Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Newspaper journalist George and super-fan Chris discuss everything from the world of Morrissey and The Smiths - all while drinking medium-priced wine. Watch our full video episodes on YouTube. Past guests include Stephen Street, Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer. Get in touch at morrisseyandwine@gmail.com. Produced by Red Eye.
Hello, and welcome back to Morrissey and Wine. My name's George. I'm Chris. So I am the newspaper journalist half of this equation, slightly less obsessed than Chris, who is the super fan is how we like to put it, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It's how you like to put it, your genius.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes. Just to make some demarcation between us. If you haven't joined us before, welcome. This is the podcast all about Morrissey and The Smiths. It's the place to be if you're as big a fan as we are.
Speaker 1:Now don't forget to tell a friend, subscribe, or like our videos. We would really appreciate that. This whole thing works on word-of-mouth. Chris, what have we got coming up this episode?
Speaker 2:So first of all, have coming up. We have everything we know about Morrissey's new album. So really exciting time for us because it's the first time Morrissey's brought out a studio album while we've been doing this.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's true.
Speaker 2:Know, after the last two years of doing this, we haven't had an album yet. So we're gonna deep dive into Makeup is a Lie. We've obviously had the first single and we've also heard a couple of live songs too.
Speaker 1:Yes. We also have Nanny Val, who is my grandma. She joins us every episode to react to a Smiths or Morrissey track that she's never heard before. We don't know what that is yet until she comes into the studio. So we'll see her soon and see what she's picked.
Speaker 2:I always love seeing your Nanny Valve and Nanny Valve. Then we have the Morrissey and Wine quiz. So 10 questions, Morrissey related, Smiths related questions. I'm quizzing you this time. So I've got my quiz ready.
Speaker 2:Yes. I did your technique of finding the questions. So yeah, we've
Speaker 1:In Mossypedia.
Speaker 2:Mossypedia. Yeah. Some of them. I wanted some more contemporary questions as well.
Speaker 1:Saint Simon Goddard. We couldn't do this podcast without the Mossypedia. It's absolutely vital.
Speaker 2:'s next, George?
Speaker 1:We also have some analysis of lyrics. So we always analyze the lyrics of a song. Because we're doing a focus on Morrissey's new album, Makeup is a Lie, we're going to analyze the lyrics of the night pop drops, which is another track as yet unreleased on the album, but it has been heard live.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And then finally, have a new section, which is songs we have on repeat or a song we have on repeat, where we're gonna discuss a song that we keep listening to on repeat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you get these, you'll all know us, Morrissey and Spiss Friends, you get these earworms. You just find one song maybe you haven't heard in a while, and then all of a sudden you're playing it a whole week. So yes, we're gonna tell you which song we've got on repeat, both Chris and George. Now, I think we'll just open this wine, shall we?
Speaker 2:Yes, let's.
Speaker 1:It wouldn't be Morrissey and wine without the wine. Now I am actually doing dry January. You'll know what that is if you're in The UK. In The US, I don't think dry dinner exists because they don't need it because they don't have such a massive drinking culture.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:But dry January is a month of January in which you don't drink at all. I've got this Iceberg Pinot Grigio, which was eight pounds and it's alcohol free. It's a premium Pinot Grigio with the alcohol expertly removed by winemakers, clean and fresh, with aromas of green pear and citrus.
Speaker 2:Very nice. We'll find out how that tastes quite soon.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I've got 19 Crimes. This was a Christmas present off a friend, off my friend Sophie actually, a friend of the podcast. It's the 19 Crimes Universal Monsters and it's the Frankenstein bottle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see
Speaker 2:that bottle. Half Frank.
Speaker 1:Half Frank, yes.
Speaker 2:So we'll try that one and see how that one goes. And also just before we finish, you may notice we've got a new setup.
Speaker 1:Yes. Well, I've noticed, yeah. We have a new set. I suppose you could call it a setup. Yes, we do.
Speaker 1:And we're keen to hear what people think of it because Gary, our producer, Gary who runs Redeye, redeye.co.uk has designed this new set. I mean, I really like it.
Speaker 2:I do. I like the fact, it feels more cozy. Yes. It feels more cozy, which I quite like. And I think we can also, can see each other in a different setup in a way we're sort of looking at each other now rather than squashing together on a sofa.
Speaker 2:Let's see how it goes. But yeah, we'd like some feedback on this, on how you find it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So please let us know what you think of the new set. For now, let's go into everything we know about Morrissey's new album, Makeup is a Lie. Makeup is a Lie, Morrissey's forthcoming full studio album slated for release on Releach? Slated slated for release on 03/06/2026.
Speaker 1:Cheers, by the way, Chris, we've just poured our
Speaker 2:one.
Speaker 1:Cheers. Yeah. Cheers. So this has been a long time coming. The last time Morrissey had a record deal was just over five years ago when he left Capitol Records.
Speaker 1:Yep. So obviously, this is exciting. But it's all been a little bit mangled, the whole process towards getting this full album has all been a bit weird and stuttered and strange as we would probably all expect, Borisy. Right? Yeah.
Speaker 1:So to go through the basics, Make Me Is A Lie is his fourteenth studio album scheduled for release on the March 6. It's signed it's it's with Sire Records. Sire Records is a label that comes under Warner Records.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Subsidy, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because there's there's really only three major record labels in in the Western world, and all the little labels fall under that unless it's an indie.
Speaker 2:Which are in the Eastern world? Well, you just gotta be careful when you
Speaker 1:say, like, look, there's only three in the world.
Speaker 2:That's true.
Speaker 1:Know? That's true. Because that's it's just our world.
Speaker 2:It's like when printing was invented in Manchester apart from when it was invented in China two hundred years prior.
Speaker 1:I just dropped dropped my phone. Yes. No. Exactly.
Speaker 2:We're still getting used to the new set.
Speaker 1:Just trying to be careful with that. But anyway, yeah. So fourteenth studio album.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:It's his first full album in over five years. As I said, his last solo record was I am Not a Dog in a Chain in 2020. And just the year before that, we had California's Son, didn't we? Yes. So it was recorded, this studio album was recorded in 2023 at Studio La Fabrique.
Speaker 1:Oh, let me do that properly in French. Studio La Fabrique in Saint Remy De Provence.
Speaker 2:You've been speaking French I for don't know what's going on. Every time I have a message, it's in French.
Speaker 1:I told you this, my French teacher told me that I can talk the talk, but I can't walk the walk. My French class is about talking the talk. It's nothing to do with walking. So actually I was doing quite bit How do
Speaker 2:you walk French?
Speaker 1:And also this album has been produced by Joe Ciccarelli. We've got Joe Ciccarelli has worked with Morrissey before.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I think he did Earth is the Loneliest Planet, which had quite a unique sound.
Speaker 2:He did, yeah.
Speaker 1:I couldn't understand why people laughed, that rare kind of unreleased record. And we've had a taste of what Joe Ciccioli's production sounds like because we've obviously heard makeup is alive. So it was kind of experimental and different, wasn't it, the sound?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was quite different. Although it's funny with Morrissey songs, when you have listened to them as many times as many of us now would have listened to Makeup is a Lie, it sort of becomes like almost one of the songs. It's weird. When you first hear it, it's like, you have to get used to it, but then suddenly it's just always been there. And that's how I feel already about this song.
Speaker 1:Why don't you run us through the tracks? Because we know the track listing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So obviously there's, I suppose we'll run through the list of songs and there's interesting names as well there. There's a couple of songs, well, there's three songs that we've now heard. So obviously we've heard Maker Was A Lie, this two albums come out, a studio recording's come out, been released. We also have heard Notre Dame, which has been played for a few years now live.
Speaker 2:And The Night Pop Dropped, which we're gonna talk about a little bit later. So the other songs in the album then, if I go through some of the other ones. The first song is You're Right, It's Time. So this is the, was at one point, I think gonna be the title of an album.
