The Drums – Mike Joyce – Book Review
by Killian Laher
The last surviving member of the Smiths to tell his story, Mike Joyce’s account of his upbringing and time with The Smiths is largely done through rose-tinted glasses. He has an enormous appreciation for how good his former band was. He is full of admiration for his former bandmates, even if he paints Morrissey as the strange person that he clearly always was.
The book is not hugely detailed, and Joyce races through the recording of their key albums. Even the stories he has, which haven’t been told before, such as a humorous Duran Duran toilet ‘incident’, are merely touched on, without any deeper discussion. Before you know it, in the book, the Smiths have split up, and his book ends shortly after that, with practically nothing mentioned in the last 35 years, which seems a shame. Even the infamous court case only merits a footnote. There is a touching epilogue covering the final days of Andy Rourke, whom Joyce clearly has a huge affection for.
It’s probably the last word on The Smiths. With Rourke deceased, and Morrissey and Johnny Marr completely estranged, it’s highly unlikely there will be a final lap of honour. So for the foreseeable… I Know It’s Over.
Categories: Book Reviews, Books, Header, Music
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