Morrissey Calls Latest Album a 'Meek Disaster'

For Morrissey, 2009 has been a rather rough year. With a host of canceled shows, a trip to the hospital, a recent suicide revelation and getting hit in the head with a drink, things aren't the brightest. One would think that a new album might inject a little holiday cheer into the moody one, but apparently he's not that happy with the release of his recent B-sides compilation, 'Swords.'

In a post to the Morrissey fanzine True to You, he describes his latest release as a "meek disaster." "It was proposed and accepted as a budget-priced CD, yet emerged everywhere as the most expensive CD in the racks," he said. "It was poorly distributed and didn't stand a chance, and ranks as the lowest chart position I've ever encountered."

Well, that may be the case, Moz, but we'll have to say that it's pretty tough in these economic times to get a chart topper off of tunes that were either extras or throwaways. Time has told us that the B-side compilation record is really targeted to the die-hards and not the casual listener.

The disastrous state of 'Swords' seems to have Morrissey thinking about the state of the music industry, something he sees as now existing as a purely market-driven entity. "Talent or merit or songs do not enter the equation for a split second," he said. "The campaign is the thing, the campaign is what is discussed amongst the public, the campaign is what impresses the press, and the songs are never a factor."

Still, not all hope is lost. In describing his stay at the Swindon hospital after his onstage collapse, he says his caretakers "restored my faith in humanity. I had no idea such kindness existed." With all this in mind, maybe Morrissey should spend more time with the hospital staff, both on and off the road.