Morrissey Central "KICK ‘EM WHEN THEY FALL DOWN" (February 17, 2024)

KICK ‘EM WHEN THEY FALL DOWN

KICK 'EM WHEN THEY FALL DOWN - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - KICK 'EM WHEN THEY FALL DOWN

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

It would be nice to get some news on his health and how he is as well as the plans for 2024. Releases, touring, etc.

Agreed! In due time.

 

[Les Tameside]

It was his best album in years - massively better than High School yet High School sold 25,000 in week 1 compared with Dog;s 6,000. Why?
Spent the Day in Bed received airplay from all the indie radio stations - none of them went anywhere near the Dog songs. On the rare occasion that they gave a new song a spin (I'm only aware of BBC London once playing River Clean) the presenter effectively issued a disclaimer for playing a song by someone with Morrissey's political views.
That's what it all boils down to.

I’ve been trawling the internet, trying to find some up-to-date sales figures, which has proved impossible. This, in itself, might be revealing.

 

[Outside Lancashire]

Why would Moz give any recognition to this pimple faced Canadian dork who reviews records in his room in his mom's Montreal flat? Who is this moron?

He’s the misfit type that Morrissey writes songs for, friend. You and I were he at some point in our lives. Moz spoke to us and we managed to carry on.

 

[Mimi Ramone]

I'm sure he could just text Johnny if he misses him
These posts are so Morrissey, sending cryptic messages through posting songs like a 16 year old would do, hoping that the person(s) in question get(s) the hint...

Jokes aside, I'm somehow a bit gutted at this, because it continues the sad and bitter undertone with the looking back he showed since the beginning of the year. I hope its just Morrissey being Morrissey and maybe or hopefully he generates new defiant strength out of it. Pete surely didn't get to the "Central-topic" yet, or changing Central is contractually out of question.

 

[gordyboy9]

Jealousy will get you nowhere.

jealousy will get you everywhere,havent you noticed.

 

[gordyboy9]

I’ve heard it all now
The country in lockdown gives the country a great opportunity to listen to Dog, except it never happened. Did it?
Your logic is flawed.

so you have heard every sound ever made since time began,well done you.

 

[DagenhamDan]

Would bonfire sell like Dog on a chain?
Only 7 thousand copies of Dog sold in the UK, his biggest selling ground.

I would, and it really pains me to say this,
That, Bonfire would be the first album by
Morrissey, not to make the British top 40.

Strange as it is now, but sales like that will get you into the top ten, briefly.
Lots of top, well known bands now have their albums go into the top 10 first week and then totally disappear. Dog achieved this in 2020 and it happens all the time now sadly.
Sparks last two albums were top 10 for 1 week then gone. James have a great sounding new lp out soon and will definitely be top 5 or higher but probably disappear within a week or two, i think OMDs highest charting lp (no 2) from last year might have made it 2 weeks.
I used to love following the charts but its all a bit sad these days.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

zoom it came out on the same day that pubs in britain shut down,if there is one place in the uk that you talk about music its the pubs and bars so it would have generated some sales,how many,we will never know.

Is it the same reason for not even getting in the US charts?

I’m not saying Morrissey is free from blame. But don’t you think that not being able to play live shows during the shutdown may have had some negative influence on sales in UK and America?

I’ve heard it all now
The country in lockdown gives the country a great opportunity to listen to Dog, except it never happened. Did it?
Your logic is flawed.

Flawed? You don’t think that the shutdown had an influence (however slight) on people not being able to get together and talk about things, including music? Of course it didn’t stop people from hearing about music, but I don’t think Gordy is saying that.

 

[j*e*t]

Some more interesting films cropping up in those song videos.

Ridley Scott's 1965 short film Boy With Bicycle

Watch Boy and Bicycle - BFI Player

Ridley Scott's first film features his younger brother, the late Tony Scott, as a schoolboy playing truant for the day to meander around Hartlepool on his bicycle, lost in his own thoughts.

player.bfi.org.uk

The glamorous glitzy Hairdresser on Fire video, from old British Pathé clips, seems made to measure.

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)
Trailer -

Boy and Bicycle is an interesting film. Wish towns were as deserted as that on a week day nowadays! When the boy, reflecting on death in the fisherman's hut towards the end, says "Like going to sleep. Dropped off with a smile on her lips" it reminded me of the lines in That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: 'I just might die with a smile on my face after all'.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Well, LIHS was his first album with BMG, who actually made an effort with it. Two proper videos, even Morrissey doing some interviews (with disastrous results), advertising and so on. Plus Spent the Day in Bed was his most commercial single in a very long while: it got airplay and people actually found it witty and funny and catchy. When Dog came out, things had already soured with BMG, who did the bare minimum by just putting it out without really any promo or videos or anything. Morrissey himself didn't bother either. Plus Bobby was a terrible lead single.

