The Smiths - Peel Session

Genere: Alternative / Indie Rock

Similar Artists: Echo and the Bunnymen, Felt, The The

Recording Year: Dutch East India Trading, 1983.

The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the '80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the '90s. Sonically, the group was indebted to the British Invasion, crafting ringing, melodic three-minute pop singles, even for their album tracks. But their scope was far broader than that of a revivalist band. The group's core members, vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, were obsessive rock fans inspired by the D.I.Y. ethics of punk, but they also had a fondness for girl groups, pop, and rockabilly. Morrissey and Marr also represented one of the strangest teams of collaborators in rock history. Marr was the rock traditionalist, looking like an elegant version of Keith Richards during the Smiths' heyday and meticulously layering his guitar tracks in the studio. Morrissey, on the other hand, broke from rock tradition by singing in a keening, self-absorbed croon, embracing the forlorn, romantic poetry of Oscar Wilde, publicly declaring his celibacy, performing with a pocketful of gladioli and a hearing aid, and making no secret of his disgust for most of his peers. While it eventually led to the Smiths' early demise, the friction between Morrissey and Marr resulted in a flurry of singles and albums over the course of three years that provided the blueprint for British guitar rock in the following decade.

Before forming the Smiths in 1982, Johnny Marr (born John Maher, October 31, 1963; guitar) had played in a variety of Manchester-based rock & roll bands, including Sister Ray, Freaky Part, White Dice, and Paris Valentinos. On occasion, Marr had come close to a record contract -- one of his bands won a competition Stiff Records held to have Nick Lowe "produce your band" -- but he never quite made the leap. Though Morrissey (born Steven Patrick Morrissey, May 22, 1959; vocals) had sung for a few weeks with the Nosebleeds and auditioned for Slaughter & the Dogs, he had primarily contented himself to being a passionate, vocal fan of both music and film. During his teens, he wrote the Melody Maker frequently, often getting his letters published. He had written the biography/tribute James Dean Isn't Dead, which was published by the local Manchester publishing house Babylon Books in the late '70s, as well as another book on the New York Dolls; he was also the president of the English New York Dolls fan club. Morrissey met Marr, who was then looking for a lyricist, through mutual friends in the spring of 1982. The pair began writing songs, eventually recording some demos with the Fall's drummer, Simon Wolstencroft. By the fall, the duo had settled on the name the Smiths and recruited Marr's schoolmate Andy Rourke as their bassist and Mike Joyce as their drummer.

Recorded for John Peel's radio show at the BBC studios on May 18, 1983, these four songs see a very young Smiths fusing their poetic jangle with fierce doses of an energy that's just a baby step away from punk. Morrissey screeches, wails, and haws like a wounded chicken, while Johnny Marr's guitars ring with a desperate Joy Division blaze. Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce hold up their end of the bargain as well, providing a rhythmic attack that is astonishingly crisp and immediate. "What Difference Does It Make?" sounds more raw here than in any other appearance in the band's discography. Morrissey's disaffected, impossibly high-pitched yelps demand attention. The bard operates in a similar fashion on "Miserable Lie," the song starting as a slow crawl before throttling into an explosive climax. "Reel Around the Fountain" is a virtual portrait of depression, and while the vocal echo effect is perhaps too pronounced, the song is gracefully bleak and romantic. "Handsome Devil" is ferocious and menacing, the band unloading all of their abilities and future promise into a maelstrom of sonic artistry. Different versions of each song, save for "Handsome Devil," appeared on the band's debut eponymous album which wasn't released until February 1984. Some of these Peel Session tracks would make their way onto November 1984's Hatful of Hollow. The session was first aired on May 31, 1983, signalling to all within listening distance that a new Fab Four, this time from Manchester, was about to grab for the baton.

Fields Of Haze.