TOP 10 Moz/Smiths Books????

I'm looking to re start serious Moz/Smiths book collecting again. Back in the late 80s/90s I used to buy EVERY book I could get my hands on...only to start having thoughts of "why am I buying all these books when its a complete REHASH of last 5 I've just bought?"
Since I really haven't bought too many in the past 10yrs (it was around 1998), Id like to know what you guys think are the TOP 10 Moz/Smiths books EVERY FAN should have in their collection. Be it informative, photographic, fan exp's, fantasy (The Severed Alliance,lol) etc etc you get the drift.
I personally ADORE and have read cover to cover to cover to cover "All Men Have Secrets"

Thoughts?
 
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Morrissey In Conversation- a collection of interviews with the man from his early Smiths days through to circa Ringleaders

The Songs That Saved Your Life- a really interesting guide to the songs of The Smiths and some of Moz's solo career. Cites references and influences of songs that you may have otherwise missed

And of course, Panic On The Streets- an excellent guide to the essential Smiths & Morrissey locations in Manchester & London by one of our very own Moz solo contributers.

For a bit of fiction- The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell. A series of fictional letters to Morrissey from a devoted fan going through a bit of a rough patch (to say the least!) in his life

For pretty pictures- The Smiths: The Early Years. Really beautiful photographs.

They would be my recommendations :)
 
I also stopped collecting these things some years ago, but looking at my book shelf the top 10 wouild be something like this:

1) "The Severed Alliance" by Johnny Rogan

2) "The Songs That Saved Your Life" by Simon Goddard

3) "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" by Jo Slee

4) " All Men Have Secrets" by Tom Gallagher, Michael Campbell and Murdo Gillies

5) "Morrissey: The Albums" by Johnny Rogan

6) " Morrissey In His Own Words" by John Robertson

7) " Morrissey Shot" by Linder Sterling

8) "The Smiths The Visual Documentary" by Johnny Rogan

9) "Meetings With Morrissey" by Len Brown

10) " Morrissey's Manchester" by Phill Gatenby
 
I also stopped collecting these things some years ago, but looking at my book shelf the top 10 wouild be something like this:

1) "The Severed Alliance" by Johnny Rogan

2) "The Songs That Saved Your Life" by Simon Goddard

3) "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" by Jo Slee

4) " All Men Have Secrets" by Tom Gallagher, Michael Campbell and Murdo Gillies

5) "Morrissey: The Albums" by Johnny Rogan

6) " Morrissey In His Own Words" by John Robertson

7) " Morrissey Shot" by Linder Sterling

8) "The Smiths The Visual Documentary" by Johnny Rogan

9) "Meetings With Morrissey" by Len Brown

10) " Morrissey's Manchester" by Phill Gatenby







"Meetings W/Moz" whats that about?
 
1) songs that saved your life, Simon Goddard the definitive work on the smiths

2) Johnny Marr, The Smiths and the art of gun-slinging, Richard Carman 2nd best work on smiths in my honest opinion, really good account of the story of the band captures the essence of the smiths i feel and of course johnny's work since the smiths

3) Meetings with Morrissey, Len Brown, excellent account of the influences on Morrissey, gives an exhaustive detail of references in lyrics to singers, films, actors and other influences.

4) Panic on the streets/morrissey's manchester great for the Morrissey tour when in Manchester or elsewhere

5) Morrissey, Scandal and passion, not a bad history of Moz

6) Morrissey. the albums, Johnny Rogan, completely unimaginative and predictably mundane account of song by song without anything new to be said. "This song finishes with the sound of a trumpet and Morrissey singing about lost love" - I know Johnny I've heard the song I bought the book hoping for some insight into it! The audacity of Rogan to put his name first on the book and then Morrissey's, if one were unfamiliar with either of them you would be forgiven from picking up the book for thinking that it was a work on a subject named Johnny Rogan from an author called Morrissey

7) Saint Morrissey, Mark Simpson, again an unimaginative work with not much new to offer, the author goes off on a tangent very frequently talking about his own sex life and his vegetarianism and drug culture in england etc while the reader is left wondering if there was a mistake at the printing factory as to the content of the book, I expected this book to be about Morrissey!

8) Morrissey Shot/The Smiths the early years - some real treasures of photographs here, a picture says a thousand words etc...

so what am i missing apart from peepholism?
 
I'm in agreement with your list, Johan, except I wouldn't rate Rogan's "Morrissey: The Albums" worth much, maybe slightly higher than David Bret's books.

I would just order them differently:

1) Peepholism
2) The Songs That Saved Your Life
3) The Sausage Appliance
4) Morrissey Shot
5) In His Own Words
6) Meetings with Morrissey
7) The Smiffs Visual Documentary
8) The Wrong Boy (since I threw out Rogan's M: The Albums)
9) Mark Simpson's St. Moz (mebbe not essential, but I really like Simpson's work)
10) All Men Have Secrets (I'm biased because I contributed to it; again not essential but some stories very enjoyable.)


