The Smiths (album)

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The Smiths
The Smiths The Smiths.jpg
Studio album by
the Smiths
Released20 February 1984 (1984-02-20)
RecordedSeptember–November 1983
Studio
Genre
Length42:55 (original UK vinyl release)
45:36 (versions including "This Charming Man")
Label Rough Trade
Producer John Porter
The Smiths chronology
The Smiths
(1984)		 Hatful of Hollow
(1984)
Singles from The Smiths
  1. "What Difference Does It Make?"
    Released: 16 January 1984

The Smiths is the debut studio album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 20 February 1984 by Rough Trade Records. After the original production by Troy Tate was felt to be inadequate, John Porter re-recorded the album in London, Manchester and Stockport during breaks in the band's UK tour during September 1983.

Contents

The album was well received by critics and listeners, and reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the chart for 33 weeks. It established the Smiths as a prominent band in the 1980s music scene in the United Kingdom. The album also became an international success, peaking at number 45 in the European Albums Chart, [4] remaining in the chart for 21 weeks. [5] After its exit of the European chart, it then re-entered in the Hot 100 Albums from September for another run of three weeks. [6]

Production

After signing with independent record label Rough Trade, the Smiths began preparations to record their first album in mid 1983. Due to the suggestion of Rough Trade head Geoff Travis, the band selected Troy Tate (former guitarist of the Teardrop Explodes) as producer for sessions at Elephant studios in Wapping, London. [7] During the following month the group recorded fourteen songs. [8]

Guitarist Johnny Marr would later write in his autobiography that he "liked Troy...Troy's vision was to capture the way the band sounded live. He thought it was important that the record represented the way we were in the clubs and was an authentic document. He worked pretty tirelessly to get passion from a performance and was very nurturing with me..." However, the sessions would also prove to be arduous due to an ongoing heatwave in London. The Smiths were recording in a hot basement studio at Elephant, and according to Marr, not only was the heat uncomfortable but it made it difficult to keep their instruments in tune. [9]

While recording a BBC session for Dave Jensen in August 1983, The Smiths met producer John Porter, who was working in one of the studios. Travis, harbouring reservations about the group's session with Troy Tate, gave Porter a cassette of the sessions beforehand in the hopes that he could remix them. Porter told Travis that the sessions were "out of tune and out of time". Feeling the Tate sessions were unsalvageable, Porter offered to re-record the album himself. Despite praising the work with Tate, only a week prior, to the press by stating "we've done everything exactly right and it'll show", Smiths singer Morrissey accepted (as did Travis), while Marr hesitantly agreed. [8] Marr would later claim in his autobiography that when the band heard the finished work done under Tate, Morrissey didn't like the album and the others weren't entirely happy with the results either. "I could hear myself that the mixes sounded underproduced and were not the finished article that we needed as our introduction to the world," Marr wrote. "Why it was deemed necessary to scrap the album entirely rather than just mix it again I didn't know, but I wasn't going to make too much of it...it was a document of how the band really were at that point though...". [10]

The Smiths began work with Porter in September 1983. Due to tour commitments, the group had to make the record in a piecemeal fashion. Marr later recalled that "working with John immediately got us results...he and I formed a musical and personal relationship that was inspiring...he nurtured not just me but all the band". Recording started at London's Matrix Studios, with the majority of the work undertaken during a week's stay at Pluto, just outside Manchester. A final overdub session was performed at Eden Studios in London that November. [11] After listening to a finished mix of the album the following month, Morrissey told Porter and Travis that the album "wasn't good enough". However, the singer said that due to the album's cost of £6,000, "[they said] it has to be released, there's no going back". [12]

Artwork and packaging

The original image used in The Smiths album cover Flesh (1968) Joe Dallesandro and Louis Waldon (1200 dpi).jpg
The original image used in The Smiths album cover

The sleeve for The Smiths was designed by Morrissey. It features American actor Joe D'Allesandro in a cropped still from Andy Warhol's 1968 film Flesh . The photograph of Morrissey on the original card inner sleeve was taken at an early London concert by Romi Mori, who subsequently played bass guitar for the Gun Club.

