Morrissey – live at Glastonbury 2004 – recorded for BBC 6 Music.
Morrissey tonight. I’m at a loss to figure out why, but in going through my past concert/session posts, the last time I posted anything on Morrissey, it was 2012. No good reason, but I hope this 2004 Glasto appearance makes up for some of the oversight.
Morrissey is an acclaimed presence in Pop Music. Acknowledged widely as a seminal figure in the emergence and growth in the Indie-Rock and Britpop movements of the 1980s, he is further credited for being one of the most influential lyricists in recent years. Some say The Greatest, but I’ll settle for top-10. He is, as I have also found, an artist you either love or hate; ambivalence and Morrissey are not synonymous. And what’s more, he is idolized, borderline worshipped within the Latino Community. Apparently, an entire subculture of Teatro Moz has sprung up throughout the Latino communities around the country. The reasons are probably many and as complex as the lyrics to his songs.
I admit to having been a big Smiths fan, and found myself enjoying his solo work early on. But I also admit to not hearing that much of his newer material, being somewhat overshadowed by the onslaught of new artists and bands popping up on my desktop and monopolizing my earspace. But I have always had a strong affinity for his music. He writes honestly and from a place of social conscience, and for me music about something with teeth in it has always held huge appeal – frankly, if you aren’t going to write something that makes people at least stop and listen, you aren’t doing your job. That goes for movies, books, art; just about anything where honest expression is concerned – call me old-fashioned, but I like being challenged most days.
If you’re a Morrissey fan, this is a great concert. If you aren’t, you aren’t reading this anyway, so . . . .
