Mick Farren

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I just read his memoirs, Give the Anarchist a Cigarette. I enjoyed it a lot. I'd never heard of him or the Deviants before.

What do you know and think about him?

I'm wondering whether to get hold of one of his records. I don't think I'd like it, but who knows. It's weird reading all about someone (though the book is more about the 60s/70s counterculture/music scene than his own work) without having heard or read their work oneself. I think I'll steer clear of his novels.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:46 (twenty-three years ago)

he has posted to ile!!

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Has he? Find me.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh yes - spanking.

Do you know him Mark?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:50 (twenty-three years ago)

you were surprisingly easy to find

no i don't

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 26 September 2002 09:59 (twenty-three years ago)

The Deviants are mostly so-so, but the first alb from Pink Fairies (who were basically the Deviants minus Farren) is ace (in a 'dope, guns and fucking in the street' kind of way) and has just been reissued - DO IT!!

Martin Skidmore and other friends speak v. highly of Farren's science fiction - I suppose its appeal depends on how much you actually like freaky psych sci-fi.

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 26 September 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

i might do. martin must give us a guide to it.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 26 September 2002 10:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I bought a novel by him once... The Texts Of Festival or something. A post apocalypse future where people were gathering at Stonehenge for a rock festival.

It was shite, or at least the first few chapters were. It gets very boring when the main character of a chapter keeps getting killed. The whole thing was all a bit cockrock Dionysis for my tastes.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 26 September 2002 10:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Sounds like a great book. Why am I only hearing about it now?

And I can second the recomendation for the first Pink Fairies album.

― tigerclawskank, Thursday, 26 September 2002 13:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Do you mean The Texts of Festival or Give The Anarchist A Cigarette?

There's a full list of Farrenwork at his site here

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 26 September 2002 13:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I meant Texts..

but I'm also interested in Give The Anrchist... so much so that I bought a copy which I might take on my holidays

― tigerclawskank, Thursday, 26 September 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Showing my age for the 1000th time here, he was a favourite rock journalist of mine from the '70s. His piece (the title of which I can't remember) on what was wrong with rock in the mid-'70s was (sorry about this) influential and indeed seminal. I kind of like the Deviants, but I think comments above are fair enough.

His first book, The Tale Of Willy's Rats, is the best rock band novel I've read, and much of his subsequent SF is very good. The Texts Of Festival is one of the weakest, I think, one of a few that read as if they were written on autopilot - I recommend the DNA Cowboys series and the The Song Of Phaid The Gambler, certainly his best novel. He was an old rocker, though, and this is obvious in nearly all of his fiction, so it's your call whether that might appeal.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 27 September 2002 10:55 (twenty-three years ago)

it was called something abt the titanic martin

he wz one of ppl who conjured up punk in the image of 68 street-fighters and discovered to his cost that when it manifested it swept him away also (haha cf if....)

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 27 September 2002 11:18 (twenty-three years ago)

It was 'The Titanic sails at dawn' (from Desolation Row)

He talks about this in the book.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 27 September 2002 11:49 (twenty-three years ago)

"the feelies" is a good book too (nobody else seems to think so tho)

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Saturday, 28 September 2002 02:22 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

He wrote "Elvis -- An Illustrated Record" with, I think, Roy Carr. At least one funny line, something about the 1976 'From Elvis Presley Boulevard' album being fit only for old alcoholics -- like the authors.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 21 May 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

It's funny actually. Whenever Mick came into the office I used to laugh because, sweet as he was, his accent always made him *sound* drunk.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 21 May 2005 03:54 (twenty years ago)

My favorite characters on 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' are the Gumbys. ("My brain hurts!" "It'll have to come out!") They sound like that.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 21 May 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

[Heads for loft to rummage around for 'From Elvis Presley Boulevard' LP.]

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 21 May 2005 04:33 (twenty years ago)

he blogs. i'm kind of afraid of his fiction. "mona: the carnivorous circus" is worth hearing if you want to listen to him talk about his life interspersed with some alright music. might only be worth hearing once, depending on your tastes.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 21 May 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

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