Promotion

The single "What Difference Does It Make?" was released in January 1984, reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. [13]

Release

The album was released on 20 February 1984, and debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart. [12]

"This Charming Man" was included as the sixth track on all original US releases of the album on Sire Records (LP, CD and cassette) and on the UK cassette on Rough Trade. Since 1992, when WEA acquired the Smiths' catalogue, nearly all reissues worldwide also include this song, with the exceptions being a 2009 vinyl reissue on Rhino Records in both the US and the UK and the 2011 vinyl version box set collecting the Smiths albums titled "Complete".

Legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
Billboard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [17]
Pitchfork 8.8/10 [18]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
The Village Voice B− [23]

The music critic Garry Mulholland included it in his list of the 261 greatest albums since 1976 in Fear of Music: "The Smiths made safe their early legend with a debut album about child abuse. The production was flat and dour, yet it succeeded in conjuring yet another Manchester-in-song, distinctly different from that of Ian Curtis and Mark E. Smith. But everything about The Smiths ran contrary to mid-80s pop, from Joe Dallesandro on the cover to the restrained jangling of the songs, but mainly through Moz's [Morrissey's nickname] dramatised disgust at sex, which here exists to ruin true love at best, and to ruin an entire young life at worst." [24]

Slant Magazine listed the album at 51 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s" saying "There's no reason why a mordant, sexually frustrated disciple of Oscar Wilde who loved punk but crooned like a malfunctioning Sinatra should've teamed up with a fabulously inventive guitarist whose influences were so diffuse that it could be hard to hear them at all and formed one of the greatest songwriting duos of the '80s." [25] PopMatters included the album on their list of "12 Essential Alternative Rock Albums from the 1980s" saying: "Morrissey's career are fully accounted for on The Smiths, where they are rendered all the more piercing by Johnny Marr's delicate guitar-picking and John Porter's stark production". [1]

In 1989, the album was ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. [26] In 2003, the album was #481 on that magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [27] The magazine ranked it at #473 on an updated list in 2012, calling it "a showcase for Morrissey's morose wit and Johnny Marr's guitar chime". [28] The album was ranked number 51 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time. [29] It placed at number 73 in The Guardian 's list of the 100 Best Albums Ever in 1997. [30]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Morrissey; all music is composed by Johnny Marr

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Reel Around the Fountain"5:58
2."You've Got Everything Now"3:59
3."Miserable Lie"4:29
4."Pretty Girls Make Graves"3:44
5."The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (quotation from "Sonny Boy" by Ray Henderson, Lew Brown and Al Jolson)4:38
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Still Ill"3:23
7."Hand in Glove"3:25
8."What Difference Does It Make?"3:51
9."I Don't Owe You Anything"4:05
10."Suffer Little Children"5:28
US LP/cassette and UK cassette
No.TitleLength
6."This Charming Man"2:41

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for The Smiths
Chart (1984)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [32] 77
European Top 100 Albums [4] 45
UK Albums [33] 2
US Billboard 200 [34] 150

Certifications

Certifications for The Smiths
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smiths</span> English rock band (1982–1987)

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band’s songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Marr</span> Musician (born 1963)

John Martin Marr is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career.

<i>The Queen Is Dead</i> 1986 studio album by the Smiths

The Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by the English rock band the Smiths, released on 16 June 1986, by Rough Trade Records. The album was produced by the band's singer, Morrissey, and their guitarist, Johnny Marr, working predominantly with engineer Stephen Street who engineered the Smiths' previous album, Meat Is Murder (1985). Marr wrote several songs while the Smiths toured Britain in early 1985, working out arrangements with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce during soundchecks. The album title is taken from American writer Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1964 novel, Last Exit to Brooklyn. The cover art features the French actor Alain Delon in the 1964 film L'Insoumis.

