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Post by unomusette on Aug 1, 2015 23:01:16 GMT
Right, it's time to be miserable and laugh your socks off at the same time, I am pleased and proud to introduce you to The Smiths (I did put the inimitable Smiths, but on reflection they are quite easy to imitate and this can provide a fair bit of fun) When they first came out I looked completely down my nose at them, I was a denim-bedecked rocker and all that mincing about, whining and prancing and hurling gladioli struck me as daft. But later on, when I matured a bit, I got hold a of a best of album and realised that they were, quite simply, brilliant. The sound, first of all, is bouncy and cheerful and contains some masterful original guitar work by Johnny Marr. Then you get Morrissey, miserable, sulky, hard done by overgrown teenager, thwarted in all his ambitions by Life and not afraid to go on and on and ON about it. The juxtaposition is amazing and some of the lyrics still make me laugh out loud. I'm still not sure if he was serious or not. I've quoted some bits that I really love but the songs are stuffed with clever lines. The actual best of album is more than an hour long, I won't subject you to that but I'll put the link at the end if you want to properly wallow. In the meantime here are links to a few of my faves, with my thoughts for what they're worth, with thanks to Helmut83 for the links info: Panic Whenever he gets to"panic on the streets of Carlisle" I'm sure he's going to say "...Cardiff" and he never does. All about being miserable and adolescent and the mainstream not catering to your needs one bit. Sets the scene for what's to come Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now Classic Smiths, "What she asked of me at the end of the day, Caligula would have blushed" *swoons* And one of my favourite lyrics ever, "In my life, why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?" (a product of working for local government and getting older probably) Bigmouth Strikes Again "I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed" I'm sorry, I know it's wrong, but this line always reduces me to helpless giggles. Yes, I've got no right to take my place in the human race either How Soon is Now?"So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home and you cry and you want to die" Such misery and needy grumpiness! That guitar! I want to quote all the lyrics in fact. If you can find fault with this you aren't alive. It's perfect. Yes, it IS. This Charming Man Well, it's a relief after all that instrospection, you must admit. "This man said, "it's gruesome that someone so handsome should care" "- simply brilliant. What Difference Does It Make Yes, I KNOW the vocals are daft. But surely you can't resist the jangly guitar and boppy beat? Well, I'm still fond of you anyway. William It Was Really Nothing Perfect blend of happy music and bitching, go Mozza! There is a light that never goes out Adolescence distilled, needy and scared and defiant all at once. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want covered (much louder) by Muse after they shared a festival tour with Morrissey, it's once again the grumpy teenager bemoaning his lot and I adore it. Sadly the video of the Muse cover has been deleted from Youtube or I'd have added it I do admit, you can tell the same people/person wrote these songs and they may very well grate after a while for that reason. But I don't think it's like anything else I ever heard, it's properly original. Link to whole best of album:
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Post by queenofthehours on Aug 2, 2015 12:46:47 GMT
Hurrah! I adore The Smiths, one of my very favourite bands before I found ELO.
Every track here is a gem. I can't wait to hear them all again! Morrissey and Marr - a winning combination.
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Post by Chippa on Aug 2, 2015 22:40:26 GMT
I never really dug that deeply into The Smiths, so I'll get right on this.
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Post by jrmugz on Aug 3, 2015 1:35:30 GMT
On vacation, so can check it out friday night or sat. Looking forward to seeing what they are all about.
Jim
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Post by Chippa on Aug 7, 2015 21:27:06 GMT
Panic- Big, Phil Spector-ish production on this one. Modern, but with a classic pop sound. Very catchy and jangly.
The Boy With the Thorn In His Side – Morrissey has a very distinctive voice, for sure. This one has an almost reggae feel to it, at times. Very 80’s, but in a good way.
Heaven Knows I´m Miserable Now –Opens with a Steely Dan-like feel, then goes into a pure 80’s blue-eyed soul thing, which is pretty cool.
Ask – I’ve heard this one, before. A bit overly romantic, for lack of a better term. Decent melody, though, and a nice arrangement that prevents it from being a bore.
Bigmouth Strikes Again – The opening is like a mashup of “Crazy On You” by Heart, and “Sister Golden Hair” by America. I like this one, especially the urgent feel of the music. Great guitar solo, with some slide thrown in for good measure.
How Soon Is Now? –Oh yea, I know this one! Love that opening with the atmospheric guitar sounds. Best track, so far.
