Μια ακόμα ευπρόσδεκτη πρόταση απ΄τον stcigar, ένα αγαπημένο τραγούδι των Smiths. ‘Death Of A Disco Dancer’ από το Strangeways, Here We Come, τελευταίο στούντιο άλμπουμ, κυκλοφορημένο μετά τη διάλυση του γκρουπ.
Ο Morrissey ανήκει, για μένα, στους “θησαυρούς” του May born musicians club. Παρεμπιπτόντως, στο συγκεκριμένο (παράξενα “επίκαιρο”) τραγούδι, κρατά επίσης τον ρόλο του πιανίστα.
Εδώ το περσινό podcast – αφιέρωμα στους Smiths και τη σόλο καριέρα του μεγάλου singer – songwrter.
Another welcome suggestion from stcigar, a favorite Smiths song. ‘Death Of A Disco Dancer’ from Strangeways, Here We Come, the group’s last studio album, released after its breakup.
Morrissey, to me, belongs to the “treasures” of May born musicians club. By the way, οn this particular (strangely “topical”) song, he also plays the piano.
Here is last year’s podcast – a tribute to The Smiths and the great singer-songwriter’s solo career.
The death of a disco dancer
Well, it happens a lot ’round here
And if you think peace is a common goal
That goes to show how little you know
The death of a disco dancer
Well, I’d rather not get involved
I never talk to my neighbour
I’d rather not get involved
Love, peace and harmony?
Love, peace and harmony?
Oh, very nice, very nice, very nice, very nice
But maybe in the next world
Love, peace and harmony?
Love, peace and harmony?
Oh, very nice, very nice
Very nice, very nice, very nice
But maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world
Love, peace and harmony?
Love, peace and harmony?
Oh, very nice, very nice, very nice
Maybe in the next world
Maybe in the next world
The next world, the next world, oh
The death of a disco dancer
The death of a disco dancer
The death of a disco dancer
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I know we have very different opinions about Morrissey – as in I can’t stand the singer nor his songs! – but I think this may be the most ‘tuneful’ song of his I’ve heard 😀
Maybe you haven’t followed him closely, and therefore there’s other stuff that also escaped you.
Anyway, this has been the case with me and people I disliked, as I found out later. 🤔🙂😊
It is a working theory…but I have had nearly 30 years of being married to a confirmed Smiths fan to be subjected to his ‘art’. There’s not a lot there I like. But then, flying in the face of all expert opinion, I don’t think highly of Prince, Elvis or Michael Jackson either! So I’m well used to being a lone voice…
I know what you mean, I had my share of women Morrissey apostles, it can become annoying at times. But at least I liked the guy. Things were really tough with women fans of Robert Smith of the Cure, whom I despised back in the ’80s – not that I came to appreciate his art later. 😇
I must add I agree with you about Prince (totally), and for a large amount of Michael Jackson’s legacy. Elvis is another story.
Biggest problem for me with Elvis is that of immense plagiarism of black artists at the time who didn’t receive royalties while their works were making Elvis and his manager rather rich. His music is forever tainted for me as a result!
I agree. But this practice was widespread beyond Elvis, Stones, Zeppelin and the entire mafia of white plagiarists. I mean, it was common even among original blues men. For example, Muddy Waters’ ‘I Feel Like Going Home’ (1949) carrying his signature, was recorded in 1936 by Robert Johnson as ‘Walkin’ BLues’, carrying his own one. In fact it was written by (one of my favorite blues men*) Son House in 1930.
* Here’ s one of our own tracks with samples from House’s songs
https://oannes.gr/mk-o-hyperfunk-2007/
Indeed, although those artists normally credited and gave royalties to the artists. Elvis wrote nothing of his own, paid no royalties nor credit and was known for his racist tendencies. Indeed, black artists refused to work with him because of it!
Wagner was racist too. So were people like Kant and Dostoevsky.
When it comes to Elvis, he was a product of his times – including the very essence of his artistic personality : with the increase of black music’s popularity among white audiences, it became apparent that what was needed was a white, handsome guy who sounded like a black man, and could therefore achieve star status like no black man could ever reach. If Elvis didn’t exist, someone had to invent him.
There’s also widespread racism against white people who contributed to the legacy of blues and jazz from the very beginning, and this on the context of “authenticity”. “Authenticity” has finally replaced the element of “talent” in pop culture, turning it into pure cult of personality.
I agree with a great deal of this. Wagner and Kant in particular (Kant also a great hypocrite with much regards to his philosophical views compared to his very conservative life) and I have equal issues with these too (especially Wagner). And indeed there is and always has been racism towards white people although the difference there is where the balance of power lies – always with the white person, to this very day in almost every country in the world. I don’t agree it needed a white man to make black music popular among white people though. Everyone was already listening to black artist’s songs on the jukeboxes. You had stars like Ray Charles, Do Diddley, B B King, Etta James, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Ike Turner and so many more. These were established names with even more coming up like James Brown. The likes of Elvis, Buddy Holly and Bill Haley was really the white man taking what was already popular and taking ‘ownership’ of it. Of course, Elvis was popular – a consummate and good-looking singer who could do everything the black man did and make is palatably white. For me, it the is the huge difference in the level of stardom and riches in drew in that makes him the worst offender. But absolutely, there were plenty of them around. I wouldn’t mind so much if he had at least given the artists due royalties and written some of his own songs – as other artists did!
I agree about the balance of power of course, and there definitely is such a thing in every country of the world even today. The problem has to do, imho, with the increasing rhetoric about racial issues, in an era when things are undoubtedly better. But that’s another story. Likewise I agree with all the other things you mention.
Let me just “correct you” about something. You write
I don’t agree it needed a white man to make black music popular among white people though. Everyone was already listening to black artist’s songs on the jukeboxes.
But that was my point also :
with the increase of black music’s popularity among white audiences, it became apparent that what was needed was a white, handsome guy who sounded like a black man, and could therefore achieve star status like no black man could ever reach. If Elvis didn’t exist, someone had to invent him.
A fair correction – I think I see your point!