Now Available: Introducing Morrissey on DVD
Hey, kids, remember VHS? (Geez, you know you’re old when you’ve outlived jokes about Beta and reached a point where even VHS has become a punchline…)
Once upon a time, way back in 1995, Morrissey released a concert video on VHS entitled Introducing Morrissey, a performance which found the former Smiths frontman delivering a 15-song set consisting of tracks from his then-current album, Vauxhall and I, his previous effort, Your Arsenal, and several numbers which were – or certainly would become – familiar to his fans from his singles and B-sides. For reasons which we probably could find out but aren’t going to take the time to research, this performance has been languishing in our vaults and has never before been made available on DVD, but at long last, before the format becomes completely obsolete, we’re finally getting around to it. You’re welcome, Morrissey fans!
Introducing Morrissey was recorded over the course of two evenings during Morrissey’s UK tour of early 1995 – Sheffield’s City Hall on February 7 and Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on February 8, to be specific – and was directed by James O’Brien, who’s since gone on to do quite a bit of producing of programs for MTV Europe and Elton John. Although the set list is relatively limited, staying squarely in the 1992-1995 era for the entire performance, even the most casual of Morrissey fans will likely recognize at least one of his songs, “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get,” as it remains his lone entry into the Billboard Hot 100. Oh, and even if you’re not a Morrissey fan, there’s always his cover of “Moon River” to latch onto. (Mind you, he’s no Audrey Hepburn, but – bless him – he still gives it the old college try.)
If you’re wondering about the rest of the set, here’s a playlist featuring the originally-released versions of the songs which feature in Introducing Morrissey, but it’s no substitute for the concert itself, so go forth and pick up the copy of the DVD, won’t you? Heaven knows you’ve waited long enough.