This Charming Man – Another one I know. It has that quintessential 80’s “college rock” sound, which I find so appealing. Really good stuff.
What Difference Does It Make? –Another great pop song. It makes me wonder why the Smiths never found bigger mainstream chart success, here in the US?
William, It Was Really Nothing –This sounds like one of the Elvis Costello-Paul McCartney collaborations that took place in the late 80’s. Nice, melodic hooks and Morrissey’s soaring falsetto really make this song.
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others- Clever lyrics, but musically kind of boring.
Girlfriend In a Coma – Another Costello-esque one. Hilariously dark lyrics, and a memorable melody and arrangement.
Hand In Glove – Kinda sounds like REM, to kick it off, with a hint of Midnight Oil thrown in for good measure.
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – Another familiar one. Nice, strummy feel to this one. Good summer driving music, with some more absurdly dark lyrics.
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want- More subtle than the other songs, so far. I like that aspect of it.
That Joke Isn´t Funny Anymore – Really not a fan of vocals with so much echo on them, and this one overdoes it. Just kind of an average song, overall.
I Know It´s Over –An almost 60’s sounding ballad. Morrissey would have been a hell of a crooner, back in the day.
Sheila Take a Bow – Does Sheila know Nellie? Lots of words here, almost to the song’s detriment. It seems a bit clumsy.
I Started Something I Couldn´t Finish – Old school rock with some power pop jangle. Puts me in mind of an old David Bowie song, circa 1975. There’s almost a little Middle Eastern flavor going on in the middle. Good song.
Still Ill – Great combo of deep lyrics and good melody. Love the bass on this song, too.
Shakespeare´s Sister- Very cool rockabilly-flavored song, then it goes into that dreamy sounding bridge. Interesting and catchy.
Shoplifters of the World Unite- What a great title! Not much interesting going on musically, though.
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me – Another one with a 60’s sounding feel. I like this one a lot. Great melody. Almost Beatlesque, in parts.
Stop Me If You Think You´ve Heard This One Before – I can see U2 being inspired by this one. Big, arena-sized sound. Not bad, but not the best song on the album, by any means.
Overall, I give this about a 6/10. Too many of the songs sound alike, so it gets boring. Having said that. The Smiths definitely had something interesting going on that separated them from many other 80’s and 90’s alternative bands.
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Post by unomusette on Aug 7, 2015 22:37:12 GMT
Thanks Chippa, for the detailed review and for going in for the whole album, this is above and beyond the call of duty. I'm really pleased to see that some songs impressed you, especially if The Smiths are new to you. And once again a fresh pair of ears spots something I'd not noticed, the similarity between Bigmouth... and Crazy on You. Brilliant!
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Post by Helmut83 on Aug 8, 2015 5:35:59 GMT
I'm owing you this review, Uno! Lately I don't seem to be able to find much time for anything despite the fact that I come from 2 weeks of holidays from work, but I hope I'll be giving the Smiths a proper listen soon.
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Post by unomusette on Aug 8, 2015 20:11:38 GMT
No worries, Helmut, I don't think you're the only reviewer with more interesting things to do. Plus, I'm always last minute with my reviews so I must extend the same courtesy when it's my CD of the Week
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Post by Helmut83 on Aug 8, 2015 20:17:53 GMT
As for interesting, it sounds interesting enough for me, and trust me, I'd rather be taking a good almost-introductory listen to the Smiths than doing at least 70% of the things I had to do lately.
And I said "almost-introductory" because a few years ago I spent a whole lot of time trying to find interesting musical stuff, bands I hadn't discovered and such. I remember the Smiths were one of the last bands I had some contact with before discovering ELO (when that happened I got completely obsessesed with them for the following months and ceased in my search).
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Post by unomusette on Aug 8, 2015 20:34:11 GMT
Oooh, so I could be responsible for a re-awakening? To be fair I don't expect The Smiths to top ELO, but they are good for a laugh and I think you'll appreciate the guitar work *crosses fingers*
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Post by 88keys on Aug 9, 2015 5:06:11 GMT
It's strange, because I love Morrissey's solo work, but I can't warm up to The Smiths, no matter how hard I try. There are a couple of nice gems in this album, most notably Bigmouth Strikes Again, but the other songs do absolutely nothing for me.
Sorry if this isn't the kind of review you're looking for, uno, but I'm just being blunt and honest.
