But then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn't ask

I was so excited when I heard that Morrissey is currently mixing his new album in Rome with producer Tony Visconti. It's set to be released in mid March, and hopefully, Morrissey will hit the road with it, and play some shows here in the states.

I found a great Moz interview on Soulseek the other day, and thought I'd post the tracks. It's always great hearing the things Morrissey has to say, because you're never quite sure what might come out of his mouth. But it's always entertaining.

I've been trying to figure out exactly what year this interview was done (if any of you know, let me know). The tag on the mp3s say 2000, but that could just be the year that the interview cd was put together. I'm thinking that the first part (tracks 1 through 10) was taped in the late 80s or early 90s at KROQ in LA, because Moz talks about White Snake and Janet Jackson being shown on MTV, and Richard (the interviewer) talks about the cliche heavy metal video. Moz also brings up Margaret Thatcher being in power, and I believe she was Prime Minister in England only up until 1990.

Parts in the second half (tracks 11 through 17) lead me to believe that there was maybe a second interview done with KROQ in 1997, because Richard asks Morrissey, "Did you see the fight on Saturday referring to the Tyson/Hollyfield fight where Tyson bit off a piece of Hollyfield's ear. That happened in 1997. In track 13 (Moz on Life) Morrissey says it's been about 6 years since he's been at KROQ, so that would put his first appearance around '90/'91. The clips are chopped up strangely, so it's hard to tell if they're in the right order or not. Nonetheless, they're still great to listen to, and Moz is witty and hysterical as always. Forever a quotable figure.

01 Fans, Influences, Releases (6:30)
"Well, sometimes I don't mind, if they're good, and sometimes I buy them. I know you're supposed to be very annoyed because people make lots of money and none of it comes to you. But that doesn't really bother me. I'm very glad that there is enough interest in The Smiths for there to be bootlegs, and soforth, so it's just really pleasing."- Moz on Smiths bootlegs
"Well, the right people like it."- Moz on the song There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.

02 Vegetarianism, Benefits, Multi-Artist Concerts (3:18)
"No, I wouldn't be interested in a hostile crowd."- Moz when asked if he'd like the challenge of winning over a hostile crowd.

03 Himself & The Music Industry (4:23)
"I was told that I would be destroyed by my own record, which sounds actually reasonably exciting. But it didn't happen, I'm still here, and I'm quite healthy."- Moz on the BBC's reaction to Ouija Board, Ouija Board.

04 Hope & Despair (3:25)
"I do despair a great deal of time. That's all I can say really. I feel disappointment a great deal of time in the human race generally."- Answering a caller's question about the contrast of hope and despair in his lyrics.

05 Reading, TV & Pop Music (2:27) *this is cute because Morrissey didn't know what Nintendo was*
"I think children throughout the generations of the world change in any case. I mean, a hundred years ago, they were probably chasing sticks. Which, it wouldn't be a very good idea if children these days were chasing sticks. So I think that's just how the world changes and moves on. I don't know that it makes them more interesting individuals or less interesting. I really don't know. But television, obviously, quite naturally, I find quite destructive."- Moz when asked if things like video games and Nintendo negatively affect children of today.
Morrissey: "But Janet Jackson, as far as I can see, has no talent at all."
Richard: "She just dances, right?"
Morrissey: "Badly (laughs)."- When talking about whether or not there's room in 'his world' for pop music.

06 Drinking, Actors, & Manchester (4:30)
Richard: "Everyone knew you'd be intelligent."
Morrissey: "Well, I try not to hide it."- When it was mentioned that no one at the station knew what Morrissey would be like in person
Caller (Richard's mom): "There must be a flaw in this wonderful person."
Morrissey: "I assure you there isn't."- When talking about the healthy life he leads.

07 Fans, Childhood, Johnny Marr (5:40)
"Generally, very witty. Generally, the bright sparks who weren't possibly, terribly athletic, but terribly quick. And the ones who were always in trouble. But I was very athletic, which is something that I never personally understood."- Moz on his childhood friends.

08 Books, Celibacy, Import Records, Oscar Wilde (6:06)
"Well if it's in Spin magazine, it must be true."- When asked by a caller if he was really celibate.

09 Flying, The Royal Family, School Days (5:28)
"If there were only two (political) parties in England, she wouldn't even be, ya know, in the kitchen making the tea."- Moz on Margaret Thatcher.

10 Music in America, Videos, Manchester, Loneliness (6:15)
"I think the musical audiences of America are very underrated. And I think their intelligence is very underrated. And I think really, if they were exposed to more intelligent music and more innovative music, they would take it. But see, they don't really have much choice, do they?"
"I get so many letters complaining about music in America, and how people are fed a constant barrage of White Snake, followed by Janet Jackson, followed by White Snake, followed by Janet Jackson. I mean MTV really, which is a brillitant idea executed dreadfully, is just really a succession of the same video. And it's always the same style. There's lots of interesting, smaller groups who, if they had exposure in this country, everything would change. But it won't change until that time occurs."- Moz on music in the U.S.

11 Moz on Music (:38) *this is mainly about the Smoking Popes*

12 Moz on Boxing & Fans (1:27)
"I thought Tyson was extremely badly behaved. I think he should be arrested. Because if I walked onto the street and bit somebody's ear, I'm sure I'd be arrested. I don't think they'd hand me $27 million and say, ya know, 'See you at the next fight.' "- Moz on the Tyson/Hollyfield fight.

13 Moz on Life (2:16)
"I'm still the same person that I ever was. I'm a very secluded person. But I'm not neurotic or anything."- When asked if he'd been in seclusion.

14 Moz on Working (1:51)
15 Moz on Other Live Bands (:45)
16 Conventions and Reunions (2:53)
17 Moz on Mick Ronson (:41)

The rest is the interview with Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke. I'm not sure what year this is from. Mike mentions having hundreds of unreleased Smiths recordings in his posession, which is pretty cool to think about.

18 Mike and Andy (1:22)
19 On Conventions (:55)
20 Compilations & Unreleased Music (1:36)
21 New Projects (:26)
22 Listener Calls (4:25)

And so that you have some actual music to listen to, here are some songs: There is a Light that Never Goes Out, Ouija Board, Ouija Board, and just because I think that nothing is sexier than Jeff Buckley singing The Smiths, Jeff covering The Boy with the Thorn in his Side.

The Smiths- There is a Light that Never Goes Out (from The Queen is Dead)
Morrissey- Ouija Board, Ouija Board (from Bona Drag)
Jeff Buckley- The Boy with the Thorn in his Side