Under the iron bridge... Absolute classic, I prefer the bbc version for the harmonica, but it’s one of the key Smiths tracks ..5/5 all the way
An absolutely stellar track, and an indisputable 5/5 for me. Definitely a career and album highlight. Marr's genius guitar part snakes around in a million directions, all of them beautifully plaintive yet catchy, and totally gripping. This is an incredibly fun song to play on guitar, by the way. I remember when I figured it out, I'd sit there and play it endlessly, driving anyone within earshot crazy. Love the lyrics too - there are some great visuals here. Here is another instance where I prefer the BBC version on Hatful. (The album version is fine, but if I'm remembering correctly, it was recorded at the same London studio sessions as the inferior "London" version of "This Charming Man," as well as that single's b-sides, the weak-in-the-knees-gorgeous "Wonderful Woman" and "Accept Yourself." The songs from that session have a weird, almost dull quality to them, so sonically not their finest moment.)
"Still Ill" is a brilliant track. Not only for Johnny's sinuous guitar lines, but also for Andy's magnificent supporting role (I love the bit he plays just after "it just..."). The "under the iron bridge" line evokes Manchester more than any of the songs that actually mention Manchester or parts of it. Not much to choose between the two versions - I think the Hatful version has a raw electricity plus the harmonica part that just gives it the edge, but the album version is perfectly serviceable. Not quite a full-marks track though, so I'll give it 4/5.
Still Ill – I love how Morrissey phrases the lyric “I don’t know….”. It tails off like he’s lost in thought. Love the lyrics. Some of Morrissey’s best. (I’ll probably say that many times in this thread). “And if you must, go to work, tomorrow Well, if I were you I wouldn't bother For there are brighter sides to life And I should know, because I've seen them, but not very often” I would say that’s my favorite lyric of any Smiths song. At least I relate to it the most. Story of my life, perhaps? Nothing not to like about this one. A classic. 5 out of 5 rating.
As a side note: This thread has talked me up a notch on "Reel Around the Fountain". My initial rating of 3 was too harsh. I rank it a 4 now after a few more listens. (I don't expect this to go in the official tabs Turk Thrust is keeping) This is just a nod to the fans of this song here....you were right, it's a strong track.
Still Ill 5/5 There's supposedly a reference to Myra Hindley here. The lyric "it owes me a living" might be a reference to when she said "Society owes me a living" to the media following a move between prisons. More about Morrissey and the Moors murders btw (this is all speculation but it's pretty fun to think about): Suffer Little Children: the story of Morrissey's obsession with the Moors murderers
Outstanding tune. One of the best on the album, but as I listen to this record I’m reminded, as so many have stated, how much I prefer Hatful of Hollow versions in nearly every case. 5/5
Still Ill is a wash between the album and HOH versions, imo. The HOH version has that annoying harmonica intro and a vastly inferior Moz vocal, but the drum sound on the album version is distracting and Johnny's guitar lines are sharper on HOH. Either way, though, it's a class tune, and one that I always enjoy listening to.
I call myself a huge Smiths fan (as most of you will be too of course), but I don't get into the 'side' projects of band's studio albums. So I don't really go in for chasing demos, alternates, live sets and anything that isn't the regular commercial releases. That's the same with any band I love. In that, I have to include the 'Hatful' album.... to me they are mildly distracting, non-essential, and not one of them sounds better to me than the original debut album versions. For me, 'The Smiths' is a perfect time capsule representation of not just the band, but also England at the time. I was a Smiths fan in 1984, and I remember exactly what this feeling was like when a song like 'This Charming Man' first splashed across my TV. So for me, the sound and production of that album is indelibly linked with who and what the band represented to the much younger me - and I wouldn't change that for the world. That said, as for all the songs being spoken about here, the production and handling of 'Still Ill' is perfect to me. As usual, I agree with my old mate @thoutah and his words (for this purpose) are mine. This track has the Smiths hallmarks - Morrissey's beautiful funny poetry and trademark whine, Marr's truly original leads, Rourke's tight rhythmic bass and the sure footed beat of Mike Joyce. A classic to lead off the brighter, faster Side Two. 5/5
Still Ill -- To me this is one of the quintessential Smiths songs. It captures what the smiths are all about. Funny, gloomy, poetic, grey, tuneful, gorgeous, with subtle guitar work that kind of eludes grasp, and a cool drum/bass backing. "under the iron bridge we kissed" is such a fantastic, romantic image. 5/5
The thing about Hatful is that for early fans like myself we spent 1983 going to shows and apart from 2 singles, the recordings we had were taped off the radio from sessions. So those were the recordings we knew and loved. By the time the album finally came out, we knew the session versions inside out, and the album versions took a bit of getting used to. So when Hatful came out, it was great to get a lot of those session versions in great quality.
