The Smiths - Recommendations?
 

Hey Smiths fans. Am just getting into this great band and I am looking for recommendations. I have 'Meat is Murder' and 'Louder Than Bombs'. What else is worth buying?

Also, can anyone recommend some good solo Morrisey solo albums?

Thanks.

"The Queen Is Dead" is considered by many to be the best Smiths album. You can always start by buying any of their various greatest hits cds.

"Bona Drag" by Morrisey is very good. You might also start with one of his greatest hits cds.

But which Smiths/Morrisey hits cd would you recommend?

There's so many, and they all have a lot of duplicate tracks. The first Smiths album I bought was Hatful of Hollow, originally only available as an import. It is a collection of early singles, b-sides, and radio recordings. It's excellent. Probably better is Louder Than Bombs, since it came out a couple of years later, so the choice of songs was wider. It is a collection of a-sides, b-sides, and album tracks, and gives an excellent overview of the band's output, even if some of their best songs aren't on it. I think the "Singles" and "Hits" CDs are possibly not the best way to start.

The Smiths were a strange band, because some of their best songs were album tracks, some were a-sides, some were b-sides, some were only on 12" singles, etc. I have a ton of their stuff because of this.

"Bona Drag" IS a compilation of early Morrissey. Get that and "Vauxhall and I" to start (and possibly end). These to me are as good as much of the Smiths catalogue.

If I had to choose only two Smiths CD's it would be "Queen is Dead" + "Louder Than Bombs". Of course, that leaves out "How Soon is Now?" which is obviously essential... but I see you have that song anyway on "Meat...".

I think their most consistent work is The Queen is Dead, personally.

Queen is Dead is probably my favorite Smiths CD, but Louder than Bombs just has an insane amount of great songs on it.

I thought his solo work Vauxhall and I was as strong as anything from the Smiths, with masterful production by Steve Lillywhite.

Southpaw Grammar had a number of really fantastic songs, but it also included that monstrous experiment where he put lyrics to a classical music riff, and it seems to go on for about 10 minutes......

Seriously you can not go wrong with any Smiths album, and they have very few bad songs. The only song of theirs I dislike really is "How Soon is Now?". I HATE HATE HATE that song. Shows nothing worthwhile of their talent (atleast Marrs and Morrisseys) I know I will probably get a lot of flack for that since that seems to be everybodys favorite Smiths song...probably because it is the only one they know.

Next things to pick up: Hatful of Hollow and Queen is Dead.

Morrissey: Bona Drag, Viva Hate, Your Arsenal, Kill Uncle (in that order) after that I can not get into his stuff. Just lacks something IMO.

Next step. Buy everything Marr is found on. Talking Heads, The The, Electronic... ;)

The Queen is Dead, obviously, but solo-wise, Your Arsenal and Viva Hate are pretty cool, but Bona Drag is a great compilation.

The second Smith CD should be either Hatful of Hollow or Meat Is Murder....oh sod it, track it all down, even Morrissey's most bland album, Kill Uncle has some good stuff on it!

Hell yeah, you should catch MAJOR flack! But I won't dish it out since you like the Smiths. At least that's something good ;) You'd really rank "Kill Uncle" above "Vauxhall and I" though? "Kill Uncle" is easily the worst thing Morrissey has ever been involved with.

I don't know why but I have a soft spot in my heart for that album. Probably just the time of my life when that album came out. I don't know why, I do recognize that it is not a great album, but it has some fine moments on it. For me those make up for the bad parts.

I really wish I knew why people like 'How Soon is Now?' I just do not get it. I skip that song when it comes up on the albums, change the station when its on the radio. Cringe when it is in movies. Morrissey is not so bad in it, but Marr's playing is just crappy and would have been so much better done another way IMO. He is such an ingenius guitar player.

IMO they "rank" like this (pun intended):

1. The Queen is Dead
2. Meat is Murder
3. Louder Than Bombs
4. Hatful of Hollow
5. The Smiths
6. Strangeways Here We Come
7. The World Won't Listen
8. Rank (live)

The best of Volume 1 & 2 would be a great place to start. Or, the abridged version, Singles.

I remember vividly the first time I heard that song in '85. It blew my socks off. Never heard anything like it and it still has a timeless quality to it. I love this band and even though that song has gotten plenty of play I would have to rank it #1 of all their songs. I think that song is one of Marr's high points in creativity. I'm really surprised you hate that song!

Morrissey's new single "Irish Blood, English Heart" impressed me. New album will be some of his ahem...loudest work yet.

Ummmm, everything!

But I'm biased. You can find the Smiths discs now for rather cheap. Here in Canada you can get 2 for $25 in most stores.

I'd have to agree with that. I'm a big Smiths fan, and really appreciate their body of work, but that song kind of transcends the band, IMO---kind of like Love Will Tear Us Apart from Joy Division.

jay77 .. you already have the two best albums to start off with. The next step (imho of course), would be ..
The Queen is Dead ... (for The Smiths)
and ..
Vauxhall and I ... (for Morrissey solo) .. though his live album is fantastic.

btw .. I just looove "How Soon Is Now?" .. and I've even used the title words as a catchphrase in day-to-day conversation.

Like everyone else before me who said the same, "The Queen is Dead" is THE best Smiths album :)

Thanks all. I have ordered queen, strangeways, vauxhall & bona drag.

Got all four cds from half.com (all shrinkwrapped) for $30!

... and an email just rolled in to notify me that Morrissey is playing 5 dates in NYC during May!

For you Morrisey devotee's, this month's GQ has an interview and big photo spread of the man himself...

What venue is he playing?

The Queen Is Dead isn't just The Smiths best album, it's also one of the best albums of the 80's, period.

I'm surprised Your Arsenal isn't being touted more. I think it's easily Morrissey's best, and on par with the better Smiths material.

Also, everyone should check out David Bowie's cover of "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" from his album Black Tie, White Noise.

Morrissey is playing at the Apollo Theatre, NYC, on May, 3, 4, 6, 7 & 8.
Booking opens this Sat at noon.

Seeing as you already have Louder, I see the Smiths progression as:
1. Hatful of Hollow (which has a lot of the same songs as Louder but different versions and remixes, also it came out before Louder, not after. It's more focused on their early years)
2. Queen is Dead (probably their best album)
3. The Smiths (first album, absolutely great)
4. Singles (which is, IMO, better than Louder than Bombs)
5. Strangeways (which is very underrated, IMO).


Definitely delve into Morrissey, a lot of his material is just as good as anything the Smiths ever did. His solo stuff is like "Curb Your Enthusiam" to the Smith's "Seinfeld": the same motifs (Wilde-like sarcasm and wit with a nasty edge, great guitar riffs) are magnified and clarified. I'd go with:

1. Bona Drag (a terrific collection of early singles and B sides)
2. Vauxhall and I (probably his best solo album and one of my favorite all time albums)
3. Your Arsenal (probably his second best solo album).

Like other people have said, a lot of their best material is on singles and B sides, so don't be shy about getting comps.