Rating: 
Summary: Not for the dabbler
Review: Let's face it-- most of the videos on this are pretty boring. Modern music videos have upped the bar a lot, and these don't have a lot of fancy editing or artistry (with the exception of "The More You Ignore Me," his mainstream hit.) But why should you, the devoted Morrissey fanatic, care? This DVD contains exactly what you want, and that is LOTS and LOTS of footage of the Mozzer, looking beautiful, weird ("November Spawned a Monster"-- Morrissey in a black mesh shirt and lots of eyeliner, doing a funky Michael-Stipe-esque dance in the desert), or entirely absent ("Sunny"). Thankfully the videos in which he doesn't really appear are few in number. There are extreme enough close-ups for you to notice that he has unusually long lower incisors. There are cute snippets where he can't help laughing at the antics of his band mates. It's enough to make up for the painfully low-budget (c'mon Moz, you make a lot of money, spend some of it) or totally 80s look of a lot of the videos. Therefore, you, the true apostle, must own this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: "Oye Esteban"An essential Morrissey collection
Review: Morrissey is truly a great songwriter and performer.And this DVD is an essential item for the diehard Morrissey fan and also would make a great introduction to the newer members of the land of Moz.This collection contains almost all of the great Mozzer`s video`s with a few exceptions."Ouija Board Ouija Board "and "Sister I`m A Poet"(available on "Hulmerist") and Certain People I Know(available on ("The Malady Lingers On")and "Alma Matters"."Oye Esteban" is an excellent collection of promotional films."Suedehead" is one of the standout clips because it takes Morrissey (who is an idol to many,many,many people himself including me)to Fairmount,Indiana to pay homage to his idol James Dean.The video is great because it includes many symbols of James Dean that you`ll recognize if your a James Dean fan.For example The Byron book. James Dean`s middle name was Byron supposedly because his mother loved Lord Byron`s poetry.And "The Little Prince" book was James Dean`s favorite book. Another standout clip is "November Spawned A Monster" that features Morrissey in the desolate setting of Mushroom Rock Death Valley.It matches the theme of the song.I think it`s Morrissey putting himself in the shoe`s of someone is disabled and the isolation they must feel.Therefore Morrissey in the lonely desert. Another one of my favorites as well as one my favorite songs is "Seasick Yet Still Docked".It`s an absolutely beautiful clip.It does complete justice to that absolutely beautiful song.Another one of my favorites is "Daganham Dave" which portrays a different side of Morrissey which is absolutely fantastic.The "Boy Racer" is also great because of the aforementioned reasons."The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get" is also wonderful and was beautifully filmed.There are many more great clips on this compilation.It is definetly worth owning. This collection of Morrissey videos is essential if your a devoted Moz fan(like myself) and even if your just a casual fan. This collection is worth owning to anybody who loves truly great music.
Rating: 
Summary: OK as an anthology...
Review: The sound mix is terrible and videos were never Moz's strong suit. Better to just rent it. The Boxers video is the only decent on there.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Pop Star
Review: This DVD compiles almost all of Morrissey's previous solo music videos (just as his current box set collects his first solo singles circa about '87 to '92). Listen, I've heard these songs so many times but they remain fresh as the first day. Watch as Morrissey 'struts and frets his hour upon the stage'. A must for all Moz fans. The only drawbacks: no extras (booklet or interview), no videos from Maladjusted album (1997).
Rating:
Summary: "I am Steven...."
Review: This DVD is ruining my life. I CANNOT stop playing his songs in my head! Though I have been a big Morrissey/Smiths fan since their inception in the '80s, I have often gone for long periods of time where I just don't play his music. When I heard recently that he was going to be playing in concert here in South Florida, and, never having seen him live before, my friends and I were quick to purchase tickets, even though I rarely attend live events anymore. But, for Morrissey, I'd make an exception, and I'm glad I did. It was by far the best concert I can recall. As his fans know, he is mesmerizing on stage. He is one of those rare, rare performers who truly are an enigma, it is not contrived. I bought this DVD hot off the heals of having seen his concert, and it is wonderful. I'd had little exposure to any of his videos, and was very pleased with this collection. I haven't bothered with music videos of any kind for at least ten years or more, as the ones that were showing on MTV AND VH1 were boring at best, and usually repulsive, with very little exception. The thing that I like best about "Oye Esteban" are the very things that some have commented it is lacking, the so called "qualities" which have become de ri-gueur in almost all music videos; big budget, special effects, re-heated imagery and style, and a general sameness that renders them all sterile. But, the thing that makes these so enjoyable is Morrissey himself. He stares in the camera with his androgynous beauty, the sincerety of his lyrics and singular magic allowing him to get away with what would only be posing and indulgence for almost any other performer. He is, for me, one of those performers, , there are and have been very, very few, who go way beyond being merely entertainers, with a few danceable or pop hits, and are touched by genius. This usually doesn't happen in the "Pop" world, not that you can define Morrissey's music in any particular genre. He is so very talented and one of a kind that he makes all the attempts by someone such as, say, Madonna, and many before and after her... to be "larger than life", to appear only phony. These are people who are desperate to be "artists", and work overtime, with slews of effects, assistants, stylists, publicists, etc..., trying to convince everyone that what they are doing is unique and special, and, it almost never is. What you are left with, after all the diversions, is the song (or, the movie.) These things have become almost totally incidental in most performers careers. Sad. All Morrissey has to do is open his mouth and sing the songs that he has written from his soul, about lonliness, consumerism, isolation, the cruelty of man, longing, etc..., to make bunk out of almost the entire music industry. This collection is, I feel, a great time for the diehard fan, of whom there are many, though I realize there are people out there who just don't "get it", and would maybe dismiss it as a slight pleasentry. They are misguided, and have no taste! Morrissey is a total genius, and some of that genius transfers quite effectively on this DVD. The downside is that he has ruined me for almost all other performers. The plus side is that he has thus far left a legacy of work that will feed the soul and ears for a long time, though I doubt that this most private, gentle of men who simply must write will ever stop creating that which truly deserves to be called "ART."
