Day 0673 - Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys "Behaviour" (1990)

This album continues the P.S.B's line of quality, interesting pop, that uses some technology (analogue synthesisers as the Boys were unhappy with the digital synths available at the time) but retains its humanity, through stripped down arrangements and Neil Tennant's light, sometimes plaintive voice.

Much like their second album, Angelo Badalamenti (best known for his scoring work on David Lynch films and the "Twin Peaks" series) provides some string arrangements.  A change to the formula though comes in the form of Johnny Marr providing guitar across one or two tracks.

I don't have too much else to say about this one.  It has some fairly nostalgic and introspective lyrics (which then makes it a pity that they'd already used "Introspective" as the title for their previous album) in songs like "Being Boring" and "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave".  

Day 0599 - Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths "Strangeways, Here We Come" (1987)

Despite my previous statement that all Smiths albums sound the same to me; this one is something else.  There are certainly some familiar 'Smithy' sounds going on, but there's a touch of glam rock, and the moody slow groove of 'Death of a Disco Dancer'.   I don't know, I think that I just prefer the songs on this album to the other two that I listened to via this list.

It could be that old chestnut of 'personal turmoil and creative tension serving the artistry' because between this album being finished and it being released, the band broke up.  As I mentioned earlier, they have managed to this day to resist the urge to reform.

Day 0584 - The Queen is Dead

The Smiths "The Queen is Dead" (1986)

Seems I kind of have this thing with the Smiths, whereby I like their music, but I can't really tell their albums apart.  It all just sounds kind of... Smithy.

This is an enjoyable album though.  Johnny Marr paints the songs with a range of guitar tones from swirling and dreamy to vigorous folk, to country twang and everything in between.  Morrissey's lyrics continue to be intelligent and with a touch of humour.

This was the band's 3rd album in 4 years, and after one more album the band broke up.  Unlike most bands that go through the whole break up thing, they seem to have resisted the urge to reunite, even to revisit their back-catalog for a quick buck.

Day 0571 - Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg "Talking With the Taxman About Poetry" (1986)

The book talks about Bragg's ability to find the personal in politics and the political in the personal.  As is often the case, I didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics so I didn't really pick up on that so much, but I did enjoy the album musically.

Bragg's reverb drenched guitar manages to accentuate a variety of styles, from rockabilly, folk, pop and country.  I didn't even realise the first time I listened to the album, but there's little-to-no drumming in it, and the songs don't suffer at all as a result.  One or two tracks have limited percussion but that's it.

The album also features contributions from the Smiths' Johnny Marr, and Kirsty MacColl (of 'fairytale of New York' fame.

Day 0558 - Meat is Murder

The Smiths "Meat is Murder"

I'll admit to not being hugely familiar with the Smiths' music.  They were solely active in the 80s which was not a time that I was actively seeking out music.  Once I was more into music I was more interested in 60s pop or loud distorted guitars; the Smiths don't fit the bill in either case.  A teacher of mine who also helped out one of the high school bands I was in recommended the Smiths to me and I listened to one or two tracks, but it didn't really peak my interest.

So essentially I came to this fairly 'blank slate', the only song I was familiar with on this album was "How soon is now?" (only featured on certain versions of the album) as the theme tune to the tv show 'Charmed'.

I'd say there are more than a few connections that could be made between the Smiths and U2; both bands with solid rhythm sections, sonically explorative guitarists, and cause-heavy lyricists.

Guitarist Johnny Marr is the real star on this album, his guitar sounds ranging from jangly rockabilly, wicky funk, extreme tremolo guitar overlaid with slide lead parts, delicate acoustic guitar, clean new-wave-style guitar.

Morrisey's vocals seem to largely follow the pattern of being emotive and drenched in reverb.  While he is all about his causes here (pacifism, anti-monarchy, and the obvious vegetarian message of the title track) he does occasionally show a bit of a sense of humour, which I'm not sure is still present in his more recent work.