Morrissey was rushed to hospital earlier this evening after collapsing just one song into his gig at Swindon's Oasis.

Morrissey just minutes before he collapsed, taken from SwindonWeb

Reports state that in the midst of opening song This Charming Man, Morrissey knelt down and fell to the floor, to be taken offstage by members of his band. An hour and a half later, a representative from the venue said that Moz would not be returning to the stage as he is "seriously ill."

Sky News has stated that the former Smiths frontman has been admitted to the Great Western Hospital and is in a "stable condition". Ambulance personnel have since reported that Morrissey suffered from "respiratory problems" before becoming unconscious, but by the time they arrived at the Oasis, he had regained consciousness but was complaining of feeling unwell.

The 50 year old has suffered with various ailments over the past couple of years, having previously cancelled a string of London gigs on his UK May tour, due to a problem with his throat.

I really wanted to be at that gig, and if it wasn't for the price of the tickets and lack of transport I would have been. I hope Mozzer is ok, have been listening to the back catalogue of The Smiths all day and have been reminding myself of how truly amazing Mr Morrissey is both lyrically and vocally. So, since it's been about 6 months or so since my last Smiths track on this little blog of mine, here is the song Morrissey struggled through earlier, This Charming Man. One of their best I believe, showcasing both the virtuosity of Marr's musicianship and Morrissey's witty yet slightly poignant lyrics.

Get well soon Moz!

The Art of Silence

I apologise for my lack of substantial posts, a lot's been going on lately so my mind has been elsewhere. Truth be told, for the past month or so I've become musically apathetic. Now, for any normal music fan this might seem a little strange but nothing out of the ordinary: people go through music phases all the time, but for someone who has music practically coursing through her veins, this struck me as a little odd when I came to think about it.

I've been obsessed with music from as young as I can remember; my mother never ceases to bring up the embarrassing tale of when I was but 4 years old, sat in the car in traffic with my mum, Radiohead's Creep playing with the windows down. I'd only really just got past the stage of singing nursery rhymes but appeared to have fallen in love with this band, as I allegedly started singing 'You're so fuckin' special' at the top of my lungs. To me that was my first rockstar moment, to her it was completely and utterly cringeworthy, the looks she got from other drivers stuck in traffic were a picture to behold, so I'm told, I mean what innocent blonde haired blue eyed kid would be expected to be a fan of Thom Yorke's?

I was raised on a strict diet of The Smiths (hence my Morrissey addiction, see older posts for evidence), Placebo and the aforementioned Radiohead, and when music wasn't playing, there was always something else going on in the background, I can scarcely remember a time of silence in the past 17 years of my life at home. Everything was always so up tempo and loud that it's made me wonder why I've always needed something to block out the rest of the world.

So, a few Saturdays ago, with nothing to do, I logged on to the interweb as per usual, but instead of blasting some Pixies through my pathetic excuse for speakers or aurally attacking my neighbours with some Peaches, I just listened. I listened to the stillness of the house, the garden, the dog, everything- just to stoic and calm. Instead of being mortified of this sudden exposure to the world around me, I indulged in the quietness for the first time. Obviously I've been in silent conditions before, living in one of the most tested countries in Europe, but this was the first time I'd chosen to just sit and hear the silence, and I have to admit, it was a lot more powerful than anything Thom could have written.

So this is my weekly routine now. Instead of coming home from college and putting the first song I can find, playing it full throttle on my iTunes, I just sit and enjoy the nothingness.

I know this sounds very airy fairy and state of the obvious, but to me it was some kind of epiphany. In order to really enjoy music you have to be able to relish the silence that goes along with it. For if there was no silence, then the music wouldn't be half as fulfilling.

I'm taking a break from my blog, a mini hiatus if you will. What with college work and a thousand and one things to think about, I think I'll just enjoy the silence for a while.

Heaven Knows He's.. Bloody Old Now..

I know, his birthday was yesterday, but I was busy and so didn't have time to pay homage to the God of Gloom, the Third Sex, Mr Stephen Patrick Morrissey. Sycophantic enough for you?

PA Photos

So, Mozzer has reached the grand old age of 50- hard to believe isn't it? For anyone over the age of 30, The Smiths doesn't seem like that long ago, and to any teenage fans it doesn't sound like he ever really grew up in terms of his music. After 25 years since his first single, Morrissey's lyrics are still as poignant and meaningful as ever, and I predict that his songs full of love, loss and loneliness will be heralded as some of the finest songsmanship in years to come.

Personally Morrissey and indeed Marr's music has given me an outlet to all the pitfalls that a teenage life can bring: the occassional splurge of jealousy when our friends 'Become Successful', the over dramatic tales of rejection and the general feeling that nobody understands. Morrissey's lyrics are in my eyes beautiful yet tragic at the same time, despairing yet hilarious, arrogant yet humble. Love him or loathe him, nobody can deny that Mr. Morrissey has an amazing gift for writing songs that are relateable in some way or another. As far as I'm concerned, he is a total legend- Happy Birthday Mozzer!

All You Need is Moz?

Finally after a prolonged wait for his new album, Mr. Stephen Morrissey has finally released his new album, titled Years of Refusal. But after all this time, has the Pope of Mope still got it?

Morrissey: The next Madonna?

