Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith, Book reviews

I posted this in the existing Renegade thread yesterday but I guess it really ought to go here so excuse any deja vu...

Thanks to the way-beyond-the-call-of-duty generosity of a Forum member, I just read Renegade.

While it's not exactly the book I imagine most of us want, we'll have to take what we're given - and on its own terms it's a glorious read.

The temptation to mention all sorts of things about it is overwhelming but I don't want to spoil any surprises. Far better that people experience those for themselves.

I must admit I do have a slight issue re the ghost-writerliness of it but that's a minor detail. It's as incisive as you'd expect, not to mention a hoot (although I dare say many ex-Fall members might beg to differ) and you definitely put it down with your respect for MES's indefatigibilty vastly enhanced.

If it takes anybody more than two days to bomb through it then they definitely need to sort their lives out. Great stuff!

Review on hold till the book comes out.

can't wait.

Me too

First Post?
Welcome to the FOF AW.

me neither

I've read an advance copy... Some lovely bits but a bit too polished and chronological for me...I think the Mick Middles book is still my favourite...

I guess the reviews will start appearing now.

Here's the first one I've seen.

"There's no one quite like grandad"
Sean O'Hagan, Observer, 20 April 2008:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2273977,00.html

Dan

got my copy yesterday. getting well stuck into it. i like the style - its like an interview, one on one.

Got mine and seems to be fun.

Found it in Waterstones and read half of it in the pub last night - site-specific reading, as it turns out. It's quite fun, in a pub-rant sort of way and I'd prefer it ghost-written than a whole book of the Voices cut-up chapters that crop up from time to time.

I noticed that I started off laughing at something on just about every page, but by the time my mate turned up I wasn't smiling so much, despite having 2 pints of Youngs in me. Some good stories, and I'm glad he's not giving any secrets away, but the opinion stuff, well, I think 'wearing' might be the word.

Mark's a 'grandad' ?

Marc E Smith??

Got it yesterday from Waterstones and am about halfway through it. Stylistically it reminds me very much of Dylan's 'Chronicles' book. Had to laugh at his discussion about cover versions and his appreciation for Louise's cover of 'Stuck In The Middle'

Read the bulk of it yesterday. Reminded me of Chronicles a bit too, except Dylan's book was more outward-looking. The "pub rant" comparisons are accurate - it's really like an informal monologue. It's regularly amusing and MES comes across as thoughtful and likable. Really like the "Voices" cut-up sections, which underlines my disappointment that the book doesn't really reflect MES's writing talent. Nevertheless, essential for fans. Not sure that it'd serve as a decent primer for non-fans though.

Picked it up today and so have only read the first two chapters and am loving it!! The piece about the Irish family changing the lyrics to 'All the Young Dudes' made me laugh out loud on the train (DART). Don't think the excerpts (esp. part 2) in the Guardian were enticing but as someone said they are just bits taken at random. Most likely read it all tonight in one go. IWS is available now in Freebird (Temple Bar and secret Book shop) at 18.99.

Just finished reading it, hardly life changing but very funny. I think I'll have another go through in a few weeks too.

I quite liked it, as a bit of fun. And some interesting insights, but not too many (as you would expect).

The "voices" bits confused me. Some of them included quotations from this very forum.

Dan

I was a little disappointed to find out that MES didn't actually sit down and write the thing out, instead it was collated from hours of taped conversations in various pubs and at home by Austin Collings, a part of me feels a little let down by that. I guess that's where the pub rant feeling comes from.

Excellent. Read it in one sitting: to at and from the pub. A surfeit of highlights.

Doctor Carl!!

Spot on about Dostoevsky, football and a lot else.

I reckon his version of the Brownie's incident is the definitive (so put that in your pipe Hanley adorers!! )

God bless MES!


Also re Christians: Cunts all week and saints on Sunday.

do they? which ones?

got my copy yesterday on the way home from work and nearly finished already. happy to spend too much time on here whilst at work but i think putting my feet up with a book would be a bit too conspicuous.

hugely enjoyable.

do they? which ones?

"So I said to Riley, Right pal, consider this a three-week ban."

"The Missus says to me: Right-ah, what's ya fuckin' favourite track on Jesus Meets The fookin Stupids, eh?"

"We played at Bilston that night. It were a shit show and I for one was just going throguh the fuckin' motions, like."

"Perhaps it's me, but I am still drunk. I'm writing this just after the gig. The traffic was really bad. I wish they'd play all the tunes that I like. That beer we had was good, wasn't it, Totale? I've watched them now for nigh on thirty-nine years and never have I encountered such a... Is it me or is Rob's head the next to roll... I hope so. There's no place for beards in the... This is the worst line-up since... And why has he asked for the forum to be closed down... What happened to freedom of speech? I can't believe he's asked for the forum to be closed down. Just because he's not that way inclined..."

Some direct quotes in there, if not all of it. As ever, he nails his subject perfectly.

Who - the ghost writer?!

That's as maybe but the, uh, subjective description of what actually happened on stage won't be much help to future generations of Fall Civil War Re-enactment Societies...