What is wrong with Morrissey?

Morrissey - Is It Over, or Has It Just Begun?

I have been a Morrissey fan since the 1980s, and I say this as someone who has lived with his work for decades and studied it closely, not just listened to it casually. I know the familiar arguments already:

  • He has always been difficult.
  • He has always been prone to depression.
  • He has always been strong-willed and unpredictable.

I do not think that explains what we are seeing now. This feels categorically different.

The cancellations alone are not the point. Anyone who follows Morrissey knows that cancelled shows are part of the history. What alarms me is the scale and rhythm of it recently. Entire tours cancelled, new ones announced days later, then those collapsing almost immediately. That does not feel like contrariness or artistic volatility. It feels like instability.

Smiths Unique Music Maps art print tube map

The Smiths' rights issue is, to me, genuinely heartbreaking. For someone whose identity has always been so tightly bound to authorship, legacy, and control, wanting to distance himself from The Smiths' catalogue is not just a financial or legal move. It feels emotional. And knowing how fiercely he once guarded that work, it raises serious questions about what headspace he is in.

Then there is “Make-up Is a Lie”. I am not bothered by whether it is a great song or not. What disturbed me was the presentation. The artwork looks careless, possibly AI-edited, visually incoherent, with genuinely poor typography.

That may sound superficial, but with Morrissey it is not. Visual identity, symbolism, and control over presentation have always mattered enormously to him. Seeing something so detached from that tradition is what finally made this click for me.

It feels like he is distancing himself from his own work.

If he is allowing releases to look like this, if he is prepared to sell or step away from The Smiths catalogue, and if live commitments are being announced and abandoned in rapid cycles, then something fundamental has shifted.

This is not the Morrissey who fought labels, obsessed over imagery, and guarded his legacy with almost pathological intensity.

I am not trying to diagnose him or sensationalise anything. But as someone who has followed him closely for over forty years, this does not line up with the past. We all know he is unpredictable.

What worries me is that this no longer feels like unpredictability. It feels like disengagement. And for an artist whose entire career has been built on total immersion in his own work, that is a serious red flag.

Back to MUSIC MAP ART PRINTS - FANS & STORIES CONNECTED

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE

VIEW ALL TUBE MAP BLOGS

ABOUT MIKE BELL - TUBE MAP DESIGNER

Mike Bell Maps is my growing collection of tube map art prints that reimagine music, movies, and history through the visual language of underground maps.

Each detailed design presents albums in order, film plots, and complex creative histories as clear, engaging tube-style timelines created for fans who value depth and research in their favourite subjects.

RESEARCH-LED DESIGN

Every artwork is built on original research and careful verification. Albums become stations. Musicians, characters, and ideas form connecting lines. This approach turns detailed information into visual storytelling, creating art prints that bring clarity and meaning to subjects people already care about.

George Harrison unique art print gift for fans: Mike Bell transit map style of albums and musicians.

MY STORY

My background is rooted in live sound and large-scale show design, working across music and cultural events for many years. That experience shaped how I understand collaboration, creative evolution, and structure. During lockdown, I applied that knowledge to mapping music and films, developing underground maps that balance accuracy, design, and narrative.

THE ARTWORK

Each print is produced to archival standards and designed to last. These are not novelty posters. They are considered art prints created for people who value music history, film structure, and informed design. They make thoughtful gifts for fans who want something personal, researched, and meaningful.

The Shining film plot lines and character tube map art print, showing every scene as a station and every character as a tube line.

Mike Bell Maps is where research-led tube maps become art prints, and where stories worth knowing are mapped clearly, carefully, and beautifully.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What are Mike Bell’s tube map art prints?

A: My prints utilise an advanced visual language based on the logic of underground maps to organise complex histories. By moving beyond basic cartography, I transform albums into "stations" and musicians or themes into "connecting lines." This allows fans to explore hundreds of data points - from session musician credits to chronological collaborations - within a single, intuitive visual system.

Q: How do these maps differ from standard music or tube posters?

A: The primary difference is information density and quality. While standard posters are often low-resolution decorative pieces on thin paper (135-170gsm), my prints are research-led discographies printed on archival-grade, 305gsm+ heavyweight giclée paper. They are designed to be "read" like a book, rewarding deep curiosity with discoveries not found in mass-produced merchandise.

Q: How is the accuracy of the research verified?

A: Accuracy is the core of my design process. Every map is synthesised from primary sources, including official liner notes, session archives, musician interviews, and verified fan databases. By incorporating musician inputs and fact-checking against trusted archives, I ensure that each map is a historically accurate record of the subject’s career.

Q: What subjects are available in the collection?

A: The collection spans a wide range of cultural histories, including music discographies, film plots, politics, and Formula One. Each map focuses on a single narrative, presenting the whole "story" of a subject - such as the evolution of a band or the timeline of a sport- in a clear, high-density visual format.

Q: Are these prints produced sustainably?

A: Yes. I prioritise a carbon-neutral workflow by producing prints locally to the buyer to reduce the shipping footprint. I use sustainable wood frames and archival materials designed for 100+ years of colour stability, ensuring the art is a lasting investment rather than disposable décor.

Q: Why do these maps make the best gifts for music and film fans?

A: Unlike generic posters, these are bespoke cultural maps that celebrate a fan's deep knowledge. Because they are research-led and visually unique (featuring narratives not seen elsewhere), they offer a sophisticated, gallery-quality alternative for those who value the "deep dive" into their favourite artist or film.