Hatful Of Hollow

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I read somewhere that Morrissey wrote the lyrics and Marr wrote the beat. This band was just creative all the way, and what lyrics on "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" How the hell am I suppose to feel about this, great storytelling. melancholic, LGBT, male vocalist, melodic, lonely, introspective, bittersweet, romantic, sentimental, poetic, existential, passionate, sarcastic, quirky, energetic, longing, depressive, alienation, love, sad, atmospheric What Difference Does It Make?’ was recorded during a BBC Peel Session, and it has a natural, darker edge to the single version. You can hear Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke dovetailing beautifully. Transposed to a higher key, it provides an exciting alternative to the single version. We can get hold of a copy for you from one of our suppliers, but we cannot guarantee a delivery time.

Beginning with a jangle style guitar break by Marr, the narrative of the song moves between the two perspectives of a boy and a girl each dealing with their insecurities. Absolutely brilliant music. Matrix / Runout (Both sides, runout, variation 6, stamped - broken/ sideways): ROUGH· 76 B13 IAN (EIRE)I could write “gorgeous melodies” as a description for every song on this album quite honestly. Marr employed a jangle style on the guitar lines, which is characterized by an undistorted and heavy treble sound. Morrissey's lyrics focus on sexual ambiguity and he uses a first person narrative technique which show off his storytelling abilities. Gorgeous melodies throughout especially during the chorus. When he sings the word “spellbound” I get chills. A mysterious and wise man once told me, “The only Smiths record you’ll ever need is Hatful of Hollow”. To which I responded, from beneath my curly mop, “Really?” in an almost dismissive tone. This mystical stranger responded unequivocally with a nod that was so self-confident, the 13-year-old me had no choice but to take this as gospel. Underneath the music, I could hear the faint whispers of the stranger, in his distinctly Leeds accent, like a musical Banquo haunting me with cries of ‘Hatful of Hollow’ and ‘Only Smiths record…’ as I entered adulthood, I started to realise what the stranger meant. Still Ill’ is also different, as it opens and closes with a harmonica solo, a more complete take than the version on the band’s debut, The Smiths. One would argue that this is the definitive version of ‘Still Ill’. Jangly and atmospheric, it’s on moments like this that you realise how much of a breath of fresh air the band must have been at the time.

My second favorite song on the album. The epitome of depressive lyrical content mixed with happy, jangle pop melodies. It's an infectious blend that soars through your eardrums and ensures a permanent place in your head canon. There are also some darkly funny lines sung by Morrissey in this classic song. Recently got a copy of this, the format makes sense as the album's running time of 56 minutes is technically too long for a single LP, whereas 10"s can hold a maximum of around 15 minutes a side when cut at 33 RPM. I don't have an original LP to compare it to, but it certainly has a very decent, clear sound. However, side 1 is much louder than the other three sides, and sides 3 & 4 are pressed off-centre. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the heavy stereo effect for the first 7 seconds of 'How Soon Is Now' (most noticeable when listened to through headphones) is greatly diminished on this pressing (it almost sounds like mono!). It's nothing big, but it makes you wonder why it's different.

William, It Was Really Nothing’, ‘What Difference Does It Make?’, ‘This Charming Man’, ‘How Soon Is Now?’, ‘Hand In Glove’ and even ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’, you could argue that all of The Smiths’ most important early songs comprise the album. This is not what makes it so brilliant, though. It is the way that songs on the record are alternative versions that makes it so essential. It is singles, B-sides and rarities all meshed into just over 56 minutes of The Smiths at some of their finest points. Take the David Jensen version of ‘These Things Take Time’, for instance. It was an augmented version of The Smiths that you got on Hatful of Hollow, and as an adult, I now see what the stranger meant. I know these songs so well but only ever from digital and hearing them now is like the first time ... how soon is now is one of my all time favourites and it sounds incredible. To the stranger who once told me that Hatful of Hollow is the only Smiths album you need, I get it. It trumps their debut in every way and is more consistent than their subsequent records, regardless of how expansive they would go on Meat Is Murder, and The Queen Is Dead. If you want to capture the early magic of The Smiths when arguably they were at their zenith, this is the album for you. I have a love-hate relationship with this album. I absolutely love the great majority of songs on this, but I hate the fact that it is a compilation album with songs from their self-titled record. I hate that there is no structure or concept to it. No identity. Such a wasted opportunity. It irritates me like an uneven carpet does.