Morrissey A-Z: "Journalists Who Lie"

It wasn't the truth though. It was edited.
Not this nonsense again. :rolleyes:

Journalists Who Lie could easily be his worst song. Bitter lyrics devoid of even one witty line, delivered with a horrible musical backing reminiscent of a demented polka. It also should be remembered that few artists have benefited from the music press as much as Morrissey and The Smiths did in the eighties. Yes, some were mean about him even then, but the amount of praise and front covers devoted to Morrissey were crucial in establishing his fanbase.
 
Not this nonsense again. :rolleyes:

Journalists Who Lie could easily be his worst song. Bitter lyrics devoid of even one witty line, delivered with a horrible musical backing reminiscent of a demented polka. It also should be remembered that few artists have benefited from the music press as much as Morrissey and The Smiths did in the eighties. Yes, some were mean about him even then, but the amount of praise and front covers devoted to Morrissey were crucial in establishing his fanbase.

It's not nonsense, Eldritch. There's endless supporting evidence. I don't know why you need to believe he's bitter & that the mountains of utter sh*t written about him are somehow accurate or offset by good press....

Morrissey can drive people nuts: He just doesn’t play the media and business game.... On the other hand, his refusal to conform to the demands of corporate rock has its advantages. Morrissey is one of the most honest stars you’re ever likely to meet. When he does meet his fans, he treats them with kindness and consideration. (Spin)

Printed transcriptions are apt to miss the drily self-satirising element in pretty well everything he says. (Q)

Oh, how they love to hate Steven Patrick Morrissey. Ever since the Smiths hit pay dirt in 1983, the critics have taken Morrissey to task for being a miserable celibatarian aesthete, wallowing in his own shambolic melancholy. (I-D)
 
It's always best to hire someone though - they only gun for you worse if you complain.
"Oh please please hire me!!!! I adore Morrissey! I will make everything right! Oh and did I say please hire me yet?"
 
It's not nonsense, Eldritch. There's endless supporting evidence. I don't know why you need to believe he's bitter & that the mountains of utter sh*t written about him are somehow accurate or offset by good press....

Morrissey can drive people nuts: He just doesn’t play the media and business game.... On the other hand, his refusal to conform to the demands of corporate rock has its advantages. Morrissey is one of the most honest stars you’re ever likely to meet. When he does meet his fans, he treats them with kindness and consideration. (Spin)

Printed transcriptions are apt to miss the drily self-satirising element in pretty well everything he says. (Q)

Oh, how they love to hate Steven Patrick Morrissey. Ever since the Smiths hit pay dirt in 1983, the critics have taken Morrissey to task for being a miserable celibatarian aesthete, wallowing in his own shambolic melancholy. (I-D)
Oh yes, how could I forget the "endless supporting evidence". The Morrissey fanbase equivalent of The Big Lie.

I got into The Smiths and Morrissey reading loads of praising articles from NME, Melody Maker and The Sounds at the time, so I do remember all the good press very well. It got me into the fold, after all. Also I don't know what you are trying to prove by printing here some of the good press: are these excerpts not part of "the mountains of utter shit" then? Or is it just that everything positive is true and everything negative is false?
 
Oh yes, how could I forget the "endless supporting evidence". The Morrissey fanbase equivalent of The Big Lie.

I got into The Smiths and Morrissey reading loads of praising articles from NME, Melody Maker and The Sounds at the time, so I do remember all the good press very well. It got me into the fold, after all. Also I don't know what you are trying to prove by printing here some of the good press: are these excerpts not part of "the mountains of utter shit" then? Or is it just that everything positive is true and everything negative is false?

It wasn't the 'good press' - it's press that acknowledges they often get him wrong, or have ill-will.

So why do you cling to idea it's just his bitterness or the fanbase lying?
 
It wasn't the 'good press' - it's press that acknowledges they often get him wrong, or have ill-will.

So why do you cling to idea it's just his bitterness or the fanbase lying?
By "the Big Lie" I referred to the idea that the Der Spiegel interview was crucially mispresented in the article. The tape proves he said those things and I can't see how anything that was possibly left out could somehow make everything unsaid.

As for press in general, all popular artists in the eighties got loads of bad media. The music press was much meaner then. But few artists got as much praise and articles written by obvious fans as Morrissey did back then. And the fact that M. himself couldn't see that even back in the day when he wrote Journalists Who Lie just shows that he always zooms in on the negative and takes the positive things written about him as a given. That also explains why he keeps on clinging to a no-talent fanzine reject like Ms Dodwell, because nowadays she's the only person writing the praising articles he so badly needs.
 
Though this song showcases all the hallmarks of a bad Morrissey song (underwritten tune, lazy and self-pitying lyrics, no real melody to speak of), I'm bizarrely fond of it. I certainly reject the notion that it's his worst. "Journalists Who Lie" is redeemed by somehow seeming aware that it sucks, which is more than I can say for many of Morrissey's more recent material which masquerades as "good" while actually being terrible.

