How does one become a Smiths fan? I am not even sure I can remember how I came to know about them. Sure, I was an angst ridden kid like so many disaffected youth sleep walking through the suburban experience known as high school. Still, I was rocker. I had my pin adorned jacket with all the fashionable rock bands....Maiden, Priest, The Who, Stones, Thin Lizzy etc. with a little mystery tossed in... Bob Marley, U2, and Big Country. Whilst my crowd was firmly rooted in the 80s, which is firmly established by the ghastly photos that serve as a reminder, there is no doubt that we were indeed there!
Almost immediately, freshman year brought me to WKNH... if ever there were a bastion of musical pretention, it is indeed college radio!!!! The Smiths were one of THOSE bands our membership had firmly established as a MUST....
The Smiths are a wonderful mix of superior songwriting mixed with outstanding musicianship. You really don't know whether to pay attention to what Morrissey is droning on about or lock into the guiar playing of the amazing Johnny Marr.
You always felt that excesses of 80s were not sustainable. Everything about that decade felt like a coke bender gone awry. The Smiths were no different in that respect. Behind the scenes, the constant demand for 'product' was taking its toll on the relationship of the band's two protagnonists, Marr and Morrissey. And so, with the release Strangeways Here We Come and the subsenquent tour, the band called it a day.
This recording from The Queen is Dead tour, a compilation of songs from that tour, was recorded during what is considered there artistic and commercial peak is a fabulous high quality soundboard recording. Sadly, you can already here the strain of near constant recording and touring by the band .
I hope you enjoy this show which you can download from here.
Eric
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