Poll: What are some of the greatest B sides or album tracks of the 80s?

@cathleenkarlsson979

2 жыл бұрын

"You Might Recall", B side of "Paperlate" - Genesis (IMHO :) )

@TalisSolepsis

2 жыл бұрын

For outright silly value courtesy of the play on "The Young Ones", try "Nasty" by The Damned.

@jimoscuba

2 жыл бұрын

Once upon a daydream b side to the police every breathe you take. I used to buy single because they had b-sides of songs not on the album.

@surlechapeau

2 жыл бұрын

"Into the Groove" Madonna , "The Sweetest Thing" U2

@augustosolari7721

2 жыл бұрын

Your funny uncle, Pet Shop Boys. It was the b side to "Left to My own devices"

It's insane how many great songs The Smiths actually have. They made it seem effortless. And to think they were only active from 82-87 just makes you wonder.

@zarrow50

Жыл бұрын

Most bands lat about 5 years

@v-town1980

7 ай бұрын

​@@zarrow50Most bands (if they're lucky) get one or two hits.😂

@_D_E_N_N_I_S_

5 ай бұрын

I have a hard time finding a track i want to skip

I'm not exaggerating or kidding when I say "How Soon is Now" profoundly changed my life when I heard it for the first time, probably in 1987. I was in the Navy at the time, and one of my co-workers was into bands like The Cure, The Smiths, etc., and he played "How Soon is Now" for me. It almost literally knocked me down, because it was the first song I had ever heard that really, truly, explained my own feelings of loneliness and isolation at the time. Up until really 1986 I had listened to top-40 radio, and there's nothing wrong with that, but none of it resonated in me quite like Morrissey's mournful singing did. I also rock a Smiths t-shirt at work, although I think 99.9% of my co-workers have no idea who they are, aside from one yesterday who said "I like your shirt!"

@chriswallace9113

2 жыл бұрын

Similar experience for me but the song was “What Difference Does it Make” and it was about 1986.

@timothymarkin4481

2 жыл бұрын

Sadly, Morrissey just comes off as a jerk these days

@vsander09

2 жыл бұрын

@@timothymarkin4481 not go everyone. Also, why do you care? What other artists do you track into old age?

@SynthMusicWorld

2 жыл бұрын

@@timothymarkin4481 yeah, I was watching some concert footage of him from within the last couple of years, and he looked like he was bothered to be there, like he was too much of a star or something. I guess it could also be an act, too. Who knows with him.

@matthewcarlton5693

2 жыл бұрын

I was in sixth grade, my friend got Meat is Murder for Christmas. (U.S. edition had the song) and he said listen to this, its called new wave, I was blown away.

The Smiths, the Cure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys and New Order are truly my greatest musical groups. They all have helped me in so many ways.

@Ross1966

6 ай бұрын

I’d add Echo & the Bunnymen to that list for sure.

@damirpozgaj2296

3 ай бұрын

Don't forget The Sisters of Mercy, The Stranglers, Inxs, Midnight Oil, Ice House, Alphaville, Camouflage, Ultravox, Soft Cell, Human League...........

@RadioPsychicAstrologyByPepper

2 ай бұрын

@@damirpozgaj2296and having hit a wall in my own songwriting career years ago I have recently been dipping back into just the joy of playing covers of songs by almost every band mentioned here…. Ultravox and think song were the past evening and pet shop boys and some depeche mode last week… my first album in 93 jade a cover of the cure’s last dance…. Definitely my favorite music era although I don’t think I can sing alphaville like the kate bush vocal range of my youth! ☘️🙂🍀❤️

“I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does” is a line that plays through my head all the time and I am grateful for it

@Skabanis

Жыл бұрын

And the way morrisey sings it is heart breaking

Johnny Marr is criminally underrated....

@juanr1956

2 жыл бұрын

Is not Johnny Marr... but Johnny Fucking Marr!!

@ilovetrance3036

2 жыл бұрын

F morrisey. It was Marr who wrote these anthems. Look what happened when morrisey went solo. Weho trash

@martinevensen406

2 жыл бұрын

@@ilovetrance3036 i heard that morrisey made melodies for vocal lines for the smiths. So he wrote these anthems too. Morrisey is underrated

@fifthof1795

2 жыл бұрын

Yet another fu/uckin' ...."criminally underrated" comment. Jeez, show some originality. Just who the f..k is criminally underating him....?

@novadhd

2 жыл бұрын

not underrated at all

Only Morrisey could make the phrase 'nothing in particular' totally epic

I was a Jock, a Football Player and relatively popular that never understood why I felt so alone in High School. In College, I was turned on to the Smiths and this song identified so much of why I felt the way I did. How Soon is Now was a revelation, an epiphany that I was only an outcast wearing the mask of acceptance. Thank you for framing this song, this time and the teenage angst so many of us experienced so adeptly. Best to you and bravo

@mommaluna4211

Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the club!😊

@stanettiels7367

11 ай бұрын

Well I’m a Brit so not a “jock”. Nonetheless, I totally identify with your comment. I was popular and was basically faking being popular. I was always socially awkward inside but essentially just played a role of being outgoing. That lie I told myself, well it bit me hard later in life.

