THE SMITHS

“I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour

But heaven knows I'm miserable now

I was looking for a job, and then I found a job

And heaven knows I'm miserable now…

In my life

Why do I give valuable time

To people who don't care if I live or die?”

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Main Decade: 80's

Main Eras:

New Wave (1976-???)

 

Key Members:

Morrissey, Vocalist

Johnny Marr, Guitarist

Andy Rourke, Bassist

Mike Joyce, Drummer

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Key Songs:

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, This Charming Man, How Soon is Now?, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, I Know It's Over, Still Ill, Ask, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, Hand In Glove, Meat is Murder, Barbarism Begins At Home, Panic, Girlfriend in a Coma, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, William, It Was Really Nothing, The Headmaster Ritual, Unhappy Birthday, Paint a Vulgar Picture, Bigmouth Strikes Again, What She Said, Death of Disco Dancer. 

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There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, This Charming Man, How Soon is Now?, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, I Know It's Over, Still Ill, Ask, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want, Hand In Glove, Meat is Murder, Barbarism Begins At Home, Panic, Girlfriend in a Coma, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, William, It Was Really Nothing, The Headmaster Ritual, Unhappy Birthday, Paint a Vulgar Picture, Bigmouth Strikes Again, What She Said, Death of Disco Dancer.

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The Smiths are undoubtedly another of the great Manchester bands that emerged in the 1980s. We've already talked a lot about Joy Division and the legacy they left in the late 1970s; something similar happens with the Stone Roses in the late 1980s and their pre-Britpop heritage. However, the Smiths are in the middle of all this, and you'll see that Morrissey's band shares very little in common with either of the Manchester groups. While it's true that the English produce excellent bands as often as Brazilians produce football players, what I'm saying is not at all insignificant: I think the special ingredient of Morrissey's group is that they are a kind of anomaly on the musical map in terms of artistic/commercial trends, but one that would help change the landscape for the future: The Smiths, along with R.E.M., are... And Sonic Youth, who undoubtedly inaugurated the alternative rock style, though with a surprisingly solid discography, being more fleeting and effective than that of American groups, perhaps because they weren't afraid of pop but rather absorbed it as part of their art, something that rock in the 90s would understand very well.

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This also sent a message to those who doubted the self-production of their albums: The Smiths would end this paradigm, and from then on, any band from England would want to control the production of their records. Does the term "indie" ring a bell? Well, while The Smiths weren't the first to self-produce, their pop approach to the matter greatly helped to break these kinds of chains.

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The story obviously takes us to Manchester in 1982. The young guitarist Johnny Maher, also known as Johnny Marr, was eager to form a band that could bring him success in the city. However, he was missing a crucial ingredient: a good vocalist who could also write lyrics. An acquaintance told him about a somewhat difficult guy who loved poetry and art, was a good melodic singer, and, above all, a very good lyricist. We're talking, of course, about Morrissey. Apparently, the idea of ​​forming a band gave Morrissey a new direction, as he had tried other things that hadn't worked out, such as being a music journalist. Finding refuge in culture, Morrissey and Marr named the band after one of the most common surnames in England: The Smiths. According to Morrissey, they chose the name because "it was the most common and ordinary name, and I thought it was time for the most ordinary people to show themselves to the world." Mike Joyce on drums and Andy Rourke, a friend of Marr's, completed the band's lineup.

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Over time, they developed a solid, smooth sound. Marr perfectly understood Morrissey's singing style and took charge of every arrangement for the group. He knew that was enough, as Morrissey would overwhelm with his lyrics and his distinctive voice. At the same time, he was able to incorporate his playing style in an era when most English bands preferred synthesizers to guitars, and he shaped what would become the characteristic rock guitarist of the future, one that didn't require virtuosos but rather originality (Graham Coxon, Tom Morello, Jonny Greenwood, and many others). In Marr's case, his masterful use of arpeggios, along with his minimalist approach to guitar effects, was more akin to rockabilly and surf than heavily distorted guitars.

