Topic: The Smiths

[barnseysbarmyarmy]

Dont think there is an official thread on the best band of the 1980's and beyond... so here's one now.
Where to begin...

Morrissey's voice; That crooning, that can be soothing or defiant, all-encompassing as well as apathetic...

His lyrics are simple, witty, humoristic, tragic, observant, and very original. Whether you love him or hate him, the fact that his persona (or at least that which he presents in the media, since none of us really know him personally, except through the music), you HAVE TO admit that his charisma pulls you in and leaves none indifferent. I mean come on, he made working class lads look at homosexual tabboos differently, and his sex-appeal cant be denied either...(be honest now). What a singer, front-man, enigma and icon he is.

Johnny Marr. As a guitar player, I rate him up there with the greats. Kept it simple, let his grasp on the drama and dynamics of song-writing be felt on track after track. To paraphrase Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr is so good because he does simple things, yet when you try to play what he does your-self, you cant figure out what it is he actually does.

The two combined: greatest song-writing partnership that I know. (no, I've never heard of the Beatles and Stones)

The Smiths for me, and I'm a youngster of 24-years old, wrote and performed the most romantic music I've ever come across. I cant even begin to imagine the impact that they had in the 1980's, and some of ya arl'scrotes feel free to fill me in on this. I pray that the money does not EVER bring about a Smiths re-union, since it would be a crying shame to see such beautiful music be turned into the next retro fad.

Best albums?...cant say really. I think everything they've ever released warrants a listen.
My most played Smiths tracks right now? "You just haven't earned it yet baby" and "Girl Afraid".

[Degs]

Love the Smiths, hate Morrissey on his own.

[hooded claw]

My most played Smiths tracks right now? "You just haven't earned it yet baby" and "Girl Afraid".

Which, by anyone's reckoning, would be among their minor works.

Which, by my reckoning, just shows how remarkable they were.

And I love Morrissey solo.

[Degs]

My favourite?

Girlfriend In A Coma

[davidg]

Too many to choose from, the early singles on Hatful of Hollow are sublime though..

[Born-Red]

Just started getting into them, best songs...

This Charming Man
How Soon Is Now
The Queen Is Dead
Bigmouth Strikes Again
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Brilliant band.

[Rafalutionary]

Favourite song has to be Hand in Glove but there's so many that I love Johnny Marr is great I love the guitar on This Charming Man.

[Garstonite]

I prefer Morrisey's solo stuff as well, but my record of The Queen Is Dead is probably as thin as a piece of paper I played it that much. Top, top album.

[MichaelA]

Money Changes Everything. Paint A Vulgar Picture.

There isn't a single duff track on 'Meat Is Murder'. Johnny Marr is a Rock Star. Stephen Patrick is a God Amongst Men.

[BCCC]

My favourite?

Girlfriend In A Coma

Great tune that.

[lurganboy]

Great Band, but started to go downhill after Queen is Dead, albeit from a very high standard. Thought the Strangeways album was very patchy. I actually preferred Viva Hate to it, and I'm no big fan of the solo Morrissey at all.

But the lyrics to Suffer Little Children and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle are sublime. And Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now reminds me of a wonderful, sunny, long-lost summer.

[litliper]

I could pretty much listen to The Smiths single album forever. It's beyond awesome. It got me interested in The Smiths and now I own all their albums. I'm also a fan of Morrissey's solo work. Favourite Smiths tracks:

The boy with the thorn in his side
Charming man
Cemetery gates
There is a light that never goes out
etc......

[Jimmy Conway]

This thread is full off Grandads!


Great band though!

[Phil M]

You cannot have a Smiths thread without me!

Think I have every Smiths record + Mozzer's entire back catalogue at this stage,
amazing band, hugely influential and often stereotyped as 'that miserable bunch'
when really they were anything but.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx6dHmYD6c8

"..and so I drank wine and it became four,
and when I fell on the floor I drank more..."

[Ferg]

Hatful of Hollow

First album I ever bought. Brilliant.

[the red rebel]

what was that song on i think queen is dead album about  called mr shankly?  no reference to the great man i hope?

[Emo Phillips]

"..and so I drank wine and it became four,
and when I fell on the floor I drank more..."

The line is of course, and so I drank ONE and it became four... 

But as you say, great humour.

"So I broke into the Palace,
with a sponge and a rusty spanner,
And she said Oh I know you and you cannot sing,
I said that's nothing - you should hear me play piano..."

[hooded claw]

The line is of course, and so I drank ONE and it became four... 

But as you say, great humour.

"So I broke into the Palace,
with a sponge and a rusty spanner,
And she said Oh I know you and you cannot sing,
I said that's nothing - you should hear me play piano..."

It's the rhyming of 'spanner' and 'pianner' that kills me in that one...and the Antony and Cleopatra allusion in Some Girls that sounds as if it should be Shakespeare, but is actually Carry On Cleo. It amazes me that people can't see the humour in The Smiths.

[Okkervil]

I love you Mozza

[Red_Skippy]

I saw Moz at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney back in 2002. Massively brilliant show.  One of my all time fave idols.  Everyone should own at least one Smiths album and one solo Moz record.

[JamesG L4]

This thread is full off Grandads!


Great band though!

Just because your Nan had a bit with most of the lads on here does not make everyone your Granddad.

[Emo Phillips]

This thread is full off Grandads!

Some granddads are bigger than others.

[Red Squiggle]

Great band. William, It Was Really Nothing's probably my favourite Smiths track, that or Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, or Rusholme Ruffians (THAT bassline! Andy Rourke!!).

