"The Thoughts Of Chairman Moz"?!?!?!?!???!???!?!?
You'll see what I mean soon.
Peter
You'll see what I mean soon.
Peter
New book? : "Meetings with Morrissey"
- Thread starter Danny_
- Start date
Zelda Zonk
New Member
This Len Brown book is out now, in case you didn't know.
mell
loves moz
vicarinatutugal
can't reMember
however from the title I am hoping it is not just his musings on certain subjects (who am I kidding I would adore that as well) I really want a "proper" autobiography.
Gin N Tonic Jil
Member
Id love to see a Phill Powell, Andy, Spencer or even a Mike tell all! lollol BC we all know too well, that Morrissey or Johnny will never put one out.
Stanley the 2nd
Active Member
This new book could be interesting but I must say that I don't particularly like the way that Len Brown writes. He seems to think that he is Morrissey! The condescending way that he writes with the "clever" references and cultural nods really doesn't float my boat at all. Yes, there might be some juicy stuff within the covers but I don't think I'll be buying it!
joe frady
Vile Refusenik
I picked this up in Waterstones's in Glasgow yesterday. Had a quick shuftie before beddybyes last night; it looks rather good, both literally and, er, literally. Hardback, very early Slattery photo of skinnyMoz, silvered title, 324 pages, a substantial looking tome.
Based on my initial 2 hour skimming it appears to be a kind of journalistic memoir of Mr. Brown's dealings with Morrissey over the years. Content is roughly one third Smiths, two thirds Solo, plus a detailed and knowledgeable chapter on the links twixt Moz and Wilde, glossary of various 'Morrissey people' ~ influences from film, music, literature, crime, etc., a critical hit list of Len's favourite Morrissey tracks, and an index!!
The writing style is very easy on the eye and flows well. He reprints and reconfigures each interview he's done over the years but also gives the background and build-up to each meeting and sets it in the context of the times, which I found really refreshing. The section on his first post-Smiths interview is very interesting and that whole era of the Split is very well done. You do get the sense of how febrile the atmosphere was at that time ~ for instance he suggests that Moz made 'Viva Hate' so quickly because there was a rumour that Johnny Marr was getting a band together and would be playing live by the start of '88. He also suggests that until Wolverhampton Moz wasn't even sure if he could be a viable solo artist, but the frenzy of that night convinced him of his future. Up until then he'd been thinking either Johnny will call or....?
He personalizes his encounters with Morrissey in a way that is more than just music hackery but without descending into tittle-tattle. There are extended interviews from 88, 90 and 97 (v.funny recounting of the 'Brit Girls' filming) plus encounters in 2003 as well as various concert experiences.
I should get back to work, but all in all a thumbs up
Oh, and one other anecdote ~ Len says that Jo Slee believed that 'Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning' was written about her being frozen out by Nigel Thomas !?
Kind regards,
joe.
Based on my initial 2 hour skimming it appears to be a kind of journalistic memoir of Mr. Brown's dealings with Morrissey over the years. Content is roughly one third Smiths, two thirds Solo, plus a detailed and knowledgeable chapter on the links twixt Moz and Wilde, glossary of various 'Morrissey people' ~ influences from film, music, literature, crime, etc., a critical hit list of Len's favourite Morrissey tracks, and an index!!
The writing style is very easy on the eye and flows well. He reprints and reconfigures each interview he's done over the years but also gives the background and build-up to each meeting and sets it in the context of the times, which I found really refreshing. The section on his first post-Smiths interview is very interesting and that whole era of the Split is very well done. You do get the sense of how febrile the atmosphere was at that time ~ for instance he suggests that Moz made 'Viva Hate' so quickly because there was a rumour that Johnny Marr was getting a band together and would be playing live by the start of '88. He also suggests that until Wolverhampton Moz wasn't even sure if he could be a viable solo artist, but the frenzy of that night convinced him of his future. Up until then he'd been thinking either Johnny will call or....?
He personalizes his encounters with Morrissey in a way that is more than just music hackery but without descending into tittle-tattle. There are extended interviews from 88, 90 and 97 (v.funny recounting of the 'Brit Girls' filming) plus encounters in 2003 as well as various concert experiences.
I should get back to work, but all in all a thumbs up
Oh, and one other anecdote ~ Len says that Jo Slee believed that 'Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning' was written about her being frozen out by Nigel Thomas !?
Kind regards,
joe.
Who's Nigel Thomas?
Peter
Peter
spacehopper
New Member
Manager. Died suddenly early 90s in harness i think.
Stanley the 2nd
Active Member
Nice write up Joe. I'll have to have a flick when I'm in Waterstones next. Sounds like I might have to buy this if it's any good as it sounds like the author has a good relationship with the moz. Hence the name I guess. Just hope it's better than Landscapes of the Mind!
joe frady
Vile Refusenik
Thanks Stan. It is a bit pricey ~ £20, but I guess that's the cost of the hardback, nice printing, etc. It also has some nice photos, not too many and all monochrome, including one I'd never seen before of Morrissey and Tim Booth posing next to an Amnesty International symbol during the taping of the AI benefit tv show in December 1991, which Mr.Brown helped organise.
He does seem to have a good relationship with Morrissey, unlike previous biographers. Amongst other things for a time he appears to have been Moz's inside connection at Granada TV. He would secretly transfer select vintage TV jewels from deep in the Granada archives and smuggle them out to Moz; classic Corrie, Diana Dors dramas, Oscar Wilde docs,etc. Len said Morrissey's knowledge of Granada's output was beyond encyclopaedic and would have put the most dedicated archivist to shame. He would then meet up for the drop-off with Moz at Vera Duckworth's pub round the corner from Granada!
It urinates all over Mr.Brett's magnum offal. In fact in Len Brown's intro he pointedly refers to Bret's book in a highly derogatory way without directly naming it.
Kind regards,
joe.
mell
loves moz
haha this cracked me up
Thanks for the great info, Joe! I think I'm gonna have to order myself a copy as well.
Mine just arrived - looks like a good one. Should I read it now, or save it for the holiday next week? Oh, I don't know.
Peter
Peter
joe frady
Vile Refusenik
I thought like that too Uncleskinny; sat down last night to have a quick flick, three hours later I climbed into an empty bed
Sphinx
I am less than nothing
I thought like that too Uncleskinny; sat down last night to have a quick flick, three hours later I climbed into an empty bed
Mine's turned up - I've had my head stuck in it all evening and its been removed so that I can "go and make the tea"
