The very essence of “beautiful melodies saying/singing terrible (but occasionally funny) things.” Johnny Marr’s guitar playing takes a huge leap forward and is given center stage here.
Among Morrissey’s lyrical targets: the Thatcher administration, the monarchy, UK public schools, his musical contemporaries and of course the meat industrial complex.
“Time’s tide will smother you.”
"Sixteen, clumsy and shy/that's the story of my life."
"Half a Person" is not only the best song on this odds/sods U.S. singles collection (which, aside from "The Queen is Dead," remains their most stunning achievement; the Smiths were very much a singles band throughout their entire history, releasing 24 in total, many iconic and better known than the album tracks), it's the best thing they ever recorded -- one of Johnny's all-time great chord sequences.
The title is borrowed from a line in Elizabeth Smart's extended prose poem By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept.
And the cover star is Salford, Manchester playwright Shelaugh Delaney. I've been to Salford (see photo), it's rough but ready -- the famous men's club is basically on the same lane (Coronation Street) as the long-running Brit soap opera.
I’ve been listening to a handful of Smiths songs lately, having not really been that aware of them previously:
These Things Take Time
How Soon is Now
This Handsome Man
Handsome Devil
The man responsible for dozens of Teenage Symphonies to God
"Sad songs about happy things" (the first time, as a kid, I can recall the sweet/sour combo of melodies that could make you cry attached to songs about endless, bottomless love)
I've long since lost track of how many weddings and funerals I've attended that have featured this song; suffice it to say, "a lot."
God only knows what we'd been without him 🙏🏻
Hey tyler hopefully this doesn’t violate some PI.FYI golden rule
But after nearly two years of writing, editing and arguing, my book about the EP is coming out in May and can be preordered here: https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/ The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s.
Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha).
For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I can’t wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! ❤️