MORRISSE Y: This short newspaper is a part of the MORRISSEY – THIS CHARMING MAN collection that summarizes the musical work of Morrissey over the last three decades. Started in 1982 with The Smiths he continued in 1988 his solo career. Over 12 pages you can find some of the most seen and also very rare photos of the british indie legend. Together with beautiful illustrations and some information abut his musical career from 1982 – 2012 this newspaper should give you an overview about one of the greatest musicians of all time.
Text: Tobias Tietchen, Wikipedia Illustrations: Tobias Tietchen Layout: Tobias Tietchen Photos: v / a This piece of paper is a part of: Tobias Tietchen · Abschlussarbeit 2012 · KSW HH
Morrissey – ca. 1984
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey (vocals) and Johnny Marr (guitar), the band also included Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The group was signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records, on which they released four studio albums, several compilations, and numerous non-LP singles. Although they had limited commercial success outside the UK while they were still together, and never released a single that charted higher than number 10 in their home country, The Smiths won a significant following, and remain cult and commercial favourites. The band broke up in 1987 and have turned down several offers to reunite since then. Morrissey and Johnny Marr dictated the musical direction of The Smiths. Morrissey’s role was to create vocal melodies and lyrics. Morrissey’s songwriting was influenced by punk rock and post-punk bands such as the New York Dolls, The Cramps, and The
Cult, along with 1960s girl groups, and singers such as Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull, and Timi Yuro. Morrissey’s lyrics, while superficially depressing, were often full of mordant humour; John Peel remarked that The Smiths were one of the few bands capable of making him laugh out loud. Influenced by his childhood interest in the social realism of 1960s “kitchen sink” television plays, Morrissey wrote about ordinary people and their experiences with despair, rejection and death. The group’s cover artwork had a distinctive visual style and often featured images of film and pop stars, usually in duotone. Design was by Morrissey and Rough Trade art coordinator Jo Slee. The covers of singles rarely featured any text other than the band name, and the band itself did not appear on the cover of any UK release. The Smiths dressed mainly in ordinary clothes – jeans and plain shirts – in keeping with the backto-basics, guitar-and-drums style of the music. This contrasted with the exotic high-fashion image cultivated by New Romantic pop groups such as Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. In 1986, when The Smiths
performed on the British music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test, Morrissey wore a fake hearing-aid to support a hearing-impaired fan who was ashamed of using one, and also frequently wore thick-rimmed National Health Service-style glasses. The Smiths have influenced a number of alternative rock bands. For example Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher cites The Smiths as an influence, especially Marr. Gallagher has said that “When The Jam split, The Smiths started, and I totally went for them. As the first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms (their second album proper, 1985’s Meat Is Murder, made Number 1 in the UK), they elevated rock’s standard to new heights of magic and poetry. Their legacy can be traced down through The Stone Roses, Oasis and The Libertines to today’s crop of artful young guitar bands. The Britpop movement pre-empted by The Stone Roses and spearheaded by groups like Oasis, Suede and Blur, drew heavily from Morrissey’s portrayal of and nostalgia for a bleak urban England of the past.
The Smiths – ca. 1983
Morrissey – ca. 1982
Morrissey – ca. 2006
Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music, Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as one of the most influential artists ever, and The Independent has stated most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status he has reached in his lifetime. Pitchfork Media has called him one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last twenty years. Morrissey’s lyrics have been described as dramatic, bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home. He is also noted for his unusual baritone vocal style (though he sometimes uses falsetto), his quiff haircut and his dynamic live performances. His forthright and often contrarian opinions have led to a number of media controversies, and he has also attracted media attention for his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights. Morrissey is routinely referred to as an influential artist, both in his solo career and with the Smiths. The BBC has referred to him as one of the most influential figures in the history of British pop, and the NME named the Smiths the most influential artist ever in a 2002 poll, even topping the Beatles. Rolling Stone, naming him one of the greatest singers of all time in a recent poll, noted that his rejection of convention in his vocal style and lyrics is the reason why
he redefined the sound of British rock for the past quarter-century. Morrissey’s enduring influence has been ascribed to his wit, the infinite capacity for interpretation in his lyrics. Journalist Mark Simpson calls Morrissey one of the greatest pop lyricists – and probably the greatest-ever lyricist of desire – that has ever moaned and observes that he is fully present in his songs as few other artists are, in a way that fans of most other performers ... wouldn’t tolerate for a moment. After the more than successful start of his solo career back in 1988 Morrissey returned on a new record label in 1997 with the single Alma Matters in promotion of his album Maladjusted. Though the single was hailed by some as a return to form for Morrissey, the resulting album is considered both a commercial and critical disappointment. The album peaked at number eight in the UK album charts and its further two singles, Roy’s Keen and Satan Rejected My Soul both peaked outside the UK Top 30. Morrissey would not release another studio album for seven years.
Morrissey – ca. 2010
Morrissey – ca. 1994
Morrissey – ca. 1992
After his comeback in 2004 Morrissey has completed a 660-page autobiography which he intends to offer to publishers. NME reported that it’s scheduled to be released in December 2012. Morrissey has previously stated he wishes for his autobiography to reach Penguin Classic status. It has been reported that Penguin Books are keen for his autobiography to be published as a contemporary classic, and Faber and Faber are also interested in publishing his autobiography. Morrissey is currently undertaking a 2012 tour, which started in South America and continued through Asia and North America. Over summer, Morrissey will play concerts in Belgium, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Portugal, England, and Scotland. In Fall, Morrissey will be playing 35 concerts in United States. Iggy and the Stooges will be special guests at the Staples Center concert in Los Angeles, and Kristeen Young will open on all nights. The current world tour that Morrissey is on is the most successful tour of the british pop icon so far.
Morrissey – ca. 2006
Morrissey – ca. 2005
Please notice this journal and any other content of the: MORRISSEY – THIS CHARMING MAN boxset was never released. This is just a virtual piece of design and it should be seen as a tribute. www.tobiastietchen.de www.facebook.com/tobiastietchen tobias.tietchen@web.de
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