I also stopped collecting these things some years ago, but looking at my book shelf the top 10 wouild be something like this:

1) "The Severed Alliance" by Johnny Rogan

2) "The Songs That Saved Your Life" by Simon Goddard

3) "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" by Jo Slee

4) " All Men Have Secrets" by Tom Gallagher, Michael Campbell and Murdo Gillies

5) "Morrissey: The Albums" by Johnny Rogan

6) " Morrissey In His Own Words" by John Robertson

7) " Morrissey Shot" by Linder Sterling

8) "The Smiths The Visual Documentary" by Johnny Rogan

9) "Meetings With Morrissey" by Len Brown

10) " Morrissey's Manchester" by Phill Gatenby
 
Saint Morrissey by the far the finest Moz book out there - passionate and entertaining and the only thing that come's close to putting across what it's like to be a Morrissey Fan. Really enjoyed the psychological angle too. Some may be put off by the opinionated style but I think it's much more interesting/challenging than a lot of the books out there that are either dry timelines or facelessly sycophantic. Essential reading for anyone who tells you they 'don't get it'.

I really disliked Scandal and Passion, and the way it oversimplifies Morrissey's sexuality - at times seeming to claim him as some sort of gay icon/hero rather than exploring this aspect of his personality in any depth. Unfortunately a lot of what seems to be written about Moz is a similar waste of time.

In terms of usefulness and with full marks for scholarship is Songs That Saved Your Life - again essential. I also loved Paul Slattery's photography book The Smiths: The Early Years - really beautifully done.
 
  1. Morrissey's Manchester
  2. Panic On The Streets
  3. Morrissey's Manchester
  4. Panic On The Streets
  5. Morrissey's Manchester
  6. Panic On The Streets
  7. Morrissey's Manchester
  8. Panic On The Streets
  9. Morrissey's Manchester
  10. Panic On The Streets

Love PTxx.
 
Serioulsly,

  1. The Severed Alliance
  2. The Smiths - A Visual Document
  3. Peepholism
  4. Morrissey's Manchester
  5. Panic On The Streets
  6. Morrissey - The Albums
  7. Morrissey Shot
  8. Meetings With Morrissey
  9. Morrissey In Conversation
  10. Songs That Saved Your Life
  11. The Smiths - The Early Years

Love PTxx.
 
Just found a copy of Morrissey's 'James Dean is Not Dead'. Surely, Morrissey's own books should make the list? Have not read it yet, but looking forward to it.
 
Just found a copy of Morrissey's 'James Dean is Not Dead'. Surely, Morrissey's own books should make the list? Have not read it yet, but looking forward to it.

And it's well written too. His memoir promises to be very engaging.
 
Just found a copy of Morrissey's 'James Dean is Not Dead'.



Id love to get my hands on a first edition copy of this one.:thumb:
From looking at everyone's TOP 10, I cant imagine how/why The Severed Alliance ranks up there with all of US. Moz has made his feeling clear on this book. Out of all the crap reads that people put out about Moz/Smiths I think it gives US the fans somewhat of an insight on how "things" really were with The Smiths and on how Moz is now. But, we have to ask ourselves, how much of that book is REALLY true?....I cant wait for Moz pen a book for us....I wonder if he would hold back on some key stuff?....yeah, maybe we'll have to wait for Johnny to write one.
 
  1. Morrissey's Manchester
  2. Panic On The Streets
  3. Morrissey's Manchester
  4. Panic On The Streets
  5. Morrissey's Manchester
  6. Panic On The Streets
  7. Morrissey's Manchester
  8. Panic On The Streets
  9. Morrissey's Manchester
  10. Panic On The Streets

Love PTxx.

PT
If I hadn't had a vasectomy 14 years ago, I would have liked to have fathered your children:thumb::laughing:

Jukebox Jury

My own 5 (6) favourites are:
Songs That Saved Your Life
The Severed Allience
Morrissey's Manchester / Panic On The Streets
All Men Have Secrets
The Wrong Boy

Jukebox Jury
 
In no perticular order, my collection, so far:
Landscapes of the mind
scandal & passion
The complete story.. by...Mick Muddles
Morrissey in his own words
Morrissey Shot
Severed alliance
The Smiths.. Visual doc
Peepholisum
Songs that saved your life
st Morrissey
Panic on the streets manchester/london
Morrissey in pictures..(£12.99, HMV, 15 yrs ago!!)
The complete guide to the music of the smiths..J Rogan
Morrissey's manchester

I just hope MOZ gives us a book..
 
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