@lindsaymcdade310

4 ай бұрын

@@stanettiels7367 I think he means, Jock as in the American sporty guy way lol. I am also a Jock, in the Scottish type way, finding the Smiths in my teens in the eighties changed my life too.

The number one band of my life. I feel blessed to have been a teenager at this time. I received their first Album for my Birthday from a friend, he had no idea who they were, he just thought as I was photography obsessed I would love the cover. He told me the guy just unboxed it at the store and couldn't tell him anything about it so he purchased it anyway. The next day I was home alone and stuck it on...from the first track I was hooked. Thanks, Mark for a life-changing 16th BDay present.

@ellenmeilee

Жыл бұрын

100 per cent get this. Me too. Songs that made me cry, songs that changed my life. I feel I can die happy for growing up in the time of the Smiths. People that don’t get this, I might like them a hell of a lot, but I can’t say we will ever truly bond.

@shokojimhollingsworth3940

Жыл бұрын

Meant to be

FYI George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, a female author.

@jswjanjan

2 жыл бұрын

👍🌞

@jennifermorris6848

2 жыл бұрын

Came here to make the same comment. So pleased to see so many others on the ball.

@nolongerthere

2 жыл бұрын

@@jennifermorris6848 Same here!

@johnray1067

2 жыл бұрын

I'm late to the party, I'm glad others also caght this.

@troutbreath

2 жыл бұрын

Saved me a comment. English majors unite!

Don’t overlook Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, one of the best rhythm sections in rock and roll.

@maryreilly5102

2 жыл бұрын

Word!

@maxshea1829

2 жыл бұрын

Abso-lutely!

@cultureshopboys

Жыл бұрын

maravillosos !!!

@deborahbennett4386

Жыл бұрын

R.I.P Andy Rourke 💔🖤

@rrickey360

7 ай бұрын

So true 👍

You refer to The Smiths as a “life changing band.” I agree You said “The Smiths really saved a lot of lives.” I am proof

@highmileagehusband1915

Жыл бұрын

Right On Brother.b

Ive seen Morrissey in concert several times. The juxtaposition of seeing 50 + yo olds like myself and their teen kids entranced by this song is something I can’t even express in words. It’s a small but important bonding moment that I hope they can appreciate.

@deborahbennett4386

Жыл бұрын

I'm so blessed to have seen both (and Morrisey can still rock it). As a woman in her 50s who is still gigging, I doubt I'll ever experience genius like it again.

How soon is now is the ringtone I have assigned to my daughter, the song really resonated with me when I was a kid back in the 80’s and it means a lot to me and so I assigned it to the one truly beautiful thing I helped create.

@foxopossum

2 жыл бұрын

Awwwwwww. I love that

@starshake8998

2 жыл бұрын

❤️

@judeannethecandorchannel2153

Жыл бұрын

Lovely! : )

How Soon Is Now is a great song. Morrissey and Marr may have never reached those heights again. Hard to imagine in today's world that any artist could come close to doing what they did in 5 years. The 80's were possibly the last great decade for music. Thanks again for another great video, Adam.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. What they did in 5 years is astounding for sure.

I just remember when this song came on the radio (91X San Diego) everyone turned the volume to high. This song sounded like nothing else being played and was a staple for everyone on the beach and the clubs. Best times (80’s)of my life!

@patriciajackson2565

2 жыл бұрын

91X in the 1980s changed my world!👍

@KarineMichele112

Жыл бұрын

91x was the only station in 80s San diego

@2Chickaboom2

10 ай бұрын

Lived in San Diego from 87 to 98 and 91X was a lifesaver which I had on 3 years solid as I didn’t have, nor did I want, to own a TV at the time. Go home from work, paint, write, read and listen to 91X.

As many I love this song, and so do my college age children. On reflecting back on this song I find it ironic that in the goth and punk clubs I went to as a college age adult, you had a roomful of people most of which were there because they wanted to connect with others but were too shy to approach anyone. When this song would get played, the dance floor would fill up and suddenly a roomful of lonely people were connecting through a song that spoke to the feeling we all had. For this alone, it make this song a classic everyone high school and up should hear.

@nanastan9

Жыл бұрын

Yes! I close my eyes and I'm right back in the City Club in downtown Detroit.

Oh man, this had me sobbing. This song and its lyrics don't just resonate with awkward, misunderstood teens. It encapsulates exactly how I feel as a 56 year old, painfully lonely man. Kudos to you, PoR, for such a detailed and respectful analysis, both intellectual and emotional, of this masterpiece. Peace and love to you all!

@SeptemberGurl1

2 жыл бұрын

Tears were flowing for me as well. Sure the teenage years are difficult but it doesn’t end there. When you’re shy with a battered heart, crippling loneliness feels like a death sentence. “How Soon is Now” is exactly what I needed to hear today to keep me passing the open windows.

