MAKE ME LIKE: Morrissey

I love Manchester. I’ve always loved its look, its feel, its history. As a lad from Warrington being slap bang in the middle of Manchester and Liverpool, you either fall into the more manc or scouse side of things. I support United, any gig that’s on is usually attended in Manchester for me and I love the nightlife. I love Manchester. What I love most about it though is the music. Pretty much every act from there I love.

Except for Morrissey.

I had an epiphany in early July last year. I’ve always maintained that I loathe The Smiths throughout my life. I’ve lost count of the arguments I’ve had with mates and others about how I just haven’t heard the right track or I don’t get them yada yada yada. However, on this fateful July night, I was watching another of Manchester’s most famous sons, Noel Gallagher performing at the Castlefield Bowl. His main support was from Johnny Marr, who I quite like as a solo artist (Playland is such an underrated, brilliant album). Naturally in tandem with his solo material he was playing some Smiths tunes.

When he came to playing “There Is A light That Never Goes Out” something just clicked in me. This was a song I’d heard a thousand times before and never given the time of day, but hearing it here, coming from a different, non-whiney bastard man’s mouth, it seemed to all make sense to me. I got it. It was stunning. And beautiful. And embracing.

That’s when I realised I did like The Smiths. I didn’t like Morrissey.

Now this could seem like an ample opportunity to lay into the pretentious prick who seems to be made up of smug and arrogance personified by his annoying quiff, but I’ll try and keep it fair. Musically, there’s only one album of his as a solo artist that I’ve listened to that has held my interest and that’s his 2004 effort “You Are the Quarry”. The singles were pretty decent off it, and I’ll maintain that “Irish Blood, English Heart” is a phenomenal track along with “First Of The Gang To Die”. But nothing else he’s released has ever enlivened me and set my pulse racing. What am I missing?

This a man that the public deemed to be their second favourite Brit ever only behind Sir Winston Churchill, he regularly still sells out arena tours and releases critically acclaimed album after critically acclaimed album. I utterly refuse to believe it’s because of his “wit” (plastering “United King-Dumb” on the big screens at your gigs doesn’t make you Oscar Wilde, mate) and how he comes across in the press, and it sure as hell can’t be from his literary work (“bulbous salutation”), so it surely must be through his music, right?

So, where am I going wrong with him? Maybe I’m just a Luddite who’s too thick to appreciate such a nuanced and witty man. What albums should I give another go? Do I need to see him live to truly appreciate him? Do I need to separate the man from the music to like what’s been liked by critics everywhere? Let me know in the comments below.

Please, please let me get what I want. Make me like Morrissey (the musician, not the quiff).