Speaker 1:Right. Let me just explain this. Sorry. So what's happened is we currently have two and a half albums by Morrissey that are yet to be released because It's all very complicated. You know that meme of the woman that looks like Julie Roberts with all the maths going on around it?
Speaker 1:That's what I do right now. So we were gonna have Bonfire of Teenagers. That's a full album. That's kind of been untouched. It's there, it exists.
Speaker 1:Marcy's got the rights to it.
Speaker 2:And there's so many really good songs. And some of them I hoped would come onto this album that's just come out. So many good songs that we heard live, between 2022, 2021, that it's just such a shame they're not coming out, but carry on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, you're right. After that, we heard that Morrissey was doing a second as yet unreleased album called You're Right, It's Time. Now, let me just check. It was gonna be called You're Right, It's Time. Oh yeah, and it was alternatively gonna be called Without Music, The World Dies.
Speaker 1:So this second album had two titles, and I know this is getting confusing, but I'm confused. So you've got first album, Bonfire as a Teenager. Second album has two titles. Now we've got this third album coming out, which is Makeup is a Lie. But Makeup is a Lie uses around half the tracks from that second album.
Speaker 2:Second album.
Speaker 1:Which is why I say we've got two and a half albums as yet unreleased. Yeah. So now Morrissey can easily make use of these these flabby extra, extra tracks by using them as bonus tracks or on deluxe edition. So I'm sure we're gonna hear everything. That's what's happening.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry to have interrupted. Please keep
Speaker 2:No, me up about the track no, there is, thank you for clearing that up, I think, because it is quite complicated. So yeah, the first song then, you're right, it's time. Then we have the second song, which is Makeup is a Lie, and that's the one we've now had as the first single released, which obviously we spoke about in a special bonus episode recently as well. The third song is the other song that has been played live, which is Notre Dame, obviously about the fire in Notre Dame. I know who tried to kill you.
Speaker 2:A cold hand just touched me. I really enjoyed live. I think it's a really interesting song. Morrissey really seemed to enjoy playing that song. Obviously we have spoken about before, think some of the meaning of that song, but there's quite a funny video that comes with it where there's sort of just people just stood there in the background on the screen.
Speaker 2:Quite strange.
Speaker 1:And now just to say this Notre Dame song is somewhat controversial because it suggests that terrorism was to blame for the fire at the Notre Dame, which would appear to be Morrissey's theory, although it's widely disputed.
Speaker 2:Do you know what the reason was? Is there a reason that it was given by Macron or somebody?
Speaker 1:What? A reason for the actual the fire was officially
Speaker 2:Cooked socket or something.
Speaker 1:The fire was officially believed to be either a cigarette or But something then someone in our group chat said, I work in this sector and people don't smoke in these buildings. But then again, it's France.
Speaker 2:It's France. It's France.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Anyway.
Speaker 2:The fourth song is Amazonia. Is that how you say Amazonia?
Speaker 1:No. It's Amazonia. Amazonia.
Speaker 2:So like like yeah. Amazonia. Which is a Roxy music cover. Yeah, which is a Roxy music cover, which ruins one question in my quiz later. All right, okay.
Speaker 2:Just pretend you don't know that. Number five is headache. I like the sound of headache. It makes me think of, because I think we said before, but the music is a lie, sorry, maker is a lie, kind of sounds like punk to me and headaches sounds a bit punk and obviously Maurice's background, his music background comes from that era, that world. And headaches sort of reminds me of one of his first bands, The Nosebleeds.
Speaker 2:It's kind of there's something there. I mean, obviously we don't know what the song sounds like or at least I don't, we've not heard it yet, but I wonder what that's gonna be. Then we've got Boulevard, Number 6. Then we've got Zoom Zoom, the little boy. Interesting, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Sounds like a David Williams children's book.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. Or a bit of also maybe a little bit David Bowie, maybe Zoom Zoom is kind of space. Zoom Zoom, little boy. Yeah, think there's more to it than that, than being Bowie.
Speaker 2:Then number eight is obviously the third song that we've already heard, which is a really great song. And I think it's a song that people, sorry, I should say it, The Night Pop Dropped, which I think is a song that a lot of fans probably would hope would have been the first single release. And I know some people definitely said to me, I mean, I really enjoyed Makeup is a Lie, but I think that a lot of people have thought that there's maybe more sellability or more sort of wider spread appeal to The Night Pop Dropped as a first single for a new album coming out after so long. But then as we always discuss, Morrissey doesn't do things in that No. Normal I can't even What's the next one?
Speaker 1:Ka ching, ka ching. Ka ching,
Speaker 2:ka ching. Ka ching. Ching, ching. Ching. The other podcast is on mica.
Speaker 1:Mica and vodka. Yeah. I was thinking about
Speaker 2:that earlier. If we could I was trying I was gonna do a joke about that. Like the cure in gin and tonic or something. And that's Yeah. Can branch out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, Ka ching, ka ching. That sort of a bit of a because actually interestingly enough, Morrissey has sang Paint a Vulgar Picture recently. And the sort of connotations of that maybe, because ka ching would make me think sort of money and, you know, something around like the cash register to raise a heavy on my back.
Speaker 1:Yes. Well, Morrissey is increasingly referencing money in his music and his lyrics. It's on his mind board. And obviously he's recently said he wants to sell his business interest in the Smiths. He feels that, because we obviously have, sure enough, the telephone rings, where the refrain goes, who wants my money now?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's true. I think he I'm getting the impression, obviously I don't know Morrissey, but I'm getting the impression that he's feeling like everyone's always calling me for money and everyone's coming after me and I'm just All they want is my money, you know?
Speaker 2:The Northern Leeches. It's been there for a while, hasn't it? The sort of money thing. I imagine Morris is quite careful with money in some ways, like maybe.
Speaker 1:Number 10, track number 10.
Speaker 2:Track number 10 is Lester Bangs.
Speaker 1:I don't know who Lester is and I don't know what he's banging.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it's weird because we obviously wouldn't spell Lester like that as in, is that how you spell the name Lester?
Speaker 1:L E S T E R is how you spell the name Lester.
Speaker 2:Lester Bangs.
Speaker 1:You're thinking of the place called Lester in The UK.
Speaker 2:So yeah, Lester Bangs, that one is an interesting one. Yeah, we don't
Speaker 1:know. No idea what that's about.
Speaker 2:No idea. This is why it's quite exciting because the songs in this album, it feels like the names are quite obscure compared to usual. So that's interesting.
Speaker 1:Trap
Speaker 2:number Trap number 11, The Many Icebergs A Go. Yeah. Interesting. And then the final track, track 12, the monsters of pig alley. It's gonna be about the police, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's a good point, actually.
Speaker 1:I think it'd be about the police. I think it'll be like gang lord. It'll be something like that. Obviously, it could be completely wrong, but Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, Morrissey is probably not vulgar enough to call police pigs, but I do wonder if there's something going on there about the police and an alley and the monsters of the alley and fighting crime in alleys, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So
Speaker 1:what do think about that, George? Well, I think that it sounds like a very eclectic album. Sounds like there's a lot of different themes that Morris is gonna be singing about and he's writing lyrics about. I think it's good that we've got this You're Right, It's Time song because presumably that was gonna be the lead song on the unreleased album. He obviously feels it's so good that he wants to put it on this new one as the first track.
Speaker 1:So I'm really looking forward to hearing that. I think the Night Pop dropped is gonna be fantastic to hear as a studio recording.
Speaker 2:Definitely, yeah.
Speaker 1:Because it's just got a certain magic about it. And when I've sent it to family and friends who aren't really late into Morrissey, they're like, yeah, that's a good track. Now the contributing musicians for this album would comprise Jesse Tobias, Camilla Gray, Carmen Vanderberg, Alan White. Alan White's not in the band, but he was in the band recently and was writing with most recently. Juan Galliano, just like that, Juan.
Speaker 1:Juan. Gustavo Manzor and Brendan Buckley, Brendan the drummer. So the first single that's come out that we've heard, Makeup is a Lie, that was a Camilla Gray track. And so that's been really nice to have her moment in the sun. Definitely, yeah.