This song never really leaves you…

@limiter3118

4 ай бұрын

I wish it would.

@brooklyn3299

2 ай бұрын

@@limiter3118😅 I know right, haunting.

As a teen in the eighties, I always thought of Morrisey as a modern Oscar Wilde. He certainly seemed to put on similar "affectations"! :)

" I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does..." A raw declaration of loneliness and vulnerability makes the Smiths like no other group.

Johnny Marr is, IMO, possibly the most underrated song writers in my life time. He proved that not all guitar hero’s have to be shredders and technical wonders. His use of unique chords and chord progressions stood out amongst his peers and influenced many guitarists and bands behind him. I was just a tad too young to ever see The Smiths live. It’s a huge disappointment for me and I often say a Smiths Reunion would be a must-see for me. It’s a bucket list for dreamers I guess.

@rylian21

2 жыл бұрын

Johnny and Patrick both more or less said they'd rather eat broken glass and wash it down with rubbing alcohol than ever speak to each other again.

@DaveMcGarry

2 жыл бұрын

@@rylian21 so you're saying there's a chance...

@darkotto5044

2 жыл бұрын

But Marr was/is a technical wonder.

@melaniejo5296

2 жыл бұрын

@@DaveMcGarry 👍🏻

@70srollergirl

9 ай бұрын

​@@DaveMcGarry😂

I suffer from major Depressive Disorder and when I am in "the pit" music is one of the very few things that helps me cope with my feelings of worthlessness, guilt, shame and loneliness. How Soon Is Now is absolutely one of the songs to which I will listen obsessively. The lyrics and the feel of the music tells me I'm not the only one who feels like this and that someone understands how I feel and can sympathize. Along with Tyler Joseph and a few others, I could never thank Morrissey and John Marr enough for their music

@suepedie1

Жыл бұрын

Agree!

@paulamiles9559

Жыл бұрын

Shoplifters and GF in s Coma also pull me out of the blues.

@Heartwing37

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never heard of someone being actually cheered up by Smiths music but I’m glad it helps. Love the Smiths!

@WaterKreature

Жыл бұрын

When I'm feeling depressed playing certain music from grateful dead gets me more depressed state

@judeannethecandorchannel2153

Жыл бұрын

May It always be there for you William....

I must have been about 17 in 1985 when I got to the all ages club called the Encore in Renton, Washington right after they opened the doors and they must have been testing the smoke machine. I walked into a dimly lit , smokey room with How Soon is Now playing loudly but crisply wondering what this amazing sound was by myself. Every time I hear it I remember that moment. Magical.

@RenayOpish

10 ай бұрын

Ha ha- me too, up in Vancouver BC though- the smoke machine and a dance floor

The Smiths was pure musical magic. The combo of Morrissey and Marr produced some of the most powerful melodies and impactful lyrics. I have no doubt The Smiths saved thousands upon thousands of teenage lives.

@joelhassig6099

2 жыл бұрын

I'm one.

@canto10mosha65

2 жыл бұрын

Don’t forget their other hit “This Charming Man”.

@davidparker9676

2 жыл бұрын

@@canto10mosha65 As if they were a one hit wonder. They had several hits over a few short years.

@tompaulcampbell

2 жыл бұрын

Or at least gave them some depressing lyrics from Morrissey to listen to while they end it all!

@davidparker9676

2 жыл бұрын

@@tompaulcampbell You clearly have no clue. I'd bet that you loved mainstream corporate bands and never understood any lyrics past a simple repeating chorus of "mmmmm-bop"

This, and so many other Smiths tracks, along with the Cure, New Order and DM, were the backing tracks to nearly every memorable moment I had in college. Thanks for the trip, Professor!

@daveshaw2342

2 жыл бұрын

All great bands

@dozer1642

2 жыл бұрын

We were listening to the same music. ✌️

@pfcampos7041

2 жыл бұрын

Highschool for me but ditto!

@boromirofmiddleearth557

2 жыл бұрын

my college girlfriend in 88 in NYC was in to these new alt Brit groups. but also INXS 10000 maniacs, wish I would have taken the opportunity to go to a concert.

@charl_k

2 жыл бұрын

It was Depeche Mode for me

I LOVE Johnny Marr's solo work... he is so underrated as a guitarist and is even a pretty decent vocalist.

@robinstreets1792

Жыл бұрын

Hi Hello is amazing, beautiful guitar melody, impossible for me to only listen to it once!

It’s so haunting, lonely and dark, but still hopeful at the same time.

It’s so gratifying to hear someone discussing this song, that feels as passionate about it as I do. It has been a comfort and validation through many painful experiences in my life. I discovered it around the same time too. late 80s, about to start high school, along with The Cure, Depeche Mode, Psychedelic Furs… and one he didn’t mention, Pixies. The music that shaped me and saved me.

