I'm in the kind of fragile state of mind where an Andrex puppy ad might make me a bit misty. I've gone to see Slumdog Millionaire, wanting to be distracted, uplifted, lost in someone else's story for a couple of hours - but they're playing The Smiths before the film comes on (it's the Curzon Soho). I Know It's Over - 'Love is natural and real, but not for the likes of you and I, my love...'
I do love them (though I could do without them at the moment) - the sheer, hand-to-the-forehead melodrama and over the topness of Morrissey, and the fact that he sends himself up at the same time as articulating real pain and isolation, kind of taboo subjects for rock n roll.
When you think of American rock and pop, it was all that Chuck Berry/Beach Boys idea of cars and girls and sexual success (never mind that Brian Wilson was a lot more interestingly leftfield and complex than songs like Fun Fun Fun implied). The Smiths were the first band to really champion songs about sexual failure and loss, to put losers and misfits at the centre. And a generation of geek boy (and girls) worshipped them for it. That was even before the geeks inherited the earth.
The girl and boy bands around now are more like the shiny, superficial haircut bands that were around in the 80s. Where are this generation's Smiths? (Though in fact, at the moment I can't really bear to listen to them, it's too raw and close to the bone. I can only listen to them when I'm feeling chirpy. In times of doubt, I reach for Stevie Wonder or Sly and the Family Stone.)
Slumdog Millionaire, the short review - first third with their childhood, fab. Last two thirds, pure Bollywood. And the gameshow framework slowed it down too much.
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10 comments:
When I was a teenager I liked Elvis Costello for the same reasons. I like to think that with the recession will come more pop songs about abject failure.
Most of the Smiths songs are actually quite funny, in a twisted kind of way.
I Know It's Over, isn't.
Oh no. Did he sing, "...for the likes of you and I..."? Now I might have to revise my devotion to The Smiths, or at least get onto Mozzer and tell him to sing a grammatically correct version.
God, I bloody adored The Smiths. And they once played a concert on Kilburn High Road which my equally devoted cousin and I could both walk to and from. It was marvellous. Luckily, I mustn't have been a grammar cock at the time.
I love Art Brut. Eddie Argos is very tragicomic. Leaning more on the comic side, but you can tell underneath there's genuine pain! Songs about pining for ex's and sexual failure. But most of the songs are a bit more jaunty.
I guess the Smiths were a bit of a one off, because it's phenomenally difficult balancing act. There's plenty of miserable bands out there, but few with the knowing intelligence of Morrissey at his prime.
Patroclus - right, though I read that traditionally Disco flourishes during times of recession. Mind you, so did punk in the 70s - maybe there'll be a renaissance of new music... It could be a post of its own, Good Things That Come Out of Recession.
Billy, no it isn't. I think the funny depends on your mood too - this is one of the reasons I like them.
BiB, is that wrong? I guess it is, but it doesn't really jar when you hear it - it's like he is saying 'You and I [are not worthy of love]' but not finishing the sentence. Maybe I'm making excuses because I like it. Grammar rules are made to be broken. Did you see them?? Did you??? You lucky, lucky sod.
Del, I will check out Art Brut. (Good name!) Yup, you can't be miserable without being witty at the same time, it's no fun.
I love the quote from GrahamBlur on their Starshaped video when they visit Stonehenge.
"It's a bit like seeing Morrissey. Not as big as you'd expect it to be."
Art Brut aren't really anything like The Smiths. But they are quite quite wonderful.
I did, I did. I can hardly remember it now, really, but I'm sure it was wonderful.
I saw Art Brut playing a free gig downstairs at the Tate a few years back - I only went because it was close to my flat (and free) but I can confirm that they are in fact great.
death cab for cutie
I blow hot and cold with The Smiths' music. I really loved them in my early twenties but I was probably just in love with the idea of Morrissey because he seemed to be even more miserable than I was. These days I probably like about half a dozen of their songs at best. So much of their music is flat, boring standard indie fare. The last studio album is quite good though, I'll give them that.
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