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The Smiths' first album is marked by this minimalist phase of Marr's style and by Morrissey's romantic, literary rage. From then on, the formula would remain the same for Morrissey, who from the beginning would give the group a rather original calling card, from their lyrics to the strong Pop content in their entire aesthetic, from the album covers to the lyrics and stories behind the songs.

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In any case, their appearance caused a great stir, so much so that the New Musical Express had already named them the breakthrough band of 1983. Their 1984 album, titled after the group's name, would place them among the top 10 best-selling albums in all of England. By '85, they would release the compilation Hatful of Hollow, which included some singles and live recordings that would increase their popularity. By this year, they were, so to speak, a cult band in the islands; newspapers were already talking about "Jangle Pop," and even other groups with similar styles would emerge, such as Aztec Camera.

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That same year, they risked releasing another album. Meat Is Murder was the most daring for both of the band's leaders. For Marr, it was a much more experimental sound, both in terms of arrangements and guitar work, while for Morrissey, it added a political element, contrasting sharply with the romantic image of their first album. This period made him a prime target for the more conservative media, as he made strong statements expressing his opposition to Margaret Thatcher's government and the monarchy itself. This clearly led to Morrissey being singled out more than once, but it was during this time that he emerged as an indie pop icon. As for the album itself, its reception was somewhat more subdued than their debut, partly because it contrasted with the sound of the first album, serving as an experimental cornerstone for the next.

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By 1986, and amidst some tension with their record label, Rough Trade, they released their most emblematic album: The Queen Is Death. Even the title generated controversy, leading a Conservative MP to attempt to ban its sale, a move that ultimately failed. In any case, it is undoubtedly one of the band's best works, if not the best, and a key album for the decade itself. The album's sound is marked by Marr's meticulous guitar work, while simultaneously finding a balance with Morrissey's powerful, haunting ballads, which are undoubtedly the album's strongest point. Critics worldwide gave this album standing ovations, its impact extending beyond British borders, and it would eventually appear on lists of the best albums of the 80s, and even of British history according to NME last year.

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The Smiths didn't stop there, and the following year they released their fourth album: Strangeways, Here We Come. Another great album, not as politically charged as its predecessor, but with the band firmly established. Paradoxically, it would be the band's farewell, as friction began to arise between Morrissey and Marr, primarily artistic differences. Morrissey was already an unstoppable star, and his solo career was imminent. Furthermore, he was somewhat bothered by the band's growth, while Marr wanted to move away from ballads and explore his instrument more. Thus, they went their separate ways. Morrissey would release two excellent solo albums in the following years, beginning to forge the pop icon he is today, while Marr would go on to produce some interesting bands and form the supergroup Electronic with Bernard Sumner, formerly of Joy Division and current guitarist for New Order. Sumner would later also have a very successful solo career and become one of the leading guitar heroes of alternative rock.

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It was then, amidst some excellent posthumous compilations and little drama, that the band disbanded. This drama would come many years after the breakup, as a legal dispute between Joyce and the band's leaders, Marr and Morrissey, would trigger a legal battle over the economic rights to the songwriting. In any case, the conflict was resolved over time, but the personal brand remained primarily with Morrissey, this controversy being one of the main reasons for the band's failure to reunite, despite having received multimillion-dollar offers for one.

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In short, it goes without saying that The Smiths were a key band of the 80s. If you ask me, I'd say they were the best band of that decade, especially for maintaining the high quality of their albums, having perhaps the best singer/lyricist of their time, and a brilliant composer like Marr, who knew how to solidify the perfect sound for this singer. Perhaps they didn't invent anything new, but they set guidelines for not forgetting the artistic treatment of a musical product, something that was essential in the past, and which has been forgotten by almost the entire music market of that era. Perhaps, as their name suggests, The Smiths are quite common in certain aspects; however, their artistic approach was enough to achieve their moments of glory as a group.

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By Homer  

May/28/2015