Johnny Marr autobiography US release (Nov. 15, 2016) on Dey Street Books; UK, US pre-orders

Set the Boy Free by Johnny Marr - Harper Collins Publishers
  • ISBN: 9780062438720
  • ISBN 10: 0062438727
  • Imprint: Dey Street Books
  • On Sale: 11/15/2016
  • Pages: 480
  • List Price: 14.99 USD
  • BISAC1: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs
  • BISAC2: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts
  • BISAC3: MUSIC / General
This above info is for the eBook. Hardcover is $28.99

Interesting bit that has more detail about the book.....below.....

About the Book
The long-awaited memoir from the legendary guitarist and cofounder of the seminal British band The Smiths.

An artist who helped define a period in popular culture, Johnny Marr tells his story in a memoir as vivid and arresting as his music. The Smiths, the band with the signature sound he cofounded, remains one of the most beloved bands ever, and have a profound influence on a number of acts that followed—from the Stone Roses, Suede, Blur, and Radiohead to Oasis, The Libertines, and Arctic Monkeys.

Marr recalls his childhood growing up in the northern working-class city of Manchester, in a house filled with music. He takes us back to the summer of 1982 when, at eighteen, he sought out one Stephen Morrissey to form a new band they called The Smiths. Marr invites fans on stage, on the road, and in the studio for the five years The Smiths were together and how after a rapid ascent, the working-class teenage rock star enjoyed and battled with the perks of success until ideological differences, combined with his much publicized strained relationships with fellow band mates, caused him to leave in 1987. Marr’s “escape” as he calls it, ensured the beginning of the end for one of the most influential groups of a generation. But The Smiths’ end was only the beginning for Marr. The bona-fide guitar hero continues to experiment and evolve in his solo career to this day, playing with Paul McCartney, Pretenders, Modest Mouse, Oasis and collaborating today’s most creative and renowned artists.

Rising above and beyond the personal struggles and bitter feuds, Marr delivers the story of his music and his band, sharing the real insights of a man who has made music his life, and finally giving fans what they’ve truly been waiting for.

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Amazon.com pre-order

Also posted by Uncleskinny:

Book is now available for pre order.




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November can't come soon enough. Johnny's book drops on the 3rd just as Steven and his dog tired tribute show to himself chugs along with thicker fog machines, terrible
screeching power chord guitars n strobes on the 4th :barf:( I've got a migraine coming on already at the thought. L O L ! )

Yes November is guaranteed to be a great month for debunking hecklers in the U S !
Thanks Johnny.:guitar:

" Marr army ! :ahhh:Marr army ! :ahhh:Marr army ! :ahhh:

Benny-the-British-Butcher :greatbritain::knife:
 
"For the first time, Johnny tells his own side of the story."

I find this sentence quite amusing because "telling his own side of the story" is something that Johnny is doing constantly since the split to this day. I remember really lengthy articles where he did tell his side in great detail or books where he talked in length to the author so that "his side" is already captured there (Tony Fletcher's book for example). There is rarely a promotional campaign without Johnny talking about the Smiths, this song, that arrangement etc. etc. He is far away from telling his side of the story "for the first time", at least regarding to the Smiths.
 
"For the first time, Johnny tells his own side of the story."

I find this sentence quite amusing because "telling his own side of the story" is something that Johnny is doing constantly since the split to this day. I remember really lengthy articles where he did tell his side in great detail or books where he talked in length to the author so that "his side" is already captured there (Tony Fletcher's book for example). There is rarely a promotional campaign without Johnny talking about the Smiths, this song, that arrangement etc. etc. He is far away from telling his side of the story "for the first time", at least regarding to the Smiths.

Yes, but the way I read it is that he (for the first time) might directly address issues in detail that have been either glossed over or omitted from his comments in the past. For example, Morrissey's true nature, what caused the band to split, the issues surrounding the court case, etc. I would be very surprised if there wasn't one bit of some new juicy insight into the band and its members.
 