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Post by jrmugz on Aug 9, 2015 12:49:06 GMT
OK here is my review of "The Very Best of the Smiths". "Panic" – Yo yo, this one is so so. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (single version) – This one is pretty good more melodic than the first one. "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" – I do like the chords and progression which kept it interesting through rather drab lyrics. "Ask" (new mix)* – Best one yet. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" – Immediately like the acoustic guitar chords, before the stays a little bit stagnant, it seems. "How Soon Is Now?" (album version) – This is his best vocal performance, they should have made more songs like this. "This Charming Man" – Alright, rah rah for the signature tune, won't rain on their parade. Cool enough. "What Difference Does It Make?" – Do really like the guitar rhythm on this one. "William, It Was Really Nothing" – I think I've heard this one before. Fortunately, no idea what the lyrics are about so guess it's OK. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" – Reminds me of The Police, though the music is more arresting than the lyrics. "Girlfriend in a Coma" – Just kinda there, for these ears. "Hand in Glove" (album version) – Reminds me of "Message in a Bottle". These guys need a new singer and new lyrics to go with the fairly strong musical structures. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – Did nothing for me the first time I played it, the second time, it sounds really good! "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" – A universal sentiment people sometimes often feel. Kudos for the honesty of it. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (album version) – Nice acoustic tune. I like it, gets a little adventurous. "I Know It's Over" – I like this one. Fairly decent and relaxing. "Sheila Take a Bow" – Interesting music, though the lyrics seem a little on the creepy side. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" – OK Morrissey, think of this word when you start wrting your lyrics: "point". It might make it a more enjoyable experience for you and everyone else. "Still Ill" – Well, Nancy, ... "Shakespeare's Sister" – Nice aggressive tune, like this one. "Shoplifters of the World Unite" – I like the call to penance, for all the humor of it. "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" (single version)* – OK, decent enough band, but a little bit too depressing sometimes, perhaps? "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" – I really like this one. I can honestly say, I actually really truly enjoy this one and would really like to hear again. Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Prime Cuts: "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", "This Charming Man", "What Difference Does It Make?", "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", "How Soon is Now?" Bottom Line: I think the song structures are strong, and I like them. For some of these songs I wish the lyrics did a little better justice to them. All the songs seem to be based on Morrisey's hypnotizing vocals, that people may either find to be the main appeal or the main repellant. For me, Marr's handling of Morrissey's songwriting is the main strength of the songs. On songs like the last one, "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", there is just enough of a hook to it, that it reeled me in pretty good. I have to say on the first play of the album, I was going to pan them, on the second, I started to appreciate their appeal a little more. Thanks for sharing unomusette, was nice to brush up on my Smiths. Will make for some interesting talk with my brother-in-law who worships Morrissey. Got you marked down for a couple months from now and will keep you posted! Jim
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Post by unomusette on Aug 9, 2015 20:58:35 GMT
It's strange, because I love Morrissey's solo work, but I can't warm up to The Smiths, no matter how hard I try. There are a couple of nice gems in this album, most notably Bigmouth Strikes Again, but the other songs do absolutely nothing for me. Sorry if this isn't the kind of review you're looking for, uno, but I'm just being blunt and honest. No worries, whenever I post a CD on here I'm never sure if it will go down a storm or be universally panned. And The Smiths are an especially love-or-hate choice. Thanks for taking the trouble to review it
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Post by unomusette on Aug 9, 2015 21:27:23 GMT
Jim! Another dedicated reviewer who listened to the whole album, thanks! I'm impressed that you took the trouble to listen twice too, if it didn't do much for you to start with. Can't say I'd have done the same. And your final figure of 4 out of 5 should make messrs Marr and Morrissey jolly proud. When you said: "For me, Marr's handling of Morrissey's songwriting is the main strength of the songs" I'd agree completely, because I really like the contrast between the catchy melodies and the moody lyrics. See you in the next review, thanks again
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Post by Chippa on Aug 10, 2015 8:02:00 GMT
It's strange, because I love Morrissey's solo work, but I can't warm up to The Smiths, no matter how hard I try. There are a couple of nice gems in this album, most notably Bigmouth Strikes Again, but the other songs do absolutely nothing for me. Sorry if this isn't the kind of review you're looking for, uno, but I'm just being blunt and honest. Morrissey's "You Are The Quarry" album is fantastic. But, I think you should give the Smiths another shot. The songwriting is pretty damn clever, if you ask me.
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