The Boy With The Thorn In His Ol' Blue Eyes
They've been showing clips from Morrissey's new live Manchester concert DVD on The Alternative, and as I watched him singing "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" with thousands of rapturous fans mouthing that the pleasure and privilege of dying under a two-ton bus is theirs he just seemed very Sinatra-like all of a sudden. In part because he wasn't singing the song backed by The Smiths, and also because there was a big sixties style "Morrissey" in lights behind the stage.
But there was also just the idea of Morrissey as a crooner instead of a rock star. That he's got a songbook about as good as anything Sinatra had to work with (and Sinatra, of course, picked the very best songs out of the American canon). Morrissey was also in fantastic voice. He just sounds grand. And he's looking older and more distinguished and he was wearing a suit to cover his thicker body (but then he pulled off his shirt and looked rather fit for his age).
Not too long ago, British fans picked The Queen Is Dead as the all-time greatest and most influential UK rock record. Not The Beatles, Stones, Who or Kinks. They might be right.
I also keep fantasizing about how much I want to see an all-lesbian all-hispanic Smiths tribute band.
But there was also just the idea of Morrissey as a crooner instead of a rock star. That he's got a songbook about as good as anything Sinatra had to work with (and Sinatra, of course, picked the very best songs out of the American canon). Morrissey was also in fantastic voice. He just sounds grand. And he's looking older and more distinguished and he was wearing a suit to cover his thicker body (but then he pulled off his shirt and looked rather fit for his age).
Not too long ago, British fans picked The Queen Is Dead as the all-time greatest and most influential UK rock record. Not The Beatles, Stones, Who or Kinks. They might be right.
I also keep fantasizing about how much I want to see an all-lesbian all-hispanic Smiths tribute band.