The Last Of The Last of The Famous International Playboys?

A year since he last stood on a British stage, Morrissey comes back to Camden to play six shows in a converted railway shed. Being the perversely obstinate bugger that he is - or, if you prefer being the owner of a determined singular vision of a Britain that never was - Moz arrived at 9.00pm (to the second), and over the next 87 minutes, regaled his constituency with 22 songs. Much like his impending, back-heavy Greatest Hits CD, there was very little from the middle years of his solo career. Critics have unfairly regaled those years as the inevitable doldrum that every artist of a certain age is bound to have (even if critical perception is far removed from the actual strength of the work). What is an undeniable fact is that over these 22 songs, seemingly an utterly random selection of his work over the past 25 years - is that Morrissey has always been a bright light.

Unfortunately his new, over-populated and muscular band made almost exclusively of largely anonymous (and interchangeable) LA session musicians have managed to completely obliterate the finer parts of his canon of work : the well-chosen twin foils of Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer (who always managed the slightest air of discretion) have been flattened : the encore of “The Last of The Famous International Playboys” , last seen leading his debut solo tour of 1991, used to be a playful romp. Here, it becomes a sadly lumpen plod in the hands of anonymous sessioners, chosen because they were presumably sufficiently cheap and grateful for a relatively steady income. Longstanding members Gary Day and the multitalented Mike Farrell have been replaced by the drummers brother and some new keyboard player lacking in the wide range of abilities that limits the palette.

This isn’t to say that it’s by any means bad. Not at all. By most people’s standards, his band is a fine selection of  more-than-adequate ability. But this is Morrissey : a man who set the bar so high that anything less than greatness isn’t quite good enough. What the band lacks, Moz tries (but fails) to compensate with charisma. When the group perform the now-obligatory collection of Smiths songs, I can’t but think that maybe, despite those songs being wonderful, that he shouldn’t perform them anymore. I have visions of a 1988 Lou Reed bored and barking out “Sweet Jane” whilst his band tries to turn the flowers of old into identikit plods whilst the audience tries to catch glimpses of greatness. Morrissey’s canon as a solo artist is sufficiently strong (and in Boz Boorer he has a fabulous foil) that he shouldn’t be playing those songs anymore. Let them go. We cannot cling to the old days anymore.

Most of the set is made of his most recent two ‘comeback’ records and a multitude of fresh songs from the next album due out in the autumn. Sadly, the breezy air of his best work has been reduced to a largely lumpen stodge : “All You Need Is Me” and “That’s How People Grow Up” are ok, at best. Other songs - the generic “Something Is Squeezing My Skull”, “Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed” and “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” are, at first listen at least, forgettable facsimilies of better, older songs. That said, the rest of his material is undoubtedly fabulous : the timeless brilliance of “Sister I’m A Poet”, the rarely played, much under-appreciated “The Loop”, and the always fabulous “Irish Blood, English Heart” are, as ever, highlights in a career of highlights. But overall, Moz is in danger of becoming a parody of himself. The first night of this residency (and the misleading ‘Greatest Hits’ record due out shortly), are the first signs in a long time of a misjudgement on Moz’s part. Whilst thankfully he has avoided the route of artistic stagnation and redundancy by remaining fiercely prolific and doggedly busy, it might be time for him to take a step back, have a break, and live a little so that in future, he can return fresh and invigorated. On the basis of this first show, it’s apparent that Moz would benefit from the change of pace. Disappointed.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment 1.0 beta 2!