Rating:
Summary: morrecstasy
Review: This DVD sounds like 1,000,000 dollars. Big sound, loud & clear. Morrisey on top, up front, & in fine form. Every one's a hit. (no "Oujiaboard, Oujiaboard" thankly)
Video as performance vehicle ... anybody remember performance?
The best.
Rating:
Summary: A must for all Morrissey fans...and everyone!
Review: This is a very good collection of Morrissey videos. It contains videos from his first 8 CD's (from Viva Hate to My Early Burglary Years). If you don't know a lot of Morrissey's music, I think it would be a nice way to know him. Also, the videos are professional and nicely done. Much better than The Smiths DVD (The Complete Picture). A must have for anyone who like The Smiths and Morrissey!
Rating:
Summary: The Moz On DVD!?!?!
Review: This is an excellent collection of videos from Morrissey's solo years. Not forgetting the old classics like Suedehead and International Playboys, I did enjoy the rarer ones like Seasick,Yet Still Docked and The More You Ignore Me, which somehow Id never seen before. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Bigmouth Strikes Again--
Review: True fans of Morrissey will most certainly enjoy this collection, on crystal clear DVD for all to appreciate. The long-lost "Seasick, Yet Still Docked "is included, plus old faves such as Tomorrow,My Love Life and Suedehead. The only complaint one might have is that later material from Maladjusted was not included, but so it goes, with hopefully Volume 2 available next year.
Rating:
Summary: - The Best and the Rare -
Review: When the British rock singer/songwriter with the singular name, "Morrissey," was beginning his music career with his first professional band, The Smiths (1983-87), he proclaimed that the band would never do any type of "glossy promotional" videos. Morrissey, or "Moz" as he soon came to be called in Britain, proclaimed that any song is at least 50% imagination; that is, at least half of one's experience while listening to a song is one's own personal interpretation of what it means and what it is. The Smiths would go on to make a few videos, though no "glossy promotional" ones, and after Morrissey embarked on his solo career, he continued to use the medium of film for artistic expression. But, he never strayed very far from his convictions: with few exceptions, any Morrissey music video can be said to have little or nothing to do with the actual song itself. The vast majority of the videos stand alone as separate artistic works; the fact that a particular song is playing in the background often is inconsequential. On October 17th, 2000, Moz released a video compilation on DVD spanning all of his solo career to date, entitled "!Oye Esteban!"--originally titled "I Could've Been Elvis" before permission was denied. While this compilation is not definitive, it is a wonderfully compiled collection of many of his most popular videos, as well as a couple that are so rare they were presumed lost. "!Oye Esteban!" spans almost all of the artist's albums to date: "Viva Hate," "Bona Drag," "Kill Uncle," "Your Arsenal," "Vauxhall and I," "World of Morrissey," "Southpaw Grammar," and "My Early Burglary Years." The video reviews below are presented in the order the songs appear on the DVD. "Everyday Is Like Sunday": This song is a picture of depression, explicating that "Everyday is like Sunday/ Everyday is silent and gray." It's the scattered tale of a person trapped in "the seaside town that they forgot to bomb," and the singer is backed by what sounds like an entire orchestra. The video is a brief but rather shocking artistic promotion of animal rights. A girl is depicted walking around a seaside town and an abandoned carnival, seeing evidence of cruelty everywhere: a butcher shop, old women in fur coats, etc. Sporting a shirt with the George Bernard Shaw quote, "I don't eat my friends," the girl scrawls on postcards "MEAT IS MURDER" (the tittle of both a Smiths' album and one of Morrissey's own songs with The Smiths) and "CRUELTY WITHOUT BEAUTY," which she gives to the fur wearers. All in all, it's a wonderful plug for vegetarianism and animal rights. About the only connection with the song, though, is the location of the action: a dreary, depressing "seaside town that they forgot to close down." "Suedehead": The title actually is the name of a clan of skinheads in Europe; however, this has nothing to do with the song. The song itself is a brief but haunting message to an anonymous friend who relentlessly pursues the singer, sneaking into his room to read his diary but only finding on the pages "so many illustrations." This was one of Morrissey's greatest commercial successes. The video is a tribute to one of Moz's idol's, James Dean. It opens with the singer in a bubble bath, surrounded by James Dean photographs, Smiths memorabilia, a typewriter, and a book a verse by Byron. The video follows the singer as he, cloaked in black, visits Fairmount, Indiana, James Dean's home town. He's shown going to the theater of Dean's old school (where Morrissey scrawls his name on a wall), and eventually out to