The Smiths - any good?

[Fonz]

Unlike the dearly (virtually) departed Shanky, whose Talking Heads thread on the old bored inspired this topic title, I’m fairly confident I know the answer (based on a sample size of 1).

But lazing around on vacation with no proper channels on the boob tube, I let it rest on an 80s music videos stream that put on Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. Been in my head the week since.

Given that the band is, in relative terms, virtually unknown in the States, this is the first and only song I’ve ever heard by them.

So hook ya boy up.

[fishfoodie]

Never mind the Morrissey prick, this guy was the talent in the group, & here he proves it, by doing a better version than the floppy haired one ever managed. Just drool at the skillz

[Gumboot]

Love the Smiths. This Charming Man was released when I was living in London, and The Queen is Dead was later one of my half dozen or so "go to" cassettes that I always carried while backpacking around SE Asia in the late 80s...along with my trusty Sony Walkman.

[MungoMan]

I was kinda expecting news that these two fellas - Ruan and JP Smith - had signed up to play rugby in the US.

[Sinkers]

Not a bad album in their catalogue if you ask me. Just load up your Spotify and go.

Don’t take them too seriously tho

[OomStruisbaai]

I know the twins since their primary school days. Their parents divorced and ma immigrate to Aus, dad stay on SA. Look like they finally found a home at the Lions.

Ruan was the better one in their Paarl Gim days, JP played B team. Now it seems JP is the better prop.

They were vokken stout bliksems.

Also know their boerewors partner in Aus. Divvie Hugo.

[clydecloggie]

Great band. Check out "There's a Light That Never Goes Out", generally considered a highlight in their songbook.

Best I & II give a great overview, and the live album Rank is a personal favourite of mine.

Johnny Marr is a genius on guitar. Working on a 'no distortion' principle he laid down some of the best riffs ever.

[Guy Smiley]

I was grinding along at work the other day listening to the Sugarcubes 'Birthday' thinking about how much really interesting music hit us throughout the 80s under the broad label of 'alternative music'. REM were the poster child of the movement in many ways, where I was at the time in Sydney listening to alternative radio station JJJ before it went tits up and mainstreamed itself into a jingoistic 'youth network' and started rotating local artists...

but I digress. The Smiths were a part of that whole avalanche for me... a really good band with their own sound and the ability to deliver that sound well. Musicians, innit. I didn't actually buy any of their albums but I had a giant poster of theirs on my wall. I shared an easy listening kind of house and it was hard to squeeze my more edgy tastes into the muzak vibe.

There's a case to be made for another deeply under rated and generally bloody excellent band with a Smiths connection. When Matt Johnson turned his one man band into a group he recruited Johnny Marr and I saw them play in Sydney.

Get your head around The The, Fonz. There's a treasure trove of good sounds to be had in there as well.

[bogbunny]

Johnny Marr plays guitar..................................... How Soon is Now is fekkin awesome (Wind the windies down and crank up to full volume)

Also listen to Panic, Girlfiend in a Coma.

[mat the expat]

I was grinding along at work the other day listening to the Sugarcubes 'Birthday' thinking about how much really interesting music hit us throughout the 80s under the broad label of 'alternative music'. REM were the poster child of the movement in many ways, where I was at the time in Sydney listening to alternative radio station JJJ before it went tits up and mainstreamed itself into a jingoistic 'youth network' and started rotating local artists...

but I digress. The Smiths were a part of that whole avalanche for me... a really good band with their own sound and the ability to deliver that sound well. Musicians, innit. I didn't actually buy any of their albums but I had a giant poster of theirs on my wall. I shared an easy listening kind of house and it was hard to squeeze my more edgy tastes into the muzak vibe.

There's a case to be made for another deeply under rated and generally bloody excellent band with a Smiths connection. When Matt Johnson turned his one man band into a group he recruited Johnny Marr and I saw them play in Sydney.

Get your head around The The, Fonz. There's a treasure trove of good sounds to be had in there as well.

That guitar tone!

[Guy Smiley]

That guitar tone!

I know... Johnny Marr... on Guitar!

[Grandpa]

That guitar tone!

I know... Johnny Marr... on Guitar!

Loved The The... hooked as soon as I heard this... can't believe they had no UK Top Tens...

[Guy Smiley]

This is The Day is a timeless masterpiece.

It's a crime that The The didn't rule the world. Everyone wants to...

[Grandpa]

This is The Day is a timeless masterpiece.

It's a crime that The The didn't rule the world. Everyone wants to...

I concur... it was a perfect backdrop to my first year in the Halls of Residence at Uni...

[MungoMan]

I know the twins since their primary school days. Their parents divorced and ma immigrate to Aus, dad stay on SA. Look like they finally found a home at the Lions.

Ruan was the better one in their Paarl Gim days, JP played B team. Now it seems JP is the better prop.

They were vokken stout bliksems.

Also know their boerewors partner in Aus. Divvie Hugo.

Gotta say, I liked ‘em both when they were with the Reds.

[OomStruisbaai]

I know the twins since their primary school days. Their parents divorced and ma immigrate to Aus, dad stay on SA. Look like they finally found a home at the Lions.

Ruan was the better one in their Paarl Gim days, JP played B team. Now it seems JP is the better prop.

They were vokken stout bliksems.

Also know their boerewors partner in Aus. Divvie Hugo.

Gotta say, I liked ‘em both when they were with the Reds.

Watch their handling skills from 5 mins for theLions last try

[Fonz]

Great stuff guys, cheers

[Fonz]

I was grinding along at work the other day listening to the Sugarcubes 'Birthday' thinking about how much really interesting music hit us throughout the 80s under the broad label of 'alternative music'. REM were the poster child of the movement in many ways, where I was at the time in Sydney listening to alternative radio station JJJ before it went tits up and mainstreamed itself into a jingoistic 'youth network' and started rotating local artists...

but I digress. The Smiths were a part of that whole avalanche for me... a really good band with their own sound and the ability to deliver that sound well. Musicians, innit. I didn't actually buy any of their albums but I had a giant poster of theirs on my wall. I shared an easy listening kind of house and it was hard to squeeze my more edgy tastes into the muzak vibe.

There's a case to be made for another deeply under rated and generally bloody excellent band with a Smiths connection. When Matt Johnson turned his one man band into a group he recruited Johnny Marr and I saw them play in Sydney.

Get your head around The The, Fonz. There's a treasure trove of good sounds to be had in there as well.

Terrific post as always Guy, you really are the maven of top alternative music (or whatever it’s termed now — seems pretty normal to millennial me).

Never heard of those dudes but song rules, must dig deeper…

[Torquemada 1420]

Never mind the Morrissey prick, this guy was the talent in the group, & here he proves it, by doing a better version than the floppy haired one ever managed. Just drool at the skillz

This. Sort of. You have to put aside Morrissey as a personality and then early Smiths really were very good. Not quite the w*nk ourselves into a coma good the NME might have had you believe every issue, but influential good.

[PCPhil]

Just my view you understand…….

Miserable, flower waving drivel for depressives
My older brother used to play this cr@p incessantly when I was a kid and it was the one band where I never used to nick the records to show off to girlfriends. Subsequently of course the lead singer has matured gracefully into a bigoted racist old tw@t.

Please, no need to thank me.

[Oxbow]

Morrissey has always been a prick. I used to know somebody who was in a band that supported The Smiths on a couple of dates in the early days before they became famous, she said he was a dick even back then. Rest of the band were sound though.