@marktait2371

2 жыл бұрын

beth same here was fortunate to see cure g.mu. furs 05 comeback tour but not able to get to smiths show g.m.u. last tour depeche same big show d.c. around the same time mega tour coludnt go but have live c.d. double of the tour and ol moz. came town several years ago with ol boz borrer and bunch but irionically was in wensleydale at the time friend went said moz and boz good show small venue national rva local gal lucy dacus bright eyes this weekend anyway nephew went to johnny show messenger nville show was promoting show and new guitar he was not familar with bands music but enjoyed show pixies came down to bburg va 123 cafe went to show before they went to england have the bbc c d. but ok not as good as studio records in small club sound not great but pixies back then if came to town support them short show about an hour or so but great band in unique style hard rockers for sure too loud but good show

Teenage me felt completely disconnected from the larger music and pop culture of the mid to late eighties. My high school was awash in metal hair bands, and hip hop. But our little gang of misfits - the drama and music and computer nerds, who read the classics for fun, we gravitated towards the Smiths like moths to flame. HSIN is the generational anthem for the dispossessed. I remember getting it played at the under 21 club, and watching all the cool kids scatter to the wind, as the freaks came out onto the dancefloor to twist and gyrate and sway, independent of each other. Before, it had been all these well dressed popular people dancing in lines to the Humpty Dance ( and other, less memorable stuff) and then they were replaced with all these lone dark figures, geeking out in solitude. Beautiful memory.

@Scottocaster6668

2 жыл бұрын

Nice! The popular ones will never understand. You guys knew it all along.

@ThoughtWave64

2 жыл бұрын

Your words…I know you, I’ve been you, I am you.

@chrisb5823

2 жыл бұрын

This was my experience to a T

@vintagethrifter2114

2 жыл бұрын

It's ironic that you mention The Humpty Dance because Humpty was just like you. He knew he looked funny and was an outcast but didn't care. The opening lines were "I'm about to ruin the image and the style that you're used to." Humpty danced to his own music and had is own dance moves. He called it the Humpty Dance and didn't care what anyone else had to say.

@Engelbird

2 жыл бұрын

@@Scottocaster6668 remember: popular is just another word for "common".

I don't know how to explain this song, but when I heard "How Soon is Now" I had to stop because the music kind of caught me off guard. The lyrics are different, but Morrissey's words and voice just works with the music. Again, I love this KZread channel.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your most loyal support my friend!

Listening to this masterpiece in headphones takes it to another level.

I got to see Johnny Marr on his last tour before covid at Irving Plaza ,NYC. He did his solo stuff , plus some Smiths ....it was brilliant. To hear “How Soon is Now?” played live was surreal. I didn’t want it to end.

How Soon is Now is both sad and beautiful at the same time. Absolutely brilliant.

@MobiusBandwidth

2 жыл бұрын

like life!

@brianfergus839

Жыл бұрын

It’s the Major/minor thing… plus the lyrics

@Thomasmemoryscentral

Жыл бұрын

@@brianfergus839 For some reason, the instrumental reminds me of a slowed down version of the music for Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song

This song resonated so deeply; I was a shy guy who was into a super cool girl and she would look right through me as if I wasn’t there. I found peace with the smiths and the cure. And hearing this song tonight gave me goosebumps. I haven’t heard it in a few years. I’m playing this on my way to work tomorrow!

I first heard this song when I was 15 in 1989. I wasn't bullied or mistreated in high school but I had always felt different from my peers. I was extremely introverted and this song became my anthem. It made my loneliness and isolation something to embrace. And it made me more empathetic to others who might be experiencing the same thing.

This is the deep dive on How Soon is Now we have all been waiting for.. some of us since the mid eighties- solid work Prof 👏🏼

Oh man, the last time you posted videos about The Smiths I went on a massive Smiths listening binge! And really, are there any more relatable lyrics than "You say it's gonna happen now, but when exactly do you mean? See, I've already waited too long, and all my hope is gone..." Also, I love the little details like random "Whistle While you Work" whistle towards the end and the bass offbeat hits! Marr + Moz= Musical magic 🤩

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

Love it. You should go on another Smiths binge!

Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT song!! I love listening to this song with headphones because there are so many sonic layers to discover.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

I totally agree. It get richer with every passing. year.

'You've Got Everything Now' is the one that did it for me. No one ever seems to talk about the musical depth and cathartic lyricism of that song.

@skeeterd5150

Жыл бұрын

To the back of your carrrrrr

@skeeterd5150

Жыл бұрын

One of my favorites too

@Necron-ez2cc

Жыл бұрын

@@skeeterd5150 You are your mother's only son, and you're a desperate one.

There is no doubt that The Smiths helped me immensely in those awkward years. They were the first band I connected with after punk. Moz is highly intelligent, and his lyrics were the perfect fit with Johnny Marr's music. Let's not forget the brilliance of Andy Rourke (RIP), Mike Joyce, Craig Gannon & all their producers.

