I've recently gotten into the Smiths and Morrissey, as a solo artist.

I've been fascinated by watching loads of interviews of him and by his general personality. It seems more than just shyness of awkwardness, it seems as if he has no idea how to communicate with people. (I would go so far as to say I detect a bit of autism) He is clearly an intelligent man, but he is so unlike the rest of us. And some of the statements he comes out with are just..well, outrageous!

So my summing up of him is this:
A musical genius, but otherwise a total tosspot!

What do you make of him? Do you think he is, do a degree, acting just to spark some controversy? Is he just saying what we're all too scared to say outright in this day and age?

He's a loveable fruitcake.

This is how I would describe him too.

I'm a big Smiths fan and I've recently started listening to his solo stuff too. I bought the "HMV/Parlaphone triple disc" album.

I never used to take much notice of The Smiths in their heyday but being and avid listener of Absolute 80s have taken more notice in recent years and I think Morrissey is quite eccentric and opinionated but very clever and the lyrics/songs reflect that!

He's a complete bellend.

This, although he was a fantastic songwriter back in the day,

I prefer the term 'pretentious w@nker'.

I don't like his solo stuff but a lot of the smiths stuff was great. moz comes across as a complete bell end though. I presume most of the crap he comes out with is simply for the publicity, but some of the crap aimed at fans is a bit harsh, like banning the guy who ran his fanclub from going to his shows, and wearing t shirts saying f*** the website (whatever the name was)

I think the smiths owed a lot to johnny marr at least, and then the other members, due to the way the moz solo stuff sounds compared to the smiths. the marr solo album wasn't bad and he's done some great collabs too like the the and electronic and pet shop boys

Liked a lot of Smiths stuff and some early mozza albums but not much of late. He's got too comfortable and lazy.

Ultra expressive and dramatic. Also very forthright with bold opinions when he chooses to open up about a subject. Sometimes wades into dodgy territory, loses sense of perspective and seems to enjoy provoking. He also seems quite cutting at times with people who get on his bad side. He's a fascinating character though.

I think his solo work is generally underrated. In my mind he's similar to Frank Black in that way. Both had influential 80s bands but their solo careers never quite got the same attention when I think both of their work stands up against their earlier band stuff.

Git.

Oh wait, DS doesn't allow such short posts. Better make it utter git.

He's always been a ******, but at least he used to be talented. Sadly while his talent has diminished over the years, his wankyness has increased.

I don't think working with his current, completely crap and uninspired band helmed by Boz Boorer (check out some of his rap stuff on YouTube, it's unintentionally hilarious) helps.

Hideous cretin.

Some quick random musings on Morrissey...
1) He's still the greatest lyricist of modern times - funny, clever, pointed, interesting, unusual, political, he does it all.
2) He's committed - Paul McCartney & Chrissie Hynde are mega-vegetarians, but only Morrissey would call an album "Meat Is Murder" or ban meat from being sold at festivals he's appearing at (see also "The Queen Is Dead")
3) He has a very specific notion of what sort of artist "Morrissey" is (controversial, mysterious, outspoken, engmatic etc.), and he sticks to it, because he knows as a former music mega-fan what he wants/wanted from his idols...
4) His solo stuff is surprisingly good, and often great - OK, The Smiths were legendary, but the 20 best Morrissey songs would happily pass muster against the 20 best Smiths songs, notwithstanding he's been solo far longer than he ever was a Smith...
5) "Autobiography" is fantastic, aside from it needing an editor probably more than any book ever published...
6) He's a pain in the @rse of the first order, leaving behind bandmates, writing partners, managers and record labels (maybe even fans) in his wake, but that's why he's Morrissey... because nobody else is.

I personally rate the Smiths above The Beatles, the mix of Morrissey's morose but witty lyrics and Marr's sparkling guitar sound is a rare thing of beauty. Neither properly works without the other

However he said all he needed to in The Smiths and said it better, his solo career has really been revisiting old themes and grudges expressed with less and less humour and poetry - there are great songs but they aren't really neccessary

As a person he never came into the fold as artists tend to as they age, never compromised his strange world outlook or took to selling insurance, and never stopped hating the monarchy, and i like him for that. I don't agree with many of his opinions but i don't care about that, i'm not looking for a friend

Popular music needs more Morrissey's and less Gary Barlows in my opinion

The Smiths were fantastic and Morrissey seems to not have changed too much. I think once you get behind the 'myth' of Mozza he's probably a decent guy. But seems very few can break the persona. Even his autobiography told us next to nothing about him.

I absolutely adore him. He is life. He is my soul mate <3 I wish i could just meet him. I just love him so much.

A highly talented writer who is only as strong in recorded form as are his collaborating musicians, who needn't fill his songs wall-to-wall with his own voice to quite the extent he often does, and who in The Smith's The Queen Is Dead album made a record I can return to year after year and still love

A true character who divides opinion and doesn't give a stuff what people think

I really enjoyed his autobiography

He's a complete arse, but he's at least an extremely talented complete arse. And I really love a lot of his solo stuff. Songs like Now My Heart Is Full, Everyday Is Like Sunday and First Of The Gang To Die more than prove that his songwriting skills prevailed after The Smiths.

like The Smiths but not so much his solo stuff.

his views about meat etc are a bit much
but anybody that slags the royal family off, no ****s given is alright in my book

I've seen him 3 times live, shame he rarely does old stuff now.

Love the music, I don't think I could bear to be five minutes in his company though.

Have to love some of his uber fans as well. I once overheard a convo between two, who were so earnest I think they may have forgotten how to smile, talking about how Moz had so influenced their lives that they went vegan and joined PETA, and how they glare at family members for eating meat in front of them. I don't understand that level of hero worship.

I think Sparks put it very well in their song "Lighten Up Morrissey". That's kind of how i feel about him.

I would love to spend five mins or more in his company, not to do the I'm not worthy thing, but just for the hell of it, even my dad who can't stand him would be interested about hearing about my time with Mozz

G.o.d.