"Istanbul" - spoken-word promo video

Re: Istanbul - spoken-word promo video

Cool. Bastard.

Not exactly the ode to the place "Istanbul" everyone was expecting.

 

[marred]

I think you're right about the album cover; I had the same thought. I'm a bit disappointed, although I like the cover. I was hoping for something pro shot too. I think, as others have noted, these are not "singles" in the traditional sense that we are used to. No physical release, no b-sides. It's probably for the best that Morrissey is changing with the time but I miss the old school singles. Maybe we'll get one after the album release.

Yes we may get a delayed physical release. Even though the 7" vinyl and CDs came out for Irish Blood and Gang the 12" vinyl didn't come out until ages after like maybe a year I think, so that was a weird one. It's not too bad a sleeve.

 

[Famous when dead]

I think you're right about the album cover; I had the same thought. I'm a bit disappointed, although I like the cover. I was hoping for something pro shot too. I think, as others have noted, these are not "singles" in the traditional sense that we are used to. No physical release, no b-sides. It's probably for the best that Morrissey is changing with the time but I miss the old school singles. Maybe we'll get one after the album release.

Well, as a collector, it saddens me if there are no more singles with b sides (yes I'm aware how things are changing, but it's still sad).
I think the deluxe tracks are the b sides for the 3 singles and there will be nothing else physically to own apart from the album formats (is he really going to autograph all those copies!?).
Given the insane lengths some of us take to collect every type of release, the move to digital in whatever capacity is not brilliant.
I liked the attack formats and some of the decca iconography, but this has reduced to practically nill and the dog picture and wording logo appear to represent it all.
Well, time moves on I guess.
Yet, oddly, the drive for vinyl has returned and what better time to resurrect the 7" single... I live in hope.
Regards,
FWD

 

[Goddamn Jesus Christ]

Well, as a collector, it saddens me if there are no more singles with b sides (yes I'm aware how things are changing, but it's still sad).
I think the deluxe tracks are the b sides for the 3 singles and there will be nothing else physically to own apart from the album formats (is he really going to autograph all those copies!?).
Given the insane lengths some of us take to collect every type of release, the move to digital in whatever capacity is not brilliant.
I liked the attack formats and some of the decca iconography, but this has reduced to practically nill and the dog picture and wording logo appear to represent it all.
Well, time moves on I guess.
Yet, oddly, the drive for vinyl has returned and what better time to resurrect the 7" single... I live in hope.
Regards,
FWD

I think you're a f*****

 

[marred]

I think you're a f*****

Well Jesus you have certainly changed your tune.

"Blessed are the meek for they shall... oh f*** it, you're a f*****"

 

[Goddamn Jesus Christ]

Well Jesus you have certainly changed your tune.

"Blessed are the meek for they shall... oh f*** it, you're a f*****"

What can I say except some people are born f*****s and some aren't. The next flood will begin in San Fransisco. Hope there's a Noah in Berkeley. (There isn't)

 

[marred]

What can I say except some people are born f*****s and some aren't. The next flood will begin in San Fransisco. Hope there's a Noah in Berkeley. (There isn't)

Thanks for that. Keep up the good work

 

[Anonymous]

The mods are clearly off duty.

 

[celibate]

Hope all those 'spoken' short promo clips, will be released, as extra with the cd, with a DVD , with spoken promo's and his upcoming videoclips
for the single.

one can only hope

'and they say he's mentall'....earth is the loneliest planet, next?....

 

[Johnny Barleycorn]

How can all of you claim that this song (and the others) are anything close to his classics like Disappointed, Suedehead, NFD, Maudlin Street, We Hate It When Our Friends, etc.?

The lyrics are rather weak and repetitive throughout all of the new songs.

Quit being a lemming and think for yourself.

It's all relative, and, of course subjective, but I think Istanbul is far and away the best of the tracks we've heard since the last album. You could argue that isn't saying much, but that's an discussion for another day. I think World Peace, Earth, and Bullfighter are worryingly trite from the pen of the man who wrote Meat Is Murder. I also think it's fair to say the first three songs played live hardly set the heather alight. Johnny Cash had to perform "San Quentin" twice. I've seen no such demand for "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet" just yet.

