Jeffrey Morgan | |
---|---|
Pen name | Machine Rock |
Occupation | Writer, Photographer, Biographer, Editor |
Period | 1965 - present |
Genre | Rock Criticism, Satire |
Subject | Rock 'n' Roll |
Literary movement | Postmodern, Gonzo |
Notable works | Authorized biographies of Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Creem , Mister X , Rock Critic Confidential, Jeffrey Morgan’s Media Blackout |
Notable awards | Superior Scribing Award, 2005 |
Website | |
www |
Jeffrey Morgan is a Canadian writer and photographer [1] who is best known for being the authorized biographer of both Alice Cooper [2] and Iggy Pop and The Stooges. [3]
He is also the writer of the graphic novel The Brides of Mister X and Other Stories [4] which Rolling Stone called "one of the 50 best non-superhero graphic novels". [5]
In 2021, New Haven published Morgan's autobiography Rock Critic Confidential as a hardcover coffee table book containing over fifty years of Morgan's writing and photography, with an afterword written by Cooper. [6]
In 2022, New Haven published Alice Cooper Confidential: Confessions! Secrets! Fan Mail! a collection of Morgan’s previously unpublished interviews with Cooper, with an afterword written by Dennis Dunaway. [7]
In 2024, New Haven published Iggy and The Stooges: The Authorized Biography an expanded edition of Morgan's 2009 biography with a new introduction written by Stooges guitarist James Williamson and a new afterword written by artist Shepard Fairey. [3]
Morgan became the de facto Canadian editor of rock music magazine Creem after he was recruited by its editor, Lester Bangs, in the spring of 1974. [8] [9]
Morgan's first published writing appeared in the November 1965 edition of the Brown Junior Public School magazine Brown News and Views. Morgan had two poems printed: "The Sun" and "ELEVEN DAYS." [14]
After being discovered by Bangs but prior to his first publication in Creem, Morgan graduated from Northern Secondary high school where he served in his final year as President of the Student Council. [15] Morgan then spent the balance of 1974 honing his craft as a rock critic and rock photographer for York University's weekly newspaper Excalibur where he reviewed and photographed concerts by Elton John [16] and George Harrison. [17]
In 1992, Morgan began writing the authorized biography of Alice Cooper, which would take him seven years to complete. [55] His finished biography, titled Alcohol and Razor Blades, Poison and Needles: The Glorious Wretched Excess of Alice Cooper, All-American, appears in the box set The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper which was published by Warner Bros. on April 20, 1999. [56]
In 2008, Morgan and collaborator [62] [63] Robert Matheu began co-writing the authorized biography of The Stooges. Their finished biography, titled The Stooges, Yes appears in The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story which was edited by Morgan and published in hardcover by Abrams on October 1, 2009. [64] After reading the biography, Iggy Pop wrote Morgan: "Jeffrey, you're a smartass—watch it!". [65]
In 1974, York University's weekly newspaper Excalibur published Morgan's photographs of Elton John [16] and George Harrison. [17] In 2013, Morgan exhibited both photos on his website. [66] [67]
In 1966, Morgan's second published writing appeared when DC Comics printed Morgan's letter in the comic book letters section of Batman #182. [78]
In 1975, Morgan met conceptual illustrator and graphic designer Dean Motter, with whom he would collaborate on a number of projects. Between 1977 and 1980, they recorded an "ambient electronic avant-garde progressive art rock album" [4] called Thrilling Women under the collective band name of the Air Pirates, in tribute to the original Air Pirates. The album featured vocalist Paul Robinson of The Diodes, guitarist Toby Swann of Battered Wives, and saxophonist Andy Haas of Martha And The Muffins. [96]
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist and critic. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines and was also a performing musician. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called him "America's greatest rock critic".
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, and also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Iggy Pop.
James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since. Often called the "Godfather of Punk", he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Stooges. Pop also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his solo work.
Billion Dollar Babies is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released in March 1973 by Warner Bros. Records. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hitting number one on the album charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in Eightball, a solo anthology comic book series. An Eightball issue typically contained several short pieces and a chapter of a longer narrative that was later collected and published as a graphic novel, such as Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron (1993), Ghost World (1997), David Boring (2000) and Patience (2016). Clowes's illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, Newsweek, Vogue, The Village Voice, and elsewhere. With filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, Clowes adapted Ghost World into a 2001 film and another Eightball story into the 2006 film, Art School Confidential. Clowes's comics, graphic novels, and films have received numerous awards, including a Pen Award for Outstanding Work in Graphic Literature, over a dozen Harvey and Eisner Awards, and an Academy Award nomination.
