Thoughts on new album

[Mr. Springheeled]

Call me paranoid but every time one of my favorite artists (of which there are only 2) releases a new album I always become afraid that it may be their last. Looking at the (confirmed/uncomfirmed) new song titles:
-One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
-Black Cloud
-I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
-Action Man
-Teresa, Teresa
-When I Was Young
-When Last I Spoke to Carol
-Livings
-You Were Good in Your Time
-Because of My Poor Education
-I Was Bully, Do Not Forget Me
-It's Not Your Birthday Anymore
-I'm Looking Forward to Going Back
-Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed
-Something Is Squeezing My Skull
-The Longer I Live
I've noticed a few that strike me as potential farewell songs. Has anyone else had that feeling?
Subquestion: If this were Morrissey's last, how would you pay homage to him after the fact? I'd fly to the UK and burn down the Salford Lad's Club

 

[Kewpie]

Hope you're only kidding.

 

[Mr. Springheeled]

Hope you're only kidding.

of course I am.

But if I were to hear that someone actually did that I could appreciate the little hint of poetic irony behind it.

 

[Dow Jones]

Mozzer is always doing the farewell song thing. Anyway, if you do what you've said, make sure to take me with. I want my picture taken there, so bring a camera as well, take the photo before you burn the place down, of course.

 

[Worm]

He has also made ominous hints at final farewells at concerts over the last few years.

Then again, he wrote "Rubber Ring" 23 years ago.

I suspect he might walk away at any time, and that his hints at retiring from pop music are not made lightly. I don't think he's trying to manipulate the emotions of his fans, although I'm sure there's a not inconsiderable side of him that likes teasing us. If he's still with us and still making music, I think he genuinely feels he can still make a contribution. Likewise, when it's time to go, I think he'll go for good and be decisive about it.

 

[Kewpie]

He has also made ominous hints at final farewells at concerts over the last few years.

Then again, he wrote "Rubber Ring" 23 years ago.

I suspect he might walk away at any time, and that his hints at retiring from pop music are not made lightly. I don't think he's trying to manipulate the emotions of his fans, although I'm sure there's a not inconsiderable side of him that likes teasing us. If he's still with us and still making music, I think he genuinely feels he can still make a contribution. Likewise, when it's time to go, I think he'll go for good and be decisive about it.

Hahaha, we'll see another article of is Morrissey retiring? next week's NME.

 

[Worm]

Hahaha, we'll see another article of is Morrissey retiring? next week's NME.

My God, Kewpie, you're right! We can't feed the NME trolls like that!

 

[Vauxhall95]

He has also made ominous hints at final farewells at concerts over the last few years.

Then again, he wrote "Rubber Ring" 23 years ago.

I suspect he might walk away at any time, and that his hints at retiring from pop music are not made lightly. I don't think he's trying to manipulate the emotions of his fans, although I'm sure there's a not inconsiderable side of him that likes teasing us. If he's still with us and still making music, I think he genuinely feels he can still make a contribution. Likewise, when it's time to go, I think he'll go for good and be decisive about it.

Isn't the Morrissey playbook in recent years to release some sort of controversial view or sentiment to spur the release of album or single sales? I fully expect a rumor of this being "the final album" which will be retracted after it hits near the top of the U.K. charts, then begins its rapid descent.

 

[Danny_]

He doesn't make ominous hints about retiring at all. He's just got obsessive fans that scan everything he writes or says for hidden meanings.

 

[Worm]

He doesn't make ominous hints about retiring at all. He's just got obsessive fans that scan everything he writes or says for hidden meanings.

You're right. The line "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone" is kind of amusing, not ominous at all.

 

[Worm]

Isn't the Morrissey playbook in recent years to release some sort of controversial view or sentiment to spur the release of album or single sales? I fully expect a rumor of this being "the final album" which will be retracted after it hits near the top of the U.K. charts, then begins its rapid descent.

I don't think he stoops to creating controversy for the sake of controversy, unless it's related to animal rights causes (an exception that I don't find offensive).

The gig in Israel has made a few rumbles and there might be something else in the pipeline along those lines. Nothing that qualifies as an outright attention grab, though.