I doubt anyone could suggest Istanbul is of the quality of many of the songs you mention and keep a straight face, but we are now approaching a post-Morrissey era, and there are powerful arguments to be made we've been there for at least a decade. He's not going to be around very much longer, so for people like me, who have followed him slavishly for perhaps too long, we now welcome even an average Morrissey song just to remind us of when he was transcendent.

Two of the greatest lyricists of the last fifty years, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, both released albums in the last couple of years. For me, of the dozen or so tracks on each album, only one on per album leapt out at me as being genuinely exciting and worthy additions to their canon. Bowie's "Where Are We Now?" and Cohen's "Show Me The Place". At this point I can live with that attrition rate with them, as I can with Morrissey. If I can sync even a couple of new songs to the end of my Smiths/Morrissey playlist I shall be reasonably content. I have managed just five since the magnificent Quarry.

 

[marred]

It's all relative, and, of course subjective, but I think Istanbul is far and away the best of the tracks we've heard since the last album. You could argue that isn't saying much, but that's an discussion for another day. I think World Peace, Earth, and Bullfighter are worryingly trite from the pen of the man who wrote Meat Is Murder. I also think it's fair to say the first three songs played live hardly set the heather alight. Johnny Cash had to perform "San Quentin" twice. I've seen no such demand for "Earth Is The Loneliest Planet" just yet.

I doubt anyone could suggest Istanbul is of the quality of many of the songs you mention and keep a straight face, but we are now approaching a post-Morrissey era, and there are powerful arguments to be made we've been there for at least a decade. He's not going to be around very much longer, so for people like me, who have followed him slavishly for perhaps too long, we now welcome even an average Morrissey song just to remind us of when he was transcendent.

Two of the greatest lyricists of the last fifty years, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, both released albums in the last couple of years. For me, of the dozen or so tracks on each album, only one on per album leapt out at me as being genuinely exciting and worthy additions to their canon. Bowie's "Where Are We Now?" and Cohen's "Show Me The Place". At this point I can live with that attrition rate with them, as I can with Morrissey. If I can sync even a couple of new songs to the end of my Smiths/Morrissey playlist I shall be reasonably content. I have managed just five since the magnificent Quarry.

It's not that powerful an argument but I hear what you're saying. At least FAN has found a sympathetic ear. I'm the first one out of the gate to call Morrissey on lame songs, a la the awful substituted extra tracks that have graced, or disgraced the recent remastered material such as "safe, warm Lanchishire home", and those god awful ones added to bona drag. Wait till you hear the whole album first and save the misery until then. Some of us are well excited for a new Morrissey album so at least let us have this moment and then we can discuss later.

I don't disagree that this is a very different era of Morrissey music but I'd go mad waiting for another Bona Drag. I've let that ship sail and I am looking forward and upward

 

[Orson Swells]

How can all of you claim that this song (and the others) are anything close to his classics like Disappointed, Suedehead, NFD, Maudlin Street, We Hate It When Our Friends, etc.?

The two released tracks, “World Peace” and “Istanbul”, are as good as Disappointed, Suedehead, NFD, Maudlin Street, We Hate It When Our Friends and well worth their place in the canon.

 

[marred]

As I drink in this wonderful song I'm getting hints of "My Dearest Love", "Black Cloud", "If you don't like me then don't look at me", Ganglord"... I could do go on.

and a little bit of Maladjusted.

 

[Martin]

Downloaded it from iTunes, Sweden. Can't stop listening. Really interesting musically. And that singing... just ace!

 

[Girl-Afraid]

Utterly gorgeous. I love the vintage vibe I'm getting from this. He's so damn cool.

 

[Famous when dead]

It's ok, I have forgiven you Jesus.
After all,
When you've finished with your second trolling and exhausted your homophobia...
Remember:
World peace is SOME of your business.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa.
FWD

 

[cberlin]

Upon first listen to the hauntingly beautiful spoken-word rendition of this song I got nearly paralyzed I was so overtaken by, on the one hand, how perfectly "Istanbul" works as a poem (a feat precious few lyrics manage to accomplish), and, on the other, that I could just as easily have been listening to the ghost of Siegfried Sassoon reciting “Suicide in the trenches”. Both "Istanbul" and Sassoon's poem of yore deal with the same subject: tragic and unnecessary loss of young life, albeit using different context fit for their respective eras. It renders me teary-eyed contemplating that although in many aspects a quite (r)evolutionary century has passed since Sassoon penned his masterpiece, human remains the most evil species of all. Moz hits a tone strikingly similar to Sassoon's and even uses the same meter as he did, although he exercises more freedom of form. I can’t imagine any of this being a coincidence, especially considering that with Morrissey such parallels are never merely that.