the farm where Dean grew up, where Morrissey plays a tonga drum for the cows and eventually finds himself at Dean's grave. The closing shot is of the mourning Morrissey sitting beside Dean's tombstone, surrounded by flowers. "Will Never Mary": This song is a very brief, yet indescribably emotional message Moz sends out to the adoring cult of fans who send him love letters daily. He explains simply that he dearly appreciates the sentiment, "I'm writing this to say in a gentle way/ Thank you, but no," but, finding himself a celibate, incurably lonely character, he can never reciprocate: "I will live my life as I will undoubtedly die alone." The video is an unbelievably heartfelt tribute to his fans. It is comprised almost solely of clips from his live concerts. Specifically, the video is simply scenes of his fans--men, women, skinheads and Moz look-alikes--hugging and kissing him, and throwing him to the ground to embrace him, all the while the singer has expressions of gratitude and longing on his face. Coupled with the background song, it's a real tear-jerker. This is quite possibly the greatest and most moving video made. It ends with a fan on stage shaking the singer's hand and bowing in front of his feet. Moz reciprocates the gesture. "November Spawned a Monster": This song was actually inspired by "Frankenstein" by the New York Dolls, a 70s glam-punk band that Morrissey followed relentlessly. Morrissey's song is the chronicling of the misery and isolation of a poor crippled girl who cries "But Jesus made me so Jesus save me/ From pity, sympathy, and people discussing me." This is another of the singer's greatest commercial successes. The video is shot in Death Valley, and opens with a shot of Moz sporting a straw hat with "VILE" written on the brim. He is clothed in all black and wearing a large hearing aid (a prop he had worn previously as a Smith, championing the rights of the disabled); and for the entire length of the video he flails and gesticulates in pain and frustration as he croons out the song lyrics and throws dirt at the camera. "Interesting Drug": The song tells of the squalor and depression of life in the working-class slums (a place where Moz grew up and attended the school of hard knocks). The song has an interesting twist, as the singer turns the aspects of drug use around and says of the interesting drug, "tell the truth, it really helped you." In answer to his critics who would complain that saying such a thing is irresponsible, Moz replies "Look around/ Can you blame us?" The video is another of his animal rights series, but mixed with aspects of unemployment and adolescence. It opens with school boys graffiting a bathroom by writing on a wall that there are "SOME BAD PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT." The film progresses to Morrissey handing out animal rights pamphlets to these kids after school, which prompts them to break into a research laboratory and free all the test animals. "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys": This song is a tribute to the English Mafia hit-men, the Kray twins. In the song Moz writes to these two while in prison, asking "do you know my name?" and saying "I am the last of the famous international playboys." This is, of course, flippancy, as Moz is more a retiring shut-in than a playboy. But, the song makes a bold statement on the news media and fame: "In our lifetimes those who kill/ the news world hands them stardom." It is here that Moz, always desperate for fame, admits "I never wanted to kill/ I am not naturally evil." The video consists of shots of Morrissey singing with his band mixed in with scenes of a young hoodlum as he shadow boxes in his room and roams the streets at night. The implication in this film is that the kid, who is depicted as an angry loner, is the future "international playboy," as he idolizes the criminals made famous by the media and looks longingly at a life of street crime. "My Love Life": This simple, moving song asks "I know you love one person/ so why don't you love two?" The singer pleads with the listener to "give a little something to my love life." The song ends with "I know you, Love" repeated over and over, with the reverberating "oh, give up," which makes the listener wonder whether this plea is directed at the singer's love interest or back at himself. The video is in black and white and follows the entire band as Morrissey drives them around Los Angeles in a Roles Royce convertible. All are in fifties attire, with slicked hair and somber expressions. Aesthetically and artistically, this might well be the best video of them all. "Sing Your Life": The song is directed at the listener as the singer tells of the value of writing and singing honestly and openly, as "any fool can think up words that rhyme." The entire song is comprised of the singer urging "sing your life," as we should enjoy our talent now while we can: "Make no mistake, my fiend/ your pointless life will end." The video is shot in a fifties dance club. Morrissey and the band are all in period clothing (the singer in a powde
|
