Sunday, June 01, 2008

book club - mark e smith 'renegade'


'I hope this book turns out like Mein Kampf for the Hollyoaks generation'

Ive just read this.
Less an autobiography and more a loosely collated stream of ramblings stitched together and interspersed with prose ‘chapters’
It’s a a whisky, beer and sulphate soaked journey through 30-odd albums, umpteen band members, fighting, prison, ballet, dead popes, voting Tory, and reading the scores on Grandstand.
It’s not the definitive biography – it’s what Smith wants you to know.

Threre’s a lot in common with Dylan’s ‘Chronicles’ though Smith would baulk at that as Dylan is one of the sacred cows who get’s a mauling.

None shall escape the judgement as MES lets rip at everyone from Elton John, John Lennon to Jo Whiley and anyone at all from Brighton – but with a fluency and brutal honesty that persuades you to go along with even the most scathing and unreasonable theories.

To be fair though I drew the line at the idea that the Glitter Band were more influential than the Sex Pistols.

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