A Fanboy's 10 Reasons The Smiths really rock.
1. Johnny Marr
My self declared favourite song writer and a brilliant guitarist to boot technically. That dude was the Stones-style cool in what would otherwise have been just a band of fops. He was incredibly versatile too, This Charming Man and How Soon Is Now? are worlds apart but still genius all the same.
2. Them guys in the rhythm section
Pretty underated i'd say. Some of the best stuff The Smiths did would be nothing without them (the drums in The Queen Is Dead, the bass in Rusholme Ruffians) but they were just the right amount of non-interesting so your eyes wouldn't be off Moz.
3. They sang about real life...
Love, lonliness, sex, bullys, general self deprication, we've all been there and so has Morrissey. It's a theme that you'll see being repeated a lot particularly by British indie bands nowadays but they have very little charm since they missed the crucial point...
4.
....but the great thing was that they really didn't.
Girlfriends in comas, crossdressing clergymen, buddists on killing sprees, patio sex, penpals from Luxembourg, a stroll through a graveyard turning into a battle between the fine writers... it's all a wee bit far fetched when you think about it but Moz makes it sound so passable. Before i liked The Smiths i'd think being killed by a bus would be terrible but now i think it'll be quite apt!
5. The Fanbase
are pretty bloody annoying half the time but props to any band who can create that sheer amount of devotion out of people. Second only to the Beatles i'd say.
6. They're a fashion nightmare
Which is quite refreshing looking at what the 80's were all about (yeah we can look back and laugh, but still..). Floral shirts, hearing aids, that quiff.. even Johnny looked terrible sometimes but that's all part of the charm. They're weren't Wham! and i'm very greatful for that.
7. They piss people off
Morrissey annoys the f
uck out of people and i love it. Embrace a pop star who says what he thinks i say. Whether it's because he's miserable, vegetarian, outspoken, racist.. someone will always have somethign against the b
astard. And let them, because they know full well without him popular music would be that much more boring. You can call me depressed all you want because i listen to his music as well if you want, but that won't explain the massive grin on my face
8. If you don't have all the albums and all the singles and b-sides then you're missing out on gold
Half a Person, What She Said, Paint a Vulgar Picture, I Don't Owe You Anything, You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby, Rubber Ring, Asleep.... there's tons of gems all over the place. What do you mean you've never heard Jeane? It's one of their best!
9. Morrissey
It shouldn't work, but it does. I love this guy just as much as i hate him. As i said before everything would be that little bit more boring if it weren't for him. Good taste in music too...
10. It's been about 5 years and i still listen to them everyday.
Which is fairly impressive really when you think about it. I don't if i'll still be listening to them in years to come but i really don't see why not. I'm not bored yet.