Well it's nice to say that I think this really is the definitive account on what was undoubtedly the greatest band of the 80's. The book covers all bases with almost an exhaustive amount of information at times and to be honest, it was this problem that became the books flaw. Not to say it isn't a good read, I just found myself skipping unnecesary pages on the backround of some of the members of the band or pages which didn't really seem related to the subject at hand, but it is only a minor flaw. Trust me when this book is good, it's really good and provides a clear perspective on a band which could have been misinterpreted completely and often did on many occasions.

so I really would recommend this to any smiths/morrissey fan who needs to fill time on the train to work as I did


The Severed Alliance   August 26, 2004
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

A little slow to get started, this book is definitely worth persevering with. For me, Morrissey and Marr are, individually, two of the most talented people in music. Marr is certainly my No.1 musician. Here, we are really taken into their world, amongst the chaos/genius, and are allowed to sample just what it must have been like at the 'creative edge' during the 1980's.

I actually found myself wishing that the daily slog (commute) into Canary Wharf was longer, so that I could read on......

BUY IT.


No strike 4 Bigmouth!   July 12, 2004
 1 out of 4 found this review helpful

I was very excited about purchasing this book since this was the most hyped about Smiths book. Unfortunately this book did not have the excitement & insight into which i was alleged to believe. I did not found any earth shattering major information about anyone in this book whatsoever!
Even though I enjoyed reading some moments the majority of the book was a chore & sometimes I found it hard work!!


A better understanding.   February 12, 2001
 12 out of 17 found this review helpful

I got into The Smiths by accident. I saw 'This Charming Man' on VH1 and I knew it was the coolest thing I had ever seen or heard. It was so different to anything I had ever heard before. I then proceeded to buy the albums and get deeper into the words and music. I needed to know more about the band and Morrissey so I found 'A severed alliance' in a Birmingham bookshop and bought it. I have just finished it and it has given me a great insight into what The Smiths were actually about. I love them.


It's the best book we've got on The Smiths...   November 6, 2000
 23 out of 23 found this review helpful

... but even so deserves to be handled with a little caution. On the plus side, Rogan's research is meticulous, and if you really want to know about the young Morrissey's schooldays and so on, this is the place you should come to. It's interesting stuff, written in an interesting manner. Also, Rogan's analysis of the band politics is very good; his explanation of why the band eventually split well argued and pretty convincing...

... But that's not the whole story - it's not even the most important part of the story, in my opinion. As far as any comment on the songs goes, I'm afraid there's little to match the detail put into the biographical sections of the book. Rogan's commentary on Morrissey's lyricism tends to be either glancing or completely superficial. A shame, in many ways...

Connected with that, the well-publicised Morrissey-Rogan spat that accompanied the first publication of this book a few years back does seem - unsurprisingly - to have made Johnny Rogan far less even-handed in his treatment of his subject than he otherwise should be. The mealy-mouthed preface that accompanies the revised edition of the book is a case in point, and is perhaps better ignored altogether...

"The Severed Alliance" is, I repeat, the best work to be published on the most significant songwriting partnership of the 1980s, despite its small but significant failings. But please (please!) could someone get a move on and write something that does justice to the songs themselves?