Speaker 1:And as always, we do know that it's gonna come out in many different physical forms, this album. Mer, slip them into different sleeves, buy both and feel deceived.
Speaker 2:Because, yeah, because obviously he's done the song recently and there was a bit of a smirk.
Speaker 1:He had like an ironic grin.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which was quite nice because yeah, because he's doing it all at the game, all on the game.
Speaker 1:Now the road to get to this point, to get to this March 6 release date, which which by the way, Morrissey hasn't actually announced the release date, but there's lots of indications you can find online that's just March 6. To get here has been a very long road. And really, most fans would rather I don't know if you agree, Chris, but would rather that Bonfire of Teenagers came out first. Because this is the album that's got all the heat, and it's the one that's attracted the most attention. And we really wanna hear that studio recording of Bonfire of Teenagers, lead song.
Speaker 1:But it seems like Sire Records have said, not sure about Bonfire straight away. Let's ease ourselves in. Do you have another album that we could put out first? Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And that that turns out to be makeup is a lie. So ultimately, we just wanna say like, this is a great time to be a Morrissey fan. Yeah. You know, finally, we've wasted so long for this record deal. I don't even think it's the longest wait.
Speaker 1:I think around the February, late nineties and early two thousands, think the wait
Speaker 2:was a was The there wasn't there?
Speaker 1:The world this year is.
Speaker 2:But I think this, well, maybe because we weren't there then or, but it does feel like it was, it felt like there was a, it was almost like, could it not happen? I always felt like it would, but it was quite scary that maybe it wouldn't happen. So it's really exciting. It is interesting you say that bonfire may have been a bit too much, whereas maybe Notre Dame was the was okay, not quite as bad. But I I mean, I it's a real it's a real shame that that that it doesn't come out.
Speaker 2:And it'd be nice if even if it can't come out via record label, it could come out somehow because, yeah, it feels wrong. It feels like you've missed something, doesn't it? That's what I feel anyway. Feel like I've lost that bit, especially when so many songs like Oblivion and Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings aren't being released, even though he keeps playing those up until recently.
Speaker 1:But it makes sense in a commercial way to have a new album come out of songs that nobody's heard because then you buy or stream the album to hear the songs. Whereas if you've already heard, like, Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings and Oblivion, you'd be less like bothered about hearing the album.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. Suppose I'm excited by these songs and these titles because God knows what they mean, some of them. So, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I say, March 6 release date, that's what we're really hoping. And when I say there's things online, it's because there's music databases and stuff that have to be updated. So that's what we're looking at. That's what we're hoping. I think that we'll probably see another single, at least one more single release from the album before it comes out.
Speaker 1:We're recording this in mid January, aren't we? So by the time this goes out, there may have been a new single that we haven't seen yet. But this is everything we know about the album so far. Of course, the cover we know about the album cover because it was used to promote the single of the same name, which is that picture taken of Morrissey in Ostuni, I think, which I think is Italy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's sort of by the side of the tour band, it's sort of after the show, isn't it? Or before the show. Quite interesting image. It's growing on me now. It's growing on me now.
Speaker 2:At first, like I said before, it looked like he was trying to catch an M and M with my mouth open, but I actually think that I quite like it now. I'm getting used to it more. What do you think about it?
Speaker 1:Well, obviously we've discussed this in our bonus episode, which if you haven't heard, you can expect to, but we discussed this in our bonus episode. I don't really think it's the best choice of album cover. I think when you think back to those times in the Smiths and the early solo years with Joe Sley's hand in the artwork, they were really just top draw, top Trumps, I don't know what to say.
Speaker 2:Top Trump,
Speaker 1:top Moz. Top quality stuff. And now it all feels a little bit in house and done in a shed. But just be clear, the picture, I'm not having any go at the person who took the picture. It's Dave oh, sorry.
Speaker 1:I should've written down his name. I'm I'm sorry, David. But I have no problem with the picture. I just think it may not be the the best choice for the album cover.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I I like the fact that Morrissey looks sort of happy and it's sort of quite a fun image, which is nice, but it isn't what we're used to. But then, because you mentioned some of the early Morrissey albums where Morrissey does look, he's got the silhouette, they're really cool. You've some on your wall, I've got some on my wall. Most Morrissey fans have pictures that those records framed.
Speaker 2:But even recently I'm Not a Dog and a Chains, we have the cassette here. Even that one, I that's really I like that a lot. That's a really, really good cover. So I think that's probably how we feel about that, if we're gonna have any negative.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I had a dream, and I know no one wants to hear other people's dreams. I think the
Speaker 2:most boring thing anyone can ever say is, I had a dream, let me tell you about it.
Speaker 1:What? So you think Martin Luther King's speech was boring? A sick, sick bastard. That was
Speaker 2:a dream, was it? He didn't really dream that. That was more
Speaker 1:of a euphemism. Yes. No, I just had this dream where I saw this album cover of Morrissey's and he was in a cafe, like an Italian cafe, and he had a newspaper and a coffee and like cigarette and ashtray, and he was just looking into the camera. That's what I want. Like, I've seen it.
Speaker 1:Like Eddie's seen in a dream, the perfect kitchen in Ab Fab. Like, I've seen this album cover. Now that's what I want.
Speaker 2:That's what you want. You have to have it. How are you gonna get it?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I think we need to, like, work our way into Morrissey Circle, like a really long game, like, several years, with the only goal is to make this album cover happen. Forget about getting him on the podcast. I'm I'm I'm over that now. I just I just want this
Speaker 2:that thing, that one thing.
Speaker 1:I'm not really over that. I really want that.
Speaker 2:You are not over that, Nick. That that's that's important. Yeah. That's interesting. Maybe we can plant the seed with certain people.
Speaker 2:I mean, like like, for example, I mean, there's so many great pictures that Ryan Lowry's taken of Morrissey on stage at the recent shows. One of those could have been maybe used or maybe and maybe he can make it happen. Yeah. Make her dream reality.
Speaker 1:So, yes, exciting times. That's everything we know about this new album. Next, we're gonna go into the quiz.
Speaker 2:And you're quizzing me. Right? Yes. I've got 10 questions for you, George. Yep.
Speaker 1:Okay. Alright. Well, cheers, Chris.
Speaker 2:Cheers, George.
Speaker 1:Cheers to you at home, whether you're doing dry January or not. Cheers. Let's go into the quiz. Let's.
Speaker 2:So now we're gonna go into the quiz. So 10 questions I'm gonna ask George, obviously in Smith's related quiz. But first, can we talk about the wine for a second? Is that okay? So I've got the notes for yours.
Speaker 2:Do you want to have a little taste and see what you think of that?
Speaker 1:Now, obviously this is non alcoholic wine. And I know particularly Sophie will be disappointed by that. One of our friends and listeners, Sophie. So what I would say about non alcoholic wine is unless you really get some really expensive special shit, then all of it kind of tastes like fruit juice.
Speaker 2:Which is good. I prefer fruit juice to alcohol. I love fruit juice.
Speaker 1:Well, during dry January, one of the things I have enjoyed is having non alcoholic gin and tonic for example because that tastes exactly the same. And you just need to trick your brain into drinking that you're drinking alcohol, which you can't really do with this, but let me just have a sip.
Speaker 2:Yeah, have a sip and then give me some notes that you might have in that one. While you're tasting it, George, I'll just say this wine, German wine, it says that they're global pioneers in sparkling and alcohol free wines, blended tradition and cutting edge technology.
Speaker 1:It sounds
Speaker 2:good. Doesn't say it's a good one, is it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, they clearly like their cliches.
Speaker 2:So can you give me some sort of, can you sort of get anything from that? What would you say you've got in there?
Speaker 1:I'm really struggling to pick up
Speaker 2:Anything at all?
Speaker 1:I just wanna say it's like apple y. It's almost like apple juice. And I suppose that would suggest kind of maybe British fruits. It looks like white wine.
