# The Strange Magic of: The Smiths



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The Smiths can be interestingly discussed in conjunction with their contemporaries, R.E.M., in that they each dominated their respective natural constituencies on their own sides of the pond for quite some time, and have both attained legendary status. The two bands chose to emphasize different approaches, both musically and lyrically. While R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe specialized in often indecipherable lyrics--which often remained stubbornly unclear even after translation into Standard English, R.E.M. offered a more diverse musical palette to accompany the problematic lyrics. The Smith's Morrissey instead specialized in clearly articulated and easily understood lyrics--often of unsettling directness and cogency--set into a relatively simple sonic matrix that allowed the lyrics to be most fully absorbed. Hearing The Smiths for the first time could be an unsettling experience for those used to more standard fare. Here is _How Soon is Now_.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2016)

I loved the Smiths - one of the main bands I listened to in the 80's, along with the Cure, Depeche Mode, and New Order. You focus on the lyrics of Morrissey, but the Smiths were equally the musicianship of Johnny Marr. Their work afterwards shows that, while they are still very talented, with the Smiths, the whole was far greater than the sum of its parts.

How Soon is Now is a classic, but I was a much bigger fan of the songs on the Queen is Dead album.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

DrMike said:


> I loved the Smiths - one of the main bands I listened to in the 80's, along with the Cure, Depeche Mode, and New Order.


Most excellent taste! (That means, much like mine )


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Strange Magic said:


> The Smiths can be interestingly discussed in conjunction with their contemporaries, R.E.M., in that they each dominated their respective natural constituencies on their own sides of the pond for quite some time, and have both attained legendary status. The two bands chose to emphasize different approaches, both musically and lyrically. While R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe specialized in often indecipherable lyrics--which often remained stubbornly unclear even after translation into Standard English, R.E.M. offered a more diverse musical palette to accompany the problematic lyrics. The Smith's Morrissey instead specialized in clearly articulated and easily understood lyrics--often of unsettling directness and cogency--set into a relatively simple sonic matrix that allowed the lyrics to be most fully absorbed. Hearing The Smiths for the first time could be an unsettling experience for those used to more standard fare. Here is _How Soon is Now_.


The Smiths (both music and lyrics) in some ways are simple, but deceptively so. Morrissey's lyrics are often quite multi-faceted, and mysterious. Instrumentally The Smiths tunes are notoriously difficult to play - much more so than REM. Their music is intricately layered and rich in subtle dissonance and jazzy harmonies.

A great example is the track _Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others_. The lyrics seem pretty straight forward in some ways - but are they? What is the song really about?

Musically the track is in a pop vein and quite catchy, yet on close inspection it is densely packed with layers of riffs and subtle brilliant dissonances. Most of their music is like this - simultaneously simple and complex. I think only the best artists in any given genre can create music that has such a fine balance of simplicity and sophistication.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I don't listen to the Smiths much these days but I thought they were one of the finest singles bands during the 80s: between 1983 and 1987 they had fifteen singles that reached the top thirty but only one of them broke the top ten - this was probably due to the band not really being cheesy enough for the pap-peddling Radio One DJ Mafia who helped manipulate the chart in favour of the usual fey electro-pop, New Romantic clothes horses and proto-boy band suspects. My favourite track? _How Soon Is Now_ (which reached a grudging 24...).


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## Dr Johnson (Jun 26, 2015)

How Soon Is Now? is my favourite Smiths' song.

A great song by any standards.

In fact I am listening to it now.


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

tdc said:


> The Smiths (both music and lyrics) in some ways are simple, but deceptively so. Morrissey's lyrics are often quite multi-faceted, and mysterious. Instrumentally The Smiths tunes are notoriously difficult to play - much more so than REM. Their music is intricately layered and rich in subtle dissonance and jazzy harmonies.
> 
> A great example is the track _Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others_. The lyrics seem pretty straight forward in some ways - but are they? What is the song really about?
> 
> Musically the track is in a pop vein and quite catchy, yet on close inspection it is densely packed with layers of riffs and subtle brilliant dissonances. Most of their music is like this - simultaneously simple and complex. I think only the best artists in any given genre can create music that has such a fine balance of simplicity and sophistication.


Indeed - Marr was the greatest pop guitarist of that generation imho, his guitar sound was unique and his arrangements were constantly inspired. Since getting obsessed with CM I rarely listen to anything else, but when I stick any one of the first 3 Smiths albums on I listen all through and am reminded they will never fade. Them and Joy Div are the two greats from that period of British music imo. (Got a feeling Dr Mike may agree re Joy Div....)


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2016)

Yes, I love Joy Division, as well as its offspring, New Order. I have sloughed off a great deal of music that I once listened to - mostly punk. But I retain my Joy Division collection. I was too young to appreciate them when they were still in existence, but came to them in reverse from my love of New Order, and before their resurgence in popularity.

The great thing about bands like the Smiths (and the others I have mentioned here) is how non-idiomatic they were at the time. These days, you turn on the radio, and you can hear any number of iterations of the same basic pop model. Now granted, I wouldn't call a band like the Smiths "pop," but they were so different than most everything else at the time, even within the new wave/post punk community. Morrissey's lyrics were witty, if not sometimes overly preachy. Yes, his narcissism - perhaps even more overblown once he no longer had the counterpoint of Marr - worked well in this setting. And while we talk only of Marr and Morrissey, even the other two, often over-looked members, Andy Roarke and Mike Joyce, worked so well together.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

_Call me morbid, call me pale
I've spent too long on your trail
Far too long
Chasing your tail
Oh..._

That's the story of my teenage years!


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## juliante (Jun 7, 2013)

DrMike said:


> Yes, I love Joy Division, as well as its offspring, New Order. I have sloughed off a great deal of music that I once listened to - mostly punk. But I retain my Joy Division collection. I was too young to appreciate them when they were still in existence, but came to them in reverse from my love of New Order, and before their resurgence in popularity.
> 
> The great thing about bands like the Smiths (and the others I have mentioned here) is how non-idiomatic they were at the time. These days, you turn on the radio, and you can hear any number of iterations of the same basic pop model. Now granted, I wouldn't call a band like the Smiths "pop," but they were so different than most everything else at the time, even within the new wave/post punk community. Morrissey's lyrics were witty, if not sometimes overly preachy. Yes, his narcissism - perhaps even more overblown once he no longer had the counterpoint of Marr - worked well in this setting. And while we talk only of Marr and Morrissey, even the other two, often over-looked members, Andy Roarke and Mike Joyce, worked so well together.


I agree with all that...then reading morimur's excerpt on following thread reminded me of the thing that is always primary for me in pop / rock - they had fantastic melodies.


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## acitak 7 (Jun 26, 2016)

I am not really a lyrics person, for me its all about the melody, That said I think the greatest combination of music and lyrics in the history of pop/rock music is What Difference Does It Make by The Smiths. MASTERPIECE


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

My favourite in their repertoire is the gorgeous _There is a light that never goes out_:


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## Keef (Jun 30, 2016)

They were great but it's a pity how inconsequential their respective post-breakup works have been. And Morrissey turned out to be an even bigger prat than he seemed at the time.


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## EarthBoundRules (Sep 25, 2011)

Art Rock said:


> My favourite in their repertoire is the gorgeous _There is a light that never goes out_:


That's my favourite too.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

IN the interval that has passed since I first posted this SM of the Smiths, the Warner Music Group has pulled those videos, and so _Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now_ . But, for now, I can share my misery with The Smiths....


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

And here's another try at _How Soon is Now_. Life can go on.


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