The Smiths - The Smiths Reviews

The Smiths (1984) Producer: John Porter, The Smiths Reel Around the Fountain You've Got Everything Now Miserable Lie Pretty Girls Make Graves The Hand That Rocks the Cradle This Charming Man (Not included on original UK release) Still Ill Hand in Glove What Difference Does It ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

Throughout the 1980s The Smiths had a huge following whose devotion to the songs of Morrissey and Johnny Marr was legendary. The band had the rarity for the time of enjoying huge critical acclaim as well as reasonable chart success in the singles and albums charts. I make no apologies for referring to The Smiths as being Morrissey and Marr as ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

The Smiths long awaited debut album was first released in 1984 and, although the production raised a few eyebrows (of which more later), it served as an interesting and often inspired introduction to the short lived but fondly remembered group. The potential of the group was immediately apparent from the record. With their tall and ...  Read the complete review

The Smiths' self-titled debut album, released in 1984, met with NME's usual critical acclaim. Y'know, "the next Stones", "have the new Beatles arrived?", all the usual questions they feel obliged to ask of a new band at least once a year. Although you'd generally be foolish to listen to their opinion too ...  Read the complete review

This has to be one of the most influential lPs of the 80's whilst much of the mainstream music output at this time was highly polished glitzy pop ABC, Wham, Human League etc. The smiths arrived and really shook up the pop tree with a sound less superficial and a lot more real. The predominant outstanding element of this debut album ...  Read the complete review