Speaker 2:We've always said it's German so.
Speaker 1:I guess Germans can grow apples as well. What do I know about fruit or wine? Nothing. I am struggling to be honest, Chris, to say many good things about it but I will say that it looks like wine. And if I'm in a pinch, it probably just about No offense to Iceberg, I'm sure you do a great job but it's not massively impressing Pete.
Speaker 2:Not massively impressive. I mean, this stuff here, so it says, Enticing notes of citrus. Did you get that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, said citrus apples, didn't Apples aren't with citrus fruits. I didn't say that, just tricky.
Speaker 2:Zesty finish. Yeah, I think pretty much you didn't like that. It's not special, I'm is
Speaker 1:not that into it. Okay. Why don't you try yours?
Speaker 2:I'll try mine. So I'll just show again. The bottle. So I've got the 19 Crimes, the Afranc bottle. So I'll have a taste of that now.
Speaker 1:Okay. Yeah, 19 Crimes red wine. Tell me what kind of notes that you taste.
Speaker 2:It's quite nice. Do people look down on 19 Crimes? I feel like they do.
Speaker 1:Well, it's complicated if you can be bothered to think about it. Some people really love it and go crazy for it. And then some people in the way that people used to be snobby about Merlot, it's like cold play. It's just a thing for people to be snobby about. Where's it from?
Speaker 1:Australian.
Speaker 2:It's Australian. Oh, because of 19 crimes because the criminals went to Australia. I guess that's why they did. So I'm getting quite a rich flavor. It's not as sweet as maybe I normally like with red wine.
Speaker 2:I quite like a sweet red wine. Our producer Gary suggested quite a nice red wine I had recently, it was quite sweet. I'm sort of getting definitely cherry. Definitely some cherry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it says cherries in here.
Speaker 2:Just got the rich, dark fruit sort of cherry.
Speaker 1:No, you've got Ripe aromas of dark berries, cherries and plums layered with sweet vanilla, mocha and a touch of spice from oak aging.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Okay. Nice. Well, lovely. Nice.
Speaker 2:Cheers. Cheers, George. Cheers. And then we're onto the quiz.
Speaker 1:Let's do the quiz. Head questions. I think I need to do the Christie music.
Speaker 2:Oh, I trying to smooth past that bit.
Speaker 1:You ready?
Speaker 2:Go on then.
Speaker 1:This is your chance. Grasp the nestle and prove your mettle, Chris. There are people out there who know nothing of this trivia. Waited all your life. It's quite sad if you stop and think.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is. Never mind. That is the Morrissey quiz. 10 out Well, of
Speaker 2:we'll see, shall we, on the quiz? When you say they know nothing of this, there's people out there, they know nothing of this. I always think you can say derriere. Okay. So 10 questions, George.
Speaker 2:Are you ready?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:This is big because it's the new set, it's the new year. This is new, so you need to
Speaker 1:So I need to set new standards.
Speaker 2:Lock in as the gym influencers say. Which gym Gym influencers say influencers. Oh, I thought you said German influences. There aren't any of those. So the first question number one, how many songs are there on the new upcoming Morrissey new upcoming album, music Makeup is a lie, sorry.
Speaker 1:How many tracks are on the new album? Yes.
Speaker 2:That's what I meant.
Speaker 1:Well, we've only just discussed it.
Speaker 2:The thing is a lot of these questions not all of them though.
Speaker 1:I actually don't know. I can't remember. I'm gonna say 14.
Speaker 2:14. We'll see, shall we? I have to reach forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the mixing desk is over the table now. That's wrong.
Speaker 2:Oh, sorry, George. You got it wrong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not easy, is it?
Speaker 2:It's not easy, is it? So that was twelve, it's twelve. That was only twelve. So close, but we have already talked about it and we went through them all and I said one to 12. Anyway, question number two.
Speaker 2:Which band's song does Morrissey cover in On Makeup is a Lie?
Speaker 1:Roxy Music next. And what was the song? Amazona. I'm only answering quickly because we've literally just discussed it. Yes.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:We did just discuss the one before that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but a number. How am gonna remember number? My brain doesn't work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you weren't really good at history. Oh, okay. This one's a bit more challenging, but it is something we spoke about very recently. We posted it on our Instagram and stuff. So let's go for the question.
Speaker 2:So, sorry, it's been a bit weird. Complete the line from Robert Williams' new album, Britpop, the song Morrissey, complete the line. So it's, I'm lost, I'm lonely, I'm hurt, I'm and it's about Morrissey.
Speaker 1:So yeah, this is, you slightly fluff that question, but this is the new song from Robbie Williams album Britpop called Morrissey. Yes. So say it for me again, the lyrics.
Speaker 2:This, so this is describing So So I'm lost, I'm lonely, I'm hurt, I'm
Speaker 1:I'm lost, I'm lonely, I'm hurt, I'm afraid?
Speaker 2:Oh, maybe, maybe we'll find out.
Speaker 1:What is it?
Speaker 2:So it's unabused. So quite close because it's not with an A, so well done, it's not with an A.
Speaker 1:I really like this new Rob Williams song, by the way, if you haven't heard it yet, guys at home, give it a try, it's really catchy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I'm not really got into the song itself yet, but I like that he speaks about how Morrissey is talking to him and it's quite nice to hear that somebody else speak about their relationship. One of the lines is, he's talking to me and that's how obviously we often feel. So question number four, what year was Maurice's previous full length studio album released? So the most recent album up till now, what year was it released?
Speaker 1:Oh, I think that was, I'm Not a Dog in a Chain, which was 2020. Oh, thank God I got one right. Well done. Yeah, So you got that one
Speaker 2:question four was correct. So question number five. Yeah. What unreleased Morrissey album recorded in 2020 to 'twenty one was due to feature Iggy Pop and Chad Smith?
Speaker 1:Oh, unreleased Morrissey album, Iggy Pop and whoever the other person was. Well, I guess this has got to be Bonfire of Teenagers.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Also would've had Minus Cyrus on it, I guess. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:Well done, you're doing quite well, George. Considering we spoke about most of the questions in the previous section. And then this point as well, case in point, What is the release date for Makeup is a Lie? Think about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Let me just think. I'm not sure if I've said it already like 10 times in this episode. Well, to give you some, maybe I'll get some brownie points. Head it out.
Speaker 1:Was originally set for 02/27/2026. Can you imagine? Was just thinking then. If like Morrissey has studied in the universities in like a hundred years time, all the lecturers say, listen to these podcasts from a hundred years ago because they will help you understand the context of Morrissey at the time. And so when I said 02/27/2026 then, I was thinking, I wonder, maybe someone will listen to this a long time in the future.
Speaker 1:And that'll seem like a long time in the past. But anyway, sorry about that little diversion. The answer is 03/06/2026.
Speaker 2:Well, the 03/06/2026.
Speaker 1:There we go, very
Speaker 2:good on that. Correct, yes it was. Yes. Okay, question number seven. This one's not related to the new album, which is lovely.
Speaker 2:So between which year did Morrissey call Rome home? Rome home. Rome call home. ET phone home, home Rome. ET on home.
Speaker 2:Phone Rome.
Speaker 1:Phone Rome.
Speaker 2:So think about it. You've been to
Speaker 1:a phone party in Rome? Sorry? Been to a phone party in Rome?
Speaker 2:Have you? At your home? You haven't. To a party? Have you ever
Speaker 1:I have once been to a phone party.
Speaker 2:Where was that?
Speaker 1:At University of Freshers' Week. Oh, nice. Was horrible, Chris.
Speaker 2:Is
Speaker 1:it? I almost thought I'll just go home, Just knock this university thing on the head if this is what it's all about.
Speaker 2:You'd rather have home than foam.
Speaker 1:At my university, the universities often have a drink that all the students love. And at my university, it was snake bite, But there's different kinds of snake bite, but this is the one where you have cider with blackcurrant squash in it.
