John Harris (critic)
Encyclopedia
John Rhys Harris is a British
journalist
, writer
, and critic
.
in north Cheshire
by a university lecturer (nuclear engineering) and a teacher, daughter of a nuclear research chemist. He became fixated
by pop music
at an early age.
He attended the comprehensive Wilmslow County High School
(at the same time as Doves), then went to Loreto College, Manchester
, a Roman catholic sixth form college
between the University of Manchester
and Old Trafford
. He applied to study Modern History at Keble College, Oxford
, but was rejected at the interview stage, and claimed that his membership of left-wing organisations had not won him many favours with such a traditional and conservative college. He spent three years studying PPE at The Queen's College, Oxford
between 1989 and 1992.
as well as being a regular pundit on BBC2's Newsnight Review
.
. Between 1993 and the summer of 1995, Harris wrote for NME
. And in 1995, Harris was named editor of Select magazine after a brief stint with Q.
In 1995, Harris resumed his career as a freelance writer, writing about pop music
, politics
, and a variety of other subjects. His articles have appeared in Q, Mojo
, Rolling Stone
, The Independent
, the New Statesman
, The Times
, and The Guardian
.
He believes Britpop
was a shining moment for the UK's music industry, and possibly the end of an era, with (manufactured) music now deliberately catering for the lowest common denominator
.
Harris has written five books:
, near the Wales
/England
border and occasionally makes guest appearances on BBC Radio Wales
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
.
Early life
Harris was raised in WilmslowWilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
in north Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
by a university lecturer (nuclear engineering) and a teacher, daughter of a nuclear research chemist. He became fixated
Fixation
Fixation may refer to the following:In science:*Fixation , the state in which an individual becomes obsessed with an attachment to another human, an animal, or an inanimate object...
by pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
at an early age.
He attended the comprehensive Wilmslow County High School
Wilmslow High School
Wilmslow High School, an 11-18 comprehensive, is the only secondary school in the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire. The school was designated as a specialist Sports College in September 2003...
(at the same time as Doves), then went to Loreto College, Manchester
Loreto College, Manchester
Loreto College is a Roman Catholic sixth form college in Hulme, Manchester, England. During Ofsted's most recent inspection in 2009, Loreto was adjudged to be "outstanding in every respect" with a perfect Grade 1 rating in all thirty-five of the inspection criteria.-Location:The school is situated...
, a Roman catholic sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
between the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
and Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. He applied to study Modern History at Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, but was rejected at the interview stage, and claimed that his membership of left-wing organisations had not won him many favours with such a traditional and conservative college. He spent three years studying PPE at The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...
between 1989 and 1992.
Career
In addition to writing, Harris often appears on television programmes concerned with late 80s/early 90s British pop musicPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
as well as being a regular pundit on BBC2's Newsnight Review
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
.
Professional writing career
In 1991, Harris joined Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
. Between 1993 and the summer of 1995, Harris wrote for NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. And in 1995, Harris was named editor of Select magazine after a brief stint with Q.
In 1995, Harris resumed his career as a freelance writer, writing about pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and a variety of other subjects. His articles have appeared in Q, Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
He believes Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
was a shining moment for the UK's music industry, and possibly the end of an era, with (manufactured) music now deliberately catering for the lowest common denominator
Lowest common denominator
In mathematics, the lowest common denominator or least common denominator is the least common multiple of the denominators of a set of vulgar fractions...
.
Harris has written five books:
- The Last Party: Britpop, Blair and the Demise of English Rock was published in May 2003, by Fourth Estate. This led to his presenting a BBC4 documentary on the musical movement, The Britpop StoryThe Britpop StoryThe Britpop Story is a British television documentary about the Britpop movement which occurred in Britain during the 1990s. Hosted by John Harris, it was first broadcast on BBC Four in August 2005...
. - Britpop: Cool Britania and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock was published in September 2004, by Da Capo Press.
- So Now Who Do We Vote For? examined the 2005 UK general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. - The Dark Side Of The Moon: The Making Of The Pink Floyd Masterpiece
- Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll: The Ultimate Guide to the Music, the Myths and the Madness was published in October 2009, by Sphere.
Personal life
He lives in Hay on Wye, PowysPowys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, near the Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
/England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
border and occasionally makes guest appearances on BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
.