The Difference That It Made: 30 Years of ‘The Smiths’

But we cannot cling to the old dreams anymore

When you look back on previous relationships you can’t help but get a bit nostalgic. Especially when those relationships occurred in a more innocent time of your life: most likely during your adolescence. In retrospect everything seems brighter, more hopeful and more intense. No matter how romantic you are or how much you love your current partner – you can’t relive that special feeling. This is not only the case with people, it happens with music. You could compare this to the story of THE SMITHS, their massive following  through several generations, and the desperate wish on the part of many fans for them to return.

Thirty years ago, in February 1984, the Manchester-based indie rockers released their influential self-titled debut The Smiths. Formed in 1982 it marked the first creative peak in a unique career. ‘Intensity’ is the best term to describe the run this band had over the course of their ‘only’ five-year-long career. Four studio albums, three compilations with original material, a bunch of stand-alone singles – pretty much all instant classics. Other bands would kill to have that creative outburst in a twenty-year career; THE SMITHS only needed a five. They were intense, groundbreaking, heart-wrenching, wild and furious. A concept that just wasn’t meant to last, like young love. It was perfect but it had to fade away.

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.

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.

Manchester, so much to answer for

While you can still sense the professional ambitions within the songs there’s a certain roughness within the music, even though Porter originally tried to avoid this. The following SMITHS records were a bit slicker and way more on point, their debut was purer. It was full of bittersweet wisdom and interesting lyrical themes. Besides desperation and rejection, MORRISSEY sings bout sex (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle) or the Saddleworth Moor Murders in Manchester in the Mid-60s (Suffer Little Children). It wasn’t just about love and all that suffering that goes along with it. It was about poetry and breaking lyrical boundaries. After all, songs like This Charming Man, What Difference Does It Make? and Still Ill are great grooving indie rock songs, full of energy and wilderness.

Although album’s like 1986’s The Queen Is Dead are more famous, The Smiths set the foundation for the band’s legacy that is still lasting, even three decades later. Two years ago Marr and THE SMITHS turn down the offers. With the   huge amounts of money, you can see the importance and draw of this band and the desperation of fans for a nostalgic return to a better time. In 1987 THE SMITHS split up for various reasons. But just like in a good relationship, it was a mixture of growing apart, bad communication and different perspectives. You can say that life happened. It had its time and it was good and pure for a decent amount of years. But it just wasn’t meant to last.

And although THE SMITHS. The melodies and stories their songs offer are timeless, and their themes are universal, even after thirty years. And that’s what made the difference – then and now.

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THE SMITHS