Product Description

Morrissey is as renowned for his elegantly waspish interviews as for his celebrated song lyrics. His wit and vitriol are now collected in a long overdue anthology, comprised of the famous statements of Britain s unlikeliest rock n roll star. As much an archivist of British cultural life as a pop star, this collection preserves for posterity his lifelong obsessions: from 1960s girl singers to the war against animal cruelty

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114115 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
'It's proof, lest we forget, that in terms of great copy Morrissey has rarely been anything other than interview gold.' --Q Magazine

Customer Reviews

Nothing to declare but his genius!
Imagine a dinner party taking place where the guest list includes Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, Victoria Wood, Kenneth Williams and Alan Bennett. Standing in the corner, paying rapt attention, is a solitary figure scribbling notes and recording the finer observations and conversations of the gathering.

Reading this collection of interviews one could reasonably assume that the solitary figure was Steven Patrick Morrissey once the front person of the world's greatest band and arguably still the worlds greatest lyricist.

No one gives better interview than Morrissey as this collection clearly attests. These pages are drenched with the influence of the dinner party guests: The flowery, poetic and slightly anachronistic influence of Wilde's language. The witty, often poignantly accurate character observations of Wood and Bennett. And, most significantly, the camp `knowing' humour of Orton and Williams.

Like many lines from his songs, some of Morrissey's responses to questions or his observations on life are genuinely laugh out loud funny. I furrow my brow and shake my head crossly at the fact that this man was once considered by many to be `the ambassador of doom' during his reign in the 80's and early 90's. The truth is that Morrissey showed comedic genius in almost everything he did. Oh how his contemporaries must have wept with envy whenever they came across a Morrissey interview in the music press.

Read this book and agree with me wholeheartedly or, to paraphrase the master, risk being spanked with a wet plimsoll!

James Dean-esque.
'Morrissey: The Essential Interviews' is an impeccable and timely collection, amassed from two decades of dalliances with the music press that have ranged from the invigorating to the excruciating. In every one of these pieces the Mozfather maintains his acerbic wit, celibate cool, and truly admirable way with an arch one-liner. He comes on like the Manchester-born lovechild of Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker with a James Dean quiff and a bedroom-bound penchant for sixties girl groups. The book functions as both decadent time capsule and unrepentant must-have text for any self-confessed Morrissey obsessive. (There are one or two of us out there, so I'm told.)

Fantastic
If you know anything about Morrissey then you know what to expect from this book: a collection entertaining interviews, full of witty observations, and a glimpse of one of the most interesting and influential artists in Rock music.

These interviews also provide a window to his work over the years, from The Smiths in the early 80's to his most recent albums - passing through life in Manchester, London L.A. and Rome. I did laugh out loud at some points - there is no doubt, you're gonna miss him when he's gone.