THE PROPER BEST OF THE SMITHS FROM A BORED FELLER ON THE TRAIN HOME.

DOWNLOAD HERE.

(I even wrote some sleevenotes when I was feeling lonely and miserable).

The Smiths 'Well I Wonder' 1985

Everything about being from the north west is here, cliched? yes - probably. But an incredibley well written and performed track. Really subtle acoustic guitar from Johnny, ace falsetto from Moz, only one chorus, already confident enough to not repeat it throughout the song (and maybe the best one they ever wrote!) the instrumental part with rain recording (cassette) and overlayed guitars at the end (in 1 min) sum up most of my life.
How embarassing.


The Smiths 'Reel Around The Fountain' 1984

Still the most romantic song I've ever heard - I thought that as an 11 year old (I certainly didn't know what romance was then) but this song made me feel like it was okay to not like football and like poncing about with my florist mum.
It also features the best middle eight ever written, musically ad lyrically ( 'I dreamt about you last night...') there are 2 good recordings of this - the one that John Porter produced (this one) on the debut lp being my favourite, for the sneaky piano part from Johnny in the middle eight.There is another version recorded by Troy Tate which is truly terrible and the Stephen Street one on Hatful Of Hollow.
Mike Joyce's drumming is really patient in this, which is unusual.


The Smiths 'Cemetery Gates' 1986

Lyrically pretty (totally/intentionally) pretentious - but it really reminds me of Southern Cemetery (about which it was written) I very occasionally go there when things are not ok in the hope that I can make them better. Morrissey sings really well. Andy's bass playing is is super positive sounding. My mate Phil calls it 'Celery Gates' - I think if you had to choose a track that summed up the band to a non Smiths fan it'd be this.

The Smiths 'Please Please Please' 1984

Tell you what - if any other band would have written a song this good they'd have stretched it out to more than the 1.51 that this is. The lyrics stop after 1 min, and the 2nd half is sensational - any other band would have made the mandolin part a string part, doubled the length, added lyrics, and generally egged it up.
What's great is they didn't.
The band flare around Marr's melody for a minute and stop. The first example of Johhny under-doing arrangements brilliantly.


The Smiths 'Girl Afraid' 1984

Johnny Marr plays with some really cool overlayed guitars, occasionally sounding like Duane Eddie, Mike Joyce does some jobsworth drumming, but it's totally right - another instance of a Smiths track starting with a great guitar hook and instrumental section before the words get a look in. The band used to record the instrumental tracks (Mike, Andy, Johnny) and Morrissey would show up after a week having listened to a cassette and having added lyrics at home. Also a great example of Moz as a studious, funny, and commited lyricist.

The Smiths 'Suffer Little Children' 1983/4

'Oh Manchester , so much to answer for'
Morrissey wrote the lyrics to the instrumental at home before arriving at the studio and freaking the other members out with what he'd written - a song about the moors murderers. The press got hold of this and tried to make out it was a terrible, sensationalist and contraversial song - before checking with the parents of the murdered children, only to find Morrissey had visited the parents and played them the tape of this, of which they all approved.
It was a tribute to the dead children that the parents fully supported. Sometimes (with that in mind) a bit upsetting to listen to, even 40 years after the killings.

The Smiths ' Nowhere Fast' 1985

'..and when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound'
A 50's rock n roll pastiche. Johnny was/is really into retro 50's music and culture, and partic guitar sounds.

Lyrically hilarious, and some really nicely played appropriate trainlike drumming from Mike Joyce.
Some unusual swirly effects from producer Stephen Street. Short and sweet - again, knowing when to stop.

The Smiths 'How Soon Is Now?' 1985

The one everyone knows - a weird and rare Italian B side version, not included because it's rare - but because it extends the parts we all like.
Rourke playing at his slinkiest, and more great lyrics for all the lads to sing along to. 'See I've already waited too long...and all my hope is gone' has stuck with me for years and years (because I'm a miserable git but a very happy one)

The Smiths ' Last Night I Dreamt' 1987

What an intro...
The production and ideas (on the whole LP) is/are phenomenal. Really underated album is 'Strangeways Here We Come' - annoyingly so.
Some journalists like to refer to it as the sound of The Smiths breaking up. It really isn't. This is a great recording and perormance from their final album. I prefer this LP to The Queen Is Dead. It sounds more like Johnny Marr flexing his skills as an arranger.
People like to speculate on how they might have sounded after this album - and are generally negative.
I think they could have really done something amazing - this track being indicative of that

The Smiths 'There is a Light' 1986

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - this just makes me think of lads (proper working class football ones) singing their hearts out.
I remember a couple of nights djing playing this and all the lads in a scrum spilling beer and doing that jumpy up and down thing (with pints) - all of them knowing every last word.
Makes me love Manchester, but not in a nostaligic way. The esscence of Manc lads is in this song.
alltogether now 'and if a tennn tunnnn truckkkkkkk'


The Smiths 'Back To The Old House' 1984

I remember sitting on Damon's steps to his flat around the time he decided he wanted to be a singer - and him playing this on guitar and us singing it to one another when drunk. He did well in the end, but not without influence from The Smiths. Johnny gave him a harmonica which he often pulled out (and used on his first 2 albums) and was very proud of. It also makes me think of a girl I used to go out with.

The Smiths 'Oscillate Wildy' 1986

Moz has a day off - Johnny does a bit of showing off with Andy and Mike. Just a nice reminder of the fact that the band were great players.
Listen to ANYTHING Coldplay have recorded and remember where you heard this type of piano arrangement first.
If I had theme music when I walked in a room it'd be this.

The Smiths ' I Know It's Over' 1986

Lyrically hilarious - another reminder why Morrissey was misunderstood as being over earnest and 'depressing'
Andy and Mike play really well together on this. Marr leaves room for them. Really well arranged with the string parts too. I love the way he says 'guts' (3.35) He's got a very odd accent really.
Blew the other band band members away having recorded it as an instumental before Morrissey came in with lyrics he'd written at home. The end section was extended 'mother I can feel...' when played live on the last tour.
'see the sea wants to take me - the knife wants to slit me - do you think you can help me?'

The Smiths 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore' 1985

Meat is Murder was the album that changed so many people's lives - yet kinda gets forgotten a bit.
It's the best album they did in many ways - the relationship between the band and Johnny, and the band and Mozzer and all of them with producer Stephen Street - culminating in this. The Coda 'I've seen this happen...' is perfect and amazing. The panned overlayed guitars, the long snare reverb, the weird backwardy bits, the snakey totally Andy Rourke bassline. Sums up the sound of a band confidently coming of age.


The Smiths 'This Charming Man' 1984/5

Generally the first time anyone sat up and took notice and took them seriously.
I'll go so far as to say this is the first 'indie' record. It was.









I'm sure I'm probably an idiot for sitting on this train for 4 hours and writing this for (nobody) to read.
I don't forget the songs that changed my life - and the songs that made me smile.
See? I snook a Morrissey lyric in - even right at the end.
How embarassing.


Elliot


























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