Yes, but the way I read it is that he (for the first time) might directly address issues in detail that have been either glossed over or omitted from his comments in the past. For example, Morrissey's true nature, what caused the band to split, the issues surrounding the court case, etc. I would be very surprised if there wasn't one bit of some new juicy insight into the band and its members.

eh, methinks there's some sort of agreement between johnny and moz to not really tell the truth 100%. We might find out a few things here and there but i don't think we will ever know the whole truth :straightface:
 
eh, methinks there's some sort of agreement between johnny and moz to not really tell the truth 100%. We might find out a few things here and there but i don't think we will ever know the whole truth :straightface:

The mention of "ideological differences" in the press release looks like news, though. I'm not sure what this could be referring to that Johnny has spoken about in the past.
 
eh, methinks there's some sort of agreement between johnny and moz to not really tell the truth 100%. We might find out a few things here and there but i don't think we will ever know the whole truth :straightface:

Well the good news is that we will shortly find out one way or the other. I do agree that the quantity and depth of any unflattering Moz observations most likely speaks to the closeness of their current relationship.

I don't see Marr having much to hide, but Moz probably has Peccadilloes a Plenty (song reference intended) so I am not sure why he would enter into such an agreement. I was just thinking about a person's true self. Is it what we think, feel and say about ourselves that defines us or how others perceive and judge our words and actions? It is most definitely the latter.

All conjecture, hypothesizing, and speculation aside, Marr was there, he witnessed first hand the real Morrissey, not the man appearing through the fog on stage. I don't believe he has an axe to grind (at least anymore) that would make his words regarding the man anything less than a true insight into the real Morrissey. 100% more than anything that can be learned from Autobiography.
 
I suspect the only real 'ideological' differences were that Morrissey wanted the Smiths to stay rigidly rooted in their 'modern life is rubbish' backwards looking 50's quiffs n' indie guitars mode, whilst Marr was getting excited by electronics, synthesisers and the whole Madchester scene that was exploding at the time.
 
The mention of "ideological differences" in the press release looks like news, though. I'm not sure what this could be referring to that Johnny has spoken about in the past.
I rarely post. That said. There is no agreement between Marr and Morrissey. They are so far apart. They will never reunite. Johnny has nothing to lose. This is his moment. That said. He is a normal guy. Unlike the other one. Who is a nutter. He is a good song writer. And a good guitar player. Who, with Morrissey, rose tovbrilliance. Morrissey was lucky to have found Alain. And since he has been shit. Johnny will be a calmer story teller. And likt add to Morrissey'a view of the truth
 
eh, methinks there's some sort of agreement between johnny and moz to not really tell the truth 100%. We might find out a few things here and there but i don't think we will ever know the whole truth :straightface:

I agree though I doubt it's some secret thing. I imagine they both want the smiths to be remembered for there musical legacy rather than some gossipy feud between the two of them that thirty plus years later that they're both probably over ( even moz despite his tendency to hold on to the past ). As to being lucky to have found aliain I'd say yes and no. I mean boz wrote the more you ignore speedway crashing bores now my heart is full honey you know where to find me and morrissey wrote November spawned a monster with lagner Piccadilly with Armstrong you're gonna need someone with nevin not to mention street and Vini collaborations. These are great songs that I think mostly shows that morrissey can work with many good song writers and has succeeded despite any one person. I think it also shows that, from looking at the work of everyone I just listed outside of the morrissey collaborations, that they should be happy morrissey found them (sorry guys). They're all really good but none have succeeded to that degree without him and no Madonna and Chris brown don't cut it imo. I also think world peace was his best since quarry and the musicality in spots was pretty sweet meaning his ability succeed post Alain is proven. Tobias even wrote some of the best songs on it
 
I rarely post. That said. There is no agreement between Marr and Morrissey. They are so far apart. They will never reunite. Johnny has nothing to lose. This is his moment. That said. He is a normal guy. Unlike the other one. Who is a nutter. He is a good song writer. And a good guitar player. Who, with Morrissey, rose tovbrilliance. Morrissey was lucky to have found Alain. And since he has been shit. Johnny will be a calmer story teller. And likt add to Morrissey'a view of the truth

Comparisons between Morrissey and Marr and Lennon and McCartney have been made several times here and elsewhere, but there is an important distinction when it comes to their talents and successes. Morrissey writes beautiful lyrics and has a great voice, but can't write or play a note, and Marr wrote wonderful pop music, but singing and writing lyrics are not his strong suit.

