Confession: I was in college when The Smiths released the Strangeways and Louder than Bombs albums, so if you do the math that makes me - um, well, older than I was when I was in college. Anyway, the '80s were a fantastic time to be listening to new popular music, and The Smiths were one of the bands that defined the decade. I no longer have my vinyl LPs, and even some of my early CD's are gone, but I recently bought "Singles" and I realized how much I missed this band.

Morrissey's vocals, Marr's guitar - the whole effect is so much more emotional than the self-conscious stuff that passes as pop now. Really, there's a kind of melancholy ultra-British-ness to the whole thing, like they're so NOT concerned about looking like pin-up boys, or with syrupy cheery lyrics that they just pour themselves into the music. And every song here is unlike all the cookie-cutter tunelessness we get today. No one actually sings anymore. Morrissey just reminded me.

If you are new to The Smiths, this is a fantastic album. As another reviewer said, they really were a singles band, and for the most part these really are some of the best.

'How Soon is Now' is an '80s alternative anthem, with bitter clever lyrics ("I am the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar..." -- yikes, haven't heard that from Britney) and a riff you just never forget. 'Panic' likewise. Hang the DJ indeed. Sometimes the vocals are so ridiculously good it's hard to believe this band gets shelved in the 'rock' section ' - the singing on 'The Boy with the Thorn in his Side' just twists and turns and Morrissey's on top of it every note.

This is alternative rock at its best, jangly guitar riffs, brooding and very English vocals, breakneck fast and morose in just the right doses. There are other great bands from the '80s, but The Smiths were unique. When they disbanded after the 'Strangeways' album (in 1987 I think), it was a kind of blessing only in that they quit before the energy and creativity left. Their last album is a stunner - nothing half hearted.

"I've seen this happen in other people's lives, now it's happening in mine."

Whew. Yeah buy it. ;)

i'm a very seasoned classic rock and jazz listener. i just do not know how this fantastic band escaped my eye for such a long time. this is simply the apex of pop music and when you listen to them you know there's something special here - it is just magic. morrissey's vocals, poetry and idealism are so rare in the music industry where talent and originality have become a byline. he catches your imagination with his art, wit, openness and compassion. johnny marr's shimmering fret work provides the able foil to his band leader's genius. if you fall in love with this album but still don't want to buy the other individual albums, check out the other great collection - louder than bombs. there're only seven overlaps between the two - you get some 16 odd extra songs there. great great great stuff!

As a 21 year old mad music fan, I only recently discovered The Smiths through this compilation album, and i am so glad I did. Singles hasn't been off my CD player for months now and it even prompted me to going and buying the band's back catalogue too (The Queen Is Dead being my fav album). There is just not one bad track on the entire Singles album, with my favourites being 'Boy With The Thorn In His Side', 'Ask', 'I Started Something' and the beautiful 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' of which Morrissey's vocals are amazing.(Particularly the way he sings the "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care" bit). Each track is near enough perfect both musically and lyrically. I would recommend this to any true music fan, and the fact that they band split up ages ago is irrelevant. As a band they are still as important today as they were back in the 80's and a hell of a lot of better than any of the bands around at the moment.

I'm not really familiar with The Smiths' music other than their classic "How Soon Is Now?" (from the WB show "Charmed"). I am more familiar with Morrissey's solo music though (courtesy of his best of cd compilation). To be honest, I haven't listened to this album in ages. It had been collecting dust on my cd rack. Then one day, I brought it to work with me. I absolutely love what I heard. I don't know why I haven't been listening to this cd. Morrissey has one of the most beautiful voices around. I wish a lot of today's artists would knock off the pseudo rapping and start crooning like Morrissey. Of course I have to list "How Soon is Now?" as one of my favorite songs from The Smiths but I also have to include "This Charming Man" "What Difference Does It Make?". I was watching on VH1 "I Love the '80s" mini-series and some of the guest panelists said that Morrissey was too whiney. Too whiney my arse. They ought to listen to today's crop of bands like Korn and Papa Roach. Morrissey was, is just awesome. I really love "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now". I feel like that song is my theme song. After listening to "Singles", I definitely want to seriously looked into The Smiths' other albums. I'm so glad that I rediscovered this album. Every song is a gem.

This compilation, made eight years after the Smiths broke up, is a strong set of songs by a band that appealed to disillusioned young people throughout Britain. Between 1983 and 1987 the Smiths created music that was mordant, forlorn, emotionally beautiful and witty.

It's hard to pick a favourite out of this collection, but the one that sticks in my mind most is "How Soon is Now?" Apparently the song "Panic" was inspired by news on the radio about the Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear accident ever. After reporting this, the D.J. then put on George Michael's "I'm Your Man". This is supposedly where the line "hang the D.J." comes from. The opening lines in "Ask" really tell it like it is. The impression I get from this song is of two people being attracted to each other but both are too afraid to make the first move. Then there's "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", with the line "two lovers entwined pass me by and Heaven knows I'm miserable now". When you've just broken up with someone it does seem like other couples are flaunting their love, rubbing in the fact that you're not in a relationship; as if they're intent on making you feel even more lonely and depressed.

In the music press, comparisons were often made between the Smiths and the Cure. Morrissey and Robert Smith were perceived by rock journalists as rivals, but I'm not sure they actually hated each other. I enjoy the music of both. If I listen to one, I don't feel like I'm betraying the other. I think Robert Smith saw Morrissey as something of a hypocrite, wailing about the way nobody loves him, his social ineptitude and feelings of failure, even though he's "selling records by the truckload" while there are people out there with "real" problems. I wonder if there was a hint of sour grapes in Robert Smiths's comments. He was singing about the same kind of things in the early 80s after all. Smith went on to say "If someone said Morrissey's a really great lyricist and you're not far behind I'd probably hit him."

The musical partnership between Morrissey and Johnny Marr was a fruitful one that unfortunately ended in acrimony. Although the Smiths lasted for just four years, their output was excellent. At least they didn't stay together so long that they would end up becoming stale, which is what often happens with other bands.