@kimberlyvespa

7 ай бұрын

I stated in my other comment, that I was previously a punk rocker and did not like The Smiths until Louder Than Bombs came out and I REALLY LISTENED to The Smiths and fell in love with their music! 🎶

I got myself a fake ID and went to the coolest club in town. It was a mix of rock, punk, new wave, dance etc, all in a club with four clubs within the bigger building. My favourite song was How Soon is Now and I always bugged the DJ to play the song. Eventually one week, he finally said, "yes, I'll play the song and I play it every weekend at the end of the night- so, stop bugging me." I then realized he would always play it around midnight and then the music took a dark more punk sound and the smash dancing and the mosh pit began. All the jocks and regular pop dancers would then leave the dance floor because they didn't like the rough play and didn't understand the code. I played hockey, so I took no grief when the jocks got a bit rougher. Then would get bored and leave the dance floor in only a few moments. Then it was loud, angst filled punk for the rest of the night and the "in crowd" left for another bar. Love The Smiths and the club "Gord's" - it's where I lost my musical virginity and popped my cherry.

I remember listening to a distant college radio station in TX late at night when I was a teenager and hearing this song. I was simply enthralled. They never said anything about it! It wasn't until I was in college myself a couple of years later that I found it again. I was like THAT'S THAT SONG!! I was so excited and started my journey with the Smiths from that moment on.

@dianal5087

2 жыл бұрын

I have a similar memory. Back then I listened to a college radio show based in Austin on Sunday nights, and one night this song came on. The lyrics were so different, and that guitar riff just floated around the dark room, and I was enthralled! Definitely a life changer.

@jamesw1313

2 жыл бұрын

It just meant so much more to find music back then. A snippet of a song from a distant radio station bounced around in your head for months/years and then out of nowhere-there it is. You could feel your brain light up almost an “explosion”. I know the feeling so well. Having a Public Enemy song that o heard about a minute of one time. When I found the album, tape actually, in a record store months later I couldn’t get home fast enough to play the album over and over till I learned every word of every song. It completely blew my sheltered suburban 14yo mind.

@MkeKen67

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamesw1313 - Was the song you heard called "Rise"? I think that's the first PIL song I ever heard. This Is Not a Love Song was the second song of theirs that I heard.

@ericbush3399

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamesw1313 Did you mean "Public Image Limited"?

For literally decades I thought the words were "sun & the air" rather than "son & the heir" but that changed nothing about how this song hits me when I hear it.

@intentionallyleftblank3016

Жыл бұрын

Works both ways!

@RenayOpish

10 ай бұрын

Wait- I am just seeing this now. 😂

I discovered you while searching for songs of my youth. I'm helping my step-daughters grieve their mother who just died of COVID and I needed the music that helped me through college. I didn't fit in and the Smiths (and later Morrissey), Depeche Mode, Roxy Music and others saved me. This was my first time seeing your videos. Great job on this one. You literally took words from my mouth! Thanks!

When this song comes on in an 80s club everybody is on the dance floor mouthing the lyrics and dancing dramatically and we're all so together in our loneliness and, yes, it's our forever anthem.

One of the few songs that i still remember when, where and how I've heard for the first time... I went to a Depeche Mode party in one of the classic Tel Aviv clubs. Now, before you enter the main hall where a party takes place there were a smaller hall with classic "alternative" 80's songs. I entered the club and How Soon is Now just started to play. I was totally shocked. Can't say this about too many songs. Still one of my all-time favs and always will be.

It's still as fresh and hypnotic as first time I heard it decades and decades ago.

I'm 56 years old and I was there man, with you, I was there. The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division/New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees. I bought the first Smiths album on its debut and it saved me as well. I was there.

I saw the Smiths on The Queen is Dead tour at the Fox theatre in Detroit. The T-shirt I got had the album art printed on white t-shirt. (Phrank opened the show)

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! I would give my left arm to see them.

@ibtaba

2 жыл бұрын

I saw Morrissey in Atlanta in ‘90 at the fox theatre and Phrank also opened then.

@craigs1266

2 жыл бұрын

12th row, main floor, house left.

@scarbourgeoisie

2 жыл бұрын

I saw them at the Kingswood Music Theatre, north of Toronto, on that same Queen is Dead tour which I think was back in '86. The new album had been out only a few weeks and I was blown away how the entire crowd knew the lyrics to every new song that was played live that night - word for word. What a great summer '86 was as I saw The Cure at that same venue a few weeks later.

Really enjoyed this track breakdown. I'm still marvelling about those 3 particular songs written in a week!

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

It's pretty mind blowing.

I have to be in just the right mood to go back and listen to The Smiths at my age now. It’s tough to go back to those teenage years emotionally but I feel like when I’m able to listen to them, it’s like I’m crawling out of a hole again. They were and are still a lifeline to me.

One of the greatest songs ever recorded. I love this song and always have ever since I heard it for the first time.

Not a Smiths fan, but I LOVE this song. It's the guitar....

@craigcrawford6595

2 жыл бұрын

Johnny Marr is a great guitarist for sure. .

@lisaahmari7199

2 жыл бұрын

You don't like Big Mouth Strikes Again? Cracks me up every time I hear it. Both of these guys were dark and poetic yet they each had a wicked sense of humor.

