Day 36 – Sweetness I Was Only Joking
The continuing adventures of “Eric’s Trip Around the Sun”. One final trip with the iPod.
I have never taken much stock in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The idea that a body or group defines music on this level is not like a sports hall of fame which determines an athletes greatness on a more objective level. How do you define greatness? There are easy bands like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, which were enormous both in terms of record sales and musical influence. However, as music genres are created daily there always appears to be a certain credibility factor when discussing whether a progressive rock band or rap band deserves it’s plaque on a wall. Lastly, it is more of a promotional event for the likes of HBO who look at this as the opportunity that said band would play a couple token songs for the fans. This is big money when you consider that many of the bands that are entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been long since broken up and any reunion, albeit brief would be worth the money.
Cue The Smiths.
The Smiths were recently announced as one of the 15 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2016. The winners will be announced in December, which will be decided by a combination of fan’s ballots as well as music insiders. Whom those music insiders are has always been anyone’s guess. Yes, there is a chance that The Smiths could reform for a couple of songs on this evening. There is also a chance that the Chicago Bears will win the Super Bowl this year. Most of the issue with the Smith’s would be Morrissey’s current despising of half the band (Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce to be specific).
If there is anything that I can say about Morrissey is that he is an original. Having had the pleasure of seeing Morrissey live at an event that he didn’t fall ill weeks, days or even hours before the event is a miracle in itself. Whatever he might say in the media, he was a true gentleman, playing to the crowd, admitting the fact that he IS Morrissey and he can be a bit difficult, specifically when complimenting his backing band. I thought that this gave him a bit of bit of credibility in the fact that he understands who he is. This doesn’t mean that he can’t stick his foot in his mouth from time-to-time.
Of course it is common to see the roses and carnations thrown onstage. There were a couple fans during the encore which made their way to the stage to give him a hug. They were harmless, of course and all part of the act.
What I have always found intriguing, of course, are his choice of words, such as, from today’s selection, Bigmouth Strikes Again.
Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking
When I said I’d like to smash every tooth
In your head
Oh sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking
When I said by right you should be
Bludgeoned in your bed
Of course the first defense of Morrissey is that he can always claim that this is not autobiographical whatsoever. But then he’s Morrissey and lets face it, he has not admitted later on that he was only joking. Yet, the song has a certain comedic nature to it all. The caricature of Morrissey for me has always been more about comedy than roses.
A sidebar on the Smiths/R.E.M.
As a fan of R.E.M., I think that many would’ve wanted to have been a fly on the wall the first time that Morrissey and Michael Stipe met one another. While Stipe’s lyrics never got that far, R.E.M. would be the band that I think, is most closely compared to when describing the 80’s college rock/alternative scene.
During the 80’s there was always a bias towards UK acts vs. American that existed and a healthy competitive spirit between both bands. Over time, much of that spirit has dissipated as Johnny Marr, who was part of Modest Mouse at the time was onstage during the Accelerate tour assisting on ‘Fall on Me’ which was something of an unexpected pleasure to see both Johnny Marr and Peter Buck on the stage at the same time. In terms of the similarities of both bands the Marr/Buck comparison is most noteable since they both played Rickenbackers.
I think that is why, in the endless debate over The Smiths’ contribution to music is that I have never taken him too seriously, that his comments and lyrics have a flair for the theatrical. The music was catchy, poppy and inventive. For the naysayers, the Queen is Dead, from which Bigmouth Strikes Again appears on is, still one of the top 10 records of the decade.
• Spacemen 3 – Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)
• The Kinks – Big Sky
• Yo La Tengo – Big Sky
• Ty Segall – Bike