Set The Boy Free

Having grown up in a country that's so far away from the UK, Brazil, and having to make do with the few bits of information that would slip through the fingers of the local Brazilian press, that wasn't always interest in letting us know what was going on with our favorite bands, maybe to our relief due to how despicable the British press is, I never got to hear so much about every single fact the British press would make a great deal of, as Johnny Marr puts down so well in his book. By the time I heard of the Smiths, they were well into their third album, so their career was even more short lived for me. This book brings great clarity as to how the Smiths were formed, how each song came about, and how, unfortunately, the band ended. It's funny how Morrissey is always portrayed as someone so jovial, not in the slightest the character he sounded like in his songs. And to me this was the most interesting part of the autobiography. I never had too much interest in Electronic for the obvious reason that one couldn't hear too much guitar in it. So my interest waned after the whole story of the demise of the Smiths was told. But, having said that, anyone who likes the guitar, be it the acoustic or the electric one, will find this autobiography a boost towards wanting to develop more and become a better player, if not, a musician. It's good to know that Johnny Marr is alive and kicking, but maybe he's a dying breed. Few are the ones that could get to be famous in the days when people would still buy music and managed to grow to his status, when one gets paid to write their autobiography and gets to perfect one's guitar to the point that it gets mass produced by Fender under the artist's signature. It's funny how guitar types in my country would look down on Johnny, and how he made a name for himself. Long live Johnny. I hope he and Morrissey met again for a few pints, and maybe something might come out of it, music wise.

Read it twice in a week and yellow post-it note mark favorite pages! Tales of his years with TheThe more detailed than The Smiths. It would be great if Morrissey and Marr could answer the same 40 questions side by side in book form. But Johnny takes the high road, only praising Moz and glad The Smiths ended before they failed to be what they stood for: independence from pop music while re-defining pop music.

While I was never really a fan of The Smiths, This was a really enjoyable book. It is quite well written and for someone who was not that interested in The band back then, it made me want to listen to them again. Then of course We get to read about his time in electronic, Which I found more exciting. So I guess there is a little bit of something for everyone in here.

I enjoyed reading the paper edition a few years ago. Loved it again when the ebook came out. Very positive attitude and determination to create great music.

A fantastic view into the early 80's Manchester music scene. Marr has always been the guitar anti-hero and a musical idol to many. His work outside of the Smiths was always difficult for me to track. Found it all here.

The life of a great artist told with passion and depth, lightly but thoroughly. A good read for anyone, Marr fan or not.

I'll let you as a reader make your own judgements, but here's two very interesting paragraphs from this book.On page 294: " In contrast to The The's intensity, we were seriously into having fun, and the more puerile the activity the better. AIR Studios was several floors up on Oxford Street, the busiest street in London and always teeming with shoppers and tourists. Every morning Matt would buy fifteen pounds of overripe tomatoes and we'd have a contest to see how many of the public we could target. We didn't hold back and we didn't discriminate. We splattered women, businessmen, children and pensioners. We did it a lot, and the more out of hand it got the funnier it became. I'd be laughing until my face hurt. It was the best recreational pastime anyone's ever devised in a recording studio".Well..... OK then. Having spent my fair share of time in top-flight recording studios, I had always found hookers and coke the best recording studio pastime, but I had never tried dropping rotten fruit from three floors up down onto perfect strangers, so what do I know. Johnny sure found it to be a lot of fun!But here's the best (or worst). On page 314, here's our boy Johnny on the evening of his son Niles birth: "After staying in the hospital for a few hours, it was late and time for me to go. I drove back with all the windows down and went through every red light on the way. I reasoned that if the police were to stop me, they wouldn't be so heartless as to bust a guy who's just become a father, and even if they did I really didn't care"WOW! As happy as I've ever been, I've never put "happiness" and "running red lights" together. Have you? Thankfully as his son Nile had just entered the world, our boy Johnny didn't broadside a whole family coming back from visiting Aunt Millie across town. But as Johnny just said "I really didn't care".There you go. Johnny didn't care. He just said so. And remember.......not only did Johnny do those things, he had to WRITE ABOUT IT FOR US TO READ!

Some rock'n'roll autobiographies leave you liking the performer less after you read them: Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend. Some are entertaining but then forgotten: Morrissey, Keith Richards. But unexpectedly, Johnny Marr's book Set the Boy Free is one that leaves you completely enthralled; in love with both the man and his music. It is the music, after all that drives the man and there are Spotify playlists created by fans to accompany the book. This book is written in a simple, funny, inspirational way to those that can open their minds and absorb the ample amount of wisdom that Marr offers through telling the stories of his life. Highly recommended!

il libro è scorrevole e piacevole, peccato che a differenza di Peter Hook, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards e Pete Towshend, Marr preferisca glissare sulle sue dipendenze chimiche e sorvoli sulle dinamiche e frizioni tra lui e Morrissey, molti particolari sono depurati e questa diplomazia impoverisce il suo memoir! Comunque un buon libro.

Sehr lebendig erzählte Autobiografie, für mich auch ein tolles Training in Englisch. Wurde von meiner Lieblingsband auf deren Homepage empfohlen. Habe J. Marr kürzlich erst live in London erleben dürfen.

Searingly honest, read it with an accompanying Smiths soundtrack!

Johnny Marr is one of the most influential and inspiring musicians in British history. With his unique and flawless playing he almost single handedly created an entire genre of music that then caught the imaginations and desires of some of the best bands in the last 20 years, from Oasis to Suede to The Libertines.But what drove him on in the first place? This book is s fantastic chronological account of the encounters, experiences and people who have shaped him into the unique musician his is today. A sturdy and secure upbringing, an open and interested attitude in people of all backgrounds, a beautiful and unique bond with his life partner from his teenage years and a desire to constantly evolve and learn planted the early seeds of his creativity. He continued to flourish, a very wise head on young shoulders and was able to create the music that defined an entire generation.Despite the mounting pressures Marr faced during his time in The Smiths, the quality and quantity of the music never lapsed and he successfully drove them forward with everything he had until it was all over.What he did then was a sensible move that defined him and gained him even more respect from some of the musicians who had inspired him himself in his early days. Chances arose for him to work with great musicians from The Pretenders to Talking Heads and Paul McCartney. Although he also had the chances to take permanent place with many other great names, he made the decision to move from one project to another colaberatibg and creating some incredible music along the way that pushed and shaped him as a guitarist even further.The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs are the main players in his post Smiths career and thanks to his desire to do and get as much as he can it has now led onto him having produced two impeccable and outstanding solo albums. He draws parallel with one of his literate heroes Aldous Huxley who he talks of having achieved great stuff in his early career, but lesser known and perhaps even greater stuff in the second half of his life.It's a great read, he communicates well. There is no ego, no bitterness and no bitching so if that's what you are after then you should try Morrissey's book instead.And if course if you're still not convinced all you have to do is watch him play live. He will absolutely blow your mind!

lots of insights into john and his writing process also got marrs guitars as a companion read