Album: The Smiths, Complete (Rhino)

 

Andy Gill
Wednesday 28 December 2011 11:47 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The first line of the first song on the first Smiths album contains, like some fractal, the essence of their entire oeuvre.

"It's time the tale were told of how you took a child and you made him old," sings Morrissey, encapsulating the adolescent angst which blossomed over and over throughout the band's career, with varying degrees of wit, empathy, contempt and self-pity. In Johnny Marr's endlessly inventive playing, meanwhile, the arpeggiating strands of African guitar music and West Coast folk-rock combined to lay the groundwork for a generation of Britpop six-string artisans. Remastered by Marr, the band's entire oeuvre is assembled here on 8CDs housed in replica album sleeves whose lyric screeds may possibly be read with the assistance of an electron microscope; alternatively, you can splash out for the "super deluxe" version offering the albums on both vinyl and CD, along with 25 vinyl singles (anorak optional).

Download This: How Soon Is Now; There Is A Light That Never Goes Out; This Charming Man; Panic; Girlfriend In A Coma

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in