The Smiths - The Smiths flac mp3

During my teens the thing that put me off the Smiths was the leagues of their pretentious fans, all looking like facsimile copies of Morrissey, emulating his dance on the dance floor, singing along to all the songs, and sometimes even waving around daffodils. But, then maybe I was just a bit pretentious myself. In retrospect, I can appreciate what a great band the Smiths were. Morrissey is a rare character, truly unique, and Johnny Marr's style has been hugely influential. They rank as possibly the best band from the Alternative Rock scene, and this album has to rank as one of the best débuts of all time.

The Smiths’ 1984 self-titled debut is a memorable opener to a discography that has become a religion in the world of alternative music. This moody, melancholic record hosts three of The Smiths’ most iconic singles (Hand in Glove, This Charming Man, and What Difference Does It Make) and surrounds them with an eerie, dark, and intimate musical landscape which all gels together to make an excellent album. Here, we find Morrissey at his most vulnerable, crooning about poignant and often depressing bits and pieces of his youth, which swim around beautifully in Johnny Marr’s awesome jangly guitar constructions. That said, it is a stretch to name the self-titled album as the best in the Smiths’ discography; the flat, plastic-y and overblown production on this record fails to fully capture the raw essence of the band’s early magic (this album was released before the band began to work with engineer and producer Stephen Street), which is why the more stripped-down John Peel recordings of the same songs have become so beloved in the Smiths canon. Highlights: Still Ill, Reel Around the Fountain, This Charming Man

"I recognize that mystical air/It means I'd like to seize your underwear," Morrissey moans, and rock music was never the same. The Smiths' debut is a showcase for Morrissey's morose wit and Johnny Marr's guitar chime, trudging through England's cheerless marshes in "Still Ill" and "This Charming Man."

Best tracks:Reel Around The FountainThis Charming ManWhat Difference Does It MakeSuffer Little ChildrenA fantastic debut album, and very representative of the emotionally sobering post party vibe I've always gotten from The Smiths.

Arguably their strongest collection of songs and Morrissey's finest lyrics, before he became obsessed with just being 'Morrissey' The only thing that stops this frrom being perfect are the performances that anything but, just a bit flat and uninspired. Still a classic that gets better with age.

1984 saw the release of the highly influential, self-titled debut album by The Smiths. This record showcases the massive amounts of potential the band had to become one of Britain's most revered and influential artists. The album's sound is much rawer and at times more punk influenced than might be expected by someone who may only be familiar with the band's more well known songs. Tracks like "Miserable Lie," "Hand in Glove," and "What Difference Does it Make?" are the tracks that really show off that punk influence and raw aesthetic. That said the album mainly dives into much slower territory throughout its over 40 minutes, with a good portion of the songs feeling maybe a little too slow for their own good. The album really shines with the opener "Reel Around the Fountain," which is a great example of the band's more slower side, the faster paced and rhythmic "You've Got Everything Now," and possibly the band's most beloved song "This Charming Man." These tracks display the band's great chemistry and Morrissey's talent as a vocalist. Sadly, the album at points feels a little drawn out, with a few of these songs not having the same spark as the other tracks do. This creates an album listening experience that feels lopsided and not as tight as it could be. "Miserable Lie," "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," and the closer "Suffer Little Children" being the album's weaker and least memorable songs. That being said, the album on average is solid, it is just not as strong as it could have been. This average makes The Smiths' debut effort quite an impressive feat , especially being the band's first release. The record as a whole showcases their unique sound very well and shows why the band has became so revered since the over thirty years since this album's release. The Smiths' self-titled debut gets a rating of an light 8.2/10Favorite Tracks: Reel Around the Fountain, You've Got Everything Now, This Charming Man, and Hand in GloveLeast Favorite: Miserable Lie, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Suffer Little

It's rare that a group emerge with such a confident, well defined sound; the Smiths debut is gorgeous, self-assured and highly ambitious, not to mention one of the most influential albums of the era. With such a diminutive discography every drop of sound by the Smiths is an invaluable treasure.

Well... what to say about a band the NME newspaper considered even better than The Beatles? It's surely no small feat, but The Smiths' fanbase is so fierce, they would cut their heads to buy the last compilation around. And The Smiths weren't even as much progressive: they were traditionalists, with Morrisey being obsessed with his favorite female singers and Johnny Marr with The Pretenders and who cares about the others two. Since the main attraction were the two previous guys, it's natural their future path would have been blessed by everyone. Hailed as an alternative between Post-Punk and New Wave, no one seems to notice this band was essentially both the styles.Surely, the strong point (as said by everyone) are Morrisey's lyrics, but on their debut, they seem a bit unfocused and vague, connected they may be with poor-rich confrontations ("So who is rich and who is poor? / I cannot say / You are your mother's only son / And you're a desperate one / But I don't want a lover / I just want to be seen / In the back of your car."), asexuality ("End of the pier, end of the bay / You tug my arm, and say / : "Give in to lust, Give up to lust, oh / Heaven knows we'll soon be dust... " / Oh, I'm not the man you think I am / I'm not the man you think I am / And sorrow's native son / He will not rise for anyone.") soon contradicted by pedophiliac interests ("Climb up on my knee, sonny boy / Although you're only three, sonny boy / You're - you're mine / And your mother she just never knew."). The only direct song here, "Suffer Little Children", referring The Moors Murders ("Lesley-Anne, with your pretty white beads / Oh John, you'll never be a man / And you'll never see your home again / Oh Manchester, so much to answer for."), seems "Reel Around the Fountain Pt.2", obviously less effective.In fact, the album in general is too much ragged and less elegant when compared to their other albums, since the production is pretty awkward: if it was a colour, it would be similar to the album cover. The song selection is similarly minded, with high points ("Pretty Girls Make Graves", "What Difference Does It Make?") and a few abysmal ones ("Miserable Lie" doesn't need that Speed Metal coda). Also, Morrisey's musing gets unbereable on "This Charming Man" and "Still Ill", cutting their impact (and it's horrible, since the first is the best instrumental structure we found on the album). He takes it right when he talks about his personal frustrations, adopting a faux 50's pop ghostly bend on "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" or an arrogant personality on "Hand in Glove". The Smiths' debut is their worst studio album. But these urban poems have value, and still remain a good source of teenage angst, since at that age it's nearly impossible to find itself without imitating the others. And as a personality, Morrisey doesn't disappoint even when he disappoints. Highlights:"You've Got Everything Now", "Pretty Girls Make Graves", "What Difference Does It Make?"