13 Essential tracks of The Smiths

As you might have noticed earlier this week the legendary self-titled debut album of THE SMITHS celebrates its 30th anniversary these days. It was the 20th of February in 1984 when this record hit the shops. And the rest is most likely history. Although THE SMITHS remain one of the most influential bands of the past decades there’s a high chance that you belong to the not so small group of people who’s not that familiar with the band.

If you were ever looking for a way to dive deeper into the music of MORRISSEY, Marr and their melancholic compositions NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION provides you with a beginner’s guide to the world of THE SMITHS. Yes, we know it’s almost impossible to point out THE record to start or THE best songs. What we give you instead is thirteen tracks that – in our understanding – mark the very essence of this band and their five-year-long-lasting career. Maybe they’ll save your life as well.

 

13. ‘Well I Wonder’ (1985)

‘Gasping… but somehow still alive’. As the rain is pounding Morrissey addresses his lost love. It’s one of the band’s saddest tunes and a moment of pure 80s wave bliss.

12. ‘Panic’ (1986)

‘Burn Down The Disco…’ Morrissey’s aversion against certain radio DJs results from a true story. After announcing the accident at the Chernobyl reactor a DJ instantly played a happy WHAM! song afterwards. As cynical as it can get. The energetic anthem later became a hymn for the indie dancefloors all over the world, begging for more substance within the songs.

11. ‘The Boy With A Thorn In His Side’ (1985)

‘A murderous desire for love’. One of the band’s finest pop moments, marking the musical quintessence of all elements. Joyce’s cool drums, Rourke’s funky bass and Marr’s jingle-jangle guitar play met Morrissey’s magnificent voice. And these strings… too good.

10. ‘Reel Around The Fountain’ (1984)

‘Fifteen minutes with you…’ The opening track off the band’s debut directly set the agenda for what to follow afterwards. Morrissey plays the desperate lover who… well, just won’t get access to love. The first time of many times.

09. ‘Sweet And Tender Hooligan’ (1986)

‘In the midst of life we are in debt etc.’ This is one of THE SMITHS‘ wildest moments. A furious piece of indie rock with a hateful Morrissey at his best. His despite against violent behaviour dominates the tune.

08. ‘Meat Is Murder’ (1985)

‘It’s death for no reason ‘. It doesn’t matter if you are vegetarian or not. Nobody’s going to blame you. Well, besides of Morrissey who tends to get a bit extreme on this in recent years. But once you lived through the intensity of this song you might get a feeling of why he behaves the way he does. It doesn’t need to change you but It won’t leave you untouched, we guarantee.

07. ‘Barbarism Begins At Home’ (1985)

‘A crack on the head is what you get for not asking.’ It’s the shining moment of bassist Andy Rourke who delivers his best work on this almost seven-minute long monster. THE SMITHS‘ get funky in an almost hypnotic way while Morrissey’s singing about domestic violence soon turns into something far out of this world.

06. ‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’ (1987)

‘Nothing’s changed, I still love you.’ 1987’s final SMITHS album Strangeways, He Were Come saw all the potential for future directions this band could have taken. Stop Me… and his overflowing and a bit slick pop is just one aspect of it. One example for their great songwriting.

05. ‘Asleep’ (1985)

‘I don’t want to wake up on my own anymore.’ In one of the band’s darkest moments Morrissey sings a desperate and pretty much suicidal lullaby over Marr’s simple piano play. There’s is no hope in this. Well, apart from the sweet joy of sleep and… probably death.

04. ‘Hand In Glove’ (1983)

‘I really don’t know and I really don’t care.’ That’s how it all started. The band’s first single, released in May 1983, marked the starting point of this unique career. A furious and rough indie rocker. You can almost taste the wild innocence of the protagonists back then.

03. ‘The Queen Is Dead’ (1986)

‘Her very Lowness with a head in a sling’. In a furious rage this tune opens the band’s best album. A wild ride with Morrissey in top form. A bitter payoff with the English royals – something he was never afraid of showing in the course of the past 30 years. Yes, Morrissey hates monarchy, but almost three decades later the queen is still alive. And so is this song.

02. ‘How Soon Is Now?’ (1985)

‘I’ve already waited too long and all my hope is gone’. It’s one of the band’s classics. A stand out piece of epic intensity which shows all band members at their best. Marr’s guitar is a blast, Joyce’s drums are heavy and their singer is facing another night of loneliness. Adolescent desperation at it’s best, a man trapped in his body. A lot of people have been there. And that’s why this song works.

01. ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ (1986)

‘Because I want to see people and I want to see life.’ It’s the moment in THE SMITHS‘ discography when all elements perfectly come together. There Is A Light… is a melody-loving pope tune with a dark and melancholic undertone. But it still got slices of hope within this desperate setting. And over the top of it Morrissey sings about his dreams of escape via the one he loves. He’s driving through the night with that person but he’s unable to tell. It’s beautiful but it’s doomed. And that’s the stuff great pop songs are made of.

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THE SMITHS