Johnny Marr to release his autobiography in autumn 2016 at Century

Truth is he lies.

EVERYONE lies. Don't you get that? Every event is fashioned when a person recalls it. That is pretty normal human behaviour. To simply recall facts is boring. For example, I'm pretty sure that the story of Chrissie Hynde biting that dog wasn't quite so dramatic and colorful in reality but that isn't the point. And she knows exactly how to take it and says "Yes, that happened."
 
Morrissey writes interesting prose, but - sadly - he is also a narcissistic, misogynistic, self-serving, grudge-bearing, egotistical c*** of the highest order. He barely went into any detail regarding his solo material, let alone the Smiths. If Johnny can give some insight into how those songs were actually written and recorded, and what it was like to be in the band at the time - then even if the prose is bland - I'll be interested to read his side of the story.
 
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I know most people are a bit annoyed and frustrated with Moz' autobiography but for me there are so many little things in it which are priceless, especially his descriptions. And I constantly discover things I hadn't recognized before. If Johnny's memoirs have any of that it would be great.

Examples:

"...expertly folding me away like a winter bedspread."
" I choke, finally ready for the taxidermist."
"A heavy bandage is worn with pride for months to come teaching me all I shall ever need to know about attention and style."
"...so smarty-face says, having lived since the time of Socrates."
" Even Mr Tappley, who lives alone under his flat cap, creeps out to watch, determined to be unimpressed."
" If only those hawks at Stretford Road Clinic knew, but surely they are all toast by now?"
" The next day there are apparently dead bodies across the island, but the toads remain."
"... and pondering on how even Billie Holiday had sex."
"... and the ice wind blows both of our spectacles off."
"I cannot think of anything to say on the subject of bluebottle protectionism, so I watch Mick splat, splat, splat."


Stop teasing us and reveal said lines


"... a garden indeed, a county of corn but the labourers' houses all along, beggarly in the extreme. The people dirty, poor-looking, but particularly dirty."
 
Morrissey writes interesting prose, but - sadly - he is also a narcissistic, misogynistic, self-serving, grudge-bearing, egotistical c*** of the highest order. He barely went into any detail regarding his solo material, let alone the Smiths. If Johnny can give some insight into how those songs were actually written and recorded, and what it was like to be in the band at the time - then even if the prose is bland - I'll be interested to read his side of the story.

I don't know which book you read, certainly not the same as I, obviously. Also for a allegedly "narcissstic, misogynistic, self-serving, grudge-bearing, egotistical c***" as you put it, he seems to get on quite well with a lot of people. I think, when it comes to Moz, many people are more overdramatic than the man himself. Furthermore Moz was never, in his entire career, someone who talked about the recording process, let alone the writing process. He was never someone who dissected his songs for the public or revealed all of his inspirational sources. So it would have been foolish for anyone to expect him doing that in his autobiography. And, quite honestly, it has been done over and over and over again in so much detail over the years in books, articles, interviews, almost to the point of exhaustion. What is there to add? You only have to read all the interviews of Morrissey while the Smiths existed and it is pretty clear how he felt about the band and how important it was to him. I don't need another 4 pages in a book to understand that fact. But it is how you feel about it, so it's okay. Everyone has another take on things. We will see ...
 
Saw this on the Yahoo News stream just now:
jmarryahoo.JPG
http://news.yahoo.com/morrissey-johnny-marr-tell-story-195325988.html
 
I'm interested to hear Marr's side of the story, but I don't buy that it will be any more truthful or realistic than Morrissey's account.

Johnny has spent many, many years painting himself as a martyr in the Smiths story - pushed out of his own band, the downtrodden boy indulging a diva, etc. I don't imagine this book will deviate from that story very much, and we've heard it all before in The Severed Alliance anyway.

I also have a feeling that Marr, always desperate not to be seen as a "journeyman", will dedicate substantial portions of the book to his various sessioning stints.
Let's hope he finds a good editor.
 
I also have a feeling that Marr, always desperate not to be seen as a "journeyman", will dedicate substantial portions of the book to his various sessioning stints.

Well, the Smiths was an important part of Johnny's life - but it was also a relatively small chunk that happened 30 years ago, so I would be surprised if that period accounted for more than a quarter of the page count. Of course, almost none of the posters here will be interested in Johnny's other work, but such is life...
 
I'll buy it . Johnny tells such great, interesting stories about his days in The Smiths that I believe the rest of his life story will be far from dull. Hope it is as good as Steve Hanley's recently published book "The Big Midweek" about his life in The Fall .
 
I don't know which book you read, certainly not the same as I, obviously. Also for a allegedly "narcissstic, misogynistic, self-serving, grudge-bearing, egotistical c***" as you put it, he seems to get on quite well with a lot of people. I think, when it comes to Moz, many people are more overdramatic than the man himself. Furthermore Moz was never, in his entire career, someone who talked about the recording process, let alone the writing process. He was never someone who dissected his songs for the public or revealed all of his inspirational sources. So it would have been foolish for anyone to expect him doing that in his autobiography. And, quite honestly, it has been done over and over and over again in so much detail over the years in books, articles, interviews, almost to the point of exhaustion. What is there to add? You only have to read all the interviews of Morrissey while the Smiths existed and it is pretty clear how he felt about the band and how important it was to him. I don't need another 4 pages in a book to understand that fact. But it is how you feel about it, so it's okay. Everyone has another take on things. We will see ...