I think Hatful is so beloved by a lot of people because it was a lot of fans first Smiths album purchase. It was very accessible, selling at budget price from the time of release until it was re-pressed later in the 80s, and it was a good pick for new fans as it included all of the songs that were singles up to late '84. It had a similar impact to the first ABBA Greatest Hits in a lot of ways and served a similar purpose.
Meanwhile in America, it didn't even come out until the nineties. I had it then, but I remember I was mainly only interested in the songs I didn't already have.
Also, as I will allude to in my review of the next song, Hatful encapsulates the summer of 1983, when we were first hearing the original single mix of Hand In Glove, and the Peel/Jensen sessions.
Today's song is Hand in Glove: Another clear 5/5 and a mightily impressive debut single (though the album mix is also excellent). Superb, romantic lyrics from Morrissey that drip with confidence right from the start and the music blends perfectly with the words. The Troy Take remake was efficient but rather pointless, and it was a sensible decision to not use the John Porter production as part of the album. The latter was utilized for the Sandie Shaw single which is, in my opinion, the weakest of her 3 songs. That's not to say it's bad, but the arrangement seems a little too upbeat and the lyrical change feels awkward.
Where it all started .. hand in glove. The fade in..Perfect.., and then the slow fade out .. so single mix for me ... 5/5
"Hand In Glove" And so The Smiths' career begins not with a bang, but with a slow, almost nonchalant fade-in, and THEN a bang! This was the first I heard of The Smiths and it only took one listen to know that this was something new and something special. It's three minutes of dynamite with a real tingle and thrill about it. It's part of the soundtrack to the glorious summer of 1983, soon to be joined by all those wonderful songs we were hearing via the Peel/Jensen sessions. It's unusual in the light of later tracks that Johnny's guitar is largely there as a background for Andy's bass to play against and drive the song. The interplay between the bass and the harmonica is superb. And of course the lyrics and vocals are unique and evocative. All of the above is about the original single mix, which is the one used on Hatful. The album version is a remix rather than a re-recording, and I appreciate that it had to be remixed to fit in sonically with the rest of the album, but the remix disturbs the crucial balance between the instruments just a bit too much for my liking. The Troy Tate version sounds more like a demo and is missing too much - the harmonica, "there's no show" - and Mike's drumming sounds less assertive. Still, for that original single blast and what it represented, it has to be 5/5.
I was working in Saudi Arabia in 1984 and got a cassette of "Hatful Of Hollow" and loved it. Count this Yank in on that being the intro... I found nothing odd about Morrissey at the time, he really spoke to me. Perhaps my loneliness being so far from home in such a strange place was a factor but I was on board immediately. (I had an even stronger reaction to "The Queen Is Dead" but let's not get ahead of ourselves...)
Another classic 5/5 Smiths composition. Right out the gate, The Smiths laid down this awesome statement of purpose. It's a totally unique song, especially since no one really sounded quite like that at the time the original single was released. That harmonica in the intro and outro is perfection. Even more perfect is Andy Rourke's infectious and moving bass line, which is really what anchors and leads the song beneath Marr's slightly more oblique rhythm/lead guitar part. And of course it wouldn't be The Smiths without that sublime combination of youthful energy and sophisticated melancholy. Morrissey's lyrics and delivery are spot on. Right from the start, his voice just oozed character in a way where it never mattered if he wasn't pitch perfect. But the original single version is definitely superior to the remix that they used for the album. The original has an edge to it that really captures the spirit of the band, whereas the remix dampens that spirit in an attempt to make it sound more like the rest of the album. It's still a fundamentally great song, but if you a/b the two tracks together, the difference is striking. Marr has said this song was inspired by the Stooges, I think "Gimme Danger." That wouldn't have occurred to me without being told that, but when I read that, it made sense. Either way, it's a fantastic and deeply moving song. It's a bit weird that they did decide to remix this and put it on the album when by this point they already had several other brilliant tracks sitting around that were either relegated to b-sides or only done as BBC sessions. Edit: I love the Sandie Shaw remake, but it's more of an amusing diversion - the original single version will always be the definitive take for me.
Another great single and had me hooked as soon as I heard the line “the sun shines out of our behinds”. And “this one is special because it’s us”. Ain’t that the truth? 5/5
The line is actually "This one is different, because it's us." Of course, as we all know, different can be special.
Hand In Glove – I love the ominous tone. Great guitar playing throughout. Love the ending lyrics. The moaning/droning throughout is another highlight as is the harmonica. 5 out of 5 ranking.
Quite right - sorry, wrote this while with an armful of records at a garage sale. Beautiful Saturday morning here in Oz!
