Pure genious from the Morrissey and Marr school of music... (The Smiths - The Smiths)

Member Name: firkin2hat

Product:	The Smiths - The Smiths
Date:	10/11/08 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Every track as good as the last, some are even better!

Disadvantages: None whatsoever, apart from the Guildhall...

After having listened to part of this album in the Radio 1 archives of live sessions (The Smiths were regulars) I was instantly hooked and spent the next decade listening, collecting and watching them perform.
I saw them live one and a half times, second time Morrissey was bottled off the stage by some idiot in Preston Guild hall, but the piece de resistance was the G-Mex gig at the Festival Of Festival Of The 10th Summer in 1986.
The album release date was 1984, and it began a love affair with me over the next 2 decades with The Smiths.
Taking the singles released prior to this album, the obvious choice for recognition would be "This Charming Man", Morrissey / Marr at their finest, tongue in cheek, melodic, slightly awkward, but utterly brilliant.
Then follow that up with "What difference does it make" equally brilliant but in a more complicated way - lyrically and musically, this is what made Morrissey and Marr compared to Lennon and McCartney.
"Hand in glove" is a departure from the other album tracks, firstly because it always reminds me of the Sandy Shaw version, although Morrissey is better vocally.
The rest of the album is still filled with an equal amount of quality, but where you may think that with the singles out of the way, the album disappears, you're wrong. The single greatest stand alone track for me is the fantastic "Reel around the fountain".
If ever there was a track which should have brought the irreplaceable John Peel to tears, then this is that track. Full on dramatic lyrics, arguably some of the best lines Morrissey has written. Slow burning passion for a jilted generation.
If you don't own a copy of this album, you weren't a part of the 80's, however you have an opportunity to redeem yourself by buying one now...get it on your iPod!

Summary: Cheap as chips, buy it now.