[Phil M]

The line is of course, and so I drank ONE and it became four... 

I stand corrected.

[Emo Phillips]

What about the idea that I've heard mooted before - that had the Smiths not announced they were splitting, and therefore the album wasn't sullied by the band disintegrating, "Strangeways Here We Come"would be considered their masterpiece, not "the Queen Is Dead"?

Hard call to make, admittedly. But it's between those two for best album for me. Love a lot of their earlier songs, but they are the two 'proper' albums that sound good from start to finish.

[Phil M]

What about the idea that I've heard mooted before - that had the Smiths not announced they were splitting, and therefore the album wasn't sullied by the band disintegrating, "Strangeways Here We Come"would be considered their masterpiece, not "the Queen Is Dead"?

Hard call to make, admittedly. But it's between those two for best album for me. Love a lot of their earlier songs, but they are the two 'proper' albums that sound good from start to finish.

Meat Is Murder is just as good, imo there isn't a poor track on there and it's one that
people often overlook.

[MichaelA]

Meat Is Murder is just as good, imo there isn't a poor track on there and it's one that
people often overlook.

You concur.

There isn't a single duff track on 'Meat Is Murder'.

What about the idea that I've heard mooted before - that had the Smiths not announced they were splitting, and therefore the album wasn't sullied by the band disintegrating, "Strangeways Here We Come"would be considered their masterpiece, not "the Queen Is Dead"?

I caused a mild coronary when I suggested a similar theory to our Mal last night. 

[Phil M]

You concur.

Affirmative.

[Emo Phillips]

Meat Is Murder is just as good, imo there isn't a poor track on there and it's one that
people often overlook.

Doesn't do it for me as much. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is sublime, and as good as anything they recorded, but don't love the album as a whole.

I Want the One I Can't Have, What She Said and Well I Wonder are good songs, mind.

[Phil M]

Doesn't do it for me as much. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is sublime, and as good as anything they recorded, but don't love the album as a whole.

I Want the One I Can't Have, What She Said and Well I Wonder are good great songs, mind.

Keep listening to it It's a brilliant record.

[Emo Phillips]

Keep listening to it It's a brilliant record.

Only got into the Smiths around 86, and got this album a couple of years later. Just never struck a chord with me, but haven't listed to it all in donkey's years. Maybe I'll dig it out...

[Phil M]

Only got into the Smiths around 86, and got this album a couple of years later. Just never struck a chord with me, but haven't listed to it all in donkey's years. Maybe I'll dig it out...

Do, well worth it, you know you want to. It's a grower as they say.
Interestingly 'How Soon Is Now' wasn't on the original 'Meat Is Murder' album release
(cos it had been released earlier of course) but it was included later and it really fits in well with the rest of the tracks
when you listen through.

[SonOfPiechnik]

Theres a track on Louder than Bombs, think its called Asleep-proper haunting it is, makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end-Cant listen to that song without putting This Charming Man on straight after it, picks me right up again!

Favourite song has to be Bigmouth Strikes Again though, or I Know Its Over, or What Difference Does It Make....

[Phil M]

Theres a track on Louder than Bombs, think its called Asleep-proper haunting it is, makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end-Cant listen to that song without putting This Charming Man on straight after it, picks me right up again!

You're right, it's the closing track and it is very morbid indeed and it is a really powerful song.

[SonOfPiechnik]

Was just going to have a look at my copy to check that then Phil, nice one.

Only really getting into the Smiths recently meself - Im missing Meat Is Murder from the arl collection, going on me shopping list that one!

[thechulloran]

I've posted about them in the morrissey thread

definiately my favourite band

Morrissey's lyrics and Johnny Marr's guitar work. Match made in heaven.
Discovered them almost two years ago when I randomly picked up Hatful of hollow and now I listen to them a few times a week.

my fav Smiths' tunes
William, it was really nothing - The opening line 'The rain falls down on a humdrum town, this town has dragged you down' does it for me.
Hand in Glove - Search it on youtube, Morrissey's theatrics are brilliant
Still Ill - Ahh Johnny Marr
Girl Afraid - Phwoar Johnny Marr's guitar work is superb
This Charming Man - I like the version on Hatful Hollow better. It has a nicer gentle guitar riff.
Barbarism begins at home - Another brilliant Marr-sterpiece and Morrissey's lyrics well again and again make a successful compliment
There Is A Light that never goes out - Pure Morrissey
You've Got Everything Now - "I've never had a job/because I've never wanted one" that line is simple yet connects greatly.

If I ever became a musician/songwriter, I'd be overdosing on Oliver Wilde and be basically ripping off Morrissey.  He makes literacy cool.

[-HH-]

I also have a very worn out copy of the queen is dead.

[Emo Phillips]

Interestingly 'How Soon Is Now' wasn't on the original 'Meat Is Murder' album release
(cos it had been released earlier of course) but it was included later and it really fits in well with the rest of the tracks
when you listen through.

How Soon Is Now is not on my version, but if it was the album is instantly 33% better! Superb song, obviously.

[DaveLFC]

I too love the Smiths and most of Morrissey's work. My favourite Smiths tracks are 'Girlfriend in a coma' & 'The more you ignore me' 

[Phil M]

How Soon Is Now is not on my version, but if it was the album is instantly 33% better! Superb song, obviously.

That's probably worth a few quid now mate, doubt you'd be able to pick up the original
reocrd in the shops now.