A Light That Never Goes Out

October 29, 2012
The Smiths, one of the most influential rock groups in the U.K. since the Beatles—perhaps the most influential U.K. band of the 1980s—finally get the complete and vivid biography they deserve. Fletcher, a music journalist who has written well-received bios of rock icons R.E.M., Keith Moon of the Who, and most recently the Clash (The Complete Guide to Their Music) perfectly captures the wit and complexity of the band and its music. Fletcher details the formation of the band in Manchester in 1982 by guitarist Johnny Marr, whose goal was to combine music “led by an upbeat, chiming guitar riff” influenced by punk groups the Clash and the Jam with lyrics that were “’searingly poetic and jubilant” in the spirit of Leonard Cohen. He found his lyricist and lead singer in the now-legendary front-man Morrissey, who provided bleak and funny words to such songs as “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” Fletcher is excellent is describing how the Smiths’ music not only served as a reaction to the synth-based pop music of the early 1980s but also ushered in a new era of “indie rock” outside the corporate music world. He provides complete details of the band members’ intense personal, musical, and business conflicts. Best of all for the group’s ongoing admirers and fans, Fletcher displays an unflagging enthusiasm in describing every aspect of how the Smiths produced “a torrent of brilliant work in a blazing stream of exhaustive glory.”

December 15, 2012
A full account of the singularly influential English band, drawing on extensive research and interviews with some (but not all) of the major players. Ever since they broke up 25 years ago, The Smiths have been subjected to an endless stream of biographies and cultural studies. So what does Fletcher (The Clash: The Music that Matters, 2012, etc.) have to add? Up-close scrutiny and a broad sense of perspective. He takes in the local history, delving into the 19th-century politics that formed the gloomy industrial landscape of Manchester, U.K., and shaped the lives of two of its sons: an asexual, vegan, Oscar Wilde wannabe named Morrissey and a T. Rex-worshipping prodigy named Johnny Marr. Fancying themselves the next Leiber and Stoller, they hired bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce and set out on an extraordinary five-year run. Lush, decadent, mopey ballads--about bullying, pedophilia, murder and all-around terminal alienation--appeared at such a frantic rate that not even four studio albums could contain them; some of their best works were singles that arrived in bursts of inspiration. Fletcher, working with the full cooperation of Marr and Rourke, but not Morrissey and Joyce, delivers a credible view of life from inside this whirlwind; he captures the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry of the two leads and closely follows the band's brief journey from local indie curio to New Wave phenomenon. It isn't always smooth sailing; the endless backstage business details are a drag to read, and at times (although not always), Fletcher is too charmed by Morrissey to notice just how unpleasant he can be (especially when he's fantasizing about murdering Margaret Thatcher or romanticizing suicide). An up-to-date and revealing rock biography that sets a standard of completion that will likely prove hard to beat.

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December 15, 2012
Indie cult heavyweights the Smiths never charted a single higher than number 10, but they are widely considered to be an important musical component of British pop music of the 1980s. Their enigmatic vocalist and lyricist, Morrissey, is a bit of a hero to the disaffected, which only adds to his and the band's angsty cachet. Of course, they broke up in 1987, but with rumored reunions that never materialized and the individual members' post-Smiths activities (as a solo), Morrissey has cracked Top 10 lists), their self-conscious legend lives on. In relating the story of the band, Fletcher centers on Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, digging deep in terms of the details of the band's creative process and progressbut with plenty of time for conjecture about the comprehensively enigmatic Morrissey. If readers are curious about, say, the ongoing mystery of Morrissey's sexuality, Fletcher provides ample discussion of the various extant theories thereon. Morrissey just likes to know people are thinking about him. The result is a highly detailedif a little ardentomnibus Smiths and Morrissey source, useful as a reference and a straight-through read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)