SC6 Music Pick: The Smith's 'How Soon Is Now?'

Awww, Dead Flowers ...... You Shouldn't Have !!!

Like we said earlier, we didn't hear any new music this week, so we apologize to our readers who seem to look to us for anything new on the airwaves. So, when we don't have anything new, we turn to whatever we were listening to.. This week, we had The Smith's 'Singles' CD in the car for the commute.

Almost universally named as the most influential British act of the 80's (with the obvious exception of Samantha Fox), the Smith's rose from obscurity in Manchester in 1982, and they pretty much ruled alt-rock til they broke up in 1987. Made up of the sexually ambiguous vocalist, Morrissey, guitarist Johhny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, they were not my favorite band during high school and college. I was a metalhead, and I looked at them as a bunch of British fags - fags that all my girlfriends listened to. But taking a closer look, you gain an appreciation of their originality...

Most bands are like sledgehammers - everything is a straight between the eyes message. The Smith's were anything but. Disguising some of the most violent and contraversial lyrics around with pop-y guitars and Morrissey's falsetto vocals, you have to actually have to LISTEN to everything to get what they're talking about. Even then, you ask half the time if they're talking about guys or girls, pedophilia or spousal abuse... It was all pretty complex and brilliant. We're playing our favorite, and loudest Smith's song, 'How Soon is Now'. To get a real feel for the rotary sound on the guitar, listen with headphones, so you get the left-right effect. Hope you like it, and we'll try to be back on Tuesday....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEhAd3KnoE

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