@davidroll8758

2 жыл бұрын

I'm with you. I love this song but I cannot stand Morrissey, then and even to this day. But I can listen to this song over and over and I know it all comes down to the guitar.

A beautiful and heartfelt episode about an indie masterpiece, thank you PoR. Like yourself, I was a kid (in England) who grew up on (my older brother's!) classic heavy rock records: Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Blue Oyster Cult, Foreigner, Journey and my all time faves, UFO. Then it was Duran Duran and Simple Minds (alt rock bands fused with electro) and British 'new romantic' outsider music, but it wasn't until I heard The Smiths that I finally knew I wasn't alone in feeling different any more. Exactly as you say, How Soon Is Now gave me a lifeline to realise that there were others like me that felt lonely, different and ignored. We were not the cocky, cheeky lads out on the pull, but sensitive souls hoping to somehow find love. This song spoke to me like nothing had before. I still love all the heavy rock from the classic years, but this song has been a saviour to me throughout my life. Many thanks for putting that gratitude into such articulate words.

@spuds6423

2 жыл бұрын

UFO, a band that influenced just about every hard rock artist in the 80's and beyond. The boys will be wrapping it up for good in Greece. I just might be there.

@KingAlveric

Жыл бұрын

Funny you mention Duran Duran - “New Romantic” was coined from a lyric in “Planet Earth,” off their debut album (1981)… (John Taylor is an amazing funk bassist)

Please interview Johnny Marr.

That guitar hook.....the way it shimmers over the surface of my mind..... *shiver*

The Smiths should have gotten waaaaay more airplay. This song is an absolute statement for feelings so many us had so many times. A masterpiece! We love you and your work professor, agree with you maybe the most under played and under played bands that influenced alternate music forever.

@JamesJoyce12

2 жыл бұрын

the Smiths kinda wrote the same song time after time over-and-over again - the fact that they have no current currency now speaks to that - I liked them a great deal when I was younger but now I listen and simply think they are lame

@tarp11z

2 жыл бұрын

@@JamesJoyce12 Factually, the Smiths are more popular now than they were in the day. They did it with nearly zero airplay. Similarly, Moz himself is in a cultural status which can only be compared to Elvis Presley. In my opinion, Johnny Marr was the greatest guitarist of the 80s. Moz's lyrics are like none other as is his voice. I understand your current disdain for certain music of the past, but you must acknowledge that you've never heard anything like them before or since.

@MyName-pl7zn

2 жыл бұрын

@@JamesJoyce12 I suppose most bands repeat their styles and sound each time, remember also they were together 5 years most bands sound the same for 5 years

@JamesJoyce12

2 жыл бұрын

@@tarp11z if you liked them and still like them then have at it - I liked them and can't stand to listen to them now - I also note many films and book written in the last decade make fun of the Smith listeners. If this is sensitive territory - sorry - they totally are the greatest band ever.

@tarp11z

2 жыл бұрын

@@dudetime8933 Go into Central America and find out how popular Morrissey is. Need I mention the UK? Regarding Elvis, he's great but hardly as great as his longstanding PR campaign (much of it posthumous.). Not all, but many people like Elvis because they're told to. Not so with Moz or the Smiths.

When you rattled off the bands that harmonized with your soul, DM, NO, Cure, I smiled with agreement. And when you spoke of your 💡 moment, I too reflected upon the same truth in my past life; a life that has also been “saved” by music. In the 80’s is was the aforementioned and in the 90’s it was U2,The Cranberries, Elvis Costello, and The Stranglers… if only I could impress upon my children the healing powers of music.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

You nailed it! Great bands you listed.

@JasonSavorn

2 жыл бұрын

@GxV sounding better than ever 👍

@boromirofmiddleearth557

2 жыл бұрын

key I think is to listen to the album whilst driving, or out walking, just let your kids listen to the whole album. not the videos. the music itself the lyrics.

I had the very same experience when I first found The Smiths. It was as if the wind was knocked out of me and a lightning bolt electrified me from my ears to my head to my heart. No other music has ever spoken to me like The Smiths have.

Thank you Adam for the backstory into one of the greatest songs of all time IMO. Timeless classic. I feel this song will still be relevant 100 years after it’s release.

In the 80s, my older brother would bring home his college music influences. This song was one. I was blessed.

I do like Morrissey because he is very quotable when it comes to attacking public figures. He can be hilarious. 2013: Morrissey refers to David and Victoria Beckham as “The Peckhams,” describes them as “insufferable” and says they should be “dragged to the edge of the village and flogged.”

@henrywallace7996

2 жыл бұрын

Viva Morrissey

@fluidikons

2 жыл бұрын

👍👏🏏💥🤴💀💨🏴🥂🚬☕🇬🇧🌅

@alliswede42

2 жыл бұрын

Moz is based AF

@coptermonk

2 жыл бұрын

One of the few standing up to the sjw mob.

@BudSchnelker

2 жыл бұрын

Moz just wants Britain and Manchester to remain the way they were. I'm not sure why anyone has an issue with that. He lived there, it's his right to say so.

