Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Singles Runs # 2 - The Smiths

'Fifteen minutes with you...' Not all big hits. But in terms of quality, a run of singles to match that of any of the great British bands of the sixties. Which was surely what they were gunning for. And the record sleeves were a masterstroke. I've just spent a golden fifteen minutes listening to these five records in succession. You could do much worse with fifteen of your own. When I have time I'll get back to this and itemise them in all their glory.

1. Hand in Glove
 
 


 

2. This Charming Man (the game changer)
 
 
3. What Difference Does It Make
 
 
 
 
4. William It Was Really Nothing
 
 
 
 
5. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
 
 
 

4 comments:

  1. And just look at the run of singles that followed this one. Not as impressive, to be sure, but still pretty incredible:

    "Shakespeare's Sister"
    "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"
    "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"
    "Bigmouth Strikes Again"
    "Panic"
    "Ask"
    "Shoplifters of the World Unite"
    "Sheila Take a Bow"
    "Girlfriend in a Coma"

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  3. I had a wonderful 15 minutes this morning listening through to them during a dreadful, humdrum day at work Rod. Such an incomparable set of records. I'd probably have similar experiences listening through to their other singles but there's something about that early spurt. I think they moved from being a singles to being an albums band imperceptibly. I'm surely not the first person to have that thought.

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  4. You're probably right about the shift from albums to singles, Bruce. I still lament the disappointing production on the first album. That could have been a solid gold classic if they'd done it right. I still wince a little when I listen to it, because I can sort of see through the sludge to what it could have been.

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