I dreamt about you last night / and I fell out of bed twice
The Smiths might not be the best of the four albums but it was the start of something new. Especially of the special relationship between singer and lyricist Steven Patrick Morrissey and his musical partner Johnny Marr. The unlikely pair met by coincidence. MORRISSEY then was an introspective pop lover in his mid twenties with no idea what to do with his life. An ordinary job or life was no option but when you’re stuck in a grey industrial town like early 80s Manchester there’s not much you could do to achieve stardom. Two years before Marr knocked on Morrissey’s door JOY DIVISION‘s Ian Curtis took his life. Let’s just say it wasn’t the healthiest environment. But Marr knocked and probably saved Morrssey’s (and his own) life. He was searching for a singer. What he found was a musical companion, a friend with ambition, one with a unique talent as a frontman. Together with the rhythm section in the form of bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce THE SMITHS were born.
Original Artwork of The Smiths (1984)
Recorded in late 1983 with John Porter, The Smiths actually marks the second attempt to record a set of songs. Previous recordings with producer Troy Tate were lacking in quality, according to Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis. Although Marr originally refused to record the songs, he was outnumbered and had to do as he was told. In the end the result is a quite satisfying one. THE SMITHS‘ debut album finds the right balance between the tender melancholic vibe of MORRISSEY‘s depressing lyrics and the wild and furious side of his anger and bittersweet sarcasm. Reel Around The Fountain opens the record on a sweet note, introducing the world to the androgynous voice of the singer. ‘Fifteen minutes with you / Well, I wouldn’t say no’ … . Instantly MORRISSEY became the voice of a million frustrated teenagers, struggling to find love, and meaning to life. He became the spokesman of the rejected and frustrated ones. ‘I need advice / Nobody ever looks at me twice’ he sings in Miserable Lie. In retrospect, it might be a bit one-sided. But so was life at the time.