Speaker 2:I think that is snake bite.
Speaker 1:No, but there's other kinds of snake bite. Some snake bite is half lager, half cider, I think. There's all different variations. That's what this one was. And you would say you walked through campus on a Saturday morning, there'd be pink sick everywhere because people have been drinking this pink snake bite and chucking it up again.
Speaker 2:Or they'd been to the dentist. Yeah. That pink drink in the dentist.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the ultramodern spittoon.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's so
Speaker 1:So anyway, the answer, Rome.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so between which years? I will accept a year within the range, but the range is quite narrow.
Speaker 1:Well, Loracy released Ring Leader of the Tormentors in 2006, I believe. Sorry if I got that wrong. And that was obviously recorded in Rome. So I would say between 2004 and 2006, Morrissey would have moved to Rome because he really skewered the quarry in 2004. So I'm gonna say 2005 as a year in the range.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Perfect. Very impressive. Very impressive. And I appreciated the workings out.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 2:Question number eight, you're doing quite well this time for a change, which is unusual for you, isn't it? But yeah, you turned your head on today. Question number eight, the loop was the B side to which single? Oh, that's how
Speaker 1:it starts, isn't it? The loop is the B side to which single? Well, the loop is from Morrissey's kind of rockabilly era, which was in the 90s, early to mid 90s because after that he moved on to the London maladjusted era. What song would the loop? I think The Loop was probably a b side to something like My Love Life.
Speaker 1:So that's what I'm gonna suggest.
Speaker 2:Suggest, you have to lock in an answer.
Speaker 1:We're likely suggest that it's My Love Life. Okay. Is that wrong or right?
Speaker 2:Question number eight.
Speaker 1:As it sounds wrong, it just might be right. Oh, wrong. Okay.
Speaker 2:Sorry. Yeah. You got that one wrong.
Speaker 1:Was it a rockabilly's track though?
Speaker 2:Yeah, was. Do you want a second stab? No. Do you want a second bite of the cherry?
Speaker 1:I've already lost interest.
Speaker 2:Okay. It was Sing Your Life. Sing Oh, Your Life. Great song. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I think you were, Yeah, you got it wrong. Question number nine. How many minutes did it take Morrissey to sell out two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in 1992?
Speaker 1:Well, I think that he broke the record set by Madonna or the Beatles.
Speaker 2:So I'll repeat the question. So how many minutes did it take Morrissey to sell out two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in 1992?
Speaker 1:Was he flogging these tickets himself at the back of a car?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think he had like a suitcase of tickets. Were you in 1992?
Speaker 1:No, was born in '93.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Right. I'm gonna suggest, I don't know how they sold these tickets so fast before the internet, but anyway, I'm gonna suggest that he sold out all the tickets within half an hour.
Speaker 2:Get to that in a second, but just on what you were saying there, Disney didn't exist in ninety nine's two? How would you buy a ticket?
Speaker 1:Well, think you either called up the hotline or you queued at the venue. The best of my knowledge. What
Speaker 2:if you were like in a different country and you wanted a ticket, how would they get one?
Speaker 1:You're screwed, don't you? I don't know, I don't know. The mysteries of the Prius have a I tell you what, everyone if you're listening, tell us how does tickets sell out so fast before the internet? Because we don't understand.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Okay, that's really interesting. I'm really interested in what happened there. Not trying to make anyone seem old, but I don't understand that.
Speaker 1:So anyway, my answer was half an hour.
Speaker 2:Half an hour. Okay. So thirty minutes. Correct Chris, well done.
Speaker 1:That's wrong. What was it? Was that like two minutes?
Speaker 2:To be fair, I think that was a reasonable guess as it was twenty three minutes. But I can't give you the correct answer for that So you're doing quite well this time. Last question, question number 10. Morris is known for his love of tea. Okay.
Speaker 1:I'm learning something new every day.
Speaker 2:Spill the tea and champagne and beer. So Morris is known for his love of tea. How many pots does he claim to drink a day? Pots. Not cups, pots.
Speaker 2:Pots.
Speaker 1:Pots. Jeez.
Speaker 2:And who uses pot now anyway? I like, when I go to my grandma, she still has a pot. Yeah. It's quite nice.
Speaker 1:I don't know where my teapot is. I moved into my new house last November. There's still boxes in the cellar that I haven't unpacked, it's in there somewhere. Also somewhere in there is my first pressing of hand in glove. I don't know where the hell it is but it's somewhere in my house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hopefully none of your friends who like Morrissey have stolen it from you at some point.
Speaker 1:Okay, so how many pots of tea? Well, Morrissey is an eccentric and he would have come up with quite a wildly high number because that's just it because it's funny whether it's true or not, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Do not think he was telling the truth then when he gave the answer in the interview?
Speaker 1:Well no, because if he said, Oh, it's so interesting. I drink one pot of tea a day. Then why would you say that? It's gonna be a high enough
Speaker 2:These pots can be different sizes, can't they?
Speaker 1:They usually about got that sort of heft, haven't they? I'm gonna say 10 pots of tea a day.
Speaker 2:So Maurice drinks 10 pots of tea a day.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. That's what I think.
Speaker 2:And he doesn't drown.
Speaker 1:Okay, what was it?
Speaker 2:It was four pots of tea a day, which I think is doable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you have a break of a few hours in between.
Speaker 2:When you're working from home, you can drink a lot
Speaker 1:of tea. You could just pour the teapot spout directly into your mouth, didn't you?
Speaker 2:You need to whiten your teeth, wouldn't you, drinking that much tea. So well done, George. I think you did quite well there. I wonder how you did at home. Hopefully you got some questions right there.
Speaker 2:We tried to mix in some the questions around the new album, but also some older stuff as well.
Speaker 1:Yes. Well, well done. You actually did a proper quiz and you used my method of searching Wizard Pedia. Now next we have Nanny Val. We do.
Speaker 1:So as always, our Patreon members have suggested songs for Nanny Val to listen to and she has gone through all of them and she has chosen the one that she wants to talk about. Don't know what it is yet until she No, comes
Speaker 2:don't know.
Speaker 1:Shall we say cheers, Chris?
Speaker 2:Let's, yeah, cheers. Cheers.
Speaker 1:And let's say hello to Nanny Val. Welcome back to the studio, Nanny Val.
Speaker 3:Thank you, darling.
Speaker 1:How are doing?
Speaker 3:Not so bad. I'm okay. Good,
Speaker 1:good. Chris, should we get some wine?
Speaker 2:Yeah, nice to have you back in the studio.
Speaker 3:Thank you, my love. Is it too late to wish you a happy new year?
Speaker 2:Is it too late? Think the cutoff, what's the cutoff?
Speaker 1:Well, Larry David would say the cutoff is after New Year's Day, I think, but no, that's fine.
Speaker 2:Thank
Speaker 1:you. Chris, that's the
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is the 19 Crimes Universal Monsters Frankenstein wine. You're gonna try some of mine, yeah.
Speaker 1:So what song have you chosen from the Patreon members this month, man?
Speaker 3:I've chosen Seasick Yet Still Docked.
Speaker 1:Okay. And that was chosen by George Bray, I believe. So Seasick Yet Still Docked which is from Your Arsenal 1992. Quite a long track, I think it runs to about five minutes. What was your first impression of the track?
Speaker 3:Well, I looked up as I always do, done my bit of research. I saw it was Morrissey and Alan White. Yeah. And as it happened, when I went on YouTube, one of the first things that came up was Alan White himself singing and playing this particular song. And he spoke about it and he said that when Morrissey first said, because it's sort of quite repetitive guitar.
Speaker 1:Rolling guitar, Rolling
Speaker 3:yeah. And he said, oh, he didn't think it would be a good idea of it going round and round, he said, but he thought it'd be very laborious. He said, but when he heard the lyrics that Morrissey come up with, they were really glorious. So then he goes on and he sings it. And afterwards when I listened to Morris's version, though Alan White had a very nice voice, you realize the difference when Morrissey sings something and all the emotion he brings to it, it was completely different song, so different.
