Fifteen years since the last time they did exactly the same thing, the NME has a cover story detailing Morrissey's apparently suspect views on immigration (Andrew Collins, who wrote for the NME the last time this happened, tells the whole story here, but basically in 1992, the NME climbed onto its high horse and accused Morrissey not of racism, but of flirting with racist imagery and courting a dangerous crowd. Being a contrary, cantankerous old bastard, Morrissey refused to apologise. Big brouhaha and lots of publicity all round).
And now they're doing it again.
Fifteen years ago, it annoyed me. Now, I'm just amazed that the NME is still interested enough in Morrissey to put him on the front cover. Or that Morrissey cares enough about the NME to bother to respond, dragging the story out even further.
What does anyone stand to gain by stirring up this media storm with accusation and counter-accusation? Why draw so many people's attention to a once great magazine now on its uppers and struggling to attract an audience a fraction of the size of the one it pulled in during its salad days? Why focus the spotlight onto a once great musician now struggling to attract an audience a fraction of the size of the one he drew during his glory years.
....Oh.
writing this and listening to some Moz last night has actually triggered a couple of very specific Morrissey related memories from my past:
ReplyDelete1) I remember very clearly being in the room of the house where I lived in Leamington Spa during my second year at University in March 1994 and giving "Vauxhall & I" a first play on my stereo. As the lush orchestration of "Now My Heart Is Full" came on, I remember feeling a rush of contentment. This album was a keeper.
2) In the same room, I remember putting "Hatful of Hollow" onto the same stereo in the middle of the night to try and drown out the noise of my housemate in the room next door getting down to business with his boyfriend in the room next door. After a few minutes, I had to get up and turn the volume up a bit, but boy, did I feel broadminded.
ST
load of bollocks isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm "leaning towards National Front views" myself, but I didn't think there was anything that controversial in the article, and definitely nothing which is worthy of the hoo-ha that it's caused. I used to buy the NME religiously - in fact, at one point, I even used to get it delivered - but now I rarely bother.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Morrissey care about Britain? He lives in fucking California...
ReplyDelete