Professor, i’ve been listening and a patreon for a while now, and your breakdown and heartfelt synopsis of this masterpiece is some of your best work.

15:48 "...with a plea for *compassion* and acceptance...". Simply, Beautifully put, and with such feeling. Fabulous video; Wonderful channel...!

I remember when this song first came out and I but the tape at a local import record shop. I would listen to it over and over again with my headphones at night. Morrisey seemed to speak directly to me and my pain in my high school years. Between The Smiths and Joy Division, high school became tolerable, and it started with How Soon Is Now.

THIS is why I keep coming back to this channel. So interesting. So factual. So educational. Keep up the great work.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated

The Smiths saved my life as a teen and I still go back to them to lift me when times are hard. Thank you for such an informative, heartfelt and eloquent take on an incredible song. Can you believe I met Mozza when he came to New Zealand. He was gracious and I was a bumbling mess! x

I really appreciated this breakdown of a song by a band I never got into. As a result I never heard the lyrics, but understanding them now 36/37 years later, I feel touched by them in a way I was not ready to appreciate back then. So thank you for opening my eyes. Blessings!

The Smiths were my favorite band as well. When I was younger, me and the other outcasts would go to a club. We also went to the James Dean festival one year, it was soon after Morrissey went to the area to film the video for suedehead. We broke into the school where James Dean went. I had an early video camera with me, and filmed some things. Morrissey wrote some things all over the school on some of the blackboard. He wrote "We can't go home again". I'll never forget those days.

Perfect report on a perfect song. Thank you for this.

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome.

R I P WDRE. That’s where I first heard this sound. The station is gone, Tower Records is mostly gone but that right after college graduation was when my musical tastes exploded.

@robgesualdi206

Жыл бұрын

WDRE in Philadelphia?

Wow, still getting goosebumps from this song. Was almost overwhelming to the point that it felt magical as a teenager. This is what music is supposed to feel like with and to every inch of your body and soul!

I absolutely love the version that Johnny Marr did live with his band on the Jimmy Fallon show.

This song was my anthem as a high school teenager. I remember buying that album and bringing it home and playing the song over and over, feeling it wash over me. Marr's riff and Morrissey's haunting voice took me to another place, and still does whenever I hear the song!

Morrissey is the man. One of my earliest musical memories is hearing "How Soon is Now?" at a friend's house as it randomly came on the radio. From the first note I froze. Writing this I am back in that moment- 1986 Incredible. ❤

Traveled 3 hours to see morrisey in 2019, the opening song was HOW SOON IS NOW, and never felt soooo alive! :) the smiths has definitely had a great emotional influence in my life with many of their songs. Love them. Great video mate, I know exactly what you mean to find a song that gives you relief from suffering and brings rest to your heart for the moment you are listening. Great video.

I love the details of what you said about high school, I was bullied and picked on daily. Going from Jr High to High School and living in Layton Utah I heard that the "jocks" were gonna kick my butt for being "mod" I decided to go all in. I wore black on the outside cause black was how I felt on the inside ;) it was around 1991 that I started going to KJQ (local radio station) stomps and a club called BJs, in Kearns. The first Smith's song I heard was Girlfriend in a Coma, the second song was HSIN! Soon after that I heard SuedeHead and someone had to point out to me that there were all the same singer, Morrissey. I remember seeing Morrissey shirts and thinking it was a heavy metal band. I soon after got Louder Than Bombs on cassette and listened to that on my walkman while riding my bike. I escaped through the Smiths and Morrissey's music (along with DM, The Cure, New Order, Siouxsie, Rage Against the Machine, NIN, etc.) you tell my story, thoughts of suicide and of "getting back" at the guys who tormented me daily. MUSIC saved me and you capture that feeling with your videos! I love all the extra knowledge and first hand interviews... When are you gonna get Moz or Marr on here?? I bet you are trying.

You nailed it. The Smiths deserve much more recognition and appreciation.

@belltown88squid28

2 жыл бұрын

@@dudetime8933 Huh? Static for the sake of static?

Your presentation of this absolutely amazing song is truly incredible.

Thank you for being so vulnerable. And this is such an amazing track, that calls to my heart even now, at almost 50.

I agree with most everything you've said. "Asleep" is my goto Smiths song. Same motif , different mood.

Beautiful breakdown of a song I love.So many great little insights I never knew. Thanks you so much.

As a frustrated and mixed-up teen in the late 80s driving home alone from the bars and clubs back to my lonely rural life was the first time I heard this song. It was winter and I rolled down the window to let the cold in while this song changed me. Fucking awesome. So haunting.

I can remember the first time I heard it and it was unlike anything I had ever heard before - and I grew up with all of the 60s and 70s rock. It spoke to a whole generation - no matter which age group you were in at the time. It seemed like it was the perfect song at the perfect time. That sound, those lyrics, nothing has ever surpassed it or even matched it.

