- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: Robson Books Ltd (30 Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 186105968X
- ISBN-13: 978-1861059680
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 803,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Synopsis
Britain's most articulate singer - songwriter remains a complex individual whose lyrics are concerned with realism, opinion, waspish wit, irony, asexuality, melancholy and love. In this candid biography, Morrissey's friends and members of his entourage speak frankly to David Bret to reveal a fascinating portrait of the iconic star. Bret's fully up-to-date biography is packed with revelations; accusations of racism and fascism; confessions of physical abuse; High Court royalty battles and the public shaming; the attack on Cliff Richard; renegade fans' attempts to sabotage his career. Placed upon a pedestal and worshipped; alternately derided and attacked by detractors, Morrissey is perhaps the only English entertainer to have successfully created his own culture, a personal world filled with foibles, likes and dislikes, and above all unsuppressable opinion; a world which David Bret describes with vivid candour that provides a comprehensive insight into the singer-songwriter's life and music as well as an ideal introduction for new fans of his work. The book includes a full discography, numerous original photos and a comprehensive bibliography.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book, whilst containing nothing remotely near the depth of detail within 'the severed alliance' or the intelectual analysis and sparkling wit of Simpson's 'St. Morrissey' is not altogether worthless.
It is superior to Bret's earlier attempt at a Morrissey biography: 'Landscapes of the bland', but only just! The main problem for me is that there is little consistencey in the detail he does provide. Some songs are completeley, and inexplicably, overlooked and Smiths imagery, such as record sleeves are promisingly addressed by Brett in his early coverage of their career only to filter out before their tale is finaly told. Most annoyingly however, and Like Brets first book, it is full of basic and unforgivable errors such as inacurate song titles:"Boy with 'A' thorn in his side" anyone!.
On the positive side i can see that this book would be a good place to start for new fans caught up in the current Morrissey revival.It is an interesting overview of his career to date and will probably tempt the more discerning reader to explore the superior books available on Morrissey and the Smiths such as those noted above.
To be fair to Bret there was enough 'new' information to interest even the 'know it all' long term Mozz fans such as my good self. However,it is questionable how accurate this information actualy is given the fact he can't even get the song titles right!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
You'll learn a lot about Barbara and David Bret (the author)!
7 May 2006
Format:Paperback
This wasn't awful...you will learn a bit more about Morrissey, but there was a lot of annoying filler in between. The author is obsessed with letting people know that he's quite fluent in French and proceeds to tell you all the translations he's made for Barbara,that some play that Barbara was in had a character named afer HIM, that one time Morrissey went looking for him and wife (possibly while watching Barbara) etc etc. He tries to make it subtle...but it's obvious and just annoying. One of the chapter names is in French, which is ridiculous because the reference is to a French book...so even if you understand French a bit, you won't get what Bret is talking about. All of this adds up and becomes incredibly distracting.
As I said before, you do get a bit of a Morrissey overview, I'm not sure how accurate it all is but he does give some good Moz quotes here and there...although 99% all appear to come from the magazine Les Inrockuptibles. He also goes over a few of Morrissey's songs and albums, but I was a bit dissapointed with his analyses quite a few times. For example, Bret calls "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" a love song. This is possible, but the more common view is that this song is about trying to freak out Mike Joyce...no mention whatsoever about this from Bret.
I give it 3 stars because it's not an awful biography, and the writing isn't too bad...but Bret comes off as a pretentious, annoying guy who likes to blow his own trumpet way too overtly. I'd give it 2 1/2 if possible.
As I said before, you do get a bit of a Morrissey overview, I'm not sure how accurate it all is but he does give some good Moz quotes here and there...although 99% all appear to come from the magazine Les Inrockuptibles. He also goes over a few of Morrissey's songs and albums, but I was a bit dissapointed with his analyses quite a few times. For example, Bret calls "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" a love song. This is possible, but the more common view is that this song is about trying to freak out Mike Joyce...no mention whatsoever about this from Bret.
I give it 3 stars because it's not an awful biography, and the writing isn't too bad...but Bret comes off as a pretentious, annoying guy who likes to blow his own trumpet way too overtly. I'd give it 2 1/2 if possible.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Dreadful
20 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback
There is little I can add about this dreadfully written and obviously lacking in research cut and paste 'biography' that hasn't already been said by the previous two reviewers, except to say that are both absolutely correct in their observations.
Along with all of the already mentioned faults in this book there are a number of factual inaccuracies (Gary Numan as the frontman for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark? - I don't think so), no involvement or interviews with anyone remotely close to the book's subject and the irritating and persistent looming presence of the author's ego, all of which combine to make this an unsatisfactory read for even the most casual of Morrissey fans.
As one review notes, the book tells us more about the author than it does about the subject. Unfortunately the things it does reveal about the author are things which any well-balanced person would probably prefer to keep quiet and which I, as a reader, would definitely prefer not to know.
Along with all of the already mentioned faults in this book there are a number of factual inaccuracies (Gary Numan as the frontman for Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark? - I don't think so), no involvement or interviews with anyone remotely close to the book's subject and the irritating and persistent looming presence of the author's ego, all of which combine to make this an unsatisfactory read for even the most casual of Morrissey fans.
As one review notes, the book tells us more about the author than it does about the subject. Unfortunately the things it does reveal about the author are things which any well-balanced person would probably prefer to keep quiet and which I, as a reader, would definitely prefer not to know.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
not very good
9 Dec 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Being a huge morrissey fan, i was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it was not a good pick. There is some information that was new, but mostly it was uninteresting and boring to follow. I do not reccomend this book. Try another Moz book!
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