the smiths - 'i know it's over (live version)'

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One of the stand out tracks from their live Rank album.

The Smiths - 'the hand that rocks the cradle'

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Lyrics that cut as sharp as this are rare indeed.

the smiths - 'suffer little children'

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The Smiths debut album was released on this day in 1984. This track still sounds as hard-hitting now as it did then. Manchester, so much to answer for.

the smiths - 'the boy with the thorn in his side'

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'The Queen Is Dead' was released this day in 1986 and what an album it was, undoubtedly one of the classic 80s albums. 

the smiths - 'that joke isn't funny anymore'

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The album 'Meat Is Murder' was released 30 years ago yesterday. That fact makes me feel very, very old but glad I was there when it was released. As with a lot of working-class British teenagers I felt that The Smiths were the first band that actually understood what it was to be me. Looking at the tracklisting of the album, I'm not sure it dates as well as The Queen Is Dead or Strangeways Here I Come but there's still some great tracks on there, few better than this classic.

the smiths - 'bigmouth strikes again'

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Here's a tune I haven't listened to for ages.

the smiths - 'half a person (unreleased john peel session)'

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I recently discovered this John Peel version of, possibly, my all-time favourite Smiths song. Oh, those lyrics are just so beautiful.

the smiths - 'bigmouth strikes again'

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Perfect!

the smiths - 'half a person'

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Inspired by my brother's excellent music tastes I'm posting this track which blew me away when I first heard it. Far be it for me to usurp Morrissey's songwriting talents but I've always thought the line "have you got a vacancy for a pub singer?" would have fitted rather than repeating the "backscrubber" line. 

classic album corner - the queen is dead

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I haven't given this the time of day in years but, on a whim, I'm listening to it now with my 2 children and we all agree that it's dated extremely well. I'm so glad that there was a band around when I was a child that could articulate so many feelings into so many great songs. I dare say that the Smiths have quite literally saved some poor chap's sanity. I'm not sure if they saved mine but they certainly made me laugh and cry. I don't think you can give higher praise to a song.

the smiths - i know it's over (live)

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This is from the 'Rank' live album recorded in 1986. It has one of my favourite ever soaring finales to a Smiths song as Morrissey builds and builds that last line to an incredible conclusion whilst Marr provides the stunning background for this beautiful/tragic musical portrait.

there's always someone somewhere

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This afternoon I shall mainly be listening to the Smiths

Cemetery Gates

Half a Person

Death of a Disco Dancer

Frankly Mr Shankly

last night i dreamt that somebody loved me

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I've been in bed with my laptop going through the new releases on Beatport minimal techno charts and I came across a tune that sampled another dance tune. It bugged me for ages about where I'd heard the sample. It was a tune I'd played lots and lots of times but I play so much music that I kind of gave up trying to guess it. I hate it when that happens...but it's then just come to me. I can now go to sleep without it worrying me.

Anyway, the tune provides me with a brilliant excuse for playing 3 lovely tunes as they are all interconnected. The first has possibly the best opening sequence to a song I've ever heard. Johnny Marr never sounded better. I've heard versions that cut out the 2 minute piano intro. That's not just bad that's criminal. The second is a dance tune by Ada based on the first (sharing the same title also) . I'd heard it on her Adaptations mix CD an album that's always within easy reach. The last one is the new track I was listening to tonight, 'Malin' by Marco Baldassarre.

Sweet dreams!