This one also gets bonus points for "bismuth/biz-myth" which must be one of the most idiosyncratic puns in pop music history.
 
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By "the Big Lie" I referred to the idea that the Der Spiegel interview was crucially mispresented in the article. The tape proves he said those things and I can't see how anything that was possibly left out could somehow make everything unsaid.

As for press in general, all popular artists in the eighties got loads of bad media. The music press was much meaner then. But few artists got as much praise and articles written by obvious fans as Morrissey did back then. And the fact that M. himself couldn't see that even back in the day when he wrote Journalists Who Lie just shows that he always zooms in on the negative and takes the positive things written about him as a given. That also explains why he keeps on clinging to a no-talent fanzine reject like Ms Dodwell, because nowadays she's the only person writing the praising articles he so badly needs.

It was misrepresented. They took a rambling conversation that the journalist led & edited it to make out it was a solid defense of Weinstein & Spacey. The cut n paste articles from it made it even worse. The context matters.

He started his career being accused of encouraging child abuse - that goes beyond mean.

He doesn't take the nice stuff for granted, he puts his own work down if he doesn't like it. He doesn't even like this song.

He's avoiding press even more than usual at the moment. It might be forever this time. Fiona was kind when everyone else was condemning him, but he knows the hierarchy.
 
That also explains why he keeps on clinging to a no-talent fanzine reject like Ms Dodwell, because nowadays she's the only person writing the praising articles he so badly needs.
I enthusiastically reject your use of the word "articles."
 



Our song for today is this Morrissey/Street composition, a B-side on the "Our Frank" single.

I almost hesitate to ask, but...what do we think of this one?

That video wouldn't play here, but maybe this one will.
 
Oh it's not the best, I think we all know that, but it does link to a vaguely amusing moment...Moz playing Bridlington Spa in 2004 (a brilliant, wonderful night, even if Skinny was there, acting like a complete prick in the bar during the support act...he's been on Mastermind, you know?) and during a gap between songs the faithful were calling out song titles in the hope they would be played (why do people do that?) and the young chap at the side of me shouted, without irony, 'Journalists Who Lie'. For a second, just a second, Moz looked down into the throng and shook his head. Well, I thought it was funny.
 
Oh it's not the best, I think we all know that, but it does link to a vaguely amusing moment...Moz playing Bridlington Spa in 2004 (a brilliant, wonderful night, even if Skinny was there, acting like a complete prick in the bar during the support act...he's been on Mastermind, you know?) and during a gap between songs the faithful were calling out song titles in the hope they would be played (why do people do that?) and the young chap at the side of me shouted, without irony, 'Journalists Who Lie'. For a second, just a second, Moz looked down into the throng and shook his head. Well, I thought it was funny.
One time I was at a 10,000 Maniacs show and between songs someone yelled out "play Joy Division" and the band looked at each other and nodded and broke into a decent cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart."
 
Oh it's not the best, I think we all know that, but it does link to a vaguely amusing moment...Moz playing Bridlington Spa in 2004 (a brilliant, wonderful night, even if Skinny was there, acting like a complete prick in the bar during the support act...he's been on Mastermind, you know?) and during a gap between songs the faithful were calling out song titles in the hope they would be played (why do people do that?) and the young chap at the side of me shouted, without irony, 'Journalists Who Lie'. For a second, just a second, Moz looked down into the throng and shook his head. Well, I thought it was funny.
There’s a similarly good moment caught on tape of someone requesting “Tony the Pony” a few years ago.
 
Oh it's not the best, I think we all know that, but it does link to a vaguely amusing moment...Moz playing Bridlington Spa in 2004 (a brilliant, wonderful night, even if Skinny was there, acting like a complete prick in the bar during the support act...he's been on Mastermind, you know?) and during a gap between songs the faithful were calling out song titles in the hope they would be played (why do people do that?) and the young chap at the side of me shouted, without irony, 'Journalists Who Lie'. For a second, just a second, Moz looked down into the throng and shook his head. Well, I thought it was funny.
I was going to give you a like with a funny face😂 but this post is great...
Even moz knows ( he ain’t daft is he) journalists is shit...

Now to more important things....

What’s the crack with mastermind jack...

We don’t like half a tale on here ???
 
I was going to give you a like with a funny face😂 but this post is great...
Even moz knows ( he ain’t daft is he) journalists is shit...

Now to more important things....

What’s the crack with mastermind jack...

We don’t like half a tale on here ???
He bursts into public bars, and he throws his weight around.
 
I was going to give you a like with a funny face😂 but this post is great...
Even moz knows ( he ain’t daft is he) journalists is shit...

Now to more important things....

What’s the crack with mastermind jack...

We don’t like half a tale on here ???
Oh you will never find me saying anything negative about Uncle Peter - his Moz based outrage gets me through the day. Comedy gold!

Keep safe CB - you are one of the few I always read.
 
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