Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘The Smiths’
I have been posting most weekends using @detlev’s #metalweekend tag, but my main love of music is progressive and alternative music. Some of my posts have included these songs, but I feel they are not keeping with the spirit of metal.
I will continue to post article’s using #metalweekend occasionally but feel I have more to offer regarding these other genre’s that I am more familiar with.
Source
Introducing #alternativeweekend. Post an article that highlights THREE great songs that are either progressive or alternative and use the tag #alternativeweekend.
If you have a short story or something to offer regarding an opinion on your songs, then share it with us!
I first heard this band around 1984 and it was instant hate. I was more of a mainstream music person then, righteously followed the Top 40 and this was just weird shit.
‘He can’t sing’, ‘The music is depressing’ are two things that came to mind.
I largely ignored the band after my initial deduction of ‘crap’ until they released ‘Panic’ in 1986. OK, this is a little better, the voice is still depressing as hell but it’s got something.
A year later they were gone and I figured I wouldn’t miss them. Fast forward 10 years and I hear, ‘How Soon is Now’ somewhere, maybe on the TV or the radio.
The thing I was struck by was that melancholy guitar wailing chord that emanates throughout the song; how cool is that sound!
Also how did I miss this when it was released as a single in 1985 and reached number 24 in the charts?
After playing said song to death I reached out a little further and bought, ‘Hatful of Hollow’ and ‘The Queen is Dead’.
The voice was no longer depressing and the ridiculous lyrics made me laugh. Talk about a polar effect, that voice and those lyrics.
What about that guitar? how had I have never noticed the Johnny Marr sound, and a sound of it's own it truly is.
My 14 yr old daughter, @dismayedworld loves The Smiths and has bought the ‘Hatful of Hollow’ album on vinyl. Music from 34 years ago is entertaining her. It just says something of the state of music now.
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Queen is Dead – 1986)
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes in to us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
What kind of lyrics are these, depressing or funny? I found them to be both but most important of all they are highly original.
Nobody writes lyrics like Morrisey and I don’t think anybody ever will again.
The Smiths - Never Had No One Ever (The Queen is Dead – 1986)
If you hadn’t guessed by now, ‘The Queen is Dead’ is my favourite Smiths album. I love the guitar work of Johnny Marr in this one.
He had a way of making everything sound so rhythmic and jangly. Morrissey’s lyrics speak of loneliness and despair but the song to me is not depressing, more harmonious.
The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (Strangeways, Here We Come – 1987)
Right now this is probably my favourite track by the band. It’s a shame it doesn’t start until 1.55 minutes in. What is all the piano stuff with white noise accompaniment at the start?
When it does start, it’s really something. Harmonies, depressing lyrics and that awesome guitar work from Johnny Marr again. You can hear Morrissey’s pain in this one at the end.
The Smiths – How Soon is Now? (Hatful of Hollow – 1984)
As I mentioned this one a the start of this article, I thought I had better include it. This is the Single Edit version but at least there’s a video to watch.
I prefer the longer album version that is around 6.5 minutes long but this gets the sound across nicely. I will be surprised if you have never heard it before.
The TV series, 'Charmed' stole it for their show.
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I'm still in the 'No' camp for The Smiths. Never got past the early Top of The Pops appearances.
Johnny Marr went on to be in 'The The' - who I do like - more depressing/funny lyrics.
I cant say I was a fan of the TOTP stuff either with the flowers hanging out of his arse. There's more beyond the image they portrayed then though.
Another awesome band!
This made me laugh though!!!
They are so unique for what they are and when they started, and I love them for it. Now tme for some Smiths ;)
Oooh, The Smiths, my first love to those Jangle pop music. Johnny Marr, Morrissey, what a great personality.
I remember the movie ‘500 days of summer’ was quite helpful to bring The Smiths relevant to younger audiences. My favorites from them would be: This charming man, and Heaven knows i’m miserable now.
I didn't know about the movie and the song, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is in it. Love all your picks too, from Hatful of Hollow.
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A friend at my old job introduced me to the Smith's. I had actually bought an newer album by Johnny Marr and the Healers before that and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't until later that I read that U2, one of my favorite bands was heavily influenced by the Smith's. Great picks!
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This brings back memories (not of Charmed... although, I did watch quite a few seasons of it, long story...), I've not listened to the Smiths since my Uni days!
I have not thought of The Smiths in ages, but totally remember when The Queen is Dead came out😊 Found my music to listen to tonight! Thank you!
MAn I went through a smiths phase for sure. I didn't have the goth clothing, doc martens (til later) and safety pinned pan legs but I appreciated the raw punk mixed with the pop hooks. This was my jam.....
@trolleydave is a massive PiL fan. Too bad he rarely comes on here these days.
"Blocked in my country" grrr.
I became a fan of The Smiths after watching them perform This Charming Man on TOTP. I got so much abuse for being a Smiths fan! Not that I cared. I had some great friends who were also Smiths fans. I remember dancing to their music with my friends Penny and Sylvia (or Sylv) who had a huge white-blonde mohican. I lost touch with her, and last time I saw her she was on the TV - she became a music journalist in London.
When I moved to London and shared a flat with three guys, I was teased so much for liking The Smiths. I know why you heard How Soon is Now - the opening segment was on an ad for Pepe Jeans in the late 80s. It came on once while we were watching TV, and my flatmates started saying knowledgeably, "This is a really cool tune" etc. I said: "Ahaha! You're all Smiths fans and you don't even know it!" They were suitably embarrassed.
I love the way Morrissey's lyrics can express so much excrutiating pain (as in How Soon is Now) together with dark humour (There is a Light). He's still got it. I love this song he released last year.
I was going to see him live, but he refuses to sing in Manchester, his home town. I refused to travel to see him too... bleh!
Interesting about the jeans ad, it could have been that.
Haha, funny. How can you not like that riff.. so eighties and depressing as hell.
Yeah Morrissey is a quirky guy. I've never seen him live, sadly.
Yeah Morrissey is
A quirky guy. I've never
Seen him live, sadly.
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