Is that supposed to mean the book was enjoyable?

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Well, the Smiths was an important part of Johnny's life - but it was also a relatively small chunk that happened 30 years ago, so I would be surprised if that period accounted for more than a quarter of the page count. Of course, almost none of the posters here will be interested in Johnny's other work, but such is life...

His solo work is judged on its own merits, and if it doesn't inspire that many people whose fault is it?
 
This is going to read awfully contrarian, but I'd love to read either a Boz or Alain autobiog about their respective times in the world of Moz. I find stories about Morrissey in the studio, as well as the songwriting process, fascinating.

Admittedly, there'd be about three people in the world who would buy it, but the rest be damned.
 
This is going to read awfully contrarian, but I'd love to read either a Boz or Alain autobiog about their respective times in the world of Moz. I find stories about Morrissey in the studio, as well as the songwriting process, fascinating.

Hell, I'm with you on that - I would snap up any such books in an instant. Sadly, I have a feeling that Morrissey's inner core these days are made to sign non-disclosure agreements. Wasn't there a story doing the rounds (maybe even in Morrissey's own book) about Alain wanting permission to write a book about his time with Moz, which was denied?
 
This is going to read awfully contrarian, but I'd love to read either a Boz or Alain autobiog about their respective times in the world of Moz. I find stories about Morrissey in the studio, as well as the songwriting process, fascinating.

Admittedly, there'd be about three people in the world who would buy it, but the rest be damned.

boz is the only one id trust. alain is a great writer but hes to invested in his credits i think to be to honest. this is not a slight against alian, i just think hes to close to it which is natural and probably part of what made him a great writer, but boz i think could say something id trust.
 
i thought that the other way round with marr tracking moz down and visiting his house

Next time I am being sarcastic and deliberately reversing the truth I will add balloons and smiley faces so you know I am joking. Sheesh.
 
boz is the only one id trust. alain is a great writer but hes to invested in his credits i think to be to honest. this is not a slight against alian, i just think hes to close to it which is natural and probably part of what made him a great writer, but boz i think could say something id trust.

A two sided book would be the best: first half by Boz, with center of book taken up by rare/unseen photos of them and Moz, and second half of book has to be turned upside down to read Alain's half. That would be ace. We have seen it done before with mystery books from Jonathan Kellerman etc when he writes with other people. The front cover would say 'Morrissey - in someone else's words, by Boz'. The back cover would read 'Morrissey - even more words, by Alain'. There could be an appendix at the end listing the pages where the two halves completely contradict each other.
 
Next time I am being sarcastic and deliberately reversing the truth I will add balloons and smiley faces so you know I am joking. Sheesh.

sorry i didnt get that. people say some strange things around here and at the end of the day ive no idea if they believe any of it
 
A two sided book would be the best: first half by Boz, with center of book taken up by rare/unseen photos of them and Moz, and second half of book has to be turned upside down to read Alain's half. That would be ace. We have seen it done before with mystery books from Jonathan Kellerman etc when he writes with other people. The front cover would say 'Morrissey - in someone else's words, by Boz'. The back cover would read 'Morrissey - even more words, by Alain'. There could be an appendix at the end listing the pages where the two halves completely contradict each other.

a house of leavse kinda book. thats all ok but i dont think it really adds much at the end of the day. should just format the book traditionally with different sections contributed by different people. call it accounts: the life of players and writers and call it a day.
 
Well, the Smiths was an important part of Johnny's life - but it was also a relatively small chunk that happened 30 years ago, so I would be surprised if that period accounted for more than a quarter of the page count. Of course, almost none of the posters here will be interested in Johnny's other work, but such is life...

Ultimately I think it will depend on whether Johnny sets out to cater to the fans (99% Smiths material) or just writes his own story as he sees it, regardless of popularity. Morrissey would always make the latter choice, editors be damned...Johnny, I feel, will concede and make the former. Maybe it wouldn't be a foolish choice. Does anyone really care about his session work? Or the decade he spent being mad-fer-it with Bernard Sumner?
 
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there in the general book buying world who are hugely interested in The Pretenders, The Cribs, Kirsty MacColl, Bernard Sumner, The Pet Shop Boys, Bryan Ferry, Modest Mouse, The The, Oasis, Girls Aloud (yes, really) and whatever 8 bazzilion other people Johnny has played with over the years. But, this being a Morrissey site, it's inevitable that 99.9% of the people here only give a toss about the Smiths, and nothing else Johnny has ever done. I'm sure there will be a big chunk of stuff on the Smiths, but not everyone shares that narrow focus of interest. Inlcuding, I suspect, Johnny himself.
 
Johnny Marr on his memoirs and writing a script for a movie

http://www.nme.com/news/johnny-marr/84061

1. I find it a bit odd that he hasn't yet finished writing his memoirs; how will he deliver it in time at the publisher in such a short time? :confused:

2. Didn't he once say "Who cares about authentic?" :p

3. I don't disagree that he had/has an unusual life per se ... but what the hell ... if his life is an unusual one then how are we supposed to describe Moz's life? :drama:
 

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