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I went to Best Buy the other day and found this album for about $10 or so called "The Sounds of the Smiths". It is a compilation album and I enjoyed it, for the most part.

Marr and the other guys in the band are extremely talented, for children of the 80s who were big rock fans, this stuff could be considered nostalgic. My only complaint is that I cannot understand was Morrisey is singing. There are a couple songs where it sounds like he's singing about how he wants to kill someone?

Whatever the case may be, I'm a Smiths fan now!

JakeK wrote: My only complaint is that I cannot understand was Morrisey is singing. There are a couple songs where it sounds like he's singing about how he wants to kill someone?

You're hitting on one thing that's so great about the Smiths. Morrissey has a cutting, dark sense of humor, and a lot of his lyrics are very funny. But they are double edged sword, sometimes they are very funny and very true to life! Such as, "In my life, why do I smile... at people who I'd much rather kick in the eye." Anyone who's dealt with Paypal customer service can relate to that!

I think when I got into the Smiths, Morrissey was the thing that held me back at first... I wasn't used to hearing a vocalist like that. But I think he's awesome, he has a British sensibility that you don't often see. His lyrics with the Smiths are really great and unique.

The first 3 records are what I would call essential, along with Hatful Of Hollow which are BBC sessions and B-sides.

My fav. is Strangeways, Here We Come captured a moment that i really loved and played this when it came out for ages,still got my old cassette that i bought somewhere From the opener of A Rush & A Push im hooked.Great band, great musicians great LP.

Opening lines I am the ghost of Troubled Joe
Hung by his pretty white neck
Some eighteen months ago
I travelled to a mystical time zone
And I missed my bed
And I soon came home

They said :
"There's too much caffeine
In your bloodstream
And a lack of real spice
In your life"
Class!

That's a great one. That's one of the very few songs with no guitar on them whatsoever.

egosheep wrote:That's a great one. That's one of the very few songs with no guitar on them whatsoever.

all i can think of is that one and "asleep." any other guitarless songs come to mind. is there guitar on the lovely "i won't share you"? or is that all mandolin? hmmm...

JakeK wrote:I went to Best Buy the other day and found this album for about $10 or so called "The Sounds of the Smiths". It is a compilation album and I enjoyed it, for the most part.

Marr and the other guys in the band are extremely talented, for children of the 80s who were big rock fans, this stuff could be considered nostalgic. My only complaint is that I cannot understand was Morrisey is singing. There are a couple songs where it sounds like he's singing about how he wants to kill someone?

Whatever the case may be, I'm a Smiths fan now!

the Smiths is a life changing group. i highly recommend investing in their proper albums and also the comps "hatful of hollow" and "the world won't listen."

suedehead71 wrote:

egosheep wrote:That's a great one. That's one of the very few songs with no guitar on them whatsoever.

all i can think of is that one and "asleep." any other guitarless songs come to mind. is there guitar on the lovely "i won't share you"? or is that all mandolin? hmmm...

Asleep would be another. I Won't Share You is all autoharp, so that would qualify too.

Morrissey is, without a doubt, the most educated man in RnR. In fact, only his singing style and persona have kept **some** people from realizing what a brilliant lyricist he is. I mean the wit and subtle humor of his songs are incredible.

Ex #1 (of many good choices) portion of:

Cemetry Gates

You say : "'Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn"
And you claim these words as your own
But I've read well, and I've heard them said
A hundred times (maybe less, maybe more)
If you must write prose/poems
The words you use should be your own
Don't plagiarise or take "on loan"
'Cause there's always someone, somewhere
With a big nose, who knows
And who trips you up and laughs
When you fall
Who'll trip you up and laugh
When you fall


You say : "'Ere long done do does did"
Words which could only be your own
And then produce the text
From whence was ripped
(Some dizzy whore, 1804)

A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine

----------------------------------------------


Just a simple song about artistic ambition and originality, but Morrissey delivers it with such piercing and clever wit it's amazing.

Also check out lyrics to stuff like I Know Its Over. Amazing lyrics.




As for Marr.....to quote Liam Gallagher, "Marr? The man is a wizard....there is simply nothing he cannot do on the guitar," which seems like the most accurate statement I could think of him too. Just incredible dexterity and draws from a wide palette.

some of my favorite morrissey lyrics:

'what she asked of me at the end of the day
caligula would have blushed'

'scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen
this means you really love me'

'Gasping - but somehow still alive
This is the fierce last stand of all I am'

'and when i'm lying in my bed
i think about life and i think about death
and neither one
particularly appeals to me'


so many great lyrics!!! it changed my life. a Lot.

so much so, i was compelled to write this:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/You-Me ... in+nasseri