"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", Andrew Collins biography

[Librarian on Fire]

Just wondering if anyone has read the biography of music hack Andrew Collins, titled "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - my difficult student 80's."?

I'll try and start it soon. I've got to read my book about travels around the shipping forecast first.

It seems as if every 30 year old minor celebrity is writing something these days. Still better than a blog...

 

[Strawberry]

No. Get real !

> Just wondering if anyone has read the biography of music hack Andrew
> Collins, titled "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - my difficult
> student 80's."?

> I'll try and start it soon. I've got to read my book about travels around
> the shipping forecast first.

> It seems as if every 30 year old minor celebrity is writing something
> these days. Still better than a blog...

 

[Librarian on Fire]

> No. Get real !

I think I might have to Strawberry. Skim reading bits of it before revealed it to be very plain and crappy. And only the one reference to the Smiths that I can find so far. Besides, he never was my favourite music journalist.

 

['Radar' O'Reilly]

> I think I might have to Strawberry. Skim reading bits of it before
> revealed it to be very plain and crappy. And only the one reference to the
> Smiths that I can find so far. Besides, he never was my favourite music
> journalist.

I haven't actually read it myself, but it does look very intriguing. Anyway it's not a book about The Smiths, it's about the 80's in general, so I wouldn't expect too many Smiths references. The title is very appropriate more than anything else, although personally I had a great time in the 80s - no expenses to make, food fights in the canteen, "kick the can", and the Housemartins - great days. Also Andrew Collins biography on Billy Bragg 'Still suitable for miners' is excellent.

 

[Tingle]

No, LoF I haven't read it. I was given a copy and started to read it but I became annoyed by what a lovely lovely time he seemed to be having. Everyday I pass the art college in Chelsea that he attended and think 'lucky bleeders' in an Ian Dury tone of thought. To be honest I'd rather read Sue Townsend's 'Adrian Mole' - it's much happier to read about haplessness than someone who appeared to have a wail of a time and then got the job that you always thought you deserved yourself, and now earns a living out of telling everyone what a lovely time he had. It's irritating.

To be honest I'm prejudiced against this bloke because of the dreadful, dreadful lampooning of Morrissey he did earlier this year on BBC Radio 2 in the UK. He did the usual 'Morrissey's so miserable' yada-yada-yada stuff and made some quip about his 'comeback'. I wrote a missive about it for the Morrissey-solo news page but it wasn't used. You'd think that since AC is using Morrissey left, right and centre, he'd show more respect.

However, I'm told, quite reliably I think, that the earlier biog, "Where did it all go right" was rather good.

> Just wondering if anyone has read the biography of music hack Andrew
> Collins, titled "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - my difficult
> student 80's."?

> I'll try and start it soon. I've got to read my book about travels around
> the shipping forecast first.

> It seems as if every 30 year old minor celebrity is writing something
> these days. Still better than a blog...

 

[ryan]

Andy Collins, Wagon Jumper

AC bugs me to no end.

He was part of the NME's moral crusade against Morrissey in 1992, went on to champion Blur at the apex of their career, and now -- what a shock? -- wants to jump into the '80s nostalgia circus.

I'd rather read Mark E Smith's grocery list.

> Just wondering if anyone has read the biography of music hack Andrew
> Collins, titled "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - my difficult
> student 80's."?

> I'll try and start it soon. I've got to read my book about travels around
> the shipping forecast first.

> It seems as if every 30 year old minor celebrity is writing something
> these days. Still better than a blog...

 

[FAC51]

Brix Smith

The only way of dealing with Mark Smith was with Brix and what a girl. And what a singer she was.

FAC51

> AC bugs me to no end.

> He was part of the NME's moral crusade against Morrissey in 1992, went on
> to champion Blur at the apex of their career, and now -- what a shock? --
> wants to jump into the '80s nostalgia circus.

> I'd rather read Mark E Smith's grocery list.

 

[Librarian on Fire]

> To be honest I'd rather
> read Sue Townsend's 'Adrian Mole' - it's much happier to read about
> haplessness than someone who appeared to have a wail of a time and then
> got the job that you always thought you deserved yourself, and now earns a
> living out of telling everyone what a lovely time he had.

Coincidentally there is a new Adrian Mole novel out. "Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction". I think old Addy boy is a librarian now!!!!

I do hope that the original tv series gets released on dvd. That formed a formative part of my growing up.