 

[Poppy Full]

I'm excited about the new album. I love the new titles, but I think even from he Smiths days, naming songs has always been a skill of Mozzers. Partly the reason why I first bought a Morrissey/Smiths album was because the song-names were so great.
But I can't stop picturing...Action Man

 

[Je Suis Julie]

I'm excited about the new album. I love the new titles, bu I tink even from he Smiths days, naming songs has always been a skill of Mozzers. Partly the reason why I first bought a Morrissey/Smiths album was because the song-names were so great.
But I can't stop picturing...Action Man

I completely agree. The song titles are fantastic.
Action Man intrigues me, too.

When I read "I am Bully, Do Not Forget Me" I thought of Ben and his cast off stuffed toy in a Dr. Katz episode.

 

[Vauxhall95]

I don't think he stoops to creating controversy for the sake of controversy, unless it's related to animal rights causes (an exception that I don't find offensive).

The gig in Israel has made a few rumbles and there might be something else in the pipeline along those lines. Nothing that qualifies as an outright attention grab, though.

Remember the message to Merck from Morrissey (via Arturo I believe)? I think it had to do with "The Youngest Was The Most Loved," he made it plainly clear he was purposely using the media by making outrageous animal rights comments in order to be more in the public view and sell albums. That really hurt his animal rights' image in my view. His lawyers then had the e-mail removed from the website.

All I am writing, is I won't be shocked, SHOCKED, if he were to make some comment about retirement around the time the album drops. Come to think of it hasn't he hinted at retirement in just this past year? Calling Kewpie!

 

[Deleted member 6503]

On those who reckon this will be his last album....

"this is the last song i'll ever sing... (uurggh), no, i've changed my mind again... (hooorray!)... "


Doubt it friends

We'll be having this same discussion in 2010

 

[Mr Reynolds]

The pressure's on, Because the pleasure hasn't gone

I'm Not Sorry

 

[mozmic_dancer]

Remember the message to Merck from Morrissey (via Arturo I believe)? I think it had to do with "The Youngest Was The Most Loved," he made it plainly clear he was purposely using the media by making outrageous animal rights comments in order to be more in the public view and sell albums. That really hurt his animal rights' image in my view. His lawyers then had the e-mail removed from the website.

All I am writing, is I won't be shocked, SHOCKED, if he were to make some comment about retirement around the time the album drops. Come to think of it hasn't he hinted at retirement in just this past year? Calling Kewpie!

All he said in that infamous email was that his comments received "enormous coverage." That was no media stunt; when he speaks about animal rights, he doesn't say things to be "outrageous"; he says it because he believes it.

I give you credit for seeing patterns in recent events. However, like any great serial killer, Morrissey may want to break pattern and change it up a bit this time. Instead of making a statement before the album release, perhaps he may go pictorial and release some candid photos of himself covered in mud and floating nude in the Dead Sea.

Now, that would be outrageous.

 

[Worm]

Remember the message to Merck from Morrissey (via Arturo I believe)? I think it had to do with "The Youngest Was The Most Loved," he made it plainly clear he was purposely using the media by making outrageous animal rights comments in order to be more in the public view and sell albums. That really hurt his animal rights' image in my view. His lawyers then had the e-mail removed from the website.

All I am writing, is I won't be shocked, SHOCKED, if he were to make some comment about retirement around the time the album drops. Come to think of it hasn't he hinted at retirement in just this past year? Calling Kewpie!

I didn't read that email the same way. Put it like this: I don't think he's corrupt enough to stage a PR stunt to help record sales, but he's smart enough to want to take advantage of his name showing up in the news.

And anyway, his career from 1983 until now has been a long, frequently absurd study in failing to exploit publicity rather than the opposite. When he has said things that indicated his desire to market himself better, whether it's the print campaign for "Shakespeare's Sister" or the tabloid fodder around the release of "The Youngest Was The Most Loved", remember to consider all the many tricks and schemes he hasn't tried. Every day we're all bombarded with the disgusting marketing tactics favored by other musicians-- you don't see Morrissey among those poor fools and you never will. The occasional attempts at juicing his sales, like the ridiculous request to text message requests for his new single awhile back, are so surprising that they serve to point out the general lack of greed on his part.

His years of refusal might have as much to do with bad luck, incompetence, perversity, and record company failures as much as his invincible integrity as an artist, I admit, but until I see definitive proof otherwise I'll go on believing he's consciously doing it the right way-- that is to say, the "wrong" way for those who like their pop stars to be CEOs.