Smiths Rhino Rocks

"Stop me, oh, stop me, stop me if you think that you've heard this one before," but today's music landscape would be a far grimmer place if it weren't for The Smiths. 

Not in the slit-your-wrists Smiths way... but grim in that shiny-happy-people-holding-hands kind of way.   If it wasn't for The Smiths and the Brit pop bands (Suede, Blur, Oasis) that they influenced, we might still be listening to Poison, Tiffany, and worst of all, Michael Bolton.

One of the most influential acts of the 80's, the Manchester-born paisley rock quartet of enigmatic singer Morrissey, highly skilled guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce formed in opposition to the highly-produced, excessively-packaged synth bands of the day... with an unassuming name and a more modest, shirt-and-jean style, save Morrissey's trademark pompadour doo, the odd prop, like the bouquet of flowers he twirled around in the video for the band's first charting single "This Charming Man," and his expressive if still fitful and arrhythmic dance style.

But what's most enduring is The Smiths music, in which Morrissey voices the pain of the disaffected kids of America -- the tired, the poor, the huddled gays yearning to be loved -- and by so doing, allows us to mourn our own lack of opportunities, freedoms, and companionship.  If you're of a certain age and grew up feeling unaccepted, then you probably spent a night or more huddled in your closet, clutching the "Meat Is Murder" record, playing "How Soon Is Now?" over and over and singing along, "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does."

It's songs like this that make "The Sound of the Smiths," a new two-disc compilation (produced with Morrissey and Marr's cooperation and input) that contains four years of hits, rarities, B-sides and live versions, a must-have. 

From their first single "Hand in Glove" to their final, "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me," Disc One contains 23 of the band's most classic singles, such as their first UK Top 10 hit "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" off their self-titled debut, "How Soon Is Now?" off their more political sophomore release "Meat Is Murder" which would find new life in a 1990's car commercial, the dark yet danceable "Bigmouth Strikes Again" off "The Queen is Dead" LP, and the somber "Girlfriend in a Coma" off their final studio album "Strangeways, Here We Come." 

Disc Two offers an additional 22 tracks, including rarities like the Troy Tate-produced "Jeane" off the scrapped producer's cut of their first album, live recordings such as the pro-vegetarian "Meat Is Murder -- Live in Oxford" and several B-sides off their posthumous "Louder Than Bombs" compilation, including "Money Changes Everything," the B-side to "Bigmouth Strikes Again," which would become a 1987 hit for Bryan Ferry, entitled "The Right Stuff," once lyrics and vocals were added.

The Smiths continue to be as inspirational today as they were when they released their first album almost 25 years ago.  Not only are today's indie bands still influenced by them -- Suede, Shakespear's Sister, Vaux, Panic at the Disco, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Girl in a Coma all take their names from Smiths (and Morrissey) songs -- but anyone, gay or straight, whoever felt misunderstood, can still relate to neither gay nor straight Morrissey's lyrics, and feel, for a moment, that they belong.

"The Sound Of The Smiths" is now available as either a single-disc or two-disc collection at retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for $18.98/$29.98 and digitally on iTunes for $11.99/$25.99.

(Images courtesy Sire)

Comments

[peekay_co]

Johnny Marr is my Jesus, Morrisey my salvation.

[Thomas]

FINALLY!
Any idea how long I've been waiting to see THE SMITHS mentioned on here?

GREATEST. BAND. EVER.

[Helen Wheels]

Nice! I don't own any Smith's, so I NEED this collection.
As the youngest in a LedZep/Rush kind of family,(happily) I can easily recall the first time I heard THE SMITH's, because I had never heard anything quite like it at the time. It was at a gothey dance club in Detroit called City Club (of course), my BF took me there after a long day of selling GUESS Acidwash Jean at our mall jobs, yes, "Cinch it!"
'How Soon is Now' came on and I asked my friend, "What is this?" "The Smith's!" she shouted as she swirled by me handing me a Vivarin!!

Although I never dove into that scene completely, that night and that song opened my mind-who knows what we could have done with REAL drugs.

[Joe Moag]

The Smiths are absolutely great. I've always argued - when sufficiently drunk - that they were one of the most subversive bands ever.

Combining wildly expansive, angry, eye-opening, funny and sad lyrics, with grossly accesible "ditty rock" music, is pure evil. Think about that great Cajun two-step classic, "Girlfriend in a Coma", or "Shoplifters of the World Unite". Wonderfully, wonderfully evil. Despite Morrissey being an insufferable boar as a person. Ever read an interview with him? Jeez...get over yourself! Proof, yet again, that sometimes you really don't want to know too much about what your musical heroes - or sausages - are all about.

This is DEFINITELY what I am buying for Christmas. Thanks for clueing me in!

[Joe Moag]

The Smiths are absolutely great. I've always argued - when sufficiently drunk - that they were one of the most subversive bands ever.

Combining wildly expansive, angry, eye-opening, funny and sad lyrics, with grossly accesible "ditty rock" music, is pure evil. Think about that great Cajun two-step classic, "Girlfriend in a Coma", or "Shoplifters of the World Unite". Wonderfully, wonderfully evil. Despite Morrissey being an insufferable boar as a person. Ever read an interview with him? Jeez...get over yourself! Proof, yet again, that sometimes you really don't want to know too much about what your musical heroes - or sausages - are all about.

This is DEFINITELY what I am buying for Christmas. Thanks for clueing me in!