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Jase on The Smiths- another page from Jase's CD Collection - |
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The Smiths is a combination of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist (among other things) Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce. What appealed to me immediately about the Smiths was the music. It was refreshing to hear a vocalist who could actually sing, and the guitar melodies were absolutely beautiful. I had assumed that the Smiths had a much "harder" sound, so I was very much surprised when I actually did hear them. The next thing that struck me about the Smiths was the interesting and sometimes very bizarre lyrics of Morrissey. He sometimes confused me, and sometimes he said exactly what I was thinking. He seemed to be able to lyrically express so many of the emotions I had as a teenager. I mean what could be better that the following lines from "Unloveable"? I wear black on the outside Of course, the Smiths have broken up now, and there's not much of a chance of them getting back together. Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Johnny Marr (and won) because of the way the band's profits were split up (40-40-10-10). Without arguing about who's right and who's wrong, I'd say it's safe to say that the Smiths as we know it will never get together again.
Morrissey went on to a once-successful solo career. Johnny Marr has done session work with several different artists, including Pet Shop Boys, Kirsty MacColl, and The The. He has most recently formed Electronic with New Order vocalist Bernard Sumner. Andy Rourke has played with Sinéad O'Connor. The stuff Morrissey and Marr did as the Smiths is much better than the stuff they've done apart, but I guess that's just the way it goes. Despite their short history, the Smiths will be one of the best bands ever. |
Reviews |
CDs by The Smiths in Jase's CD Collection:
Smiths songs on Compilations/Soundtracks
Rank |  |
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Rank is a live posthumous album. This recording was originally broadcast on the BBC in 1986, and it was probably bootlegged so much that the record company decided it could kill two birds with one stone: prevent further bootlegged versions and make money off of a now-defunct artist. The fact that this was never originally intended as an album is pretty obvious from the sound quality. The band doesn't sound really "tight" in some spots, too. It is nice to hear the band live, though, especially with some of the great tracks here: "The Draize Train", a cover of the Elvis tune "His Latest Flame", and the "Rubber Ring" intro to "What She Said".
Louder Than Bombs | |
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This was my first Smiths album, and it's wonderful. Louder Than Bombs is a compilation of non-album singles, b-sides, and John Peel show recordings. This album doesn't have all of the rare recordings, but it is pretty comprehensive. My favorite song here is "Back to the Old House". If you've never heard The Smiths before, and you're hungry for some new music, do yourself a favor and buy this album.
Kirsty MacColl sings backing vocals on "Ask".
Strangeways, Here We Come | |
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I think I read that Strangeways is a mental institution in England. (Robert has this to say about the "Strangeways" name: "I actually think Strangeways was a maximum security prison - in Manchester if my memory serves me right - and is an indication of what the Smiths thought of being restrained within the walls of a big label - Warner. The album title and 'Paint a Vulgare Picture' all point in that direction.") It was basically during the recording of this album that the Smiths broke up. (Sometimes I wonder if they ever finished the recording session. Morrissey audibly messes up during "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", and asks producer Stephen Street if they should do it again. I guess they didn't.) The album is really not that bad, although I understand that most Smiths fans were disappointed when it came out. "Girlfriend in a Coma" is the quintessential Smiths song: Morrissey's depressing lyrics happily sung to Johnny Marr's bright guitar melodies. My favorite here is "I Won't Share You".
The Queen is Dead | |
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The Queen is Dead is the Smiths album. It was released during the height of their popularity, and it features several classic Smiths songs. This is a must-have for Smiths fans. "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" are the best here.
I had asked if anyone knew the story behind the the early fade on "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others". Thanks to Ken Woodworth for pointing out this possibility found on the It May All End Tomorrow site:
Engineers and producers often "spoil" mixes they send to record companies so they cannot be used. The most common way of doing this is by whacking the faders down to just below half (to throw to haywire the noise reduction systems)within the first 30 seconds - just as in "Some Girls". It means the client gets a good idea of the mix but also something totally unreleasable.
Normally this is done to ensure payment for a track. My only guess is that production on all aspects of TQID was so behind schedule, and Rough Trade were in such a hurry to get it out, they didn't bother to check the master too thoroughly.
