Synopses & Reviews
There is no other contemporary artist who is so famously difficult, so seemingly enigmatic, and so passionately loved by his fans as Morrissey. From the moment he caught the public's eye in the early 1980s as the iconic front man of the Smiths, and through his subsequent solo career, the patron saint of misfits has fascinated and baffled in equal measure.
Yet, as Mark Simpson argues in this wickedly funny and deeply sacrilegious "psycho-bio" -- told through the lens of his own obsession as a lifelong fan -- Morrissey isn't quite so enigmatic as he might appear. To understand this most private (and sexually ambivalent) of stars, one need only uncover the countless clues to his personality in his startlingly candid song lyrics and his innumerable provocative interviews.
Simpson deftly explores why Morrissey bewitched a generation -- and why he remains as intriguing as ever. In fact 2004 was Morrissey's best year to date, bringing his biggest-selling album, a sold-out tour, and the adulation of legions of new fans. Both an insightful look at the singer's career and a personal story of a boy's first love for his music idol, Saint Morrissey is, like its subject, shrewd, sharp-witted, charming, and utterly original.
Review
"A provocative and precocious read...Smiths fans will love it."
-- Time Out (uk)
Review
"Simpson is funny, clever, honest, irreverent, and egotistical: quite the match for Morrissey."
-- The Independent on Sunday "Books of the Year"
About the Author
Mark Simpson is the author of several books and writes regularly for Salon.com and The Independent on Sunday, among other publications. He lives in London.
Table of Contents
Contents1. The Anti-Pop Idol
2. This Charming Melanalgia
3. A Little Bit of Love and Lust
4. Northern Woman
5. Paddy in Platforms
6. Jimmy Dean on the Dole
7. Brilliant Behinds
8. Handsome Devils
9. Profit of the Fourth Sex
0. Murderous Meat
11. Take Him Back to Dear Old Blighty
12. Too Busy Thinking About Myself
Acknowledgments
Index