Are the songs of The Smiths worthy of the same amount of forensic analysis that Ian MacDonald brought to The Beatles with his seminal book Revolution In The Head? Emphatically yes, and Goddard’s study of Morrissey and Marr’s paeans to social and emotional deprivation takes the same format as MacDonald’s with a chronological account of every track ever released by the band being poured over. The author pulls together the many strands of Morrissey’s worldview in which Les Moz employs an incredible patchwork of references - everything from feminist film theory to kitchen sink dramas - which supplied him with a constant stream of lyrical barbs which are all laid bare here. He also supplies us with the various sonic quotations that are used by Marr on The Smiths’ sound which quotes everything from the drive of Motown to the glitter-stomp of glam. This book has been revised and reissued from its debut over 10 years ago but is still pretty much essential for acolytes. RM