The Smiths’ second album released 25 years ago on Valentine’s Day. Some reflections from younger musicians here. And here’s Rusholme Ruffians.
I think the album holds up pretty well. There’s lots of good playing and the lyrics are twee but funny enough to age all right. “Scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen– this means you really love me.” Verdict: nothing to be ashamed of!
(Would that were true of all the music I was rocking out to at the time; Martin Gore, I’m looking at you. Warning: may cause seizures.)
6 comments
February 16, 2010 at 5:12 pm
jvhillegas
Hell Yeah The Smiths hold up after 25 years!
I still listen to The Smiths* on a fairly regular basis — and most of the time for more than nostalgic reasons. I know at 37 I’m on the cusp of being a codger, but it’s hard to re-calibrate the ears after being so long immersed such marvelous sounds as:
“Oh shut your mouth, how can you say,
I go about things the wrong way,
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does . . .”
Isn’t that just the best kind of angsty cheese one can possibly buy?
—-
* . . . and Siouxsie, Joy Division, early New Order, pre-Mixed Up Cure, Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, The Fall, Wipers, The Feelies, Wire, early Brian Eno, etc. etc. etc.
February 16, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Sir Charles
Hell, I’m 50 and I still listen to the Smiths. Although I prefer both “The Smiths” and “The Queen is Dead” to Meat is Murder.
Actually, the first Smiths’ album I owned was “Hatful of Hollow” — I prefer a lot of its versions of songs to those on “The Smiths.”
Somewhere, among my clothing of yesteryear is a “Rough Trade” t-shirt.
February 17, 2010 at 8:42 am
Neddy Merrill
I agree with your rankings, Sir Charles. If I had to choose between “The Smiths” and “The queen is dead” I’d go with the first record– I think that early-career sound is really charming, and there are some great weird songs on it. (Climb up on my knee, sonny boy!)
February 17, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Sir Charles
Neddy,
That’s an interesting question — I would lean towards “The Queen is Dead” in terms of its drop dead song craft. I think it is the culmination of their vision and Morrisey is funny as crap on top of his usual pathos — “I said that’s nothing, you should hear me play piano.” And “The Boy with the Thorn in his Side” may be their best song ever, albeit the version recorded live on “Rank.”
But having said that, I can see the logic in picking “The Smiths.” It was such a fresh and audacious record. I just remember being blown away by it back in 1984 as a young pup.
February 20, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Western Dave
And the best part is, you can listen to your old stuff without feeling guilty about not supporting the artists currently because Morrissey has turned into a racist git.
February 23, 2010 at 4:07 am
Belle Waring
I’m sure you will all be happy to know that middle-school Belle actually scratched His name on my arm with an actual fountain pen. Also I had some friends who got backstage to a Smiths show and while Morrissey was moping in his room, the bassist and drummer were apparently not above having sex with 15-year-olds if the circumstances warranted.