Beautifully Threatening (The Smiths - The Smiths)

Member Name: Frank Bright

Product:	The Smiths - The Smiths
Date:	29/03/08 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing guitar riffs and insightful lyrics; Morrissey's intellectual presence

Disadvantages: Limited sound quality; sonic positives weren't emphasized enough

I would give this CD five stars if it weren't for certain recording deficiencies. Being a debut, I tend to imagine that Morrissey's voice was perhaps uncharted territory - I could be guessing on that, but his voice does sound a bit dry and lifeless on this CD compared to later recordings. I think it took a time or two before the right studio or microphone and/or reverb settings were chosen. I may not have the details right on that but the general sense of what I'm explaining is true enough.

This CD is still easily a classic however. Not to downplay Morrissey, but Johnny Marr's influence cannot be underestimated. His guitar riffs dance, threaten and slide into jazz territory all at the same time. He was clearly a master who was a quantum leap above his peers.

Morrissey never ceases to amaze with his ability to discover new sides of what used to be limited gay themes. 'Hand In Glove' and 'What Difference Does It Make' are good examples. His writing clearly shows someone in touch with gay emotions, even though to this day, Morrissey remains adamant that his sexuality is not defined.

His lyrics are always a double-edged sword - they hit the bulls eye often, like on 'Reel Around The Fountain': "It's time the tale were told of how you took a child and you made him old". But then the flip side of that gift finds Morrissey flirting with arrogance: "Oh, people see no worth in you, ah but I do." Of course, this could merely be very dry, British humor at play. The levels of irony do go much deeper with Morrissey as a lyricist than others of his time.

I do agree with some people's assessment that Morrissey was almost like Britain's version of Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Both have a larger than life presence about them with a clear intellectual charm. Seeing the early videos of The Smiths, they easily remind one of R.E.M. with their understated but artistic presence and Rickenbacker guitars.

But I digress. I find it thrilling that such a group that wrote about gay themes did so with some of the most amazing and most threatening rock riffs ever written. This above all is what I wish more people would recognize about The Smiths.

Summary: Easily A Classic