<i>Strangeways, Here We Come</i> 1987 studio album by the Smiths

Strangeways, Here We Come is the fourth and final studio album by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on 28 September 1987 by Rough Trade Records, several months after the group disbanded. All of the songs were composed by Johnny Marr, with lyrics written and sung by Morrissey.

<i>Meat Is Murder</i> 1985 studio album by the Smiths

Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 11 February 1985 by Rough Trade Records. It became the band's only studio album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. The album was an international success: it spent 11 weeks in the European Top 100 Albums chart, peaking at number 29. It also reached number 110 on the US Billboard 200 in the United States.

<i>Hatful of Hollow</i> 1984 compilation album by the Smiths

Hatful of Hollow is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 12 November 1984 by Rough Trade Records. The album features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single "Hand in Glove" and two new singles and their B-sides. It was eventually released in the United States on 9 November 1993 by Sire Records, who had initially declined to release the album in the US. Sire instead released Louder Than Bombs in the US in 1987—which is effectively a hybrid of Hatful of Hollow and a subsequent UK compilation album The World Won't Listen plus some tracks which do not appear on either.

<i>The World Wont Listen</i> 1987 compilation album by the Smiths

The World Won't Listen is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 23 February 1987 by Rough Trade Records. The album is the second of three compilation albums—the others being Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs—released by the Smiths while they were still an active band. It reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the charts for 15 weeks. In the United States Louder Than Bombs was released in place of The World Won't Listen.

<i>Louder Than Bombs</i> 1987 compilation album by the Smiths

Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. It peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Popular demand prompted their British record company, Rough Trade, to issue the album domestically as well. Upon its release in the UK in May 1987, it reached No. 38 on the British charts. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 365 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and ranked No. 369 on a 2012 revised list. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoplifters of the World Unite</span> 1987 single by the Smiths

"Shoplifters of the World Unite" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Morrissey's lyrics, which endorsed shoplifting and referenced Karl Marx, were controversial at the time of the song's release. Musically, the song continues the glam rock styling of other Smiths singles during the period and includes a short guitar solo from Marr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panic (The Smiths song)</span> 1986 single by the Smiths

"Panic" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, released in 1986 and written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The first recording to feature new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, exhorting listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation. The song was released by Rough Trade as a single and reached No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 11 in the UK Chart. Morrissey considered the song's appearance on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There Is a Light That Never Goes Out</span> 1992 single by the Smiths

"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and lead vocalist Morrissey. Featured on the band's third studio album The Queen Is Dead (1986), it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom until 1992, five years after their split, to promote the compilation album ...Best II. It peaked at No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 22 on the Irish Singles Chart. The song has received considerable critical acclaim; in 2014, NME listed it as the 12th-greatest song of all time. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 226 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Charming Man</span> 1983 single by The Smiths

"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust. A different version, from the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1, was included on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ask (song)</span> 1986 single by The Smiths

"Ask" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single on 20 October 1986 through Rough Trade Records. Credited to vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, "Ask" is an ostensibly upbeat, positive pop song built around major chords. Its lyrics discuss shyness and encourage listeners to overcome their inhibitions. Its multiple guitar parts and complex production led to disagreements regarding its final mix. Craig Gannon, who at the time was rhythm guitarist for the group, has claimed he wrote – and was denied credit for – the song's chord structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hand in Glove</span> 1983 single by The Smiths

"Hand in Glove" is the debut single by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was released in May 1983 on independent record label Rough Trade. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Indie Chart but did not make the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart, settling outside at No. 124.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girlfriend in a Coma (song)</span> 1987 single by the Smiths

