Thursday 17 October 2013

If you must write prose and poems the words you use should be your own...

It was once such a regular activity, to leave the house, go to a record shop and buy a new single or album on the morning of release - I must have done it a hundred times, if not more. Today though, I did something I've rarely done before - I purchased a book on the actual day of publication. After catching a breathy review of Morrissey's 'Autobiography' on the radio over breakfast, I made a mental note to look out for it in town later on, while in reality doubting that I'd actually be able to find a copy locally. WH Smith didn't make it easy either. I'd all but given up the search when I found a small pile of them at the very back of the shop in a small alcove near the Post Office, on the floor, literally.


So now I pause awhile in my quest to re-read all of Kinky Friedman's books before the year is out, in order to take a gander at what young Steven Patrick has to say for himself. Initial observations? No chapters or index pages and an opening paragraph that spreads itself over 4½ sides. So far so good.

6 comments:

Michael Gray said...

Such a good band, this. When it starts, it could be going to turn into Like A Rolling Stone - and just shows how much more alive this is than Dylan's band has been in years.

The Swede said...

I went back and listened again. You're so right about it sounding similar to a 'Like a Rolling Stone' intro, I missed that completely.

For me, Dylan's band hasn't been the same since Larry's departure, but I've enjoyed what I've heard from the start of the European tour and hope that at least some of the momentum is maintained until the Royal Albert Hall.

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to reading this myself. Cannot but wonder why on Earth it's been published by Penguin Classics, though. Up there with Dickens and Tolstoy?

The Swede said...

SB. It's a very Morrissey thing to associate himself with an iconic brand though isn't it? When he was on EMI he insisted on the 1960s 'POP' catalogue number prefix, on RCA he used the 1970s gold label design and during the 'Maladjusted' period he resurrected the classic palm tree Island label.

Old Pa's Corner said...

He is right ever so slightly like LARS...A must read I will get it when I come over at Xmas...maybe even Santa might be kind this year!

Anonymous said...

By the way, nice to see Micheal Gray checking your blog.

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