This said, I have no idea if I’m even close to the truth here. What I do know is that I find myself quite taken by “Istanbul”, with it giving me goosebumps just on its on merits. A stunner of a song!

Morrissey/Istanbul

Siegfried Sassoon/Suicide in the trenches

When he first cried his mother died,
I had tried to be his guide,
When he was born I was too young,
The father searches for the son
in Istanbul.

I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

Moonlight jumping through the trees,
Sunken eyes avoiding me,
From dawn to dusk the hunt is on.
The father searches for the son.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

On secret streets in disbelief,
Little shadow shows the lead,
Prostitutes stylish and glum.
In amongst them you are one.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

Rolling breathless off the tongue
The vicious street gang slang,
I lean into a box of pine
Identify the kid as mine.

 

[Anonymous]

i'd like to think that this song was written for berkin elvan. 15-year old victim of police violence in last year's gezi resistance. it's just my thought though.

 

[mcrickson]

Upon first listen to the hauntingly beautiful spoken-word rendition of this song I got nearly paralyzed I was so overtaken by, on the one hand, how perfectly "Istanbul" works as a poem (a feat precious few lyrics manage to accomplish), and, on the other, that I could just as easily have been listening to the ghost of Siegfried Sassoon reciting “Suicide in the trenches”. Both "Istanbul" and Sassoon's poem of yore deal with the same subject: tragic and unnecessary loss of young life, albeit using different context fit for their respective eras. It renders me teary-eyed contemplating that although in many aspects a quite (r)evolutionary century has passed since Sassoon penned his masterpiece, human remains the most evil species of all. Moz hits a tone strikingly similar to Sassoon's and even uses the same meter as he did, although he exercises more freedom of form. I can’t imagine any of this being a coincidence, especially considering that with Morrissey such parallels are never merely that.

This said, I have no idea if I’m even close to the truth here. What I do know is that I find myself quite taken by “Istanbul”, with it giving me goosebumps just on its on merits. A stunner of a song!

Thank you for sharing this. You very well may be on to something, and it is lovely.

 

[realitybites]

Upon first listen to the hauntingly beautiful spoken-word rendition of this song I got nearly paralyzed I was so overtaken by, on the one hand, how perfectly "Istanbul" works as a poem (a feat precious few lyrics manage to accomplish), and, on the other, that I could just as easily have been listening to the ghost of Siegfried Sassoon reciting “Suicide in the trenches”. Both "Istanbul" and Sassoon's poem of yore deal with the same subject: tragic and unnecessary loss of young life, albeit using different context fit for their respective eras. It renders me teary-eyed contemplating that although in many aspects a quite (r)evolutionary century has passed since Sassoon penned his masterpiece, human remains the most evil species of all. Moz hits a tone strikingly similar to Sassoon's and even uses the same meter as he did, although he exercises more freedom of form. I can’t imagine any of this being a coincidence, especially considering that with Morrissey such parallels are never merely that.

This said, I have no idea if I’m even close to the truth here. What I do know is that I find myself quite taken by “Istanbul”, with it giving me goosebumps just on its on merits. A stunner of a song!

Morrissey/Istanbul

Siegfried Sassoon/Suicide in the trenches

When he first cried his mother died,
I had tried to be his guide,
When he was born I was too young,
The father searches for the son
in Istanbul.

I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

Moonlight jumping through the trees,
Sunken eyes avoiding me,
From dawn to dusk the hunt is on.
The father searches for the son.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.

On secret streets in disbelief,
Little shadow shows the lead,
Prostitutes stylish and glum.
In amongst them you are one.

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

Rolling breathless off the tongue
The vicious street gang slang,
I lean into a box of pine
Identify the kid as mine.

Thanks for this.

 

[Anaesthesine]

Astute post, cberlin.

If the last line read "Identify the boy (or child) as mine" it would be a gentle, classic lyric. The jarring use of the word "kid" is what throws it off - makes it contemporary and somewhat emotionally alienating. A kind of backhanded Morrissey signature.