him 20 years ago signing a contract which excluded two of his musicians.

#2 - Everything evolves quite naturally, as if some unseen guiding hand is in the background... he says about The Smiths royalties. I think he'll find that "guiding hand" is called WEA, the same company who put out Best Ofs which he slates.

#3 - He has not seen Marr since, except in court, and claims he has no desire to see him... this is a total LIE. Marr revealed a year or so ago that about 94-ish he and Moz had met up again in Manchester and drove around, caught up on old times. Moz himself also revealed around that time that he'd "seen Marr recently". This was pre-court case though and now Morrissey's memory has decided to eradicate this fact.

#4 - 'Why would you want to see someone who'd said bad things about you?' ... a classic case of pot and kettle. Marr sent Moz a postcard after Playboys telling him how much he liked it. Moz responded by slagging off Electronic in the press. This is utter hypocrisy.

#5 - And he knows that at the end of The Smiths I was in a very depressed state - and that possibly the fact that he broke The Smiths up could have killed me... he says. Yes, perhaps but everybody knows that it was Marr who was having a nervous breakdown over the stress of Morrissey and how unreasonable he was being. Who leaked the split story to the NME to start with? All fingers have traditionally pointed to Morrissey.

#6 - Morrissey says it was because Bowie kept badgering him to sing one of his songs... this is a laughable excuse. Who seriously believes Dame Bowie would hassle his support to cover one of his songs and, as somebody else pointed out, 5 years later he DID perform "Drive In Saturday" anyway so what the hell is he talking about?

#7 - 'never come face to face with human evil' until he encountered the judge. This is a bit much coming from somebody who's written a song about the Moors Murderers isn't it? In the grand scheme of things, a judge who makes a decision - whether right or wrong - in a private case over finances is hardly the embodiment of 'human evil' when placed beside the Bradys of this world. This is typical Moz hyperbole.

#8 - He was always in search of more shags... well this speaks for itself. Bitchy, jealous even. The Smiths were a rock'n'roll band and worked hard and played hard but that's not even the point here. It's a very nasty thing to say in a national newspaper about a man who is now married with kids. They were probably no angels on tour but so what? If only Moz had taken Marr's advice when he spoke to Nick Kent and said that the singer "needs a good humping".

#9 - when this person therefore, 10 years after the group has ended, starts demanding £1m... well he wasn't demanding £1m, he was demanding his share and he started "demanding it" in 1988, the year after they split, not in 1996 when it came to court (it took 8 years to come to trial and the judge actually criticised M&M for stalling it so long). He was still demanding it when they were on stage at Wolverhampton in 1988 and it clearly didn't bother Morrissey to share the same stage with Joyce then.

#10 - The Queen was very nice'... excuse me while I torch my copy of The Queen Is Dead immediately. 17 years ago he was all up for dropping his trousers to her. 16 years ago he wanted "her very lowness with her head in a sling". But now he's snivelling up to her just because he's too tight to settle this case. I really am disillusioned here. To me this is like him saying "roast beef is very nice". I am devastated...

#11 - Joyce meanwhile put a charge on Morrissey's mother's house and his sister's house, (presumably b

Read the rest of this comment...

I don't believe for one moment that Morrissey has no friends or that he is living in complete isolation. Ulitmately whoever he beds/befriends he is going to go to extraordinary lengths to make sure we don't know about them. One wonders why Lynn Barber didn't mention the name Jake Walters during the interview - but then she really didn't do that much research as she fell all too easily for the celebacy/solitude claptrap he spouts.

Again he is looking for the sympathy vote. I find it quite repugnant, that such a gifted singer songwriter needs to manipulate fans/readers into feeling sorry for him. This trawling for pity routine is an old trick: "I'm lonely/celebate/friendless/loveless and nobody loves me so please buy my records and attend my concerts" - does he feel his work is so worthless that unless people feel sorry for him people won't buy his records or attend his concerts? It's quite sad that he should have to stoop this low. When he goes on like this he is insulting his fanbase - the people who genuinely care about him.

No one believes for one moment he is an isolated Norman No Mates - so why does he continue to insult our intelligence with this 'poor little rich me' bullshit. He is frequently seen out socially with his entourage of close friends/associates and assistants. Let's put it this way, he is always going to have more friends and asssistants than you and I and everyone else in here put together1

As for Mike Joyce why can't he just settle up instead of putting his mother and sister under unnecessary duress. As Lynn Barber writes:
 
"Joyce meanwhile put a charge on Morrissey's mother's house and his sister's house (presumably because he has no property in the UK) which makes them unsellable until the claim is settled."

I read a few years back that Steven is worth around 10 million pounds. If he paid Joyce the one million quid he would he and his family would have a lot of peace of mind and all those sleepless nights in 'insecure' property would come to an end. I certainly could'nt put my family throught this kind of legal torture.

To me his legal position betrays Morrissey's selfishness, insensitivity, and naked greed. Placing his own agenda on top of everyone else's -well we've always know he is a selfish self-obsessed, egomanical, narcissticial showbiz personality.

He needs to be more forgiving, more generous and less anal retentive. Mozzy only has himself to look after - Joyce has got a wife and two kids - anyone in Joyce's position would have done exactly the same thing re the High Court 1996.

Whatever way you look at it Rourke and Joyce were both robbed from their 25% performing royalties. There is no honour from denying people their proper monetary dues for live/taped performances. He should cough up the million or shut up. He wears people down with his constant moaning and negativity.

Morrissey is still smarting that the Law courts discovered he and Marr had their hands in the till - he is now seen in public as been essentially dishonest and untrustworthy and he can't quite cope with this judgement.

He needs to move on BIG TIME!

I mean, what's all this bit about "sliced bread in a plastic bag...". God, she just can't help being blatant, can she? So dutifully brainwashed to write pesky articles for pensioners in Dover who like them like that!!! And she probably can afford to live in SW1 because of this.
But then she sees Morrissey on stage and she finally realises how great our Man is.
Lynn, do us a favour: get lost! Plenty of vacancies in Ealing as Traffic Wardens!!! Give 'em a go!

i agree with all who said this 'interview' was horrible. the person intervewing obviously has no knowledge of morrissey's musical career, and when writing about someone who has had a 20 year career, that is KIND OF Important, wouldnt you think?

anyway - the photo looks like its from the maladjusted days to me....

The King of Pop is now the Norman Bates of Pop.

Hi all,
Really pleased to say that Moz denounced the horrendous Observer interview at the Albert Hall gig tonight (see my response in Albert Hall post gig thingy for more info).
Love, John Steed

Believe none of what you read and only half of what you see.

Everyone will contradict themselves later in life, especially when put under a microscope for everything they do. Morrissey is -- gasp -- human. He relies on his emotions and does not always worry about the historical facts. Nobody worried about historical facts before Herodotus, and even he wasn't all that good about it.

You may not like Morrissey if you got to know him, but you don't have to. Just enjoy the music. He is a true original.