Morrissey

A sequel-of-sorts to Rogan's excelllent MORRISSEY & MARR: THE SEVERED ALLIANCE. Morrissey's entire recorded output is analyzed, from The Smiths to his solo career.

Eventually slightly repetitive but essential reading for any Moz fan.

Johnny Rogan's Smiths biography, Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance was a comprehensively researched and fascinating insight into the story of one of Britain's greatest bands. It pulled no punches, yet it also showed respect and devotion for the artists and their work. Morrissey, of course, hated it, famously wishing that the author "ends his days very soon in an M3 pile-up". It was a typically amusing Moz overreaction that provided Rogan with an infamy he traded on, and surely sold more copies than any bland endorsement would have ever done.

The long-promised sequel focusing on Morrissey's solo years finally emerged in 2006, but despite the artist's recent "comeback" success, it made much less of a splash than its predecessor, which show more may explain why it's taken me this long to finally get around to reading it. Sad to report, though interesting and amusing in places, it has none of the insight of Severed Alliance, and seems at times just plain lazy.

Read the full review at my blog. show less