Strangely, hearing “How Soon is Now” on MTV or VH1 didn’t turn me into the huge Smiths/Morrisey fan I became. It took hearing their earliest songs, and really exposing myself to their discography. Incredible band. Legendary!

@rrdream2400

2 жыл бұрын

same here, I liked the song, sadly it was the 1st song I heard on the radio by them, but when I heard the older stuff I was knocked out

@MikeSadlerAU

2 жыл бұрын

My 'road to Damascas moment' came with 'I know it's over', which seemed to resonate with my experience of pretty girls running off with buffoon Jocks who inevitably treated them like dirt. I just didn't get it, but at least then I knew I wasn't alone... and that someone else knew that it DID "take guts to be gentle and kind". HSIN ( year later?) was perhaps more anthemic, but it never approached the rawness Morrisey exposed in 'I know it's over' IMHO. Luckily, I met a pretty girl with a Smiths collection in 1989, and 33 years later, we still love the Smiths :-)

@ericmiller5603

2 жыл бұрын

@@rrdream2400 When I heard “What Difference Does it Make?” and “Reel Around the Fountain,” it was over! Still listened to rock and metal, but had found something REALLY different and cool!

@ericmiller5603

2 жыл бұрын

@@MikeSadlerAU I could put together a Top Ten of my favorite Smiths songs but I love about 90% of their music so a lot would be left off (and that would just be sticking with the Smiths, not bringing solo Morrisey into it). When I start listening to the Smiths, it’s hours of re-discovery and close listening! I could listen to the intro to “Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me” 9 or 10 times in a row!

I'm from a different generation (B 1951), and it was really my younger daughter (B 1989) who was into the Smiths and a lot of other bands of the 80's. And it wasn't the lyrics that got to me with this song. It was the SOUND.......... Nothing else like it.

This song is one of my all time favourites . Thank you for this back story. Your videos and interviews are organic and real , so glad I found your channel.

This song was so different in the 80s. I admit I was more of a rock chic in the 80s/early 90s even though I love all kinds of music. The Smiths were a little to weird for me at the time. I remember kids who loved them wearing thick black eyeliner and skateboarding at the mall. I really appreciate the Smiths now and realize how great they are.

I still can't believe this was not on an album. So many great songs were b-sides from the Smiths that were album/single worthy. Thanks for your passion Adam. Especially the 80s New Wave / Alt, etc.

@luminol

2 жыл бұрын

Meat is Murder 1985

@seang3019

2 жыл бұрын

It was on the Australian release of Meat is Murder. Rough Trade were notorious for repackaging, reissuing, hence Morrissey's scathing lyrics from Paint a Vulgar Picture: Best of! Most of! Satiate the need Slip them into different sleeves! Buy both, and feel deceived

@christianhelwig

2 жыл бұрын

@@luminol Depends on what release you have. On the initial release, the US may have been the only one or one of the very, very few that had it.

@christianhelwig

2 жыл бұрын

@@seang3019 Reissue, repackage, repackage...

One of those songs that can never be played loud enough. I recall hearing it all the time in clubs back in the day and it sounded so good blasting. Like others have said and I have to agree... it is a masterpiece.

Greetings from Ireland, where I was a teenager with this song, and it deserves your praise

Great video, and so appreciate your honesty in this, all the way around. I found this song when I was a little older, but it was always so impactful for all of the same reasons. Thanks for sharing!

Love how smiths “sound” is so upbeat but the words are surprisingly dark and introspective. Definitely one of my favorites

One of the most important bands in all of modern music. Thanks for covering them again Adam!

@ProfessorofRock

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. My favorite band ever.

@henrywallace7996

2 жыл бұрын

@@ProfessorofRock Simply beyond comparison. Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce - it doesn’t get any better than this.

Adam as always, your interpretation of this song is spot on! It truly is a timeless song and it even speaks to me now.

Thanks Professor for the in depth recording information and your openness about it’s importance to you. Brilliant band. Brilliant song. Brilliant episode.

Man oh man you got me hooked on your analysis, and took me for a joyride down memory lane. Thank you. I'm with you, bud. I just turned 50 and to this day the Smiths are still forever the greatest band, and the words of Moz rings truer than ever for our generation. Thanks for all the incredible insights you've put into this discussion. 👏

This song came out during a wonderful time, the new wave KROQ (CA station) era. The most haunting, meloncholy yet meaningful song, truly their beat!, thanks for explaining the production part of that guitar luck.

@meesr

2 жыл бұрын

KROQ was the center and driving force in the USA for all this new music, as early as 1980, and became the template for stations across the nation.

@russellloomis4376

Жыл бұрын

ROQ of the 80$.

@dhsaunders4185

Жыл бұрын

Another RODNEY ON THE ROQ song that became a national staple ...

@louiscamacho3457

Жыл бұрын

I remember how popular this song was on KROQ, I was a heavy metal fan but that song with it’s guitar tremolo effect and lyrics blew me away.

@paulsanders1

Жыл бұрын

@@louiscamacho3457 I miss the KROQ days!

This song gives me chill every time. Thank you for this video!