Speaker 1:So what did you think of it like sort of as you first, when you did hear Morrissey's vocal, what kind of impression did it give you the first time listening to it?
Speaker 3:He sounds very low and longing for love and this sort of thing. I imagined him looking out of a window towards the sea and sort of feeling seasick, he was lovesick, he was very, you know, it's that sort of melancholy, lovely voice on it, very languid, lovely voice I thought in this particular song. Really liked it.
Speaker 1:It's a song in which Morrissey is really feeling sorry for himself, because isn't this is the track where he says, No One Has Ever Given Me Anything? Yeah. Mean, that's quite This song is full of very extreme statements about himself, isn't it? Did you feel that Morrissey was kind of Did you sort of think, I'll come off it, Morrissey, it's not that bad or did you feel convinced by the power of his delivery?
Speaker 3:Well, I started by wondering because I think he's always inspired by something. And I found that this one, he was inspired by Joni Mitchell, you obviously adores things. She's the, what was his word? The greatest lyricist who ever lived. And so apparently it was based on her, or say apparently it was, it seems that he was inspired by, she had an album called The Silky, no, the song is called The Silky Bells of Ardour.
Speaker 3:I'm not quite sure what the album was called. I did have it listed, but I've forgotten.
Speaker 1:That doesn't matter.
Speaker 3:But the first two lines of her song says, I am a poor wayfaring stranger traveling through all the highs and lows. And his is, I am a poor freezingly cold soul so far from where I intended to go.
Speaker 2:It's almost a mirror image line, isn't it?
Speaker 3:It inspired him to write this particular song, would imagine. And I also saw him later in 1996 interviewing her, a one to one chat, which was really interesting. He obviously thinks she's it, pinnacle of everything.
Speaker 2:This song to me is like a very Morrisey Morrisey song. As in, I think people who maybe sometimes want to cliche Morrissey would think this is The way he sings in the song, it's very melancholic and the lines are very much, it's quite downbeat and things where if he's on, I think the hopelessness and things along here, I think it's very Morrissey. So did you get that? I can imagine that this is the one people would pin to Morrissey and say, Oh, that's what all Morrissey songs are like.
Speaker 3:Yes, well, the earlier days, I wouldn't say it was like it now, but certainly in that era, 1992.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I'm just wondering if, because usually when Marcy is singing a depressing song, he will inject a little bit of humor. And I was thinking like maybe there's a little bit of humor in when he says, I wish I knew the way, sorry, I wish I had the charm to attract the one I love, but you see I've got no charm. Is that about as close to Jokers we're gonna get in this song or is it not a joke at all?
Speaker 3:For me, it's not at that particular moment in time. I think he was very lovesick and yearning for a different life and yearning for someone in his life. Because he says at the end, it's quite cut in it. My love is as sharp as a needle in your eye. You must be such a fool to pass me by.
Speaker 3:So there was probably someone he had his eye on, someone he would have liked in his life that was ignoring him, I would imagine.
Speaker 2:And that line to me is there's a bit of humor in that line, isn't there? Because it's like, kind of contradict themselves. It's like, It's painful, what you are, would you pass me by? I quite like that. That's definitely got some humor in that line or a bit of sort of self deprecating humor.
Speaker 1:But you do wonder, Morrissey at this point in '21 has had a very successful start to his solo career. He's had massive success with the Smiths and yet he still says I'm so far from where I intended to go. And so is he perhaps not talking about his material successes, but more about his love life?
Speaker 3:Probably, he probably neglected his love life up to that point maybe and thought, you know, at this point, because I mean, he's got such a big family with nephews and nieces and everything, which he loved. And he probably thought I've lost out on that side of my life. I haven't got a family and everything, hard. But was your inspiration for your love of Joni Mitchell taken directly from Morrissey? Is that how you?
Speaker 1:I don't think so. First time I heard of Joni Mitchell was on Love Actually when Helen, what's her name? The woman who's cheated on by her husband.
Speaker 2:I don't know the film that well.
Speaker 1:Anyway, a very famous actress but she gets given a CD of Joni Mitchell as a Christmas present. That's when I first
Speaker 2:heard about it.
Speaker 1:Helen Mirren. Helen Mirren. No, I don't think it's Emma Thompson.
Speaker 2:Emma They Thompson, are kind of the same person in my mind.
Speaker 1:Dementia waiting We room over can't remember anything.
Speaker 3:You even named Joni the Cat after Joni Mitchell's.
Speaker 1:I did, I did.
Speaker 3:Oh, I thought maybe a lot of your inspirations like Oscar Wilde and different ones come because you know Morrissey.
Speaker 1:A lot of them do, So in this song, he also says, And all of my life, no one gave me anything. Now I suppose we can't take that literally because it can't possibly be true. But what does that line mean to you, Nan? Is he being literal or what?
Speaker 3:Well, I think when you're down and feeling sorry for yourself, you dwell on those aspects of your life. And I suppose he didn't have very much given to him in material terms because they weren't a rich family, were they? They were very poor family. Anything he'd achieved by this point in his life, he'd achieved. No one had done it for him.
Speaker 3:He had no introductions, he had no golden handshakes, nothing at all. So it was all done for himself, I suppose.
Speaker 1:Yes. And at this point in no sense, he's saying, I've never really loved. I suppose we're not having read autobiography and stuff, we're not really aware of any major relationships he would've had by this point. Although at what point was he in the relationship with Jake Walters? That was in the '90s but possibly a little bit later.
Speaker 1:Maybe later. Cause Yeah, he talks about that relationship in Southpaw Grammar, doesn't he?
Speaker 2:Which came
Speaker 1:out a few years later. So yeah, he's saying he's never really loved, but isn't it interesting that despite that he can still write so profoundly about love?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, yeah, definitely. He can put everything into words and he's so good at putting feelings into words that you think can't be put into words. He always managed to find a way in. So it really sort of stimulates your brain and think, oh God, that's so clever.
Speaker 1:And is this the kind of song that you would play again?
Speaker 3:I thought it was lovely. I loved his voice on it. I really did.
Speaker 1:Because you've often said that you sort of prefer the later Morrissey voice to the Smith's voice. This is somewhere in between,
Speaker 2:isn't it? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I personally don't go back to this song very much. I suppose I don't get really depressed like I used to these days and maybe I would listen to it more if I was in that mood. Because it's always powerful to hear someone say back to you the feelings, articulate the feelings that you have back to you, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yes. And in this song as well, some of the lyrics and the lines in there remind me of Robbie Williams has just brought out a song called Morrissey. Don't know if you saw that. He, there's a few words in there, the way he describes Morrissey kind of mirrors up to this. It's kind of what I imagine he'd probably getting up with some of that.
Speaker 2:So how would you score this song compared the homework? In
Speaker 3:our spreadsheet, have we?
Speaker 2:No, we need to do that. That's a good point actually. It's the homework for next time.
Speaker 1:Can we stop mentioning the spreadsheet? Because every month we say, Oh, we better do that. It's probably been going on for a year now. Let's just stop mentioning it.
Speaker 3:I even attempted to
Speaker 2:Maybe so make far, I
Speaker 3:haven't got very far.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I suppose just on the normal things we go across, so sort of Music lyrics and voice. Music lyrics and voice.
Speaker 3:With the music, although I liked it, it was quite repetitive that we wouldn't, it's rotating all the time. So I say seven for the music maybe.
Speaker 1:And for the voice?
Speaker 3:The voice I thought was lovely. I won't say 10, but nine, definitely nine. Okay.
Speaker 1:And for the lyrics?
Speaker 3:Yeah, the lyrics again, they're interesting. So, didn't quite as at that bit about the needle in your eye, etcetera, and things like that. I didn't quite get where he was coming from, but yeah, Nice lyrics. Probably an eight.
Speaker 1:Eight, eight. Seven, nine and eight. Okay, what was the total? 24.