Creem is an American rock music magazine and entertainment company, founded in Detroit, whose initial print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. Influential critic Lester Bangs served as the magazine's editor from 1971 to 1976. It suspended production in 1989 but attained a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a tabloid. In June 2022, Creem was relaunched as a digital archive, website, weekly newsletter, and quarterly print edition.
Mister X was a series of comic books first published in 1983–1990 by Canadian company Vortex Comics. Created by album and book cover designer Dean Motter, it was developed for a year in close collaboration with comic artist and illustrator Paul Rivoche, whose series of poster illustrations stirred up great interest in the project. The series published early work by comic artists who would later emerge as important alternative cartoonists, including Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez, Mario Hernandez, Seth, Shane Oakley and D'Israeli.
Hugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist and member of the Premier Artists Collection (PAC) who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared on some Rush albums as a keyboard player. Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush's album cover art since 1975's Caress of Steel as well as creating Rush's famous Starman logo. In 1983 he told Jeffrey Morgan that he never imagined the band would use it as their main logo. Syme also plays piano on the album Thrilling Women, which Morgan recorded with Dean Motter.
Dennis Dunaway is an American musician, best known as the original bass guitarist for the rock band Alice Cooper . He co-wrote some of the band's most notable songs, including "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out".
The Eyes of Alice Cooper, released in 2003, is the sixteenth solo album by American rock musician Alice Cooper. With this album, Cooper returned to his earlier hard rock sound, in the vein of The Last Temptation, and left the heavy industrial metal sound found in his last two studio albums. Of note is the album cover, which was released in four different versions, featuring alternate colours in Cooper's eyes and the crescent around the 'A' in the title. It was available in blue, green, purple and red.
Scott Randolph Asheton was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band the Stooges.
Benjamin Jesse Blackwell is an American musician, writer, and record company executive. He is the creator and director of Cass Records, one of two drummers in the Detroit-based rock band The Dirtbombs, a co-founder and minority owner at Third Man Records, and the official archivist of The White Stripes.
Dean Motter is an illustrator, designer and writer who has worked for many years in Canada (Toronto) and the United States. He is best known for his album cover designs, two of which won Juno Awards. He is also the creator and designer of Mister X, one of the most influential "new-wave" comics of the 1980s.
James Robert Williamson is an American guitarist, songwriter, record producer and electronics engineer. He was a member of the iconic proto-punk rock band The Stooges, notably on the influential album Raw Power and in the reformed Stooges from 2009 to 2016. Between his stints in music, Williamson worked in Silicon Valley developing computer chips. Most recently he has continued as a solo artist.
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper (1999) is a 4-CD box set by Alice Cooper. It includes select tracks from every studio album released until then, plus many B-sides, unreleased songs, and other rarities. It also includes Alice Cooper's authorized biography, Alcohol and Razor Blades, Poison and Needles: The Glorious Wretched Excess of Alice Cooper, All-American, written by Creem magazine editor Jeffrey Morgan.
The Weirdness is the fourth studio album by American proto-punk band The Stooges. Released on 5 March 2007, it was the first Stooges album of new material since Raw Power in 1973, and is also the final album to feature guitarist Ron Asheton, who died in early 2009. Founding members Iggy Pop (vocals), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums) are featured, along with new band member Mike Watt, formerly of Minutemen, and returning guest musician Steve Mackay (saxophone), who appeared on The Stooges' 1970 album, Fun House.
Denim Delinquent was an underground fanzine of seven issues in total, published from 1971 to 1976. It was the first rock and roll fanzine to come out of Canada. The zine began as a launching pad for the writing of Jymn Parrett and Mark Jones in Ottawa, Ontario.
Mario Hernandez is an American writer, artist, and sometime publisher of comics. He is one of the Hernandez brothers, along with his younger brothers Gilbert and Jaime, with whom he co-created the acclaimed independent comic book Love and Rockets.
Vortex Comics is a Canadian independent comic book publisher that began operation in 1982. Under the supervision of president, publisher, and editor Bill Marks, Vortex was known for such titles as Dean Motter's Mister X, Howard Chaykin's Black Kiss, and Chester Brown's Yummy Fur, the last of which was a pioneer of alternative comics. Vortex also earned a reputation for publishing Canadian comic book creators such as Brown, Ty Templeton, Ken Steacy, and Jeffrey Morgan.
Ready to Die is the fifth and final studio album by American rock band The Stooges. The album was released on April 30, 2013, by Fat Possum Records. The album was the band's biggest success on the Billboard 200 chart, where it debuted at number 96.
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