Studio Sessions: Morrissey and Visconti

Fantastic acoustic version of Everyday is Like Sunday - Boz on the Banjo - BRILLIANT!!

Birthday Blessings to Morrissey

Artist: Morrissey
Album: Years Of Refusal
Label: Lost Highway (US), Decca/Polydor (UK)
Rating: 8 of 10

It’s hard to believe Morrissey turns 50 on May 22nd, but luckily he never ceases to be the embodiment of eccentricity, an enigmatic oddball to revere. He fiercely continues to give mainstream pop the cold shoulder (and perhaps rightly so), and is no more acclimatized to the pop music scene than he was twenty-three years ago when he emerged as Britain’s beloved outsider with his 1980’s fêted band, The Smiths.

Never lacking of critics, Morrissey has been countering back with successful solo albums and touring to sold-out shows from L.A. to his birthplace of Manchester, England since 1988. His latest rebuttal, Years of Refusal, seemingly reflects the artist’s acceptance of a life-sentence of sour discontentment. Below its 12-track listing, the album’s subscript reads in lower cased italics “produced by jerry finn, recorded in los angeles, play very loud” and compelling proves that age hasn’t diffused Morrissey’s perspective nor his ability to deliver vocal potency. “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore” hallmarks his sublime falsetto and track two, “Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed”, is lushly layered and enjoyable despite its somewhat disturbing lyrics. The opener, “Something is Squeezing My Skull” scowls with energetic ferocity, stating the big sound theme. Collaboration from long-time band mate Boz Boorer is evident as is punk-pop producer, Jerry Finn’s contribution, which was tragically the 39-year-old’s last effort, having succumbed to a brain hemorrhage only weeks after finalizing the Morrissey recording. A full-bodied intensity flares through to the finale, bonus track, “Shame Is The Name”. Undisputedly, melancholy and wry lyricism, not to mention a notorious quaff, have served Morrissey well and he deserves a very happy birthday.

- Stephanie Kiernan

What A Tease

Morrissey's upcoming solo album, Years of Refusal, features interesting inner sleeve artwork. The ninth solo studio recording for Moz will be released in the UK February 16, 2009. As usual, he has fun with his song titles....

1. 'Something Is Squeezing My Skull'
2. 'Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed'
3. 'Black Cloud'
4. 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris'
5. 'All You Need Is Me'
6. 'When Last I Spoke To Carol'
7. 'That's How People Grow Up'
8. 'One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell'
9. 'It's Not Your Birthday Anymore'
10. 'You Were Good In Your Time'
11. 'Sorry Doesn't Help'
12. 'I'm OK By Myself'

And if that isn't enough NEWS, there is also his interview with Russell Brand. So you MUST purchase the deluxe DVD edition of Years of Refusal in order to treat yourself to the full 20 minute interview, entitled "Wrestle With Russell".
God I love the intrawebs.

Hairdresser On Fire....really

Morrissey - Hairdresser on Fire from Steve Pope on Vimeo.

Ah Morrissey, we love you

Even though I "closed" my Airborne Confessions Blog down in August, I still receive the odd comment here and there. This morning I discovered this one left on a Morrissey post.

Morrissey is a rock ikon the world over as far as real people are concerned.
He refuses to conform to the commercialised and fake music scene. For this reason he is left out in the cold when his immense talent should be respected and idolised by true music fans.
Top bands such as The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Ordinary Boys, Wombats, Coldplay and many more all nod to his influence in their respective careers.
Morrissey is indeed the Last of The Famous International Playboys!

Vive la Moz!

PS. you are very pretty Stephanie. I will see you in far off places! Daz Manchester UK

Also, the photo above is most likely the confirmed artwork for his new album "Years of Refusal", due out February 3, 2009.