L & M are/were triple threats and both individually forged equally successful independent careers. I believe The Smiths and The Beatles lasted about the same amount of time. But solo, Moz and Marr are hamstrung by their limitations. This has got to be a source of frustration in someway for both of them post the dissolution of The Smiths. Moz seems to have brushed it off and I am interested in reading Marr's take on the whole thing.
 
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Comparisons between Morrissey and Marr and Lennon and McCartney have been made several times here and elsewhere, but there is an important distinction when it comes to their talents and successes. Morrissey writes beautiful lyrics and has a great voice, but can't write or play a note, and Marr wrote wonderful pop music, but singing and writing lyrics are not his strong suit.

L & M are/were triple threats and both individually forged equally successful independent careers. I believe The Smiths and The Beetles lasted about the same amount of time. But solo, Moz and Marr are hamstrung by their limitations. This has got to be a source of frustration in someway for both of them post the dissolution of The Smiths. Moz seems to have brushed it off and I am interested in reading Marr's take on the whole thing.

Well I'd say morrissey had a different kind of success post smiths, even if he's not hit those highs since, which might have made it easier for him to brush it off. In the minds of many Morrissey mostly continued to fulfill people's expectations with his solo work, yes it goes up and down, while marr I think didn't quite. If I'm honest I don't really care for much of Mars work after the smiths and it's been a bit frustrating. His solo work has been his best and if he had a different singer I think I'd love it but the healers was not great. His work with other already established groups is also kinda meh. Like I can't tell really if he added anything special to modest mouse or the the or the talking heads etc as it didn't sound that diffentiate from before he joined. His work with electronic was also really good but it's hard at times to tell what his influence is as it sounds so much like a sumner body of work. I was also, unfairly, a bit sad that he never really did anything in the vein of the smiths once he left. He's obviously a great guitar player but as much as I want to like him for being personally awesome it's hard for me to point to something he's done since the smiths that I really like and would recommend ( I would recommend electronic but if people asked me what it's like I'd say it sounded like new order so make of that what you will ). I personally am interested in just his thoughts on music and the musical times in general. I think he makes a good music historian slash critic. He's knowledgable and insightful in that regard
 
i imagine morrissey to be a bit like the musical 'Cats'. there's not much to understand. you think there is, you think there's some deep significance or symbolism in it, but there isnt. in the end its really just about cats.

well anyway, if whoever reads it discovers something scintillating do let us know
 
Well I'd say morrissey had a different kind of success post smiths, even if he's not hit those highs since, which might have made it easier for him to brush it off. In the minds of many Morrissey mostly continued to fulfill people's expectations with his solo work, yes it goes up and down, while marr I think didn't quite. If I'm honest I don't really care for much of Mars work after the smiths and it's been a bit frustrating. His solo work has been his best and if he had a different singer I think I'd love it but the healers was not great. His work with other already established groups is also kinda meh. Like I can't tell really if he added anything special to modest mouse or the the or the talking heads etc as it didn't sound that diffentiate from before he joined. His work with electronic was also really good but it's hard at times to tell what his influence is as it sounds so much like a sumner body of work. I was also, unfairly, a bit sad that he never really did anything in the vein of the smiths once he left. He's obviously a great guitar player but as much as I want to like him for being personally awesome it's hard for me to point to something he's done since the smiths that I really like and would recommend ( I would recommend electronic but if people asked me what it's like I'd say it sounded like new order so make of that what you will ). I personally am interested in just his thoughts on music and the musical times in general. I think he makes a good music historian slash critic. He's knowledgable and insightful in that regard

My friend is a fan of the the but I never quite liked them. Like you point out his contributions after The Smiths seem to be in the background whereas he drove the band's sound so clearly and distinctly.

I find this to be the most true in instrumental songs such as The Draize Train and Oscillate Wildly. I don't miss a vocal on these songs one bit, and they speak volumes of his writing ability at the time, but times change. It is, or must be, a mystical and magical thing how some musicians are able to create popular music over time.

The Smiths were not a one hit wonder but perhaps a "one time" wonder, whereas someone like John Lennon went from Love Me Do to Imagine. Age kills all pop stars as is the nature of the beast of youth, but talent can take you to the end of the line.
 

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