A review by blevins
A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths by Tony Fletcher

4.0

630 page biography of the English band The Smiths--not bad for a band that only made four studio albums in their brief existence in the mid-1980s. I was fifteen when I bought "Meat is Murder" and needless to say, I fell for The Smiths hook like and sinker. I still cherish my light blue "Hatful of Hollow" t-shirt! I already knew a fair amount about the band, but Tony Fletcher's book really delves into their early days--the actual band doesn't start until we near page 200. After reading this, it just makes me sad that Morrissey and Johnny Marr didn't make a few different choices--had a real manager, been on a record label they wanted to be on other than Rough Trade, egos been held in check...the band could have continued on. Sure, Morrissey made some decent records [I love "Viva Hate" as much as if it was The Smiths] and Marr joined another of my favorite bands from the era [The The] for two albums...it wasn't the magic of The Smiths. Fletcher's book exposes all their foibles, problems & petty disagreements whilst also discussing the glorious music in tremendous detail. Smiths fans unite over this one!