"Girlfriend in a Coma" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the first of three UK singles from the band's fourth and final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come. Inspired by the song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", "Girlfriend in a Coma" features a lilting acoustic guitar line performed by Marr and lyrics about a hospital-bound lover sung by Morrissey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheila Take a Bow</span> 1987 single by the Smiths

"Sheila Take a Bow" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Featuring a glam rock-style beat and guitar riff, the song was originally planned to feature Sandie Shaw on backing vocals, but Shaw's distaste for the song and Morrissey's illness during her session resulted in the vocals not being used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Started Something I Couldn't Finish</span> 1987 single by The Smiths

"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" is a song by the English rock band The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr and released on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come. Featuring a glam rock-inspired guitar riff, the song emerged from a jam during the "Sheila Take a Bow" sessions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me</span> 1987 single by the Smiths

"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It appears as the sixth track on the band's final album Strangeways, Here We Come (1987). It features a backdrop of crowd noises from the miners' strike of 1984–85. The song is a favourite of both Morrissey and Marr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before</span> 1987 single by the Smiths

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The song was first released on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come. Marr's music features a larger sound, courtesy of a 12-string Gibson ES-335, and one of his few guitar solos with the Smiths. Morrissey's lyrics allude to alcohol and deception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Soon Is Now?</span> 1985 song by the Smiths

"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow and on US, Canadian, Australian, and Warner UK editions of Meat Is Murder. Belatedly released as a single in the UK in 1985, it reached No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 1992, it reached No. 16.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hope Despite the Times: 12 Essential Alternative Rock Albums from the 1980s". PopMatters . 27 August 2014. p. 1. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Blender's 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever". Stereogum . 14 November 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Jackson, Josh (13 July 2016). "The 50 Best Post-Punk Albums". Paste . Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 "European Hot 100 Albums Chart" (PDF). Music & Media. 19 March 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  5. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums Chart" (PDF). Music & Media. 13 August 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums Chart" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 September 1984. p. 14. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. ↑ Goddard 2003, p. 34.
  8. 1 2 Goddard 2003, p. 35.
  9. ↑ Marr 2016, p. 174.
  10. ↑ Marr 2016, p. 175.
  11. ↑ Goddard 2003, p. 46.
  12. 1 2 Goddard 2003, p. 87.
  13. ↑ Goddard 2003, p. 81.
  14. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Smiths – The Smiths". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  15. ↑ Payne, Chris (20 February 2014). "'The Smiths' at 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  16. ↑ Power, Tony (October 2004). "The Smiths: The Smiths". Blender . No. 30. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  17. ↑ Kot, Greg (7 July 1991). "The Smiths And Solo". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  18. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (18 November 2011). "The Smiths: The Smiths Complete". Pitchfork . Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  19. 1 2 Cavanagh, David (December 1993). "Irreproachable". Q . No. 87. p. 139.
  20. ↑ Loder, Kurt (21 June 1984). "The Smiths". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "The Smiths". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  753–754. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  22. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (August 1998). "The Smiths Discography". Uncut . No. 15. p. 67.
  23. ↑ Christgau, Robert (29 May 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  24. ↑ Garry Mulholland, Fear of Music, p.164 ISBN   0-7528-6831-4
  25. ↑ The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s Archived 14 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ Rollingstone retrieved 16 October 2011, 20:52 BST
  27. ↑ Levy, Joe (2005). Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . Wenner. p. 212. ISBN   978-1-932958-61-4.
  28. ↑ Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone – Special Collectors Issue – The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. ISBN   978-7-09-893419-6
  29. ↑ "100 Best Debut Albums Ever". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2013.
  30. ↑ "The Guardian 100 Best Albums Ever List, 1997". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  31. ↑ "The Smiths – The Smiths". Discogs. 20 February 1984. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  32. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 279. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  33. ↑ Roberts, David. British Hit Singles and Albums. Guinness World Records Limited.
  34. ↑ "The Smiths". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – The Smiths – The Smiths". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 4 May 2019.

Works cited

Further reading

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