Speaker 2:24, okay. Okay,
Speaker 1:so it's not one of the highest ranking ones really.
Speaker 2:No, because you've got lots of them at 29, I think. When you were being a bit too kind maybe.
Speaker 3:Yeah and I said Bonfire Teenagers should have been a 30 really for me.
Speaker 1:Well, hopefully one day soon we will hear that album. Well, you, Nanny Val. We'll Thank say bye for now and we'll say cheers.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Cheers. I will drop my phone. Now we're gonna go into an analysis of the night pop drop, just me and Chris. So ciao for now, Nanny Val. Cheers.
Speaker 2:So now we're gonna analyze the lyrics of the song. And because it's the Make Up Is A Lie special, we're gonna do the Night Pop Dropped. So the song was produced by Joe, it was Joe Ciccarelli? Correct. Is that right?
Speaker 2:And it was obviously written by Morrissey and Jesse Tobias. I think for me, the song is almost like a melancholic memory of a previous time because they're talking about when it ends, when something stops. That's kind of how I see the song kind of a longing back for a previous time. How about you?
Speaker 1:Well, because he uses the word dropped, which in some ways you could drop a new track and it's the start of something.
Speaker 2:And that's what I first thought when I first heard the song, the night pop dropped. When I first heard the title anyway, I thought it was about dropping a new thing. But I think that if you look into the lyrics, it's more about when finished, when it came to an end, it's more like an ending, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Yes. Because you look at the first two lines, remembering the night pop dropped, the bars went dry and the dancers stopped. So if the bars go dry and the dances stop, that's the end. It goes on to say, remembering the night pop dropped, he held us firm till the last sun warmed. How empty our lives would be if we had never known.
Speaker 1:So he's kind of saying, I was there. Some people have suggested that this song might be attributed to Iggy Pop, but he's saying, I was there. I saw pop before it droppedended. And how sad that is for us and how empty our lives would be if we had never Because you do think like before the era of pop music, and I'm going back to like the Beatles saying Elvis and the rock and roll that was inspired by the black musicians. Before that, we just had classical music and everyone was sat in their little rows of seats politely clapping, did they even clap?
Speaker 1:Don't know, but
Speaker 2:It must have been really bad. I I don't
Speaker 3:know if
Speaker 2:anyone's familiar with Desert Island Discs. Obviously most people, especially in The UK will be, but I've listened to a few Desert Island Discs of some really old politicians or quite, people a previous time almost, and they pick all classical songs. And obviously there's some classical songs I really enjoy, but when you listen to someone who only picks classical songs, just all Beethoven or whatever else, it's like, you listen to this all the time. It just feels like there's some good ones there, but I can get that. But also I think that's where, as much as it sounds like it's so sad for us, so sad for the universe, which I think we agree it would be if that had never happened or it's sad that it ended, sorry.
Speaker 2:But it's also a bit of a Sanguine song in the sense that it's appreciative that it actually happened. Ross, what is Sanguine? You know what it means.
Speaker 1:I actually don't.
Speaker 2:Sanguine is like happy, given the circumstances you accept and you're sort of comfortable with what happened. That's kind of what it is. It's like, you're sort of happy given what's going on, what consequences are.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm just thinking of the root word sang would relate to blood, think. I'm not sure where
Speaker 2:that comes from. You don't have to go into it too much. You'd have to try and make it sound clever. You know what it means, George?
Speaker 1:Actually don't think. Actually don't know what it means. I'm not sure you're correct. Okay, so he has this chorus which goes, So sad for me, as you say, So sad for me for us, so sad for the universe. Universe and us, not technically a rhyme, but pretty close.
Speaker 1:So verse two, he moves on to, Pop rolled and raged and roared. No to boo on booze and touch, no to boo on very much. What's he saying there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I really like that line is sort of the no to boot on very much. I guess that's talking about, you mentioned that the early days of pop, which I suppose would have been, not that we can sort of, I guess Elvis would be in my mind, in my history would be earlier and the way that he danced and things on stage quite sexually. But I guess then it can be much more than that. If you go towards the eighties where there was, I guess, no taboo there, which I guess Morrissey would have seen that through his early life. I guess we haven't as much because it's always been there, but.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And think, well, how healthy is that for there to be no taboo on anything? Like, is that really good for everyone? And yeah, you do wonder, people say we're in a state of moral decline now and you wonder, is it because that's how it all used to be? Everyone just doing whatever they wanted to hell with the consequences. Yes, it created good pop music, but was it good for everyone who was involved?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then is that like, are we going back a little bit now? I mean, you say about like, there's a really famous quote or a quote by Quentin Crisp, is like, he believes the of the problem of society is there's too much freedom. People can just do what they want now. Whereas when he was growing up, a woman wearing nail varnish was like a, that was shocking. So like, Whereas now everyone does things like that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, maybe there's something in that. But I also think we're going back a little bit now. If think about the eighties, it felt like maybe in some ways where, I don't know, it's kind of changing, isn't it? I feel like in some ways we are less, I mean, you look at the artist in the 80s and the artist now, there was a lot more fluidity there, would And
Speaker 1:I think also, so again, Morrissey says, How empty our lives would be if we had never known. I think that it's not beyond Morrissey that he might be talking about himself a bit as well.
Speaker 2:So how would you mean this?
Speaker 1:He might be saying that how empty your lives would be if I, Morrissey had never created all this music.
Speaker 2:We be here, would We wouldn't
Speaker 1:be here. A lot of Morrissey fans I think actually would agree with that. How sad my life would be. I would say that personally, I get so much joy and pleasure from listening to Morrissey's music and Smith's music that I think my life would be pretty empty. I'd probably just be a massive, I'd probably do a podcast about Lana Del Rey.
Speaker 2:I was just gonna say that. Was gonna say, do you think you would have hyper fixated on something else and that would have been your thing, your stim or whatever, that would have been what you do. I think one line, so yeah, you've mentioned some of the lines that I really like in the song. One of the best lines, and Morrissey is really good at this in loads of songs. This is probably one of the more direct ways of saying it in a Morrissey song, but the best thing you can do is be yourself.
Speaker 2:I think that's like a lot of Morrissey fans want that. I feel like that gives a bit of power to people, doesn't it? And Morris is saying that someone that you idolise or look up to, it gives you the license to feel like that's fine. And you can take a different path and be comfortable. And I think that when I heard that live and I think I can't remember which show it was now, but I sort of got a handshake with Maurice at the point he said that, and that was pretty special.
Speaker 2:Because I felt like he was obviously, like we said earlier with Robert Williams, he's talking to you in that moment.
Speaker 1:The problem with being yourself, philosophically speaking, it's actually quite a hard thing to do. Because one of the big things, big slogans is know thyself. Who am I? And what is the essential me? How do I be myself?
Speaker 1:Because actually I am a different person in different environments. I'm a different person here to how I am at work, about how I am with my close friends, how I am when it's just me and you having a treat. All these different people. Also everybody else sees you from all these different angles and all these different themes, not themes, contexts. So when Maurice says the best thing you can do is be yourself.
Speaker 1:Well, okay. Yes, you're probably right, but it's actually not that easy to do. No. I feel like Maurice,
Speaker 2:as opposed to most people, has probably suffered, but also benefited from being fully himself. A lot of us, for example, if you have a job where you've got an employer, you really have to not be yourself at certain times because this whole thing about taking yourself to work now, it's like, you should feel comfortable to be yourself. Well, actually you probably wouldn't want to take your house off to work and you probably can't because you would be in trouble for that. But Morrissey does that and that sometimes is a detriment to him because he loses fans along the way. Some people can't cope with that.
Speaker 2:So that's an interesting. Let's talk about when Morrissey just sat at home with his family, with his close family, he must be a bit different there. They've known him all his life. He can't be this sort of cool, he has to be Morrissey family guy at Morrissey.