Morrissey the cat

"Hungry for Change"

Echobelly - so if you don't have any Echobelly, go to HMV and seek out your copy of their 1995 album "ON". It's fantastic front to back, but I have to say "Pantyhose and Roses" and "Something Hot in a Cold Country" are my favorite singles. Oh yes, and "Four Letter Word" is also very good. But then there's "Nobody Like You". It totally reminds me of something Morrissey himself would love.

Now that's something for Morrissey to go do. Team up with Sonya Aurora. What a duo they would make!

I never stole one happy hour around here....

I'm trying to get my review started for Morrissey's "Greatest Hits". Unfortunately I'm truly crushed with this 'retrospective' so I'm forced to go back to Morrissey's beginnings - from his first solo album, Viva Hate, I've found this amazing live version of one of my FAVORITE Morrissey songs, "Late Night On Maudlin Street". I'm restored when I absorb this creation - pure Morrissey lyrics and pure melancholy.

Oncoming Morrissey

With everything that I write or post on this music site, you'd think I should change the name to MozChords or something. Well, here I go again. For the first time in a while, I visited Morrissey's official website which I found a revised home page, an old black and white of Morrissey floating in a swimming pool with the notation COMING SOON: February 11th - Greatest Hits. Being that I purchase anything and everything Morrissey, it won't bother me that I already have all his albums and I'll buy this one as well. I'm Deeee-voted folks - and a little Demented about it. And besides, I think that a new release justifies a new Review for the NSN doesn't it? I'm sure Goodman will publish it. "Write it and they will come."

In other Morrissey related stories, last night after working with my horrendous back pain all day, all I could manage was a thin crust mozzella pizza and a glass (okay three) of champagne then plunk down on the sofa. Before I knew it, I was out; so I didn't go down to Garvey's. He was having a few folks from work over which included Dubliner, Adrian. About 10 minutes after midnight I get awoken by the phone only to hear that I missed out on how much a Morrissey fan Adrian is. Of course he is. Bugger. And think of all the wonderful things we could have hashed over, and over and over? Somehow a guy from Ireland or England talking about mutual love of Morrissey and The Smiths just makes me feel a bit closer to...God. Anyway, in the haze I think John said that Adrian was talking about the film or video where they follow Morrissey around LA. Well, that would be from "The Importance of Being Morrissey".

Got Morrissey?

They say there's too much caffeine in your blood stream And a lack of real spice in your life



Last night I had John, the construction handy man in to fix one of my dimmer lights (yes I really do have a strong conviction for dimmer switches) and he noticed my Morrissey albums on the hallway table. "Oh who's M-o-r-r-ees-y?" Oh God I thought. This guys got to be at least 50 and he doesn't know who Morrissey is? And even worse, he didn't know who The Smiths were, adding further frustration in my attempt to explain who Morrissey was. I know. There's so much ignorance in the world it's shocking. I pointed to my refrigerator door where my beloved is stuck and then I took him over to the iMac and pulled up some classic Smiths for him to hear - you know, in hopes that something might jog loose in his brain. But nothing did. Poor old soul. This got me thinking this morning about a list of favorite Smiths' songs. A list of must haves and "must get" - as in "do you get it?".

So here goes in no particular order (other than scrolling through my iTunes and the fact that I placed "There Is A Light" last because it really is my absolute favorite Smiths' single), song titles and album:


Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (Louder Than Bombs)
The Headmaster Ritual (Meat Is Murder)
Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours (Strangeways, Here We Come)
Well I Wonder (Meat Is Murder)
Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Queen Is Dead)
I Know It’s Over (The Queen Is Dead)
This Charming Man (The Smiths)
Hand In Glove (The Smiths)
Still Ill (The Smiths)
Half A Person (Louder Than Bombs)
What Difference Does It Make? (The Smiths)
Ask (Louder Than Bombs)
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (The Queen Is Dead)
Shoplifters Of The World Unite (Louder Than Bombs)
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (Meat Is Murder)
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Queen Is Dead)

The More You Ignore Me

Classic Moz.

Seasick, Morrissey

Late Night on Maudlin Street - beloved Morrissey