On the 20th of February 1984, The Smiths released their first of what was to be four iconic studio albums. This debut set out with clear intent and purpose, blowing out anything else on the scene at the time and going on to influence an extensive line of musicians as time has continued to pass. Alice Beard explores the album’s inner workings and how it has managed to survive the test of 40 years of time.
From the moment of its release, this album made clear it was unlike anything else on the scene at the time. It is difficult to describe its scale in brief terms. It certainly wasn’t dark enough to be comparable with Joy Division, and it lacked the mystic charms to match The Cure. The late 70s had seen a new wave of punk with the likes of the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Fall, to name a few, but here was another change in direction. Emerging from a period of clashing and flailing instrumentals, this was something entirely off kilter. Johnny Marr’s masterful guitar work paired with Rourke’s dancing bass grooves and Joyce’s tight percussion converged in perfect harmony with their lead. Morrissey was unafraid to plunge to the depths of depravity within his lyrics, no stranger to the occasional wailing vocal plea to express the weight of his disdain. He managed to tackle taboos by dressing them in pretty floral tones, shifting the stage for indie music in one fell swoop. I wouldn’t even consider this the best Smiths work, but there is no denying they began to rewrite the times with this offering.
“He managed to tackle taboos by dressing them in pretty floral tones, shifting the stage for indie music in one fell swoop”
Opener Reel Around the Fountain is an effortless introduction, greeting us with spangly guitar and shiny production to take us right into The Smiths’ darkly seductive dreamworld. At nearly six- minutes, this rambling track takes on a sleepy narration on the loss of childlike innocence. The combination of crude ugliness and romantic overtures leaves the song feeling tainted, much like the character of the track in question.
Morrissey’s lyrics are steeped in bizarre and tender notes on sexual desire and repression. The fourth track on this album continues this foray. Pretty Girls Make Graves is a look at the dangers of lust and temptation, a hazy cautionary tale made all the more fruitful by the accompanying instrumentation. Rourke’s bassline is deep and wandering and Marr just as shiny as ever, but none of this detracts from the track’s shadowy lyrics. The song encapsulates the struggles of trying to navigate the trappings of desire with delicate ease.
The unease contained in this track is carried through within the following The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. This sombre lullaby is a haunting portrayal of an undying affection, Morrissey’s sullen lyrics met by equally morose guitar work. Sinister lines litter this piece, unsmiling threats tarnishing the tranquil – ‘There’ll be blood on the cleaver tonight’. Still, the track beams with sullen aches of devotion – ‘There never need be longing in your eyes/ So long as the hand that rocks the cradle is mine’. The piece is brimming with contradiction, a confusion between the warmth and the grey. There is an undeniably unsettling presence lingering within the music that just cannot be shaken- that might be what makes it so special.
“Sun-soaked riffs drench the melancholy- they are heart on sleeve, bare and bruised”
Just five tracks in and this debut is already bathed in richness and complexity. Still Ill and Hand in Glove are two works I always view as going hand in hand with showing The Smiths at their purest form. Sun-soaked riffs drench the melancholy- they are heart on sleeve, bare and bruised. ‘England is mine, it owes me a living’ Morrissey drones in Still Ill, his worldview as weary as ever. For a man in his early twenties, he was already full of caustic contempt, and he was unashamed of making people aware – ‘ask me why and I’ll spit in your eye’. This is merely a diluted version of the level of derision and scorn we would later receive on tracks such as Barbarism Begins at Home and The Headmaster Ritual. The version of Still Ill found on this album sadly lacks the harmonica intro we were treated to in their ’83 John Peel Session, nevertheless the track retains its charms.
What Difference Does it Make is undeniably catchy. Released as a single one month prior to the release of the debut, this became the band’s highest charting single up to that point, and for good reason. This snappy track contains a laidback swaggering attitude which cannot be ignored. This, combined with its unforgettable jangly opening riff, meant success was inevitable. It may not be to everybody’s tastes of course, Morrissey even referring to the track as ‘absolutely awful’ upon its first pressing. Despite all this, its allure has managed to induce delight over time, and the track has remained a favourite amongst fans.
I Don’t Owe You Anything takes a turn with its soft and subtle ramblings. You cannot help but notice the desperate longing seeping from the seams of this piece, Morrissey sounding as worn down as ever. The track is beautifully fleshed, Marr walking carefully along the smooth grooves of the bass, whilst each glimmer of the organ adds to the warmth of the melody. We see flows of some lavish wit, yet the song still manages to maintain an air of mellow cosiness to make the listener feel all the more snug. One of the many highlights on this album.
All that remains to close off The Smiths’ first collection is the beautifully devastating Suffer Little Children. An account of the infamous Moors murders committed by Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, Morrissey expresses anguish and frustration at the despair of it all – ‘Oh Manchester, so much to answer for’. The title references a biblical quote ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me’ which had been chanted at Hindley in prison prior to being attacked. The track attracted controversy upon its initial release, many considering it to be an exploitative portrayal of the tragedy. Morrissey later established a friendship with the mother of victim Lesley Ann Downey, the honourable intentions with which it was produced becoming clear. The gorgeous, subdued guitar which first lulls you into this track only adds to the hideous nature of events in which Morrissey is singing about, the haunting piece bringing light to a horror to never be forgotten. The song builds to almost six minutes of sullen defeat before reluctantly fading out, a light extinguished.
The Smiths’ first offering is a carefully crafted work of misery and mystery. Morrissey’s uniquely blended wit and melancholy is unmatched, the tender charms of this album all the more evident for this reason. It might not be the band’s best offering, but the fresh- faced attitude they brought with this release created a tectonic shift on the scene. The Smiths take a different form, exploring the bleakness of life, the depravity and futility and adding their own bitter twist. There is no doubt The Smiths were one of the defining bands of their generation, and this album was only the start of it all.
Alice Beard
Edited by Alice Beard
In- article images courtesy of The Smiths via Facebook, video courtesy of The Smiths on Youtube