Check the guy's track record

I’m looking forward to relaxing for a while. I am now on leave for a number of weeks and it’s pleasing to ease into a less hectic way of life for a change.

I completed Renegade, Mark E. Smith’s memoirs, yesterday. It proved an unusual read, more an off-the-cuff monologue than a traditional autobiography although there is a roughly chronological sequence of events to explore. The sections dealing with The Fall front man’s childhood are poignant and I suppose, for a fan of the band, the sections where Smith discusses group members and the merits of various long players are worthwhile. There are a few too many incoherent rants for my liking though. Everyone and everything from the Match of the Day team to New Labour falls victim to Smith’s snarling pithiness while praise is seldom won although, surprisingly for a Manchester City supporter, a deep admiration for both Sir Alex Ferguson and George Best is displayed on more than one occasion. Renegade is a rambling read. It’s entertaining but I would have appreciated more structure and more substance.