Morrissey: Alone and Palely Loitering

by Kevin Cummins

This is Morrissey as you've never seen him before. Featuring many previously unpublished photographs, Morrissey: Alone and Palely Loitering is a portrait of Morrissey at his creative peak. Journey through hundreds of Kevin Cummins' renowned, era-defining images, taken over a ten-year period in locations all over the world, accompanied by recollections from the author on his time with Morrissey and the artistic process of collaborating with him. Intimate, creative and surprising, this is a document of an artist at the height of his powers.

Ranging from unseen intimate portraits and on-tour reportage to boisterous on-stage pictures taken during live performances around the world, the photographs in this book were taken between 1983 and 1994, when Morrissey was creating some of his best-loved work.

Genres: Music, Art

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 2, 2018

Reviews

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morrissey: Alone and Palely Loitering by Kevin Cummins - If you ever followed New Music Express (NME) or Melody Maker by during the late 80's to early 90's then you know Cummins' photos since he was the primary photographer for bands at this time in the UK. The collection of photographs of Morrisey and The Smith were all taken during this time. Some of them have never been seen and most are outtakes, things that never were approved for use. Most photographers take hundreds of rolls of film and quite a lot are never used or sometimes forgotten. These are the best of those.

There is a very personal take between Cummins and his relationship with the band. In some ways, he got the best of Morrissey, who is very mercurial, to say the least. It is always a miracle when he actually shows up for a concert these days. Most of the photos are in black and white which suits this musician perfectly. This is a must have for any Morrisey fan.

[J.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was and still am a huge fan of 80s new wave music, but somehow I missed The Smiths (for the most part) back then. Other than a few songs, I didn’t really know much of their music. Now, however, I’ve found all that music I was missing plus Morrissey’s solo stuff, and I’m a fan! This is a very nice hardcover book full of pictures primarily of Morrissey but also the whole band, as well as a bunch of tattoos some of the more extreme fans have inked themselves with. The pictures are from concerts as well as the promotional-type photos that would have appeared in the music magazines of the day, both b&w and color. There are also a few essays written by the photographer. I’m not sure the appeal will extend beyond Morrissey’s die-hard fan base (and I’m not sure I’m really *that* big of a fan - I’m a little embarrassed by the book, frankly), but if you count yourself in that group, you’ll probably want this book.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive collection of photographs of Morrissey, both as part of The Smiths and during his early solo career, with a few accompanying essays. Kevin Cummins' interest in the iconography of the pop hero is equaled by Morrissey's open participation, especially in the posed shots. Some are quite beautiful; others, especially of live concerts, have a raw energy that is easy to feel coming off the page. A must for fans, but also a great study in portraiture over an 11 year period.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book for Morrissey fans. If you don't know the artist, you won't learn that much from this book. Yes, the photos are wonderful from an objective artistic view but in terms of teaching us about the man, as Cummins says in the textural sections, it all feels staged because it was. The textual sections are too far removed from the photos they discuss to be helpful to the non-fan. Overall I was left disappointed but a Morrissey lover will need this book.

[Dorre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Photographs are awesome though you should skip all the extremely boring text in this book. Especially the last essay about the tattoos Morrissey fans have where grownups talk about him like they are 12 year-olds.

[Jennifer Barge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!!! Maybe because im in it lol..

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly uninspiring…sure, there’s a few good photos, but the droning blurb about the art of photography is woeful….put your money toward a record instead.

[Stefania · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A master ‘Mozzer’ class in music photography.

[Ryan Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning photographic collection of our Morrissey. The idol iconography, the study of photography, and a look at fan's tattoos. A must read for any fan of Morrissey, photography, and The Smiths.