Speaker 1:I've thought about this because I've occasionally seen pictures of him and his family at Christmas or something. I reckon they all take the piss out of him and bully him in a friendly way because it's probably the only place in the world where Morrissey, there are other people taking the mick out of him in a loving way. I mean, I have no idea, but I just kind of think, I And
Speaker 2:it seems like Morrissey, I think, well-being Irish as well is a big part of that, or having Irish heritage, sorry. I think that he probably feels very connected to his family, so they're probably the ones that they could be a bit cheeky and they won't get banished or whatever And I think that's,
Speaker 1:yeah. Just speaking musically about this song, I think we've only heard live versions so far. Obviously it's gonna be on this new album, Makeup is a Lie and I think it's gonna sound fantastic. I think this is a very commercial single of the ones we've heard. I would say this is pretty commercial and I do think it could get on a BBC Radio two playlist And I do hope it's released as a single.
Speaker 1:I think Morrissey is so unpredictable and does things in his own way that I wouldn't even put a bet on it.
Speaker 2:I think this will come as a single. We haven't heard the rest.
Speaker 1:But I think Jesse Tobias has done a fabulous job writing this track because it really stands out. Definitely, yeah. And I wonder if it is a seventies kind of sound and that's the same era that he's singing about. Because I remember when we had Adam White on our show, he said that some of the tracks that he'd written for Morris's new album were quite 70s inspired. I wonder if Jesse has done the same but I'm not too familiar with the 70s scenes and say that for certain.
Speaker 1:But I just think it's a catchy song. It has a point. It's very Morrissey, it fits the Morrissey image. It's catchy. There's a lot going for it,
Speaker 2:isn't there? There is. And when I've been to a few of the shows where Morrissey has played this live, it's a real favorite with people in the theater, in the building, in the audience, sorry. So like, yeah, know people are really excited for this song to come on. Yeah, really excited to hear the studio version in the album and hopefully as a single.
Speaker 1:So next we are going to talk about the song that both Chris and I have on repeat, different songs, but you will know as a Morrissey Smith fan, sometimes there's a song that just can't get out of your head. So we're gonna talk about that. And for now, while I've got a tiny bit of wine left in my glass, I'll say cheers, Chris. You got nothing. You probably shouldn't cheers with an N.
Speaker 1:Think that's
Speaker 2:probably my grandma would tell me that's bad me just
Speaker 1:quickly put It probably is bad luck.
Speaker 2:Quickly put a drop in there.
Speaker 1:Pop in a drop.
Speaker 2:Pop in a drop.
Speaker 1:Acid Pop poop in the Louvre. Cheers, George. Cheers. And let's go into the song that we've got on repeat. Cheers.
Speaker 2:Now we're gonna go into song I've got on repeat. So this is where we talk about a song that we have on repeat currently. So George, what have you currently got on repeat?
Speaker 1:Well, I can't stop listening to the Slum Mums.
Speaker 2:Okay. That's a good one.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I've really been playing it a lot. And it was a B side to I Have Forgiven Jesus recorded late twenty twenty three according to the Wiki on Moritzy Solo, but released 2004. I just think I tend to do this with the more rarer tracks of Morrissey because we've played to death, all the big ones. So when you suddenly remember an old song, excuse me, like the Some Mums, I mean, it's quite dark and it's kind of dated as well because he's talking about the labor government of
Speaker 2:But the
Speaker 1:it's just so kind of catchy and I find myself singing the chorus, especially we may be welfare, oh yeah, but we don't care.
Speaker 2:It's a really good song. And it's like the one lyric that always gets in my mind for this song is underneath the fingernails. You can make yourself whatever you want to be, but you're never gonna sort of get away from what you are, what you always have been. So yeah, I think that's a really good song.
Speaker 1:And what song do you have on repeat at the moment?
Speaker 2:So the moment my song on repeat is Once I Saw the River Clean.
Speaker 1:Ah, yes.
Speaker 2:So I really love this song. It obviously came out in 2020. So to me, this is like the album and the songs and the tour was all just on the cusp of COVID. And I remember listening to this, I mean, I listened to a song a lot now, that's why I'm mentioning it, but it takes me back to sort of kind of a simple time when COVID happened. And when we, which I was just jogging around like Alexandra Park in Manchester next to where I lived because there was nothing else to do.
Speaker 2:So I got really fit. I was like jogging every day and reminds me of that. And obviously it was a Jesse Tobias Morrissey song. And yeah, I've got that one on repeat all the time at the moment, but it just changed from different songs.
Speaker 1:Yes. Sometimes I just think with Morrissey, because like I said, we know the songs so well, you've gotta dig into the archives to really get that buzz again. Because we've got such a tolerance to Morrissey, like a drug, you need a new thing to excite
Speaker 2:you again. Yeah, sometimes I do what you've done there. I go for songs that aren't, because some songs aren't on Spotify, some of You Are The Quarry extended version, for example, the song you've picked, I call it sort of sort of twin song to that, which is a teenage dad on the estate. And I always go to that one as like a song that I really like because it's something I can't hear that often.
Speaker 1:With his Jensen interceptor, it's just a run around.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I'd be interested to see what maybe people can write in and let us know what songs they've got currently on repeat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So let us know what song you've got, what you're listening to all the time. Now, before we wrap up this episode of the Morrissey and Wine Podcast, which I just mentioned on Patreon. So Patreon is a great way to support us if you like what we're doing. It's really not that expensive.
Speaker 1:It's about £4.50 a month in The UK or $5 in The US. There are various benefits that you get from obviously from joining the Patreon. So we have an archive of full length interviews with people like Alan Wyatt and Stephen Street, all the people we've talked to on the podcast when we have a guest, you just hear the twenty minute version. If you subscribe to the Patreon, you can get that archive of full length interviews. It's usually like double the length basically, about forty minutes.
Speaker 1:We have a members only WhatsApp chat, don't we?
Speaker 2:Yes, do, which is really interesting. We have lots of people on there talking regularly.
Speaker 1:Well it's
Speaker 2:a very
Speaker 1:active chat. Everyone's a really big fan of Morris and Smiths. Everyone's lovely. And you'll be able to access that if you join the Patreon. You can choose the next song that NannyBowl reacts to.
Speaker 1:What else have you got, Chris?
Speaker 2:Well, just recently actually, labored away and sent out some nice cards and badges to all of our people who have subscribed. Yes. And they had that last month.
Speaker 1:Pin badges that we send out about once a year.
Speaker 2:So I've got a machine and I work away making the badges.
Speaker 1:Yes. So basically it's a great way to support us because obviously we put this whole show out for free. We do a lot of stuff on social media. We try and keep you up to date with Morrissey News. And you know, there are little costs that come up along the way.
Speaker 1:So all of the money that you give us via Patreon goes into a pot and it's only spent on the podcast. No luxury sports cars or I've five star
Speaker 2:tried to expense some exciting things, but George is quite strict on the old purse strings.
Speaker 1:Chris tried to expense a foundation, a posh makeup foundation. And I said, we're not putting that from the Patreon money.
Speaker 2:You need to look good if you're on camera, George.
Speaker 1:And looking good costs money.
Speaker 2:Yes, it does. It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.
Speaker 1:So thank you very much for joining us once again for the Morrissey and Wine Podcast. It's been a pleasure. It's my favorite time of the month. Have you enjoyed yourself, Chris?
Speaker 2:I have enjoyed myself. Yeah. Just how how are you how are you finding the new setup? Do you feel comfortable now we've had an episode?
Speaker 1:I like it. I wanna take this this bookcase home
Speaker 2:with all against bits the expenses policy.
Speaker 1:Lovely Oscar Wilde next to Morrissey. We've got
Speaker 2:Yeah, Karolina took that photo. Oh did she? My friend Karolina took that photo from Sweden. We have Mini Mozz as I call him. If you've watched the podcast before we had the full six foot one but we've shrunk.
Speaker 1:Yes. So anyway thank you so much for joining us. Cheers Chris. Cheers George. And all I say is goodbye and Godspeed.
Speaker 1:God bless Morrissey. Ciao for now.