G
goinghome
Guest
Thanks for the news flash, m&d. Reports on the event, and the book itself, promise to be worth the wait.
New Book of Essays on The Smiths (September 1st 2010)
- Thread starter punky
- Start date
Thanks for the news flash, m&d. Reports on the event, and the book itself, promise to be worth the wait.
joe frady
Vile Refusenik
Oooh, maybe DJ Dave will actually dish the 'dirt' at this jolly-up.
Or, in true Manc fashion, .... he won't. So why even mention it? Other than to make Morrissey look like a charlatan, and DJDave look like he actually has more than a minor passing and tangential relationship to greatness. Hence:
This 'text' looks promising, although to paraphrase Costello on Moz, the chapter titles may be more alluring than the actual essays. I may make it past 33 pages.
But does no-one else have a small dulled voice in their head muttering, "Get a job people........?
Or, in true Manc fashion, .... he won't. So why even mention it? Other than to make Morrissey look like a charlatan, and DJDave look like he actually has more than a minor passing and tangential relationship to greatness. Hence:
This 'text' looks promising, although to paraphrase Costello on Moz, the chapter titles may be more alluring than the actual essays. I may make it past 33 pages.
But does no-one else have a small dulled voice in their head muttering, "Get a job people........?
M-in-Oz
Active Member
Oooh, maybe DJ Dave will actually dish the 'dirt' at this jolly-up.
Or, in true Manc fashion, .... he won't. So why even mention it? Other than to make Morrissey look like a charlatan, and DJDave look like he actually has more than a minor passing and tangential relationship to greatness. Hence:
This 'text' looks promising, although to paraphrase Costello on Moz, the chapter titles may be more alluring than the actual essays. I may make it past 33 pages.
But does no-one else have a small dulled voice in their head muttering, "Get a job people........?
and what type of job would you suggest?
G
goinghome
Guest
I'm reading the essays in 'Why Pamper Life's Complexities', a surprise Christmas present. There's plenty to get your teeth stuck into. The essays are especially good on filling in contextual details, providing much information not only about the band members but also about cultural and social influnces and events contemporaneous with the life of The Smiths. Occasional poetic sensitivity shines through.
After the release of The Queen is Dead in the summer of 1986, I wasn't aware that all sorts of harmful missiles were hurled at the band onstage by right-wingers abusing them for their anti-establishment stance, and that Morrissey walked offstage a couple of times covered in blood.
The material is really thought-provoking and varied, even if the reader wouldn't always agree with conclusions drawn, although at times, they're close to the bone e.g. "The connection that many fans feel with their anti-hero Morrissey is based upon his ability to confront the profound and often dreadful questions that so much popular culture evades."
Recommended.
After the release of The Queen is Dead in the summer of 1986, I wasn't aware that all sorts of harmful missiles were hurled at the band onstage by right-wingers abusing them for their anti-establishment stance, and that Morrissey walked offstage a couple of times covered in blood.
The material is really thought-provoking and varied, even if the reader wouldn't always agree with conclusions drawn, although at times, they're close to the bone e.g. "The connection that many fans feel with their anti-hero Morrissey is based upon his ability to confront the profound and often dreadful questions that so much popular culture evades."
Recommended.
M-in-Oz
Active Member
I'm reading the essays in 'Why Pamper Life's Complexities', a surprise Christmas present. There's plenty to get your teeth stuck into. The essays are especially good on filling in contextual details, providing much information not only about the band members but also about cultural and social influnces and events contemporaneous with the life of The Smiths. Occasional poetic sensitivity shines through.
After the release of The Queen is Dead in the summer of 1986, I wasn't aware that all sorts of harmful missiles were hurled at the band onstage by right-wingers abusing them for their anti-establishment stance, and that Morrissey walked offstage a couple of times covered in blood.
The material is really thought-provoking and varied, even if the reader wouldn't always agree with conclusions drawn, although at times, they're close to the bone e.g. "The connection that many fans feel with their anti-hero Morrissey is based upon his ability to confront the profound and often dreadful questions that so much popular culture evades."
Recommended.
It's a great read
I was really moved when reading a couple of the chapters, they were beautifully written.
GirlAfraid23
New Member
If I'd known this, I would have submitted my music and identity dissertation! I use the Smiths and Morrissey as my background information
Bluebirds
Well-Known Member
After the release of The Queen is Dead in the summer of 1986, I wasn't aware that all sorts of harmful missiles were hurled at the band onstage by right-wingers abusing them for their anti-establishment stance, and that Morrissey walked offstage a couple of times covered in blood.
Recommended.
I have to question whether this actually happened. In Newport and Preston he got dragged off the stage and had to stop the gigs. There was no rabid right-wing campaign to get the band, though there was a question in Parliament condeming the album's title...
