I never cared about The Smiths but I figure I might as well start.

>>74109313
jangle

>>74109313
Dreary misery. Be masculine, avoid it like the plague, lest it sink you lower into Satan's pit.

>>74109313
You're in for a melancholy ride. The smiths can make you feel nothing and everything at the same time.

>>74109313
louder than bombs is much better

>>74109313
Just remember that this is a compilation and not a regular studio album

>>74109313
Listen to their studio albums first

Great place to start. Not my favorite compilation of theirs as a long time fan, that would be Louder than Bombs, but overall great for a new listener. After Hatful of Hollow I would give The Queen is Dead and/or Louder than Bombs a listen. Their debut album is basically just an updated Hatful of Hollow, and Meat is Murder is not as good as TQID but still an amazing album

> What am I in for

Whiny man-vocal over pretty enjoyable new wave arrangements

>>74109313
jangly and very quick guitar riffs, morrissey's moaning, the best bass tone of all time, and england

>>74109313
i think you should listen to one of the studio albums instead
this night has opened my eyes is a GOAT track though

>>74109390
No.

>>74109313
this album got me into the smiths and ended my hardcore punk phase as a teenager

>>74109313
Lie down and listen to Sing Me to Sleep.

>>74109313
wtf listen to their self-titled first

>>74111038
hatful of hollow (and louder than bombs for that matter) is arguably better than their studio albums though *besides tqid*.

>>74111945
Just listen to them both. Hatful of Hollow is a more honest representation of the Smiths early work, even if it is kinda a disjointed compilation. The production on their S/T is muddled and off no matter what version you listen to, and their playing is much more restricted due to the producers convincing them it would sound better that way. The drums are only 2's and 4's and Johnny only plays arpeggios for the most part.

Still Ill is fantastic on the S/T and it is much better than the Hatful version.

>>74109355
this

>>74109313
YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH
HOW CAN YOU SAY
I GO ABOUT THE THINGS THE WRONG WAY
I AM HUMAN AND I NEED TO BE LOVEEEEED
JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES

Probably the most humorous take on misery that's ever existed on music, and REALLY good instrumentals (Marr and Rourke are absolute gods at their instruments, and Joyce certainly knew how to make his drum fit in as a whole). If you're looking for misery and only misery, you'll find them slightly boring, but half of the fun is to listen to the lyrics and catch the humour in them. Perhaps the strongest example is in The Queen Is Dead's title track, which has this exchange:

>So I broke into her palace
>with a sponge and a rusty spanner
>she said 'I know you well and you cannot sing'
>I said 'That's nothing, you should hear me play piano!'

It's very humorous (especially in a more British sense), but it's quite easy to miss if you're not paying attention.

Sure OP has finished the album by now. What did you think? If you're still here of couse

>>74109313
>What am I in for?
Depressing Thatcher-era music which bears the characteristics of early 80's underground British rock scene.

>>74112075
Nah son, the harmonica is weird but fun and definitely makes for a better intro to the song. I do recc listening to both hatful and s/t though.

>>74114331
I liked it a good amount, I wasn't paying attention too hard to the lyrics but it all went down pretty smoothly regardless. Where next?

>>74114721
Wanted to add that I was a big fan of the faster strummed jangles and punk vibes with songs like William it was really nothing and Handsome Devil

>>74114721
They have four albums, you can pretty much start from the beginning; though if you've listened to Hatful of Hollow it might be better to listen to Meat is Murder next.

Also damn, I had one of the most pissed off captchas in a while.

>>74114740
Meat Is Murder next then

>>74114622
They put the harmonica on their first single as a tribute to The Beatles and Dylan, whose first singles used a harmonica.