“Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package! Re-evaluate the songs, double-pack with a photograph. Extra track (and a tacky badge)” (Paint A Vulgar Picture. The Smiths. Strangeways Here We Come 1987)

Well I’ve bought all 3 new releases and there’s no tacky badge and the extra tracks are a mix of live songs and a “new” version of November Spawned a Monster called November the Second! Do you think old Moz realises the irony in this ransacking of his back catalogue? Now before you start to think I’m some Daily Mail royalist who hates the old Bard of Salford. Well, I’m not. I would have to say Morrissey is one of, if not my all time hero. My favourite band are The Smiths. I saw them over 15 times. I’ve seen Moz solo over 25 times. I own every release he has released (yes including Dagenham Dave, Boy Racer and the whole of Maladjusted!!!) But I cannot see how he can sanction these releases. Obviously the single is a taster for the re-release of Bona Drag. “Remastered and expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of Bona Drag, includes four never-before heard Morrissey songs, two new mixes and selection of rare, hand-picked photos. Out 4th October 2010.” Now before you say its got nothing to do with Moz himself and everything to do with his record label. I will remind you that after a long time of nothing from his holiness we get a full interview in the Guardian about 2 weeks ago. (see link below if you missed it) Moz is not stupid. He would not do an interview like that unless he had something to promote. So he is promoting this stuff. If it was any other artist I might shrug my shoulders and conclude that people only have to buy it if they want to. But with his scathing attacks on this kind of thing it does seem a tad hypocritical of him to indulge in such behaviour. I have only just forgiven him for giving out details, from the stage of the Leeds Festival in 2004, of how to download his latest release so as  to try to get it into the charts. I expect better. Frankly. Some fans have even set up a facebook page to get Everyday is Like Sunday to number one. And yes it would be better than the latest X-Factor nonsense but we are not intereseted in charts. If we were The Smiths and Morrissey would be failures as they have not had a number one between them. But it doesn’t matter. Morrissey is far too important to be getting involved in this. He could have walked away. Couldn’t he?

LINKS:

MORRISSEY IN THE GUARDIAN   http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-simon-armitage-interview

By peter on September 26, 2010