The press (or rather The Sun and the Mail) on the other hand did try to portray it being rabid right-wingers who were responsible. BUt it was just over-excited fans watching the best British band of the last 30 years in their pomp/
A tosser spat at Morrissey when he started singing Hand In Glove at encore in 17th July 1986 Newcastle Mayfair gig.
I didn't know Morrissey was covered in blood twice during October 1986 UK tour.
*EDIT*
Pity the person who wrote the essay didn't check the fact.
I searched from passionsjustlikemine.com and found that The Sun printed faulse story about 19th October New Port gig.
http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/live/smiths-g861019.htm
This concert started off on a good note... the band was in a great mood and the audience very receptive. One third into the set, while singing "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" Morrissey, who was moving dangerously close to the edge of the stage touching the hands of fans in the front rows, was pulled down to the floor. Johnny, Andy, Mike and Craig finished the song as an instrumental while Morrissey got back up and was carried backstage. They waited a bit for him to recover and the audience broke into a chant of "Morrissey! Morrissey!" while Mike banged the drums. In order to give the impatient fans something to chew on the Smiths then did the instrumental "The Draize Train" which was planned further down the setlist as a first encore. Following this, soundman Grant Showbiz came out and interrupted another chant of Morrissey's name to announce "Morrissey is getting his breath back at the moment and we'll be on again in 10 minutes okay... 10 minutes..."
But Morrissey finally had to be rushed to the hospital and Showbiz returned to announce the cancellation: "He's too hurt to continue, he's already left the stage, so..." before being himself struck by a flying bottle. Morrissey was ready to carry on but was convinced to stop by the doctor. The concert was abandoned, to many fans' dismay and rage, and a riot ensued. Damage was done to the venue and six fans were arrested.
The next day, The Sun newspaper claimed that Morrissey had been injured by a gang of Monarchists protesting about the song "The Queen is Dead", which was of course untrue.
Last edited:
Dan133269
New Member
Re:
lol I meant they will be the next and last books I will buy on the band!
You won't buy Morrissey and Johnny Marr's autobiographies?
lol I meant they will be the next and last books I will buy on the band!
G
goinghome
Guest
It's a great read
I was really moved when reading a couple of the chapters, they were beautifully written.
I think each of them adds something. The passing remark has often been made about how Morrissey would stump the other band members by producing a lyric with the verse or verses where the the others were sure that the chorus would be, and other similar quirks. I hadn't read anything in more depth about this way of working until opening Jonathan Hiam's essay about how the poetic message emerges 'from the structural interplay between the song's musical form and its words'.
Then there's that compassionate essay by Kieran Cashell, - 'Sing Me to Sleep', Suicide, Philosophy and The Smiths, - which is so illuminating, gazing penetratingly upon the elusive meaning of life, that it surely deserves wider circulation.
I guess there's room in the world yet for plenty more well-written propositions where The Smiths are concerned.
Media Whore
Nowhere. Everywhere.
Re:
Why the ""?
I definitely won't be buying Johnny Marr's book and I'm about 95% certain I won't be buying Morrissey's. Must we all be automatons when it comes to the consumerism of Smith's literature?
You won't buy Morrissey and Johnny Marr's autobiographies?
Why the "
"?I definitely won't be buying Johnny Marr's book and I'm about 95% certain I won't be buying Morrissey's. Must we all be automatons when it comes to the consumerism of Smith's literature?
G
goinghome
Guest
Nabeel Zuberi is excellent again. His language is a step ahead, inhabited by a picky perceiver. In his culturally mature essay, 'Out of Place with The Smiths', the last one in the book, he tries to get to grips with why "The Smiths bring my antipathies towards England bubbling up like acid reflux." He senses eventually that their music can be deterritorialised because "'Unbelonging' was one of the defining strains of their work and was transportable", and that their music was nationalistic only so far as human beings everwhere identify with place i.e. their message is equivocal and universal. Hmmm *strokes chin*
M-in-Oz
Active Member
Agree with you on the Nabeel Zuberi chapter, his was my favourite in the collection.
I also liked Eoin Devereaux's chapter on Catholicism and The Smiths - the part on religious discourse and the fan was liking holding a mirror to myself
Sheila Whiteley had an interesting take on childhood, sexuality and The Smiths. Also, the chapter regarding Manchester and what the Smiths mean to the city by Julian Stringer was a fascinating read for me - he outlined the changing regard for the band (and Morrissey)over time.
I also liked Eoin Devereaux's chapter on Catholicism and The Smiths - the part on religious discourse and the fan was liking holding a mirror to myself
Sheila Whiteley had an interesting take on childhood, sexuality and The Smiths. Also, the chapter regarding Manchester and what the Smiths mean to the city by Julian Stringer was a fascinating read for me - he outlined the changing regard for the band (and Morrissey)over time.
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