Anybody else heard any plausible explanations?
"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" |
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This is a 1992 re-release of the 1986 single. I picked it up in France, and I haven't ever seen it in the U.S. "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is one of the best songs ever written. The lyrics are haunting, the melody is beautiful, and the orchestral accompaniment is perfect (especially the flutes). "Money Changes Everything" is one of those hard-to-find b-sides. It's an instrumental number akin to "Oscillate Wildly" or "The Draize Train". The two live numbers were recorded on the same tour as the concert recorded for Rank, but about two months later. Morrissey adds an extra verse to "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others".
Sandie Shaw is the "cover star" of this single.
Meat is Murder | |
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This is the vegetarians' favorite album! And Meat is Murder is a good album. Morrissey's voice improved quite a bit between The Smiths and this album. The lyrics are interesting, and the music is well written. "Well I Wonder" is my favorite song here. The album seems to be a bit slow at times, but it is very good overall. The title song, however, is a bit much; I usually stop the disc before it comes on.
Reviews by OthersReview by Carlos Alvarenga, Jr. Meat Is Murder stands out from the rest of The Smiths albums in that each song paints a picture of a day in the life of a person (maybe the soldier on the album cover?). From the desperate cries for freedom on "The Headmaster Ritual", the pains of being lonely on "How Soon Is Now?", to the harsh reality of "Meat Is Murder", this album speaks to the listener in a manner not found on their other albums. The lyrics and music blend magnificently, and the order of the songs compliment the almost nostalgic feel to this album. Although "How Soon Is Now?" deservedly became The Smiths' most famous song, the rest of this album deserves your attention. |
Hatful of Hollow | |
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This early Smiths compilation (that was only recently re-released in the U.S.) looks somewhat redundant when compared to other albums available. The only exclusive tracks here are "Handsome Devil" and "Accept Yourself". Ahh, but looks can be deceiving! Many of the tracks here are alternate recordings made for BBC broadcast, and so the album is a great collection of rarities. My favorite here is the BBC recording of "Back to the Old House", with Morrissey singing only to Johnny Marr's beautiful acoustic guitar.
The Smiths | |
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The Smiths' eponymous debut is critically acclaimed for its breakthrough sound and uniqueness. There are quite a few classic Smiths songs here: "Still Ill", "What Difference Does It Make?", "Reel Around the Fountain", etc. The production isn't as good as on the Smiths' later albums, though. Morrissey's voice is a lot less melodic on this album than on later releases. His falsetto is especially poor on this album. But it's good to listen to every once in a while.
The version of "Hand in Glove" here is different than the one on Louder Than Bombs. Sandie Shaw did a cover of "Hand in Glove" (among several other Smiths songs) as well.
"This Charming Man" |
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Like my "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" single, I picked up this re-release in France. "This Charming Man" was originally released as a single in 1983. I picked the single up primarily because of the three b-sides, which I didn't have on other albums. (This was before I owned the Hatful of Hollow album, which includes "Accept Yourself".) I have also seen other re-releases of "This Charming Man" with lots of different versions of the song. I haven't ever seen this package in the U.S., though.
"This Charming Man" and other live tracks (bootleg) |
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This little collection was put together for me by a guy named Edo in Italy. It's an odd collection of live b-sides and the various "This Charming Man" versions (which, aside from the New York versions, don't sound all that much different). It's an interesting piece for a Smiths fan, but it doesn't have a lot of listening value.
Smiths songs on Compilations/Sountracks |
Wish List |
Here are some Smiths releases that I wish I had but haven't bought for some reason or another:
Related Artists in Jase's CD Collection |
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I discovered the Smiths in 1989, a few years after they had broken up. I had heard of them before, but I had never actually heard them. There was a sale at the local record store, so I picked up Louder Than Bombs just out of curiosity. (I wish I had that kind of disposable income today!) I chose Louder Than Bombs because it looked to me like it was a greatest hits collection (it had several copyright dates), and it had a whopping 24 tracks! Now that was worth my money! Well, I took the CD home, listened to it, and couldn't believe I had been missing out on this great band most of my life.