Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance
This book was written just after The Smiths split so is pretty old but came highly recommended and therefore I thought worth a read. I was never a big Smiths fan having seen a massively overhyped show in the early 80s. Admittedly it wasn't them doing the hyping but a few of my mates raved about this new band that were the saviour of post punk indie rock and pop with a singer who had the detached attitude of Johnny Rotten. So I went along to see them at Birmingham University (gigography in the book says 30/9/83) and was somewhat disappointed watching a band with very little audience engagement and a fey singer sneering at the audience with gladioli affectedly hanging out his back pocket singing and screeching. I remember that the music wasn’t as astoundingly innovative as my mates had made out with a fairly competent rock rhythm section and bluesy guitar. If I’d seen them cold without warning and Morrissey had said hello to us then maybe I’d have appreciated them more. Maybe he wasn't into playing to a load of students at what would have been a freshers week gig. Henceforth I was never a fan although liked a few of their more upbeat tunes and obviously danced around to them at the ubiquitous indie disco. I probably saw them at Glastonbury too as when they played I think I was there and there weren't as many stages as now to choose from. Looking back I can see the brilliance of some of their songs but there's still a hell of a lot of miserablist whining to scour through before the gems.
So to the book rather than my musings. It's put together mainly through interviews and the only Smith who seems to have cooperated is the drummer Joyce. I read that Morrissey hated the book but he's a cantakerous old git so not sure that means a lot. It's well written and although at first it seems a bit thrown together with odd memories of those he's interviewed as time goes on the storyline becomes more coherent soon giving us a rich insight into the band and their challenges. The early days of Morrissey at school are very reminiscent of my schooldays although perhaps my school was a little more interested in teaching and less in corporal punishment. But not a lot. As ever when reading these band biographies I regret not taking the time to learn the guitar and become a rock and roll star but guess many do learn and few make a living out of it. The Smiths come over as a fairly dysfunctional group. Brilliantly gelling as musicians, which I guess it's all about, but communications between themselves and certainly with others outside the group were appalling eventually leading to their demise. The Morrissey / Marr team's independence, or control freakery, seems a major contribution to stress as nothing was contractually agreed and in trying to keep control of management they just had to do too much. Or disappoint people who were trying to help them. The author seems to have a genuine respect for all the group and the book reads fairly. A few very interesting snippets especially the close involvement of Grant Showbiz of Here and Now fame (look em up). Ironically it was the punk meets hippy psychedelic dance funk crossover bands that Here and Now preceded that made me think that The Smiths, pretty early on in their career, were the last of the indie popsters who would be swept away with richer soundscapes. Acid house and the rave scene did indeed seriously damage indie guitar bands but they reemerged with Brit Pop.
Overall a good read and of interest whether you're a Smiths fan or simply want to read the life story up to the demise of The Smiths of admittedly two of the great songwriting duos and one of the more interesting and controversial characters from British popular culture from the last few decades.
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