You'd think after 25 years in the music business that Morrissey's music may go through one of those ever so awkward reinventions that never really work: Madonna with her *ahem* rapping, Gary Numan with his whiny Goth phase and the vocoded mess that is Britney's new stuff, the years haven't ever been kind to those veterans of music. But no, Morrissey has never really strayed from his well worn path of self pity, irony and killer riffs. Just as well really, I don't know about you but the very thought of Moz turning all electro is enough to give me the chills.


Years of Refusal is an album full of potential singles, each as attention grabbing and vibrant as the next. Something is Squeezing My Skull and One Day Goodbye Will be Farewell are both energetic anthems that show that there's life in the old man yet.


There is a definite feeling of progression from the last album, each track seems to draw in the listener, incrementally leading to a climax during the chorus which, for the most part, is just a splurge of emotion. There's the usual themes of death and loneliness in tracks When Last I Spoke To Carol and You Were Good in Your Time, the ultimate line in the latter ("Are you aware, that you have just died?") being so haunting you are left somewhat surprised, even by Morrissey's standards. And the Mexican Carol.. song sounds oddly apt for this tale of suicide; the distant howls in the background conjure up images of this lady wandering through the valley of the dead, inches away from taking her own life. Or at least that's how I picture it, being a ray of sunshine and all.

The only track I am not so thrilled about is That's How People Grow Up. The live version of this track was released sometime last year and, in comparison to the studio version, had a lot more oomph. It's not often that I side with a live track, but I feel the album version of this track to be slightly too pristine for my liking.

Other than that though, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this new album, and I had to admit although a faithful disciple, I was somewhat sceptic about how his new album would compare to his previous work. Thankfully though, he failed to disappoint and his album has even beaten Frank Turner's on my most played list for the past 3 months. If that's not a sign of a good record, I don't know what is.

"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone" Morrissey taunts during the magnificently powerful All You Need Is Me- with recent news that Moz is contemplating retirement at the grand age of 50, I can safely say that we certainly will.
9/10

Throwing His Arms Around What Now?

After about 7 months of waiting, Stephen Morrissey has finally let us hear his next offering from forthcoming new album Years of Refusal. The track, dubbed I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris, is available to hear on his Myspace music stream as from this week.



I have to admit I was a little put out when I heard that Morrissey's new album was being held back for release until February, but then with his and Marr's Sound of The Smiths record also out towards the end of last year it didn't really make for good marketing. For those unsure if the Mozzfather's still got it, one need only listen to this track to know that he may be getting on a bit (Moz will turn 50 this year) but the witty, poignant lyrics are still there, not to mention the simultaneously wistful and catchy melodies.


And to all those lucky buggers who got tickets for his upcoming UK tour; I hate you.


Listen to his new single here: Morrissey's Myspace
I'm Throwing.. is out on February 9th, whilst Years of Refusal is set to be released on February 23rd.

EDIT: Now there's a video too!


Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

Kerching:The Sound of The Smiths?

So I got the latest of a series of Smiths' compilation albums, this one entitled 'The Sound of The Smiths' today; as an avid fan of the seminal band I thought I'd better. When I first heard about the new record I, like countless others (probably) held a faint glimmer of hope that the Gods of Gloom would reform. Now to be honest, I think the day they do reform will be the day those crazy CERN guys wipe out the planet with a black hole. Still, as much as I love The Smiths, hearing this album I can't help but hear the distant ding of cash registers.




The double album boasts 45 Smiths' songs, including classic such as Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and William it Was Really Nothing, as well as live tracks and 'rare' B sides, and all this for £15 (!). I actually really like this album, the tracks have been slightly remastered and not sound so clangy as on other versions, and the album art of their previous album art looks quite good, (you can tell who was in charge of picking the pictures can't you?) but I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that this is all rather unnecessary. I like that it's out as it gives those unlucky (or lucky if you count the Thatcher years) enough not to have been around whilst they were still together, but it's really just a very unsubtle attempt at making a few bob.



Although this album was remastered by Johnny Marr and Moz had the arduous task of thinking of a name for it, a part of me wonders if really this album was executed by Warners in an attempt to shift a few more units in an era where album sales have declined. I don't mean to get all conspiracy theorist on you, but it would make sense:

• When the band did join Warner Bros. it was at the very end of their career, so they can't have made that much revenue from them. Some also signalled the point that they joined a 'mainstream' label as the beginning of the end for them. The band were already struggling with management issues amongst alleged internal squabbles, and there had already been two compilation albums since the extraordinary Queen is Dead, it seemed that they were running out of steam.
• After numerous failed attempts at getting the band to reform, a reunion didn't ever appear on the cards. Morrissey even went as far as saying he'd "rather eat my (his) own testicles than reform The Smiths," and although he can be a bit melodramatic, he is a strict vegetarian so he must have been serious.
  
• So, it would seem apt that now, in an age where the likes of Take That and The Verve have reformed that the label would want to release another compilation in order to boost sales and potentially propel the rumour mill into thinking that they too are jumping on the bandwagon and have kissed and made up.
  

I'm sorry for being so cynical, I must say I do adore this band, you just have to take a look at some of my earlier posts to know that they've influenced me in a strong way. I promise that if The Smiths ever reform though, I will publish a post declaring that I will prance about in the centre of Bristol wearing a jam jar costume complete with Gladioli, and I will do so gladly.



The Sound of The Smiths is out now, on Physical copy, 12" and download.



What do you think:

Is this album purely for the dosh?

Or is there something more to it?





Do tell.