Agree. There are many factors that went into play, and not just because of some things Morrissey said being ultimately the only reason why INADOAC didn’t sell, as Mike Rourke wants us to believe.

 

[Seymour Glass]

He’s the misfit type that Morrissey writes songs for, friend. You and I were he at some point in our lives. Moz spoke to us and we managed to carry on.

Yes, a misfit with a YouTube channel.... that's hilarious

 

[Surface]

I’m not saying Morrissey is free from blame. But don’t you think that not being able to play live shows during the shutdown may have had some negative influence on sales in UK and America?



Flawed? You don’t think that the shutdown had an influence (however slight) on people not being able to get together and talk about things, including music? Of course it didn’t stop people from hearing about music, but I don’t think Gordy is saying that.

That was the same for every artist, the number 1 album that week in the UK was After Hours by The Weekend, it was also number 1 in the USA and sold over 500k.

 

[Surface]

Strange as it is now, but sales like that will get you into the top ten, briefly.
Lots of top, well known bands now have their albums go into the top 10 first week and then totally disappear. Dog achieved this in 2020 and it happens all the time now sadly.
Sparks last two albums were top 10 for 1 week then gone. James have a great sounding new lp out soon and will definitely be top 5 or higher but probably disappear within a week or two, i think OMDs highest charting lp (no 2) from last year might have made it 2 weeks.
I used to love following the charts but its all a bit sad these days.

Seen a couple of great reviews of the new James album, looking forward to seeing them In Lytham with Marr supporting and then the O2.

 

[DagenhamDan]

Seen a couple of great reviews of the new James album, looking forward to seeing them In Lytham with Marr supporting and then the O2.

I could never tire of listening to Tim Booths voice Surface. Hope you really enjoy them

 

[Malarkey]

Bobby is a great song! It's a psychedelic soul freak out.

I would have toured with Thelma Houston to support it.

 

[Surface]

Bobby is a great song! It's a psychedelic soul freak out.

I would have toured with Thelma Houston to support it.

Knockabout World is my favourite, so glad it was in the set list at the Manchester Apollo gig.

 

[Surface]

I could never tire of listening to Tim Booths voice Surface. Hope you really enjoy them

I'm the same, he always sounds great. I really enjoyed the orchestral shows last year, which they are doing again in Lytham this summer, whereas the O2 gig is a regular show. I also like how they keep changing for example adding the 2 girls to the band. The odd thing is I don't particularly like arena gigs but James seem to be able to make it feel like a theatre setting.

I always like to listen to this session in New York which captures his voice perfectly but also the interaction between the band.

 

[Les Tameside]

Bobby is a great song! It's a psychedelic soul freak out.

I would have toured with Thelma Houston to support it.

Yes, it is a great song. I can’t understand the negativity.

 

[Famous when dead]

To be fair, the album came out March 20th, 2020.
He managed 3 gigs before it was all called off (March 6, 9 & 14th - Paris on the 11th was nixed due to their covid policy) and played 2-3 tracks from Dog each night.
The discussion here at the time was generally positive about the new songs (although not strictly an IANADOAC tour).
If anyone can find a source for an accurate sales figure, that might be useful. I would heavily doubt 7000 total being accurate unless a first week total (and probably not reflecting later digital sales). Given its reasonable charting with multi formats and the media response:

"PRAISE FOR ‘I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN’
“Morrissey delivers his best music in years” - AP*
"His best album in years." - NME
"As great as anything he has ever written." - THE TELEGRAPH
“A mature work, the album stands apart in his catalog, displaying a hard-fought air of confidence that defies his roots in misery.” - RIFF MAGAZINE
"Hungry, tenacious & valid" - XS Noise
“Arguably his strongest collection in years.” - Louder Than War Magazine
"Ideal quarantine record.” - The Post Millennial
“An 11 track outing which quite frankly is one of his best albums to date... it sees him in fine form, with witty and acerbic lyrics, and a rich baritone voice that appears to be actually getting stronger the older he gets." - Wall Of Sound"

There was certainly interest in the album and more promotion than 'usual'.
That said, the UK was advised to 'stay home' on March 23 and were in full lockdown by March 26.
Physically buying music was made pretty impossible from that point onwards. To say covid had no impact on this record's performance would be a bit daft perhaps?
FWD.

 

[Tea with the taste]

Great assessment, FWD, thank you. Small typo I think = Dog on a Chain came out on March 2020, not March 2022